Every successful event depends on the people working it. From the stewards guiding crowds to the bar staff pulling pints, the quality of your team directly shapes the experience for everyone who attends. Recruiting the right people is one of the most important things an organiser can do, and getting it wrong can have consequences that range from poor customer service to serious safety failures.
This guide covers the practical steps involved in recruiting event staff and stewards, whether you are putting on a 200-capacity gig or a multi-day festival.
Define your staffing requirements first
Before you start recruiting, you need to know exactly what roles you need to fill. The staffing plan for any event should be driven by the site layout, expected attendance, licensing conditions, and the nature of the event itself. A music festival with multiple stages and camping will have very different staffing needs to a seated theatre performance or a corporate conference.
Common roles at events include stewards, security (SIA-licensed), bar staff, box office and ticket scanning staff, stage crew, production assistants, site crew, first aiders, and management or supervisory staff. Each role has different skill requirements, and some require specific qualifications or licences.
Write a clear job description for each role. This should include the specific duties, the hours and shift patterns, any qualifications required, the rate of pay, and any physical requirements. Being upfront about what the job involves reduces the chance of people dropping out or being unsuitable once they arrive on site.
Where to find event staff
There are several channels for recruiting event staff, and most experienced organisers use a combination of approaches.
Staffing agencies
Event staffing agencies are the most common route for larger events. Agencies such as Showsec, Mitie Events, and countless regional firms maintain pools of trained, vetted staff who can be deployed at short notice. The agency handles recruitment, training, DBS checks, and payroll, which significantly reduces the administrative burden on the organiser. The trade-off is cost: agency rates include a margin that typically adds 30% to 50% on top of the worker's hourly rate. For many organisers, this is a worthwhile investment given the time saved and the reliability offered. Understanding how staffing agencies work will help you get the most from this approach.
Direct recruitment
For smaller events or organisers on tight budgets, recruiting directly can be more cost-effective. Job boards such as Indeed, Gumtree, and specialist platforms like Event Jobs and Reel Jobs are good starting points. Social media, particularly local Facebook groups and Instagram, can also be effective for reaching people in the local area who might be interested in casual event work.
Word of mouth and returning staff
The best recruitment tool for any regular event is a returning team. If you treat your staff well, pay them fairly, and create an environment where people enjoy working, many will come back event after event. Building a core team of reliable, experienced people reduces training time and improves consistency. Keep a database of everyone who works for you, with notes on their performance and availability.
Vetting and checks
The level of vetting required depends on the role. For stewards and general event staff, a basic reference check and right-to-work verification is the minimum. For roles involving contact with children or vulnerable adults, an enhanced DBS check is required by law. For security roles, an SIA licence is mandatory, and you should always verify the licence number through the SIA register.
Do not skip vetting. Even for casual roles, you need to confirm that the person has the legal right to work in the UK. Failing to do so can result in significant fines and legal consequences for the organiser.
Steward recruitment specifically
Stewards are the backbone of crowd management at events. They are not the same as security staff. Stewards guide, assist, and observe. They help people find their seats, manage queues, monitor crowd density, assist with evacuations, and act as the eyes and ears of the event management team. They do not have powers to search, detain, or use force, which is reserved for SIA-licensed security personnel.
Good stewards need to be calm under pressure, physically fit enough to stand for long periods, confident communicating with the public, and reliable. Prior experience is helpful but not essential for most stewarding roles, provided adequate training is given.
The number of stewards required is typically determined by a risk assessment and may be stipulated in the event's premises licence or safety advisory group (SAG) conditions. The ratio of stewards to attendees varies depending on the event type, but common starting points are 1:100 for standing events and 1:250 for seated events. These ratios should be adjusted based on the specific risk profile of each event.
Setting pay rates
Pay rates for event staff vary by role, location, and experience. At minimum, you must comply with the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (check gov.uk for current rates, as these change annually each April). Many organisers pay above the minimum to attract better staff and reduce no-shows. London rates are typically higher than the rest of the UK.
Be clear about payment terms from the outset. Staff should know whether they will be paid weekly, fortnightly, or at the end of the event, and whether payment will be made via BACS, cheque, or cash. Late payment is one of the quickest ways to destroy your reputation and make future recruitment difficult. The financial side of running events is tight enough without losing good staff over payment issues.
Building a recruitment pipeline
Rather than scrambling to find staff for each event, build a pipeline. Maintain a database of past workers with their contact details, roles, availability, and performance notes. Reach out early to your best people before advertising publicly. Create a simple application form that captures the information you need without being unnecessarily burdensome.
Consider partnering with local colleges and universities that run events management courses. Students on these programmes are often eager for practical experience and can be excellent workers. Some organisers also work with community organisations and job centres to recruit from groups that might not otherwise access event work.
Retention matters more than recruitment
The most cost-effective staffing strategy is keeping the people you already have. High turnover means constantly repeating recruitment and training, which is expensive and time-consuming. Focus on creating a good working environment: reasonable shift lengths, proper breaks, access to food and water, clear communication, and genuine appreciation for the work people do.
After each event, ask your team for feedback. What worked well? What could be improved? This not only helps you improve the experience for future staff but shows your team that their input is valued. The organisers who build the best teams are the ones who treat staffing not as a cost to be minimised but as an investment in the quality of their events.
Recruiting event staff and stewards is a practical skill that improves with experience. Start with clear requirements, use the right channels for your scale and budget, vet everyone properly, pay fairly and on time, and invest in keeping your best people. Do this consistently, and you will build a team that makes every event better than the last.
