What does event staff do? They are the hourly workers who make a live event run: they pour and serve, check guests in, show people to their seats, hand out samples, build the stage and strike it at the end of the night. An event staff job description is less one job than a family of short, shift-based roles, booked event by event. This guide covers what each role does on a shift, what it pays, and how people get booked.
What is event staffing?
Event staffing is the business of supplying trained workers for a single event or a run of dates, instead of a venue or brand keeping a large crew on payroll all year. A staffing agency, a caterer or the venue itself books people for a set call time and a set number of hours. You might work a gala on Friday, a stadium concert on Saturday and a trade show booth on Monday, each for a different client.
Every role falls on one side of a simple line: front of house, where guests can see you, or back of house, where they can't.
What does event staff do? Duties by role
Most event jobs fit into four groups. The duties below are what you actually do between call time and clock-out; each role page has the full detail and open shifts.
Bar and food service
The largest group at weddings, galas and corporate dinners.
- Bartenders set up the bar, mix and pour to the event's drink menu, check IDs, cut off guests who have had enough, and break the bar down and count stock at close.
- Barbacks keep the bartender stocked: ice, glassware, kegs, garnish, and clearing empties so the line never stops.
- Banquet servers set tables, serve plated courses or pass trays, clear between courses and reset the room for the next session.
- Catering attendants run buffets and food stations, refill chafing dishes and keep the station clean.
Front of house and promo
The people guests talk to first.
- Brand ambassadors staff a booth or brand activation: they talk about the product, hand out samples, scan badges or collect sign-ups, and report numbers to the client at the end of the day.
- Ushers scan tickets, show guests to seats, answer questions, manage lines and help direct people out in an emergency.
- Registration and guest services staff check in attendees, print badges, run the coat check or info desk and solve the small problems that would otherwise reach the planner.
- Promo models are booked to represent a brand on camera or on the show floor, often alongside brand ambassadors.
Production and crew
The first in and the last out.
- Stagehands unload trucks at load-in, build staging, set lighting, audio and video gear under the direction of a crew chief, then strike it all at load-out.
- Production assistants run errands, move equipment, wrangle talent and keep the run of show on time.
- Setup and teardown crew place chairs, tables, pipe and drape, signage and barricades before doors and remove them after.
Event management
The people holding the schedule.
- Event coordinators work from the timeline and the client's brief: they brief staff at call time, deal with vendors, handle problems on the floor and sign off hours at the end of the shift. Many start in a front-of-house role and move up once a lead trusts them to run a room.
How much do event staff make?
| Role | Low | Median | High | Tips on top? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartender | $20 | $26 | $38 | Yes |
| Barback | $15 | $18 | $24 | Yes |
| Banquet server | $18 | $22 | $30 | No |
| Catering attendant | $16 | $19 | $25 | No |
| Brand ambassador | $20 | $25 | $34 | No |
| Promo model | $22 | $28 | $40 | No |
| Registration | $17 | $20 | $25 | No |
| Usher | $15 | $17.50 | $22 | No |
| Stagehand | $22 | $27 | $40 | No |
| Production assistant | $18 | $22 | $30 | No |
| Setup and teardown crew | $17 | $20 | $26 | No |
| Event coordinator | $24 | $30 | $42 | No |
Bar roles pay the base rate plus tips, so take-home on a busy night can sit well above the table. Production and event management roles start higher because the hours are longer and the work is physical or carries responsibility. Rates also move with the city, the client and how short-notice the booking is. See pay for every event role for more roles and filters.
A typical event staff shift, from call time to load-out
Skills and requirements for event staff
Most entry roles train you on the shift. What leads look for first:
How do event staff get hired?
There are two main routes. Most people work through a staffing agency, which books you onto events for many clients, handles payroll and gives you a steady stream of shifts once you prove reliable. Others are hired directly by a venue, caterer or production company, which can mean more regular work with one employer.
Either way, check how you are paid. Some event work is W-2 employment, where taxes are withheld; some is 1099 contract work, where they are not and you handle them yourself. The IRS decides which applies by how much control the business has over your work, not by what the job is called. Our W-2 vs 1099 guide for event staff explains what changes for you; check with a tax professional if you are unsure.
To see what is open near you, browse event jobs or start from a role on the roles page.