How to Build a Strong Event Team: Practical Tips for Managers

You can have the most exciting event concept, the biggest budget, and top-tier suppliers, but if your event team can’t pull it all together, does any of it really matter?

Building a strong event team is one of the most important things you can do as a manager. The right mix of people, smart systems, and clear communication is what turns plans into execution. In this guide, you’ll learn 5 practical tips to help you build a team that stays sharp under pressure and shows up ready to deliver every time. Let’s get started right away!

How to Build a Strong Event Team: Practical Tips for Managers

Building a strong event team can feel overwhelming, especially when timelines are tight and expectations are high, but it’s absolutely doable. Here are five actionable tips to get started. 

1. Boost Your Recruitment

Boosting your recruitment isn’t just about hiring more people. It’s about being clear and intentional with how you find, screen, and bring in staff. When you get recruitment right, you create a team culture that works. You ensure that your staff are effective in their roles, and turnover drops because you’re hiring people who actually want the job. As a study concluded, “there is a positive significant effect of recruitment and selection process on organizational performance.”

Here are practical tips to boost your recruitment

1.1. Define Your Ideal Staff Profile Clearly

Start by defining what the ideal team member looks like for your event. Think about the skills they need, their availability, and the kind of personality that fits your event vibe. For instance, if you are organizing a corporate conference, you will need a staff who are polished, professional, and comfortable handling high-level guests. Once you’ve got that clarity, create a staff profile for each role. Use it to write stronger job posts and ask the right questions during interviews.

1.2. Leverage Targeted Platforms and Networks

If you're working with a tight timeline, skip the generic job boards. Go straight to where experienced event staff actually hang out. Post on event-specific platforms or in active local Facebook groups where freelancers are looking for gigs. 

In addition, build a go-to list of staffing agencies that specialize in events. They know the roles, they move fast, and they can help you fill last-minute gaps with people who know what they’re doing. You should also tap into your trusted crew. Ask for referrals and offer a bonus to anyone who brings in solid, reliable staff. 

1.3. Build a Talent Pool in Advance

You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s worth saying again: build your talent pool before you actually need it. Keep a list of past staff with notes on how they did. Stay in touch with freelancers or seasonal crew you’d want to work with again and reach out early, even months ahead of peak season, to check in and lock in interest. A warm pipeline means less stress, faster hires, and a stronger team every time.

2. Optimize Onboarding and Training

According to a study, solid onboarding does more than get everyone on the same page; it directly impacts productivity. When staff are onboarded properly, they reach full productivity faster than those who are left to figure things out on their own. The same goes for training. One report notes that organizations see up to a 37% boost in productivity when they invest in proper staff training.

Solid onboarding and training processes do more than hand out instructions. They give your team clarity on what they will be doing and why it matters. It’s also your first chance to set expectations, walk through communication norms, and establish a team culture that gets results. Additionally, onboarding and training give you an opportunity to build trust, consistency, and accountability from the start.

To streamline your onboarding, start with a short checklist you can reuse and tailor for each role. Keep it clear, practical, and easy to follow. Use onboarding time to align on expectations, walk through the run-of-show, and set the tone for how your team works, not just what they’re expected to do.

After onboarding, move into role-specific training, especially for positions that need to think fast on the ground. Don’t just talk, show. Demonstrate key tasks, walk them through what to do when things go off-script, and make space for questions. 

Need to onboard and train your event staff faster than usual? Learn how to do it all more efficiently in this guide.

3. Enhance Team Communication, On and Off the Floor

Clear communication is one of the biggest drivers of a high-performing event team. When your team knows and understands what’s happening, on and off the floor, they work with more confidence, make fewer mistakes, and stay in sync. There’s less confusion, no duplicated effort, and fewer things falling through the cracks. And for you as the manager, that means less chaos to fix and more time to focus on running a smooth, successful event.

To enhance team communication, use a centralized channel, whether it’s a messaging app or an event management platform like StaffConnect. This keeps everything in one place and easy to track. Assign a point of contact to handle questions, relay updates, and manage any real-time issues that come up as well. Additionally, hold a pre-event briefing to walk through the run-of-show, roles, and escalation flow. During the event, keep communication open with regular updates. Additionally, make space for feedback so your team feels heard, not just managed.

Get more insights on how you can improve communication with event staff in this guide.

4. Increase Employee Morale 

High morale is one of those behind-the-scenes factors that keep event teams running at their best. When your staff feels good about their work, they stay productive, engaged, and committed. So, how do you actually increase employee morale? 

Boosting employee morale is all about making your team feel supported, seen, and set up for success. Start by preparing them mentally and emotionally during your pre-event briefings. Set clear, realistic expectations, remind them that things might get hectic, and let them know you’ve got their back no matter what.

On event day, assign team leads who do more than just manage tasks; pick people who can read the room, offer encouragement, and step in when someone needs a boost. Build in micro-breaks when you can, and make sure your crew has access to basics like snacks, water, and quick check-ins. After the event, take time to debrief with genuine gratitude. Celebrate wins first before diving into what needs to improve. 

5. Provide Effective and Timely Feedback

Effective and timely feedback is one of the most effective ways to keep your team focused and performing well. People need to know how they’re doing while the work is still fresh, not weeks or months later when it’s too late to fix anything.

Good feedback builds trust, boosts morale, and helps your team grow stronger with every event. It also helps you as a manager figure out who’s a great fit for future gigs and who might need more support or training. 

Giving feedback might feel uncomfortable, but it is part of being a strong manager. Start with a quick debrief, ideally within 24 to 48 hours after the event, while everything’s still fresh. You can pull the team in for a short huddle or send a simple feedback form. Be specific. Mention what each person did well, point out what needs work, and invite honest input on what could’ve gone better. Keep your tone constructive, not critical; it’s about improving, not blaming. After that, log your notes in your event staffing records. This becomes your reference when hiring next time, so you can avoid repeat mistakes and bring back your best people with confidence.

Keep Your Team Sharp, Organized, and Ready From Start to Finish With StaffConnect

Looking for a simpler way to manage recruitment, scheduling, and payroll, and keep your event team strong and consistent? StaffConnect makes it easy.

StaffConnect is made for event managers who need to move fast, stay sharp, and keep everything under control. No more juggling spreadsheets or chasing people for updates, it handles the basics like onboarding, scheduling, shift reminders, communication, check-ins, and even multi-currency payments. Everything’s in one place, so you can focus less on the small stuff and more on running a team that actually delivers.

Book your free demo today to learn more!