A great brand activation doesn’t just depend on an idea. It also depends on the people bringing it to life. 

Whether its product samplings or pop-ups or national tours or tradeshows, the right staff can make all the difference between having guests who forget your brand once the moment they leave… and guests who become ongoing (and passionate) advocates.

Regardless of whether you’re planning a small-scale event or a multi-city campaign, here are essential event staffing tips to help you build a team that delivers lasting results with your audience.

1. Define the Role and Then Find the Right Fit

Before you bring in your team, it helps to first get crystal clear on what you need your staff to do once there. 

For instance, ask yourself what roles they need to fill. Are they there for:

• Greeting guests?
• Capturing leads?
• Helping sample products?
• Driving sales or foot traffic?
• Representing the brand at a conference?

Depending on the event, each role may require a slightly different skill set. 

For instance, a high-volume brand sampling might need extroverts with energy, while a VIP product demo calls for polish, patience, and in-depth product knowledge.

Tip: The more specific you are in your staffing brief, the better your match will be.

2. Prioritize Experience but Don’t Overlook Attitude

A resume full of event work is great, there’s no denying that. However, experience is only one part of the puzzle when it comes to assembling the right staff for your event.

Attitude is what powers performance on the ground – can ensure you get the most out of their experience. For instance, great event staff are:

• Punctual and professional
• Adaptable in fast-paced environments
• Confident communicators
• Natural problem-solvers 

Experience matters, but so does a great attitude, strong presence, and trainability.

3. Match Staff to Your Brand Personality

Your event team should feel like an extension of your brand. 

That means more than wearing the logo. It means becoming full fledged brand ambassadors on the go. Part of this entails:

• Understanding your voice and values.
• Mirroring your tone, whether that’s polished and premium, or playful and bold.
• Being prepared to answer questions and engage meaningfully.

Never think of your staff as just people working the floor. The most successful events are the ones that deploy their event staff to their greatest possible potential (and most staffers want to make that happen!).

4. Invest in Training (Not Just a Briefing)

Even experienced staff need proper onboarding to deliver the experience you’re promising. 

Depending on the nature of your event, additional training – sometimes going in depth with your products or services – is needed to really elevate the event. Great training includes:

• Product knowledge
• Brand talking points and tone
• Role-specific scripts or demos
• Event flow and logistics
• Expectations around conduct, dress code, and communication

The better prepared your team is, the more confidently they’ll perform and the more consistent your brand experience will be.

5. Use Team Leads to Maintain Quality

Research shows that the best teams are often paired with the best leaders. For multi-staff events or multi-day campaigns, a strong team lead can make all the difference in ensuring the event (and staff on hand) remain consistent throughout. 

Some of the ways they help include:

• Keep everyone on schedule
• Act as a point of contact for clients or venues
• Solve problems in real time
• Maintain brand standards and staff morale

Team leads serve as a bridge between your strategy and the execution, especially when you’re not on site yourself.

6. Collect Feedback and Learn for Next Time

After your event, take the time to debrief with your team and your staffing partner. The sooner you do it and the more in-depth you go, the greater your learning and takeaways that you can apply for the next event.

Ask your team:

• What went well?
• What could be improved?
• Were there any guest insights or common questions?
• How did each staff member perform?

You might be surprised at what you hear because not necessarily every team member will have witnessed the same things over the course of the day. A diversity of opinions can really help ensure you have a well-rounded picture of how the event went, and this feedback loop helps improve future events and identify strong performers for repeat work.

Event Staffing That Feels Like Part of Your Brand

At Tigris Events (powered by Simon Pure), we know that great staffing is never one-size-fits-all. We carefully match trained, energetic professionals to your activation based on your goals, tone, and audience. 

Whether you need one ambassador or a team of fifty, we’ll help you build a staffing strategy that delivers more than smiles. It delivers results.

Reach out to start planning your next event. Contact us today!