Event staff – Creating quality communications
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A guest blog by Lee Thomas, managing director, Aesthetics
Providing staff is a very competitive business. At Aesthetics we never compromise the quality of our staff to win a pitch however this becomes increasingly difficult when clients are cost sensitive. What impact could substandard staff have on your client and your event?
If event cost compromises have to be made remember that staff are the front line of guest experience for your brand or your event. The experience your clients have face to face could determine the positive or negative experience that your client or guest takes away with them. Ask yourself do you want to make an impression like a budget or a premium airline? Which hosts and hostesses would you rather have serving your clients?
That is not to say that glamorous staff equate to quality staff. Many people think that providing event staff is all about looking the part, being attractive and within a certain age group and size. At Aesthetics our staff range from 18 to 85.
One of our clients wanted a team to reflect their entire brand and what the brand represented. When we took over the staffing we interviewed their existing event team, many of whom were concerned that an event staffing agency would replace them with a younger more aesthetically pleasing team. It soon became apparent that there were some amazing characters that had been great ambassadors for the brand for many years. It made perfect sense to combine many years’ experience and history with experienced customer service staff to create a team that could move the brand forward in line with its vision.
We now have a very successful team of male and female staff ranging from 18 to 85, sizes 6 to 24 and from varying cultural backgrounds speaking a variety of languages. The team reflect the brand exactly as required.
The team that above has gelled through a good combination of skills and personalities but it is also the result of good shared brand knowledge and training. It never ceases to amaze me how many clients expect their event staff to hit the ground running with little or no training on the brand or event.
Investing in training enables your team to feel confident and enthusiastic. If training cannot be done face to face with the team then briefing documents or on-line training is next best. Going without any training at all is foolhardy. We love knowledge!
