Outstanding events require outstanding staff. Therefore, your events and hospitality staff must be multi-skilled and highly adaptable professionals with exceptional people and communication skills.
There is no formula or rule of thumb for hiring an events management team. However, you can look for certain skills to find outstanding events and hospitality staff. If you are organizing an event and wondering what to look for in prospective staff, this post is for you.
10 Skills Events and Hospitality Staff Must Have
A neat and tidy appearance and a smiling face will go a long way when it comes to being a host of an event. However, there are skills that are more important than the physical appearance of events staff.
1. Attention to Detail
Your professional events and hospitality staff must pay great attention to detail. This will allow your team to keep an eye on each and every customer and cater to guests’ needs during your event.
We live in a multicultural world these days. Therefore, you need staff specializing in catering to the needs of people from different ethnic, professional, and social backgrounds. Knowing your guests will help you anticipate people’s behavior and habits and proactively cater to their needs and wants.
2. Approaching and Outgoing
The host and staff working at your events must have an approachable and outgoing personality. Your event staff should be amicable and feel confident when dealing with your guests. This will help you ensure a flawless guest experience via pleasant conversations and interaction with your guests.
3. Awareness of SOPs for the Pandemic
Since the COVID-19 vaccination came out, the events industry has been trying to adjust to the new normal. However, the threat of an outspread is still real. Therefore, your staff must be aware of all the SOPs in place for social distancing and other requirements.
A safe event management experience will offer you and your guests peace of mind. A well-aware staff will be able to deal with any emergency while managing your event.
4. Excellent Communication
Whether a host, line barker, server or crowd manager position, your events and hospitality staff must have excellent and impeccable communication skills. In addition to being sociable, your team should be able to hold a conversation with your guests based on the nature of the event.
Different guests have different requirements. Therefore, your staff must be good at breaking the ice and effortlessly communicating with people from different backgrounds.
5. Exceptional Organizational Skills
Mismanagement and haphazard handling of the event by hospitality staff can ruin the entire event experience for your guests. To ensure that your event is a hit, you have to stay in control of the event and make sure that every activity happens on time. This will require all your team members to have excellent organizational skills.
6. Proactive Attitude
In your search for events and hospitality staff, always look for a person with a proactive approach. A proactive person will not wait for you to tell them what to do but look for tasks that need completing. Events staff with such an attitude never stay put or get fed up with the job.
Hiring proactive events and hospitality staff will allow your team to stay one step ahead, find things to do and approach customers to assist them.
7. Patience is the Key
Patience is one of the most essential skills in events and hospitality staff that you must look for. This is because events come with an element of unexpected scenarios. You cannot predict every situation that may transpire on the day of the event. Therefore, your staff needs to be patient when dealing with setbacks and stay focused while working under pressure.
Facing challenges and dealing with your clients/attendees from all walks of life with patience will help your staff deal with issues and create exceptional events and hospitality experiences.
8. A People Person
An exceptional host and events staff must have people’s skills to engage with your guests and uplift their mood with an enthusiastic and friendly attitude. Remember that your events and hospitality staff will be your ambassador on the ground. Therefore, a warm, flexible, and positive attitude are must-have skills for your event staff.
9. Passion for Conducting Events
A potential candidate for events and hospitality staff must be passionate about the events industry. If a person feels too overwhelmed or finds dealing with people boring, then events and the hospitality industry are not for them. A high level of devotion and motivation is highly essential for your staff to serve at your event successfully.
10. Tech-savvy
In order to find outstanding events and hospitality staff, you must hire people with knowledge of the latest technology for events management. Your event and hospitality must be proficient in using registration software, virtual reality tools, event apps, ticket scanners, contactless payment, and technological SOPs for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Do not forget that modern-day consumers rely on the latest tools and technology to avail various services. Therefore, events technology is continuously evolving and acting as a source of convenient events and hospitality experiences for events and festival-goers.
From online registration to paying for tickets and finding the venue to check-in, event attendees prefer events that offer automated and contactless options. Therefore, you have to ensure that your staff is tech-savvy to operate the tools you plan to use as well as assist your guests.
The Takeaway
If you are thinking about organizing an event and hiring hospitality staff, look for the above-mentioned skills in potential candidates. However, this can be a challenging and daunting task, and partnering with a staffing agency can be a convenient and hassle-free option.
We at VIP Staffing have been helping our clients by providing top-notch VIP events management staff. Our team of experts will listen to all your event’s needs and the standards of services you are looking for and find outstanding events and hospitality staff.
Give us a call today or request our VIP staffing service online.
