Hiring the right event staff can make or break a campaign. Whether it’s a product launch, trade show, or festival activation, your staff are the face of your brand. Yet too often, businesses overlook key details and end up with a team that doesn’t deliver.
Here are the five most common mistakes brands make when hiring event staff- and how to avoid them (hint hint- work with Push Promotions).
1. Hiring Based on Availability, Not Fit
The mistake: Many brands choose whoever is available, without considering if the staff’s personality, energy, or skillset aligns with the brand’s values.
How to avoid it: Look beyond a CV. Work with an agency that understands your brand voice and can match you with staff who embody your culture, not just fill a shift. Push Promotions handpicks each member of staff for each event based on their skills and experience.
2. Overlooking Training and Briefing
The mistake: Brands assume that event staff can “figure it out” on the day. The result? Inconsistent messaging and missed opportunities.
How to avoid it: Provide clear training and pre-event briefings. Staff should know your brand story, product details, key talking points, and expected outcomes. We ensure that all of our staff are briefed prior to the event so they are ready to hit the ground running on the day.
3. Forgetting the Power of Soft Skills
The mistake: Focusing solely on looks or CV credentials, rather than communication skills, approachability, and adaptability.
How to avoid it: Prioritise staff who can think on their feet, engage authentically, and leave attendees with a positive impression- even in high-pressure situations. Push Promotions know our staff, so we know who will be the perfect fit for your brand.
4. Not Considering Event-Specific Experience
The mistake: Hiring staff without checking if they’ve worked similar events. Someone great at hospitality might not automatically excel at a trade show booth or a festival activation.
How to avoid it: Match the staff’s background to the event type. Ask for experience in roles that mirror your setting, from lead generation to large-scale crowd management.
5. Treating Staff as a Last-Minute Detail
The mistake: Brands spend months perfecting logistics, design, and marketing, but leave staffing decisions until the eleventh hour. This often results in rushed hires and weak representation.
How to avoid it: Prioritise staffing early in the planning process. The right team is not an add-on- it’s central to your event’s success.
Your event staff are more than just “helpers”- they’re your brand ambassadors. Choosing the right people means your message is delivered with authenticity, energy, and professionalism. Partnering with an experienced promotional staffing agency ensures that your team is not only reliable, but the perfect fit for your brand.
Because at the end of the day, great staff don’t just attend your event- they elevate it.
We have been a promotional staffing agency for over a decade, and have experience working with some of the UK’s biggest brands, events and venues. From Live Nation concerts at Wembley Stadium to Duracell booths at exhibitions & festivals, we really have covered it all. Click here to read about our previous events, or contact us directly for more staffing information.
