Discover a range of tools to help you manage volunteers, temporary workers, contractors, and your own employees. Streamline internal communication, efficiently handle labor management, create smart schedules, and much more.

Event planning can be both fulfilling and incredibly stressful. It consistently ranks as one of the most stressful professions globally. Coordinating numerous event components to come together, often within tight deadlines, is a significant challenge.

Additionally, you need to oversee various types of staff, such as contractors and temporary or seasonal workers, ensuring they are all at the correct locations at the designated times with the necessary information. Managing a multitude of tasks is essential. Moreover, you must maintain constant communication with your staff, whether it’s for information sharing, gathering feedback, or addressing their inquiries.

Luckily, by using suitable software, you can simplify this task significantly. The following applications allow you to centralize all your event schedules and tasks, monitor everyone’s progress and locations, and swiftly send crucial updates. Continue reading to discover the top event staff scheduling software for 2024.

1. Scheduling: Opt for user-friendly software with a simple interface and drag-and-drop functionality. Features like conflict highlighting, staff availability tracking, and the ability for staff to swap or request shifts are valuable for managing seasonal workers.
2. Task to-do lists with messaging: It’s convenient to have all your communication centralized. Look for software that offers messaging, updates, feedback, comments, and the ability to attach files.
3. Time Logs: Ensure that everyone is in the right place at the right time. Seek software with GPS geofencing and a mobile time clock for accurate tracking.
4. Alerts: These features help prevent unwelcome surprises on the day of the event.
5. HR: Simplify HR tasks for seasonal and temporary workers by selecting software that integrates with payroll and compliance tools or provides these features itself.
6. Mobile: Since event staff are often on the move, it’s essential that your software is mobile-friendly. Choose a staff management solution that you and your team can access from anywhere, at any time.

1. Event Staff App

Event Staff App – Ideal for: Large Teams for relatively cheap costs

The Event Staff App is a simple event staff scheduling tool. It’s budget-friendly and offers a free trial which has contributed to its popularity. It’s also user-friendly and receives high customer service ratings.

In terms of scheduling, it covers the basics like shifting shifts around and identifying gaps in coverage. You can also rate your staff based on their performance and prioritize top performers for more challenging tasks.

Staff members can access their schedules through the mobile app and receive shift notifications via SMS and email. Messaging is text-based and you can add notes and event information. 

• Comprehensive event pages
• Scheduling and time tracking
• Mobile apps for both managers and staff
• Ability to rate workers based on their performance

• All plans include unlimited events
• Affordable pricing starting at just $1 per user per month

• Limited reporting capabilities

• Free Trial: Yes
• Free Plan: Not offered

• Time tracking on mobile and desktop
• Labor dashboard with reporting
• Manage time off, expenses, and invoicing
• Timesheet with templates and approval features

• Strong reporting for labor and expenses
• Easy time tracking on all devices

• AI-powered scheduling
• Easy messaging and updates
• Detailed labor reporting and analytics
• iOS and Android apps for staff

• Set restrictions on when and where workers can clock in.
• Establish automated break times and punch-outs.
• Verify staff identities through webcam verification when they clock in.

• Time tracking with mobile apps
• Integrated payroll
• Fast drag-and-drop scheduling
• Time and location punch control

RotaCloud prides itself on being a straightforward and practical solution for shift scheduling, time tracking, and managing leave and PTO. It successfully achieves this in many aspects. Its scheduling features are user-friendly and easy to navigate. Information is well-organized, making it easy to spot important details like staff availability, conflicts, and open shifts.

RotaCloud also offers decent internal communication options. For instance, you can add notes to shifts and days, ensuring staff have quick access to necessary information. However, there’s no provision for staff to leave their notes or comments for managers.

On the plus side, the employee app is comprehensive. Staff can:

• View their schedules
• Identify open shifts
• Request holidays off
• Swap shifts
• Set availability
• Clock in and out (GPS and IP restrictions)

RotaCloud is a reliable event staff scheduling platform. It lacks a few communication features and lacks modules for training or task management. Nevertheless, it’s user-friendly and provides good support for holidays, absence management, and reporting.

• Shift planning
• Labor and expense reporting
• HR tools
• Payroll and integrations

ClockShark is a great choice for event planners, offering several valuable features, with a strong emphasis on project management. This includes built-in customer management and job costing, along with reliable communication tools.

The JobFlow™ view simplifies managing multiple upcoming events, even with a large and diverse workforce of seasonal, temporary, and part- or full-time staff.

ClockShark stands out as one of the few apps, alongside Event Staff App, that offers two-way, in-app conversations. Additionally, you can enhance events by adding notes, attachments, and file sharing, while staff can contribute by adding comments for more information or asking questions. However, it lacks to-do lists or task management, as staff can only update job statuses with basic options like ‘In Progress’ and ‘On Hold.’

Nevertheless, ClockShark excels in the essentials, such as:

• Mobile time tracking with geofencing
• Managing time off
• Generating reports
• Creating quotes and invoices
• Facilitating on-site payments for clients

• Powerful drag-and-drop scheduling
• Mobile time-tracking
• Event management (statuses, comments, and attachments)
• In-app conversations

Connecteam – Ideal for: Simple and easy solution to staffing events

Starting with event scheduling, Connecteam offers a powerful yet user-friendly shift scheduling tool that works seamlessly on both mobile and web platforms. It’s incredibly intuitive, allowing you to easily manage shifts with drag-and-drop functionality.

You’ll have access to valuable insights at a glance, such as:

• Uncovered shifts
• Timeslots with limited availability
• Progress tracking for shift tasks, enabling you to quickly assess event preparation progress—a real game-changer!

Effective communication is crucial both before and during an event, and we’ve invested a lot of effort into enhancing Connecteam’s chat functionality. First and foremost, it prioritizes security. You have complete control over who sees what, whether on an individual basis or by using intelligent group settings. No media is stored on users’ phones, and when a staff member is removed, they immediately lose access.

• Powerful and user-friendly scheduling
• Time clock with geofencing
• Group chat with file attachments
• Training and onboarding tools
• Task management and to-do lists
• Advanced reporting capabilities

• Comprehensive event staff management
• Easy for both managers and workers to use
• Effortless scheduling for temporary and seasonal staff
• Training, knowledge base, and quizzes included

• No in-app video calls

• Free plan available
• Premium plans start at $29 per month for 30 users.

QuickBooks Time – Ideal for: finance oriented staff management

As expected, QuickBooks’ staff scheduling solution is primarily finance-oriented. It allows you to create and organize schedules by shift, event, or job. Employees can clock in and out using the mobile app, with GPS and geofencing, or through a physical device.

However, where QuickBooks Time truly shines is in project management. You can:

• Compare budgeted hours with actual hours worked
• Assign milestones and deadlines
• Track hours on a per-job or per-task basis

Each project or event has its own ‘activity feed,’ where you can post updates and notes. Team members can also leave comments and ask questions in the feed. While this facilitates communication to some extent, there’s no two-way or group messaging with attachments and threads.

• Compare actual hours to budgeted hours
• Monitor project and task progress
• Mobile schedules and timesheets
• Schedule by shift, job, or employee

• Seamless integration with other QuickBooks apps
• Financially focused for improved profitability

• No in-app chat or secure messaging
• Slightly higher pricing compared to competitors

• Starts at $20 per month plus $10 per user per month
• Trial: Available – 30-day
• Free Plan: Not offered

Quickstaff – Ideal for: reoccurring events

The Quickstaff app offers useful features for event management, especially in terms of scheduling and managing staff availability. Its workflow is straightforward: create an event, invite staff, and monitor their responses. It’s particularly suitable for event companies that regularly work with the same staff members, such as caterers.

The main dashboard provides a quick overview of all your events and their staffing status. For each event, you can:

• Add location details, notes, and files
• Assign multiple managers
• Add staff
• Set reminders

One handy feature is the ability to duplicate existing events, along with their notes. This simplifies the organization of recurring or similar event types.

The staff app enables workers to:

• View their schedule
• Set their availability
• Receive reminders and directions

However, Quickstaff lacks a time-tracking feature, which is a notable and unfortunate omission in an otherwise effective app.

• Event creation with notes and files
• Dashboard for event staffing overview
• Mobile app for workers

• Ability to duplicate past jobs for recurring events
• Easy tracking of required, invited, and confirmed staff

• No time-tracking features
• Limited in-app communication options

• Starts at $49 per month
• Trial: N/A

RoostedHR’s event planning service takes center stage with a comprehensive approach that elevates the coordination of diverse occasions. Primarily designed for those seeking unparalleled event experiences, RoostedHR sets itself apart through meticulous attention to detail and a passion for tailoring events to client specifications.

With a focus on flawless execution, RoostedHR adeptly manages logistics, vendor relationships, and on-site operations, ensuring a seamless flow from conception to completion. The service excels in understanding and translating client visions into bespoke events, be it corporate functions or intimate celebrations. Communication is a cornerstone of their service, providing clients with transparent updates throughout the planning process.

RoostedHR’s commitment to excellence shines through in their ability to transform ideas into reality, creating events that leave a lasting impact. From concept to execution, RoostedHR’s event planning service stands as a testament to professionalism, precision, and a dedication to exceeding client expectations.

• AI-Powered scheduling
• Integrates with Major Payroll Providers
•  Document Management Signing & Tracking
• Advanced Reporting

• Unique event design
• Transparent communication
• Good logistics management
• Event budgeting and financial management

• Cost consideration
• Limited service area
• Limited last minute flexibility

• $4.99 per worker with a $90 minimum per month
• Free trial: N/A

Event staff scheduling software simplifies the process of organizing, preparing for, executing, and managing events. It provides tools for:

• Creating schedules effortlessly
• Ensuring the right people are available for events
• Sharing information with workers

• Preventing labor gaps and scheduling conflicts

• Two-way and group messaging
• Onboarding and training modules
• Mobile time-tracking apps for staff
• Task lists
• Recognition and awards
• Business growth insights

If you’re still relying on spreadsheets or basic scheduling software, consider trying Event Staff App or one of the other apps on this list for significant improvements.

Event staff scheduling software offers a range of features to simplify the work of event planners, including scheduling, time tracking, communication, and reporting.

Typically, you begin by adding events to a calendar and then assigning workers to these events. Some software allows you to create ‘open shifts’ for staff to sign up for, or you can send invitations to staff members. Certain apps offer templates and automated scheduling for added convenience.

You can include notes with events to ensure that workers have all the necessary information. Additionally, some software provides the option to create dedicated chat groups for sharing information and updates.

If the software includes time tracking, workers can record their hours before, during, and after events.

Extra features such as company directories, onboarding and training modules, and knowledge bases simplify the management of seasonal and temporary workers.

Scheduling software also enables you to generate reports for a better understanding of your finances and operations. These reports cover labor costs, time and attendance, and overtime. You may be able to handle payments directly within the app or export timesheets to other software.

Managing various types of workers for events can be quite challenging. This includes seasonal and temporary workers, contractors, labor borrowed from vendors, as well as part and full-time employees. Additionally, there are numerous different roles to consider, such as servers, bartenders, and performers.

Manual scheduling using Excel, Google Sheets, or basic scheduling software can be time-consuming and frustrating.

Event Staff App and other similar applications make this process much easier. You can:

1. Quickly view everyone’s availability
2. Easily drag and drop shifts and workers onto your calendar
3. Identify scheduling conflicts and labor gaps
4. Create open shifts that workers can sign up for
5. Attach notes and documents to events for reference

Another challenge arises from the numerous tasks that must be completed, often within strict deadlines and a specific sequence. Fortunately, top-notch scheduling software enables you to allocate tasks to shifts and events and track your workers’ overall progress.

Additionally, communication features simplify event preparation and execution. Workers can exchange updates and information through two-way and group chats. You can seamlessly coordinate with teams, share documents and videos, and address inquiries. Alternatively, you can streamline the process by sharing instructions and articles from your knowledge base.

Utilize the appropriate software to save time, reduce labor costs, and rediscover the enjoyment in your role.

Event staff scheduling software comes with various pricing models.

Some apps charge on a per-user, per-month basis, which is a practical approach as you only pay for the users you need.

Pricing styles vary based off the application you use. Event Staff App has 4 different plans based on how many users; one is for up to 30 staff, one is for up to 60 staff, one is for up to 100 staff, and one is custom for more than 100 staff. Event Staff App starts at $45 per month and offers a free trial of up to 30 days before hand.

To facilitate your comparison, here are a few different scenarios:

You can anticipate a cost ranging from $1 to $5 per staff member per month, although certain solutions may be considerably pricier. It’s advisable to assess plans and features to identify the most cost-effective option.

Streamlining event staff management doesn’t need to be a source of stress or complexity. Employing the appropriate software makes it simple to oversee various types of workers, disseminate necessary information efficiently, and guarantee the smooth and cost-effective functioning of business operations.

Event Staff App emerges as the optimal all-in-one solution for event staff scheduling and management. This software helps with scheduling and time tracking. It also gives the ability to rate workers based on their performance and allows for unlimited events in all plans.