When you’re planning an event, it can be tempting to assume that staffing is already covered.
The venue has people. The caterer has people. Surely someone will serve the drinks, clear the tables and look after the guests?
Sometimes that’s exactly how it works. Sometimes it isn’t.
Understanding who is responsible for what before the event can prevent a lot of frustration on the day.
What does venue staff usually cover?
Venue staff are primarily there to operate the venue. Depending on the property, that might include a venue manager, security, cleaning staff, maintenance personnel or someone coordinating access and suppliers.
Some full-service venues have their own hospitality teams and can provide waiters and bartenders as part of the package. Others don’t.
Never assume that because a venue has staff on site, those people are available for guest service.
Ask specifically what is included in the venue hire fee and which service roles remain your responsibility.
What about catering staff?
Note that some venues, such as the CTICC offer in-house staffing and catering, whilst some wedding venues insist on working with their own restaurant staff/staffing partners.
Plus, a few event caterers will only staff the kitchen and then use a staffing company to supply service staff. Catering teams are generally focused on delivering the food service you’ve contracted them to provide.
If you’ve booked a plated dinner, for example, waiter service may already be included. A buffet package may include fewer service staff because guests serve themselves.
The important point is that the caterer’s staffing responsibility may begin and end with the catering brief.
Their waiters may not be responsible for operating your bar, serving welcome drinks, managing glassware elsewhere in the venue or staying until the end of the party.
That isn’t poor service. It’s simply a different scope.
Note that we are careful about working with just any caterer who provides their own service staff. We have to vet this carefully to ensure that there are no problems.
When does dedicated event staffing make sense?
Separate event staff become particularly useful when several suppliers or service areas need to work together.
Imagine a wedding where one company supplies the venue, another provides the food, another delivers the bar, and the couple supplies their own wine.
Who serves the welcome drinks?
Who replenishes water on the tables?
Who clears glasses from the dance floor?
Who runs the bar after the caterer’s team finishes?
Those are small questions during planning. At 10 pm with 150 guests in the room, they’re suddenly quite important.
A dedicated staffing supplier can fill those gaps.
Dedicated staff can also give you more control
Using a separate staffing team means the number and type of staff can be planned for the whole event, rather than being the responsibility of a single supplier.
That can be useful for:
- weddings involving several independent suppliers
- corporate functions requiring a consistent level of guest service
- private events at homes or temporary venues
- events with mobile bars
- large functions with several service areas.
It also gives you the option to add floor managers, bartenders, waiters or support staff based on the event’s actual requirements.
When should you use the venue or caterer’s team?
There’s no reason to hire another supplier unnecessarily.
If you’re hosting a relatively straightforward event at a full-service venue that provides the required waiters, bartenders and management team, the existing solution may be perfect.
The same applies to a caterer providing a complete food-and-beverage service.
Adding another staffing company simply creates another supplier to manage.
The question isn’t: “Is dedicated event staffing better?”
It’s: “Is everything we need actually covered?”
Ask these questions before deciding
Before accepting the staffing included with a venue or caterer, clarify:
How many staff are included?
“Waiters included” doesn’t tell you whether you’re getting three people or twelve.
What hours are they working?
Make sure the team will be there when you need them, including setup and late service if required.
What exactly are they responsible for?
Food service, drinks, clearing, setup and breakdown may all be treated differently.
Who manages the team?
For a larger event, somebody needs responsibility for coordinating service.
Can additional staff be added?
If the included team isn’t sufficient, find out whether you can increase it.
Avoid paying twice
One final point: check existing supplier agreements before hiring additional people.
If your caterer’s package already includes eight waiters, you probably don’t need to hire another eight.
Instead, identify the genuine gaps.
Perhaps the catering team handles dinner perfectly, but you still need three bartenders and two bar support staff for the rest of the evening.
That’s a much smarter staffing decision.
Getting the staffing mix right
Good event staffing isn’t about putting as many people as possible into a venue. It’s about having the right people in the right roles at the right times.
For some events, the venue or caterer’s team is all you need.
For others, dedicated event staff provide the missing layer that connects the food, bar, venue and guest experience.
For Cape Town-based events, Urbantonic’s event staffing service can be used as part of a broader event hire solution or to supplement the people already provided by other suppliers. The starting point should always be the same: establish what’s already covered, identify what’s missing, and build the team around the event itself.
FAQs
Can I use both caterer staff and separately hired event staff?
Yes. It’s common for caterer staff to handle food service while another team manages the bar or other guest-service requirements.
Does a venue normally provide waiters?
It depends entirely on the venue. Some provide full hospitality teams; others provide only the space and operational staff.
Who should manage event staff from different suppliers?
For larger events, it’s worth establishing one clear point of coordination so everyone understands their responsibilities and timing.
Is hiring separate event staff more expensive?
Not necessarily. If you identify the actual staffing gaps rather than duplicating roles already included elsewhere, dedicated staff can be used very selectively.
Please contact us if you’d like a quote for your event.
