Event Staffing Calculator
Event Staffing Calculator
| Position | Guests | Staff |
|---|
Total Staff Required: 0
Captains Required: 0
Event Managers Required: 0
Figuring out how many staff members you need for your event can be challenging…
Before you decide to contact a staffing agency, it’s best to know exactly what’s necessary for the event you’re planning.
Now you can streamline the process of event planning by knowing exactly how many staff you need.
It’s really easy, just choose the type(s) of staff you need and add in your guest count and our recommendation will populate below based on todays industry standard.
You can add multiple positions, but make sure the guest count is accurate and included for each entry.
How Many Waiters Per Guest
| Staff Type | per 100 Guests |
|---|---|
| Waiters | 10 |
| Tray Pass Servers | 2 |
| Buffet Servers | 2 |
One thing to keep in mind is which services are you providing? If you want bar service and food service for 100 guests, include bartenders and servers in your calculation. The more extensive the service, the more staff you will need per guest.
The question ‘how many bartenders for 100 guests’ is something planners ask all the time. We could debate all day whether you need 2 bartenders, 3 bartenders or even 4 depending on the bartenders responsibilities.
Whether you need private party bartenders for beer and wine, or a full fledged cocktail party, 2 bartenders is how many you’re going to need for an event 100 guests.
Event Bartending Staffing Ratios
| Staff Type | Ratio per 100 Guests |
|---|---|
| Bartenders | 2 |
| Barbacks | 1 |
How many catering staff you need is determined by the service being provided, as a tray pass service doesn’t require as many servers as a seated plated dinner.
Typically, when planning for seated plated dinners, best practice is 1 server per 8-12 guests. Think about it, 1 server will be responsible for serving all of the food, bussing all of the plates, filling water and wine, and handling any special requests.
This event staff calculator is catered towards quality and smooth service. You obviously don’t want guests to be waiting in long lines, or left unattended during dinner service.
If you happen to be on a strict budget for your event and you can only sacrifice budget for evnt staffing, you’re going to have to be willing to sacrifice quality.
Why You Need This Many Staff for Your Event
In building our event staffing agency in Los Angeles, we’ve learned valuable lessons when it comes to staff quantity vs quality.
Use these calculations on event staff provided if you prefer efficient bar service with minimal wait times, timely food service and clean up, friendly and organized check in, or smooth event marketing activations.
The goal is to strike the right balance between staffing costs and providing exceptional customer service. This recommended staffing plan is designed to facilitate a quality event without sacrificing service levels.
Of course, the exact staffing needs may vary depending on the specific details of your event, venue, and guest profile. But this provides a solid starting point to ensure you have the right team in place to execute your event successfully.
I’m sure you’d rather have 6 high performing party staff than 9 low performing body fillers.
Please note that we base these standards on the level of work our staff execute.
