How to Improve Communication With Event Staff

Event life revolves around endless communication. From onboarding staff, scheduling them, and managing them during the event to even administering payroll, there’s no escaping communication. Hence, good communication with event staff proves indispensable in event management, yet it remains one of the biggest challenges for event organizers and stakeholders nowadays. So, how can you make improving communication with event staff more manageable? Well, follow along as we discuss 6 practical strategies for enhancing communication with event staff. 

How to Improve Communication With Event Staff

Improving communication with event staff is an important step towards having a cooperative and capable workforce for your event. Here are 6 action-oriented strategies for achieving this.

1. Have a Centralized Communication Channel

A centralized communication channel with event staff can streamline the communication process to ensure all team members are aligned and can exchange and receive critical information. This eliminates the potential for missing updates and unclear instructions, which can be usual if you are communicating with your staff on various platforms.

At present, utilizing a centralized communication channel with your event staff has never been easier, thanks to a variety of event and staff management apps that provide centralized communication tools. However, note that not all of these apps are created equal. For optimal centralized communication that ensures your team stays connected and informed, use StaffConnect. StaffConnect is designed to help boost communication in various workplaces, including events with real-time updates, efficient scheduling, a communications hub, and more.

Want to learn more about StaffConnect’s centralized communication feature? Make sure to check this post out! 

2. Develop an Event Communication Strategy

Whether you’re a seasoned event and staff manager or not, you know that having an effective event communication strategy can make all the difference in improving communication with your event staff. A communication strategy establishes a clear framework for sharing information, setting expectations, and fostering collaboration. It helps everyone involved in the event planning and execution understand their roles, responsibilities, and timelines and prevents last-minute surprises. 

Event and staff management pros can have various ways to develop an event communication strategy. However, the general rule of thumb is to start with the definition of key objectives and communication channels that are to be used as per the needs of the group. Next, define standard procedures for updates, issue reporting, and feedback collection that would ensure a regular flow of information. Then, structure a decision-making structure and define a point of contact for smooth coordination during the event. Finally, prepare a contingency plan to handle unexpected issues seamlessly.

For a detailed guide and additional tips and tricks in developing a communication strategy for event organizers, make sure to check out this post! 

3. Hold a Pre-Event Briefing

Before you step into the battlefield, aka your event, it’s important to make sure your staff team members are prepared and coordinated through a briefing. A well-structured briefing clarifies roles and responsibilities, prevents miscommunication, minimizes last-minute corrections, and ultimately improves communication during the event. 

Holding a pre-event briefing is fairly simple. Typically, you first start with deciding the time and venue of the meeting before the event. We advise holding your pre-event briefing 15 minutes prior to the event. Ensure you remind your staff about it and strictly instruct them to come. Outline the event's agenda, key moments, and safety protocols during the briefing and leave time for questions to clear any doubts. Close with a motivational pep talk and reiterate the importance of every role.

4. Assign a Key Point of Contact for Communication

In every team, it is essential to have a key point of contact for communication or someone who can facilitate the flow of information. This individual is the person to whom employees can easily refer and serves as a liaison for team members so that everyone knows what is going on in the project, the deadlines, and the updates. A contact person can also help solve problems that might arise.

To appoint a single point of contact for your event team, select a team leader or communication manager who is familiar with the event's logistics, objectives, and potential challenges. Additionally, provide this essential contact with an efficient means of communication, possibly two-way radios or a messaging app for his team, keeping him constantly connected.

5. Send Regular Updates

Sending regular updates is a common strategy for enhancing communication and helping your staff have a comprehensive understanding of the different parts of your event. As Medium publishes, “Regular updates give people a predictable way to gain broader context.” When staff are well-informed, they can also anticipate potential issues easily and collaborate more effectively. 

If you want to make sure your updates are effective, you must write in a clear and concise manner. Additionally, use the right mix of digital tools and structured communication channels that are accessible to your staff. Most importantly, create a definite scheduled update. Decide whether you want to conduct weekly briefings or daily check-ins leading up to the event.

6. Ask for Feedback 

Communication is not a one-way process; it's a two-way process. Therefore, it's important for you not just to talk but also to listen to your staff. Always seek feedback from event staff to identify communication gaps, misunderstandings, or logistical issues that could affect your event. By doing so, your staff can feel more comfortable sharing their experiences and insights, and you can create a more collaborative atmosphere. This may also boost morale, increase engagement, and help staff feel valued, leading to better performance and smoother event execution. 

For meaningful feedback, ask specific questions and implement structured and open-ended methods where staff can freely express their thoughts and opinions. You may also conduct anonymous surveys or suggestion boxes that can encourage candid responses from those who may be hesitant to speak openly. Additionally, feedback or survey tools such as StaffConnect can be used to make data gathering and analysis easier.

If you want feedback on your event to be easier, check out this post on how to write an effective event satisfaction survey.

Stay Connected and Organized With StaffConnect

StaffConnect helps you and your event team stay connected and organized by centralizing communication, updates, and resources in one powerful platform. It also has dedicated channels for different teams, such as logistics, marketing, and operations, enabling you to streamline conversations, enhance collaboration, and keep everyone on the same page. What's more, StaffConnect provides other critical event management tools such as scheduling, timesheets, GPS check-in/out, data collection, payroll, and more. With these features, you'll have everything you need to host a seamless and efficient event! Schedule your free demo today to learn more.