Pull off perfect events with these event staff scheduling solutions. Find tools for managing volunteers, temps, contractors, and employees, internal communications, labor management, intelligent scheduling, and more.
Event planning is both highly rewarding and very stressful. In fact, it’s listed year on year as one of the most stressful jobs on the planet. There are so many different pieces of an event that need to fit together, often on a very tight timeline.
You also have to manage different kinds of staff, like contractors and temporary or seasonal workers—and make sure everybody’s in the right place at the right time, with the right information. There are hundreds of tasks to keep track of. On top of that, you need to continuously communicate with staff for information, feedback, or answers to questions.
Fortunately, using the right software can make the job much easier. The apps below let you see all your event schedules and tasks in one place, keep track of everybody’s progress and whereabouts, and send important updates on the fly. Keep reading to learn more about the best event staff scheduling software for 2024.
If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.
Our Top Picks
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Best all-in-one event staff scheduling software
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Good for reporting
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Nowsta: Good for quickly building event teams
Why trust us?
Our team of unbiased software reviewers follows strict editorial guidelines, and our methodology is clear and open to everyone.
See our complete methodology
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Tools considered
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Best tools
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What to Look For in a Event Staff Scheduling Software
These practical features help make event planning and execution even easier.
- Robust scheduling. Go for a simple, informative interface with drag-and-drop functionality. Conflict highlighting, staff availability, and the ability for staff to swap shifts or request extra shifts will help you manage seasonal workers.
- Messaging and task lists. It’s best to keep all your communications in one place. Look for software with messaging, updates, feedback and comments, attachments, and more.
- Time-tracking. Ensure everybody’s in the right place at the right time. Look for software with GPS geofencing and a mobile time clock.
- Alerts for lateness and real-time location visibility help limit nasty surprises come event day.
- HR and compliance: Software that integrates with payroll and compliance software or offers these features itself simplifies HR for seasonal and temp workers.
- Fully mobile. This one’s a no-brainer. Events staff are mobile, so your software should be too. Choose a staff management solution that you and your team can use from anywhere, at any time.
The 9 Best Event Staff Scheduling Softwares of 2024
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Connecteam — Best for: All-in-one solution
We spoke to dozens of industry experts to help design Connecteam’s features. This helped us create an event staff scheduling solution we believe ticks all the boxes.
Starting with event scheduling, Connecteam features powerful yet simple shift scheduling. It looks great on mobile and web, and is super easy to use with drag-and-drop capabilities.
You’ll get tons of useful information at a glance, like:
- Which shifts haven’t been covered
- Timeslots with limited availability
- Progress on shift tasks, letting you quickly see where everybody’s at with setting up for event day—a lifesaver!
It’s also super intuitive for staff, so seasonal and new staff alike will take to it quickly. They also get helpful reminders and the ability to swap shifts (with your approval). Plus, you can add shift attachments—documents, task lists, and more—so everybody knows what needs to get done, even if it’s their first time working with you.
Additionally, you can share read-only schedules with clients through a sharable link, keeping them informed about event timelines and staff assignments.
The knowledge base feature helps here, too. Upload documents, images, videos, and more, and share with the whole team or specific groups. Connecteam’s training features make it easy to onboard new staff and up-skill existing workers. This is especially great for temp workers who need a structured way to learn the job efficiently.
Communication is super important before and during an event, which is why we put a lot of thought into Connecteam’s chat. First, it’s highly secure. You can manage who sees what, either on an individual level or using smart groups. No media is ever kept on the user’s phone, and when a staff member is removed, they immediately lose access.
The chat feature includes numerous ways to communicate effectively. You can:
- Send group or company-wide updates with read status
- Get quick feedback with comments and reactions
- Set up private and team conversations to keep things organized
- Attach documents, videos, surveys, and more
🧠 Did You Know?
Connecteam integrates with Google Calendar so your employees can transfer their shifts right from the app into their personal calendars.
Finally, the Company Directory feature makes it easy to manage all kinds of workers in real time. This is true whether for temporary or permanent workers, part- or full-time, seasonal or year-round.
When it comes to event day, Connecteam features a robust time clock. It’s accurate right down to the second, with GPS localization to help eliminate time theft. Geofencing ensures everybody’s at the right location for the right event.
Task lists are one of Conneteam’s best features for event managers. Use templates to quickly create essential task lists for different events, then assign them to individuals, groups, or a timeslot in the event schedule. You can see progress in real-time and ensure planning and execution run smoothly.
Post-event, Connecteam’s powerful payroll features make it simple to manage payments for all types of workers.
Finally, all the above features feed into advanced reports and analytics. Understand how people are spending their time, which workflows may need tweaking, save on labor costs, and create custom reports per event, location, team, and more.
These are some of the most important Connecteam features for event managers, and we’ve added many others to make event management as easy as possible. These include:
- Forms and surveys
- Uniform order forms
- Evereal-timer job reports
- Equipment maintenance reports
- Work contracts
- Recognition and rewards
Key Features
Pros
All-in-one event staff management
Simple and intuitive for managers and workers
Easily schedule temp and seasonal staff
Training, knowledge base, and quizzes
Cons
No in-app video calls
Pricing
Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Start your free trial -
Clockify — Good for: Advanced reporting
Clockify is simple to use for both managers and employees, with native apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, plus a web version. It also comes as an add-on for browsers, which is a nice feature for fixed-desk users.
Managers can create user groups, projects, and tasks to help keep labor organized. Users can track time, see assignments and milestones, and request time off. It also integrates with the likes of Asana, QuickBooks, and Trello.
Clockify has good reporting capabilities, with both detailed and summarized reports. You can also filter by project, task, client, and user, and assignment and expense reports.
In terms of event management, though, it lacks many important features, like:
- Quick to-do list creation
- Internal communications features
- Document and training information sharing
- Scheduling templates
- Clear conflict highlighting
Key Features
- Mobile and desktop time tracker
- Labor dashboard and reporting
- Time off, expenses, and invoicing
- Timesheet with templates and approvals
Pros
- Robust labor and expense reporting
- Simple time tracking on all devices
Cons
- No way to share files or exchange messages
- Imperfect task management
Pricing
Starts at $3.99/user/month Trial: Yes — For PRO features Free Plan: Yes
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Nowsta — Good for: Quickly paying hourly workers
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Nowsta features an AI-powered scheduling solution, which helps eliminate much of the manual work involved in scheduling. You also get access to a built-in marketplace of temporary and seasonal workers, which is a useful feature for event planning.
It offers quick and simple payments for hourly workers. Employees can benefit from instant wages, digital paychecks, and even a savings account. It also has robust reporting and analytics for making data-driven decisions.
The app has limited communications features. Managers can’t send updates within the app—instead, they’re sent to workers’ phones or emails.
Employees can manage their schedules easily enough—but there’s no simple way to access key resources or view and complete shift tasks. For regular staff, this may not be a problem. New workers, however, may struggle to find everything they need in one place.
Key Features
- AI-powered scheduling
- Simple messaging & updates
- Comprehensive labor reporting & analytics
- iOS and Android apps for staff
Pros
- Instant wages for hourly workers
- Built-in hiring marketplace
Cons
- No knowledge base or training modules
- No task management for shifts or events
Pricing
Starts at $3/user/month (minimum $125/month) Trial: No Free Plan: No
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Buddy Punch — Good for: Super quick employee scheduling
BuddyPunch offers simple and powerful scheduling software, similar in nature to Connecteam. You can create and update schedules with drag-and-drop functionality. This makes creating new schedules for recurring or standardized events quick and easy.
You also get a lot of control over staff schedules. For example, you can:
- Limit when and where workers can punch in
- Create automatic breaks and punch-outs
- Verify staff via webcam as they punch in
BuddyPunch offers very basic messaging for sending updates to individuals, departments, or your entire workforce. For all other aspects of internal communications, including messaging and documents, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Ditto task management.
Key Features
- Time tracking with mobile apps
- Integrated payroll
- Quick drag-and-drop scheduling
- Time and location punch control
Pros
- Very quick to set up new schedules
- Robust time tracking for staff and managers
Cons
- Limited, one-way in-app messaging
- No checklists or task management
Pricing
Starts at $3.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: No
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RotaCloud — Good for: Simple, cost-effective employee scheduling
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
RotaCloud prides itself on being a simple, “no-nonsense” solution for scheduling shifts, tracking time and attendance, and managing leave and PTO. And it hits this mark in many ways. Its scheduling features are very user-friendly and simple to use. Information is organized well, so you can see important things like availability, conflicts, and open shifts at a glance.
RotaCloud also features decent internal communications. For example, you can add notes to shifts and days, so staff have quick access to the information they need. Unfortunately, though, there’s no way for staff to leave notes or add comments to managers’ notes.
That said, the employee app is comprehensive. Staff can:
- Quickly see their schedule
- See open shifts
- Request holidays
- Swap shifts (with your approval)
- Set their availability
- Punch in and out, with GPS and IP restriction
Overall, RotaCloud is a solid event staff scheduling platform. It lacks a few communications features, and there’s no module for training or task management. That said, it’s simple to use and has good support for holidays, absence management, and reporting.
Key Features
- Shift planning
- Labor and expense reporting
- HR tools
- Payroll and integrations
Pros
- Cover shifts fast with availability tools and open shifts
- User-friendly employee app
Cons
- No to-do lists or task management
- Time and attendance features cost extra
Pricing
Starts at $2.40 (£2) /user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No
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ClockShark — Good for: Managing lots of recurring events
ClockShark has a number of useful features that make it a good option for event planners. In particular, there’s a big focus on project management. This includes built-in customer management and job costing, as well as some solid communications tools.
The JobFlow™ view shows active jobs or events by staff, job, or client. This makes it very easy to manage multiple upcoming events and a large number of seasonal, temporary, and part- and full-time staff.
ClockShark is also one of the few apps on this list, alongside Connecteam, to offer two-way, in-app conversations. Plus, you can add notes and attachments to events and share files, and staff can add comments to request more detail or ask questions. Unfortunately, there are no to-do lists or task management (staff can only update jobs with basic statuses like In Progress and On Hold).
The basics are done well, though, including:
- Mobile time tracking with geofencing
- Time off
- Reports
- Quotes
- Invoices
- On-site payments for clients
Key Features
- Powerful drag-and-drop scheduling
- Mobile time-tracking
- Event management (statuses, comments, and attachments)
- In-app conversations
Pros
- View schedules by staff or jobs/events
- Event management and costing
Cons
- No schedule templates
- No onboarding or training modules
Pricing
Starts at $20/month + $8/user/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: No
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QuickBooks Time — Good for: Finance-focused staff management
Unsurprisingly, this staff scheduling solution from QuickBooks is very finance-focused. You can, of course, create and organize schedules by shift, event, or job. Employees can clock in and out via mobile app, with GPS and geofencing, or via a physical device.
Where QuickBooks Time excels, though, is in project management. You can:
- Compare budgeted hours to actual hours worked
- Assign milestones and deadlines
- Track hours on a per-job or per-task basis
Each project or event gets its own “activity feed,” where you can publish updates and notes. Team members can add comments and questions to the feed, too. This is a good start to communications, although there’s no two-way or group messaging with attachments and threads.
Key Features
- Compare actual vs. budgeted hours
- Track project and task completion
- Mobile schedules and timesheets
- Schedule by shift, job, or employee
Pros
- Integrates perfectly with other QuickBooks apps
- Finance-focused for better margins
Cons
- No in-app chat or secure messaging
- More expensive than competitors
Pricing
Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: No
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Event Staff App
Event Staff App — Good for: Large teams with limited needs
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Event Staff App is a straightforward event staff scheduling software. It’s relatively cheap, starting at just $1 per user, which has contributed to its success. It’s also very easy to use and boasts high ratings for customer service.
Scheduling includes all the basics, like the ability to move shifts around or see gaps in coverage. You can also rate workers based on performance and prioritize high performers for more difficult assignments.
Staff can view their schedule from the mobile app and receive notifications by SMS and email when shifts are assigned.
Messaging works via text, so there are limitations (no attachments, for example). You can add notes and information to an event page, although it’s not possible for staff to add comments or questions. Nor is there any task management to speak of. That said, Event Staff App has been quick to implement feature requests in the past, so these missing features may appear in the future.
Key Features
- Detailed event pages
- Scheduling and time tracking
- Mobile apps for managers and staff
- Rate workers based on performance
Pros
- All plans offer unlimited events
- Pricing starts at just $1 per user
Cons
- Limited internal communications
- Limited reporting
Pricing
Starts at $1/user/month Trial: No Free Plan: No
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Quickstaff — Good for: Regular or recurrent events
Available on
- Web
The Quickstaff app has some good features for event management, starting with scheduling and availability. The workflow is straightforward: create an event, invite staff, and watch responses come in. It’s particularly well-suited to event companies that work with regular staff members, like caterers.
The main dashboard gives you a quick view of all your events and their staffing coverage. For each event, you can:
- Add location details, notes, and files
- Assign multiple managers
- Add staff
- Set reminders
One useful feature is that you can duplicate existing events, including their notes. This makes it easier to organize recurring or similar event types.
The staff app allows workers to:
- See their schedule
- Set their availability
- Receive reminders and directions
Quickstaff doesn’t include time-tracking, however. This is an unfortunate and important gap in an otherwise effective app.
Key Features
- Create events with notes and files
- Dashboard with event staffing
- Mobile app for workers
Pros
- Duplicate past jobs for recurring events
- Quickly see required, invited, and confirmed staff
Cons
- No time-tracking functionality
- Limited in-app communication
Pricing
Starts at $49/per month Trial: No Free Plan: No
Compare the Best Event Staff Scheduling Softwares
| Topic |
Start for free
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Event Staff App |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews |
  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Pricing |
Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
|
Starts at $3.99/user/month
|
Starts at $3/user/month (minimum $125/month)
|
Starts at $3.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month
|
Starts at $2.40 (£2) /user/month
|
Starts at $20/month + $8/user/month
|
Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month
|
Starts at $1/user/month
|
Starts at $49/per month
|
| Free Trial |
yes
14-day
|
yes
For PRO features
|
no
|
yes
14-day
|
yes
|
yes
14-day
|
yes
30-day
|
no
|
no
|
| Free Plan |
yes
Free Up to 10 users
|
yes
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
| Use cases |
Best for: All-in-one solution
|
Good for: Advanced reporting
|
Good for: Quickly paying hourly workers
|
Good for: Super quick employee scheduling
|
Good for: Simple, cost-effective employee scheduling
|
Good for: Managing lots of recurring events
|
Good for: Finance-focused staff management
|
Good for: Large teams with limited needs
|
Good for: Regular or recurrent events
|
| Available on |
Web, iOS, Android
|
Web, iOS, Android
|
Web, iOS, Android
|
Web
|
What is Event Staff Scheduling Software?
Event staff scheduling software makes it easier to staff, prepare for, execute, and manage events. You’ll find tools for:
- Creating complex schedules with ease
- Ensuring events are fully staffed by the right people
- Sharing information with workers
- Avoiding gaps in labor or scheduling conflicts
The best event staff scheduling software also includes useful features like:
- Two-way and group messaging
- Onboarding and training modules
- Mobile time-tracking apps for staff
- Task lists
- Recognition and awards
- Tools for understanding and growing your business
If you’re still using spreadsheets or very basic scheduling software, you could greatly benefit from trying Connecteam or one of the other apps on this list.
How Does Event Staff Scheduling Software Work?
Scheduling software offers many features to make life easier for event planners, including scheduling and time tracking, communication, and reporting.
Generally, you start by adding events to a calendar and then adding workers to those events. You may be able to create “open shifts” that staff can sign up to, or send invites to staff members. Some apps offer templates and automated scheduling.
Add notes to events so workers have everything they need. You may also be able to create a dedicated chat group to share information and updates.
If time tracking is included in the software, workers will be able to track their time before, during, and after events.
Additional features like company directories, onboarding and training modules, and knowledge bases make managing seasonal and temp workers much easier.
Scheduling software will also allow you to run reports to better understand your finances and operations. These detail labor costs, time and attendance, and overtime. You may be able to manage payments directly from the app, or else export timesheets to another software.
The Benefits of Event Staff Scheduling Software
One of the hardest parts of event staffing is all the different kinds of workers you have to manage. There are seasonal and temp workers, contractors, borrowed labor from vendors, and part- and full-time employees. Not to mention all the different roles, like servers, bartenders, and performers.
Scheduling manually via Excel or Google Sheets or with very basic scheduling software is time-consuming and frustrating.
Connecteam and other apps on this list let you do this with ease. You can:
- See everybody’s availability at a glance
- Drag-and-drop shifts and workers onto your calendar
- Spot conflicts in scheduling and gaps in labor
- Create open shifts that workers can sign up to, with or without your approval
- Add notes and documents to events
Another difficulty comes from all the tasks that need to be completed, often on a tight schedule and in a specific order. Thankfully, the best scheduling software also lets you assign tasks to shifts and events and see your workers’ overall progress.
Finally, communications features make it simple to prepare for and execute events. Workers can share updates and information with two-way and group chats. And you can easily coordinate with teams, share documents and videos, and answer questions. Or, save time by sharing instructions and articles from your knowledge base.
Use the right software to save time, labor costs, and get back to enjoying your job.
How Much Does Event Staff Scheduling Software Cost?
There are a few different pricing structures for scheduling apps.
Some offer per-user, per-month pricing. This is a practical approach, as you only pay for the users you have.
Often, a base rate allows you to use the software with up to a certain number of users, and you only pay for additional members. That’s how Connecteam’s pricing works. For $29/month, you can access the Operations module with scheduling, time clock, forms, and tasks, for up to 30 users. Each additional user on the Basic Plan is just $0.50/month.
To help you compare, here are a few different scenarios:
| App | 10 Staff | 30 Staff | 60 Staff | 100 Staff |
| Total cost per month for basic plan | ||||
| Connecteam (Operations) | Free Forever | $29.00 | $44.00 | $64.00 |
| Connecteam (Ops, Comms, and HR) | Free Forever | $87.00 | $132.00 | $192.00 |
| Clockify | $39.90 | $119.70 | $239.40 | $399.00 |
| Nowsta | $125.00 | $125.00 | $180.00 | $300.00 |
| BuddyPunch | $48.00 | $106.00 | $193.00 | $309.00 |
| RotaCloud | $24.00 | $73.00 | $146.00 | $243.00 |
| ClockShark | $86.00 | $226.00 | $436.00 | $716.00 |
| QuickBooks Time | $140.00 | $340.00 | $640.00 | $1040.00 |
| Event Staff App | $29.00 | $29.00 | $59.00 | $99.00 |
| Quickstaff | $49.00 | $49.00 | $99.00 | $99.00 |
*Pricing as of December 2022
Based on these figures, we’re proud to say that Connecteam stands out as one of the most cost-effective solutions.
Even after adding the Communications and HR modules—with group chat, updates, directory, knowledge base, courses, rewards, and more—Connecteam is still one of the cheapest options out there. Only Event Staff App and Quickstaff come in cheaper, but they lack many of the features you’ll find most useful.
As a general rule, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1 to $5 per staff member per month, although some solutions are significantly more expensive. Compare plans and features to find the best bang for your buck.
FAQs
Do I need event staff scheduling software?
It’s possible to manage events using spreadsheets, phone calls, and emails. But you may lose a significant amount of time and revenue doing so. Many managers save hours per week using scheduling software. What’s more, you’ll have better control over your business and labor and encounter fewer costly mistakes.
How can I switch to staff scheduling software?
Making the move to new software needn’t be difficult. Connecteam, for example, lets you import your existing schedules from Excel or Google Sheets. You can even turn these into templates for future use. It may take a few hours to get everything set up, but once you do, you’ll find using a single app much, much easier.
Can I customize staff scheduling software to my business?
Definitely. Connecteam lets you customize just about every aspect of the app. Choose what your team sees and what information is shared, organize chat into channels and threads, group users, set permission rules, create schedule templates, and fully customize reports for your business.
The Bottom Line on Event Staff Scheduling Software
Event staff management doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. With the right software, it’s easy to manage all types of workers, get everybody the information they need, and ensure business operations run smoothly and cost-effectively.
Connecteam stands out as the best all-in-one business tool for event staff scheduling and management. It offers robust scheduling with templates and drag-and-drop functionality; secure, feature-rich chat to share updates and information; mobile time-tracking for employees; and much, much more.