7 Tips for Marshals and Stewards to do Their Great Job AND Having Fun Doing it!

Spring is giving way to the heat of summer and that means one thing: festival season.

From food festivals to music festivals, poetry and book festivals to all kinds of events, this is the main season for employing hardworking stewards and marshals.

But being a steward or marshaling a sports event is not a case of turning up and wearing a high-viz vest. It can be hard work but it can also be fun and enjoyable.

How do you deliver a professional service as a marshal and steward whilst having fun and enjoying yourself?

#1 Know your stuff

And that means getting clued up on the event, what it is all about and the kind of audience you can expect to be interacting with.

Once on site, you need to make sure that you are fully briefed and understand what is required from you at all times of the day. If you are not sure of anything, clarify by asking questions.

You need to know key information such as directions to the loos from your position to the shortest way to the car park and so on.

#2 Practice your ‘I’m in charge’ voice (and look!)

Teachers are great for understanding the need to change and alter the tone of voice depending on the instructions being given.

As a marshal or steward, you need to find yours too. From telling someone to stop smoking to directing people to move along a little quicker, an authoritative voice is essential.

Its need to be friendly, but firm. And you need to make sure you can impart information without being rude or being over-pedantic.

#3 Learn and follow radio etiquette

When more than one conversation is carried out over the radio, it becomes confusing.

Follow the conversation, only dipping in if you need to. Make sure you respond in good time and keep ‘radio-speak’ and jargon to a minimum.

#4 Enjoy the event

When on duty, you need to be focused on exactly what you are doing. Thus a marshal at the front of a stage needs to be scanning the crowd, not having a dance.

However, when you are off-duty, enjoy everything the festival or event has to offer. This way, you will have talk to people about the event too.

#5 Refine your people skills

Dealing with the public is, in the main, fun and interesting but, as the saying goes, ‘there is always one’.

These are the people who think that event safety rules don’t apply to them or the warning sign applies to everyone else. Or where it says ‘no parking’ is the ideal spot to park for a picnic…

People skills are at the heart of everything a steward and marshal does so learn tricks and tips that help you to manage people in a way that is both polite, but authoritative when necessary.

#6 Health and safety

It inspires a collective groan from all marshals and stewards but the main reason why event and festival organisers hire professional marshals and stewards is so that health and safety obligations are fulfilled.

And that means understanding what your role is, studying the risk assessment and being confident you know what to do in the event of an emergency or incident.

#7 Celebrity spot!

And finally, whether it is a sporting fixture or a music festival, or a food event or an outdoor party, celebrity spotting is surely a perk of being a professional marshal and steward.

And so enjoy it, but stay alert, get the information you need and interact with the public helping them to enjoy the event.

Need to hire marshals or want to become one?

We supply marshals and stewards across the UK so if you need staff or would like to become one then complete the form below.