Planning an event? Don’t overlook the crucial role played by stewards

Covering everything from health & safety to general communications and customer care, stewards are integral to an event’s success.

Stewards are busy even before an event begins. They help set up the venue, familiarise themselves with emergency exits, set out packs of information and deal with any queries that arise as well as greeting early arrivals. Other stewards can take responsibility for cloakrooms and registration details.

Initial impressions count. When people arrive at a venue for a special event and are greeted in a friendly manner, escorted into the right room and if necessary, helped to find a seat can make a tremendous difference to the way they react to the rest of the event.

If your event is being held indoors?

Careful attention has to be made to ensure that no room is ever overcrowded. Too many people in one location can be very uncomfortable and causes an extra hazard if the venue has to be evacuated in an emergency. Stewards can keep a check on numbers and politely discourage people from entering until there is space available.

Stewards can also watch out for unexpected hazards developing and deal
with problems as they occur. These could range from sudden trip hazards, roof leaks, microphones not working or plugs accidentally being pulled from a socket.

It is not unknown for people to fall ill during an event

Every steward has a knowledge of first aid, and can provide instant help as well as organising extra assistance where necessary.

Although rare, the possibility that an event has to be evacuated in an emergency always has to be borne in mind. Terrorism, fire, floods, fights – there are countless ways in which an event can be disrupted, making it essential for participants to be evacuated quickly, efficiently and safely. Stewards are responsible for knowing the location of every fire exit and escape route, ushering people out and making sure no one is left behind.

Knowing there is someone reliable on site in each room ready to deal with any potential problems makes an event organisers job much easier. So don’t forget to book your stewards as early as possible to make sure that you have enough stewards available for your event.