Hosts, bar staff, waiting staff and event managers for awards dinners, product launches, receptions and office parties. Hand-picked, briefed on your running order and your guests, and paid properly, on a published hourly rate with a four-hour minimum.
Corporate events are judged by the people who organised them, in front of the people who pay for them. Our hosts meet guests at the door, check names against your list, take coats and direct people to the drinks reception. Waiting staff serve canapés and the dinner to the running order, bar staff run a free or paid bar to your drinks policy, and everybody knows when the awards start, when the stage needs clearing and when the room has to be quiet.
For product launches and receptions we brief your key messages, your guest list and anything guests will ask about, so a host can answer a simple question or find the right person on your team. For office parties we brief the finish time, the bar tab and who on your side makes the calls. We supply the people. The venue, catering, stock, equipment and any production come from you, your venue or your event agency.
Bar staff, waiting staff, runners, cloakroom and admissions are Core tier at £25.00 an hour ex VAT. Hosts, brand ambassadors, cocktail bartenders, fine-dining waiters and team leaders are Skilled tier at £28.00. An event manager or supervisor is Lead tier at £34.00: they hold the running order, work with your organiser and the venue, and are your single point of contact for our whole team.
Every person on our books has been interviewed by us, has had two references checked, has passed a right-to-work check before their first shift and has worked a paid trial shift alongside a senior member of our team. Anyone handling food or drink holds Level 2 food safety and allergen awareness, paid for by us. Supervisors hold Level 3.
For corporate work we choose people who are confident with guests and comfortable in a formal room. The written brief includes the running order, dress code, guest list rules, the drinks policy and the names of your organiser and venue contact. If your client or venue needs a confidentiality agreement signed, tell us at booking and we arrange it before the event.
They are our people, engaged on PAYE zero-hours terms, and they choose which shifts to accept. So the person who turns up wanted the shift. They are paid every Friday, from £14.00 an hour plus holiday, and they are paid for the hours booked even if you send them home early.
Every person is briefed twice before your event: once in writing 48 hours out, with the venue, door, transport, uniform, service style, allergens and your on-site contact, and once by phone three hours before start. They photo check-in on arrival. If anyone is not right, tell us in the first hour and there is no charge for them.
If you want to work these shifts yourself, see how we take people on.
These are the starting points we use when we build a quote. They are general guidance, not a rule. The format of the evening, the number of arrival points, the menu and whether the bar is free or paid all change the number. Tell us the brief and we will tell you honestly how few people the job needs.
| Service | Guidance only |
|---|---|
| Arrival and cloakroomGuest list, coats and directions | 1 per 100 to 150 guests |
| Drinks receptionCanapés and trays of drinks | 1 per 25 to 40 guests |
| Awards or gala dinnerThree courses, plated | 1 per 10 to 12 guests |
| BarBeer, wine, spirits and mixers | 1 per 50 to 75 guests |
| Launch or reception hostsWelcoming and guiding guests | Agreed from the floor plan |
| Event managerRunning our team | 1 per event, plus team leaders over 20 staff |
Corporate event staff are charged at the national rate everywhere outside the M25. The only uplifts we apply are for London, the festive period, bank holidays and New Year's Eve, and they are printed below.
| Tier | We pay them | You pay us |
|---|---|---|
| CoreBar staff, waiting, runners, kitchen porters, event crew, stewards, cloakroom, admissions | £14.00 + 12.07% holiday | £25.00 |
| SkilledCocktail bartenders, baristas, fine-dining and box waiters, hosts, brand ambassadors, team leaders | £16.50 + holiday | £28.00 |
| LeadSupervisors, event managers, chefs de partie | £20.00 + holiday | £34.00 |
| Senior chefSous chefs, head chefs | £24.00 + holiday | £40.00 |
Every client booking carries the same five guarantees, written into our terms of business.
Written, itemised, ex VAT, 8am to 8pm every day. Three hours outside that.
Your account manager's mobile is on the booking confirmation, answered on any day we have people working.
Anyone not right? Tell us in the first hour. No charge for them and a replacement on the way.
New clients get one person for one four-hour shift free on their first booking. See what you are buying.
Names confirmed within two hours of booking. If we cannot fill a position we say so at booking, never on the day.
Yes. From 1 December to 2 January the festive uplift of £3.00 an hour applies to every tier. Our Christmas party staff page has the festive rates and book-by dates.
Yes. Hosts check names against your list, hand out badges or wristbands you provide and pass anything unusual to your organiser. We brief your guest list rules before the event.
No. We supply the people. The venue, food, drinks, glassware and equipment come from you, your venue or your caterer.
No. Door supervision and security need an SIA licence and we refer that to a licensed partner. We do supply hosts, cloakroom and admissions.
Yes. Every quote is written and itemised ex VAT. Tell us your purchase order number and invoice details at booking and we put them on the invoice.
Tell us in the first hour. There is no charge for them and a replacement is on the way. That is written into our terms.
We reply in writing within 60 minutes, 8am to 8pm every day, and within three hours outside that.
See the whole rate card and the instant estimate, or start a full quote. Looking for shifts yourself? Work with us.
Your brief lands with Tasmyn or Liam, not a queue. A written quote within 60 minutes (8am to 8pm) and a call if anything needs clarifying. A named mobile is given to every client at booking.
Every person paid through our PAYE payroll, so you carry no status risk. Right-to-work checks before day one. Employers' Liability £10m, Public Liability £10m. Certificates with your first confirmation.
Keep them. Use us for the shifts they cannot fill, or the ones that matter most. Overflow is where most first clients start.
Short on people for a big weekend? We supply overflow to other agencies on the same published terms.