--- title: "Build your event rota and check staff in | Ticket Fairy Guides" description: "Plan the shifts each team needs across your event, let Fai suggest shifts and the people to fill them, send everyone their own shift times, and check your crew and volunteers in and out at the door on the day." canonical: "https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/build-your-event-rota-and-check-staff-in" --- 1. [Ticket Fairy](https://www.ticketfairy.com/) 2. [Guides](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides) 3. Build your event rota and check staff in Crew and volunteers # Build your event rota and check staff in At your event you staff bars, gates, stewarding and first aid across long days with hundreds of crew and volunteers. With the rota, you see where every hour is covered and catch double bookings and short rest before they happen, and on the day it becomes your check-in list. Fai, your AI teammate, can check sales, update your event or change a ticket when you ask. Takes: 12 minutes [Watch the video: Build your event rota and check staff in](https://d3lcdr963b5ubl.cloudfront.net/uploads/guides/video/build-your-event-rota-and-check-staff-in/77ffa759786e32dbe01f852be42866cbbf4c3d2f9f7e55dc029c52fbf7a9e0c4/0721ff19fe24103d/guide.mp4) · [English](https://www.ticketfairy.com/resources/captions/guides/guide-build-your-event-rota-and-check-staff-in-0721ff19fe24.vtt) ***Watch how it's done** 4 min 4 s, with captions.* - [Open Shifts](#step-1) - [Let Fai suggest shifts](#step-2) - [Add a shift](#step-3) - [Find the hours that need people](#step-4) - [Add people to a shift](#step-5) - [Ask Fai to fill the gaps](#step-6) - [Clashes and rota rules](#step-7) - [Set your rota rules](#step-8) - [Send people their shifts](#step-9) - [Check people in on the day](#step-10) ## Before you start - To plan shifts and send them, you need to be an owner, admin or producer on the event. Anyone else on the event's team can check people in and out by asking Fai. - Your crew and volunteers are in the event's Crew and Volunteers sections, with an email address for anyone you want to send their shifts. 1. ## Open Shifts [Play from here](#guide-video) Open the event, select **Operations**, then select **Shifts** in the list of sections. **Note:** With no shifts yet, choose **Let Fai suggest shifts** or **Add a shift**. If Shifts is not in the list, select **More sections** and open it there. ![Rota for a festival Saturday, with places filled, coverage by team and hour, a clash warning and each team's shifts](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-staffing--rota.png) *The rota for one festival day.* 2. ## Let Fai suggest shifts [Play from here](#guide-video) Optional: select **Let Fai suggest shifts**, enter **People at the busiest time**, **Doors open** and **Last people leave**, then select **Update**. **Note:** Fai suggests how many people each team needs hour by hour, and the add button puts those shifts on the rota for you to adjust. ![Dialog with Fai's suggested staffing for a festival day, people per team for each hour and a button to add the shifts](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-staffing--suggest-shifts.png) *Fai's suggested staffing.* 3. ## Add a shift [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Add a shift**, enter the **Team** or **Role**, **Starts**, **Ends** and **People needed**, then select **Add shift**. **Note:** Choose **Repeat over several days** to add the same shift every day from a first to a last day. A shift that ends before it starts runs into the next morning. **Tip:** Under **More details (optional)**, set the stage so the shift shows on that stage's page, and a **Minimum age (optional)** or **Skill needed (optional)** so only people who fit are offered it. ![The Add a shift dialog with one day or several, team, role, place on site, times and people needed](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-staffing--add-shift.png) *Add a shift.* 4. ## Find the hours that need people [Play from here](#guide-video) Choose the day, then read the coverage table under the places filled. **Note:** Each cell shows how many people are placed against how many are needed for a team and hour: green is covered, orange still needs people. Use the team, **Show** and search filters to narrow the shifts below it. 5. ## Add people to a shift [Play from here](#guide-video) Select a shift, select **Add people**, find crew or volunteers by name or role, then select the add button. **Note:** For someone not on your lists, select **Add someone not on your lists**. Everyone starts as **Invited**; select **Mark confirmed** when they say yes. ![Shift panel with the people on a bar shift, their status and the next step for each](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-staffing--shift.png) *One shift and the people on it.* 6. ## Ask Fai to fill the gaps [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Ask Fai to fill gaps**, untick anyone you do not want, then select the add button. **Note:** Fai picks people who are free then, starting with those in the same team or with a matching role, and says why for each. Fai adds them as invited, and nobody is emailed. ![Dialog with Fai's suggested people for open places, grouped by shift, with the reasons for each](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-staffing--fill-gaps.png) *Fai's suggestions for open places.* ## Clashes and rota rules [Play from here](#guide-video) A warning above the rota counts its clashes and names each person: on two shifts at once, working more hours in a day than your rules allow, or with too little rest between shifts. If you add someone who would clash with another of your events, go over the hours allowed in 7 days, or lacks the shift's age or skill, we add them with a note for you to check. Fai never suggests someone for a shift that would break the rules, and a gap of 3 hours or more counts as rest even on the same day. 7. ## Set your rota rules [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Rota rules**, set **Shortest rest between shifts (hours)**, **Most hours in one day** and **Most hours in 7 days**, then select **Save**. **Note:** The 7-day limit counts shifts at all your brand's events, and it's 48 hours unless you change it. You also set your **Safety lead** and **Safety lead's email** here, and we email them straight away about a high or critical incident. ![The Rota rules dialog with the shortest rest, the most hours in a day and in 7 days, the switches for offers and still coming, and the safety lead](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-staffing--rota-rules.png) *Rota rules and the safety lead.* 8. ## Send people their shifts [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Send people their shifts**, check the example email, then select the send button. **Note:** Each person gets one email with only their own shift times, place and role for the day, and replies come to you. Anyone without an email address is left out, and the dialog says how many. **Warning:** The emails go as soon as you select the send button. ![Dialog to send people their shifts for a day, with how many will get an email and the email one of them gets](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-staffing--send-shifts.png) *Send people their shifts.* 9. ## Check people in on the day [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Check in** at the top of the rota, find the person in **Find a person**, then select **Check in**. **Note:** Select **Didn't arrive** for someone who has not come, and **Check out** when they leave. You can undo every step, and the list refreshes every 20 seconds. ![Check-in list for a festival day, with each person's shift and buttons to check them in, mark them as not arrived or check them out](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-staffing--check-in.png) *The check-in list on the day.* ## Or have it done for you Fai reads the rota, its coverage and clashes, suggests shifts from your expected crowd and people for open places, adds and changes shifts, adds people, sets the rota rules, emails people their own shifts and checks people in or out. She shows you each change and waits for your yes first; only sending shifts emails anyone. Your own AI assistant can read the shifts, add a shift, put someone on one and check people in or out over the MCP server, where each change waits for your approval in your MCP client. ### In your dashboard, with Fai ``` Which shifts on Saturday at still need people? Suggest volunteers to fill them ``` ### From your own assistant, over MCP Connect your assistant to [our MCP server](https://www.ticketfairy.com/mcp-server) and ask it: The copied MCP configuration includes `--read-only`. Remove `--read-only` only when you want your assistant to make changes. Your assistant makes routine changes when you ask, and checks with you before a destructive action if your client supports that. If your client cannot ask, make the change in your dashboard. ``` Find my event , show me Saturday's shifts and who is still missing, and ask me before you change the rota ``` ## From your terminal Install the CLI from [our CLI page](https://www.ticketfairy.com/cli), sign in with `ticketfairy auth login`, and choose the brand you are working on with `ticketfairy brand use `. `ticketfairy brand list` and `ticketfairy event list` show the IDs the other commands use. Use the CLI to read the shifts, add one, assign a person and check someone in at the door. ### List the shifts. ``` ticketfairy event-os rota shifts ``` ### Add a shift, with its start and end as YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM in the event's local time and the number of people it needs. ``` ticketfairy event-os rota add-shift --start "" --end "" --headcount --department "" ``` ### Put a crew member on a shift. ``` ticketfairy event-os rota assign --crew ``` ### Check a person in for their shift. ``` ticketfairy event-os rota check-in ``` ## Cancel a shift [Play from here](#guide-video) 1. ### Cancel it Open the shift, then select **Cancel shift**. **Note:** The shift shows as Canceled and stays in the rota's history. Select **Bring back** to put it back. Fai cancels a shift or brings one back when you ask, after you confirm. ### In your dashboard, with Fai ``` Cancel the Sunday pit barrier shift at ``` ## Take someone off a shift [Play from here](#guide-video) 1. ### Take them off Open the shift, select **Take off shift** beside the person, then confirm. **Note:** They stay in the shift's history, and you can add them again. Select **Can't make it** instead when they said no. Fai takes someone off a shift when you ask, after you confirm. ### In your dashboard, with Fai ``` Take Cai Jones off the Saturday bar shift at ``` ## Questions you might have **Are Fai's suggested shifts a safety plan?** No. They are a starting point. Follow your own risk assessment and your security and medical providers. **Can I add someone to a shift that is already full?** Yes. The rota asks whether to add them anyway, then adds them as invited. **Does Fai email the people she suggests?** No. Fai's suggestions are added as invited and nobody is emailed. Only Send people their shifts emails anyone. **Can someone at the gate check people in without the Operations page?** Any member of your event's team can ask Fai to check someone in or out, the same way you would at the door. Fai waits for their yes first. **What if someone lacks a document the shift needs?** When the event asks for a document, such as a first aid certificate for medics, and you add someone without it, a dialog tells you what they're missing. Enter why in **Why add them anyway** and select **Add anyway**, or add someone else. **How do I fill a place when someone drops out?** Select **Offers** at the top of Shifts and offer the shift to people who fit. The first person to accept gets the place. **What do the shift statuses mean?** Needs people means fewer are placed than needed, Filled means enough are placed, and All confirmed means enough have confirmed. Canceled stays until you bring the shift back. **Can I add shifts from a spreadsheet?** Yes. Select **Import from a spreadsheet** in Shifts, and Fai reads which column holds the day, the times and the department before up to 500 shifts are added. **How do I pay people for the hours they worked?** Approve their hours in **Hours** on Shifts, from their check-ins and check-outs. Name an agency under **Outside team** and enter a **Cost per hour** on the shift to check the agency's invoice. ## Still have a question? Book a demo and we will answer it on a call, on your kind of event. Or create your account and see it for yourself. [Book a demo](https://www.ticketfairy.com/event-ticketing/book-a-demo) [Create a free account](https://manage.ticketfairy.com/welcome) No setup fees. No monthly fee. No credit card required. ## Related guides - [More ways to use Ticket Fairy](https://www.ticketfairy.com/features) - [Offer open shifts on your event rota to crew and volunteers](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/offer-open-shifts-to-your-crew-and-volunteers) - [Share day sheets with your event's on-site teams](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/share-day-sheets-with-your-on-site-teams) - [Report and handle incidents at your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/report-and-handle-incidents-at-your-event) - [Find any performer, stage or day on your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/find-any-performer-stage-or-day-on-your-event) - [Approve the hours your event crew and volunteers worked](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/approve-the-hours-your-crew-and-volunteers-worked) - [Add shifts to your event rota from a spreadsheet](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/add-shifts-to-your-event-rota-from-a-spreadsheet) - [Every Ticket Fairy guide](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides) ## Do this on your own event Create your account, build your event and follow the steps in your own dashboard. You do not need to book a sales call. [Create a free account](https://manage.ticketfairy.com/welcome) [Book a demo](https://www.ticketfairy.com/event-ticketing/book-a-demo) ## Sell tickets with Ticket Fairy Start free with unlimited events and no monthly fee, and choose a paid plan when you need more. - Set up your event in minutes - Free events are free - Fai, your AI teammate, is built in [Create a free account](https://manage.ticketfairy.com/welcome) No setup fees. No monthly fee. No credit card required. ## See it on a call Book a demo and we will show you how Ticket Fairy handles your kind of event. [Book a demo](https://www.ticketfairy.com/event-ticketing/book-a-demo) [More ways to use Ticket Fairy](https://www.ticketfairy.com/features) ### Tips for selling more tickets Practical advice from working event organizers, and every new guide as it is published. We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime. --- This page is on Ticket Fairy, a ticketing, marketing and operations platform for live events and the venues that host them: festivals, club nights, concerts, conferences and tours, and night clubs, beach clubs and concert venues. It grows revenue with fan rewards that turn an audience into a sales channel, and runs the money side with payments and payouts, Vault business banking, and working capital advanced against ticket sales. [How Ticket Fairy ticketing works](https://www.ticketfairy.com/event-ticketing) · [Ticket Fairy for AI assistants](https://www.ticketfairy.com/llms.txt)