--- 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" --- # Build your event rota and check staff in | Ticket Fairy Guides 1. [Ticket Fairy](https://www.ticketfairy.com/) 2. [Guides](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides) 3. Build your event rota and check staff in Running the production # Build your event rota and check staff in Festival and venue operations managers staff bars, gates, stewarding and first aid across long days with hundreds of crew and volunteers. The rota shows where every hour is covered, catches double bookings and short rest before they happen, and turns into a check-in list on the day. 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. For: Staffing every team and hour of your event Takes: 12 minutes - [Open the rota](#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 - You are an owner, admin or producer on the event. The event's **Management** page opens for those roles only. - 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 the rota Open the event, select **Management**, then select **Rota** in the list of sections. **Note:** With no shifts yet, choose **Let Fai suggest shifts** or **Add a shift**. If Rota is not in the list, select **More sections** and open it there. ![Ticket Fairy 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 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. ![Ticket Fairy 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 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:** Set the stage under **More details (optional)**, so the shift shows on that stage's page. ![Ticket Fairy 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 Choose the day, then read the coverage table under the places filled. **Note:** Each cell counts people placed against people 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 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. ![Ticket Fairy 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 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. They are added as invited and nobody is emailed. ![Ticket Fairy 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 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. 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 Select **Rota rules**, set **Shortest rest between shifts (hours)** and **Most hours in one day**, then select **Save**. **Note:** The same dialog holds your **Safety lead** and **Safety lead's email**, who is emailed straight away about a high or critical incident. ![Ticket Fairy Rota rules dialog with the shortest rest, the most hours in a day 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 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. ![Ticket Fairy 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 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. Every step can be undone, and the list refreshes every 20 seconds. ![Ticket Fairy 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. ## Try these steps on your own event Create a free account, build your event and follow the steps above in your own dashboard. It takes a few minutes and you do not need to book a sales call. Your email address [Create a free account](https://manage.ticketfairy.com/welcome) [Book a demo](https://www.ticketfairy.com/event-ticketing/book-a-demo) No setup fees. No required monthly ticketing fee. No credit card required. ## 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. ### In your dashboard, with Fai Which shifts on Saturday at \ still need people? Suggest volunteers to fill them ## Let Fai do it for you Fai works inside your Ticket Fairy dashboard. Create your account, open Fai and paste the prompt above. [Create a free account](https://manage.ticketfairy.com/welcome) [Book a demo](https://www.ticketfairy.com/event-ticketing/book-a-demo) No setup fees. No required monthly ticketing fee. No credit card required. ## Cancel a shift 1. ### Cancel it Open the shift, then select **Cancel shift**. **Note:** The shift shows as Cancelled 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 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 Management page?: Any member of your event's team can ask Fai to check someone in or out, as at the door. Fai waits for their yes first. 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. Cancelled stays until you bring the shift back. ## 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 required monthly ticketing fee. No credit card required. ## Related guides - [More ways to use Ticket Fairy](https://www.ticketfairy.com/features) - [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) - [Run your event from its Today page](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/run-your-event-from-its-today-page) - [Build the running order for your event day](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/plan-your-event-production) - [Track every artist booking for your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/book-and-brief-your-artists) - [Keep the jobs behind your event moving](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/keep-your-event-tasks-on-track) - [Balance your event team's workload](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/balance-your-event-teams-workload) - [Read your event's email in one inbox](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/read-your-event-email-in-one-inbox) - [Take notes on your event calls with Fai](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/take-notes-on-your-event-calls-with-fai) - [Choose what Fai does on your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/choose-what-fai-does-on-your-event) - [Keep rider lists and notes for your event's artists](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/keep-rider-lists-and-notes-for-your-artists) - [Advance your performers before the show](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/advance-your-performers-before-the-show) - [Keep track of where your event's artists and crew are staying](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/book-travel-and-accommodation-for-your-artists) - [Share your event's rooming lists with hotels and pickups with drivers](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/share-rooming-lists-with-hotels-and-pickups-with-drivers) - [Plan your run of show and who calls it](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/plan-your-run-of-show-and-who-calls-it) - [Call your show live on show day](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/call-your-show-live-on-show-day) - [Book dressing rooms and plan build and break days for your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/book-dressing-rooms-and-plan-build-and-break-days) - [Hold dates for shows at your venue](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/hold-dates-for-shows-at-your-venue) - [Make an offer to an artist's agent for your show](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/make-an-offer-to-an-artists-agent) - [Settle a show with an artist after your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/settle-a-show-with-an-artist) - [Send your event contracts and get them signed online](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/send-contracts-and-get-them-signed-online) - [Raise purchase orders and track what your event owes](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/raise-purchase-orders-and-track-what-your-event-owes) - [Take food, drink and market trader applications for your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/take-trader-applications-for-your-event) - [Get your traders ready for show day](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/get-your-traders-ready-for-show-day) - [Draw your event site map and share it](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/draw-your-event-site-map-and-share-it) - [Issue accreditation passes for your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/issue-accreditation-passes-for-your-event) - [Recruit volunteers for your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/recruit-volunteers-for-your-event) - [Give your event volunteers their own page and track their hours](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/give-volunteers-their-own-page-and-track-hours) - [Hand out radios and kit to your event crew](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/hand-out-radios-and-kit-to-your-event-crew) - [Handle lost property at your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/handle-lost-property-at-your-event) - [Keep a risk register for your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/keep-a-risk-register-for-your-event) - [Message the crew, volunteers and traders working on your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/message-the-people-working-on-your-event) - [Send your event lists to your team on a schedule](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/send-your-event-lists-to-your-team-on-a-schedule) - [Publish your event line-up and set times](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/publish-your-line-up-and-set-times) - [Add everyone who sends your event form to your volunteers, traders or crew](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/add-form-applicants-to-your-event-teams) - [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 Everything in these guides is in your dashboard from the day you sign up. - Set up your event in minutes - Free events are free - Fai, your co-pilot, is built in [Create a free account](https://manage.ticketfairy.com/welcome) No setup fees. No required monthly ticketing 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 organisers who sell out, 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) ยท [Ticket Fairy for AI assistants](https://www.ticketfairy.com/llms.txt)