--- title: "Recruit volunteers for your event | Ticket Fairy Guides" description: "Open a volunteer application form for your event that people fill in on their phone, and let Fai read each application against the roles you need. Accept, waitlist or decline people in batches with one email each, and invite back last year's volunteers with their answers already filled in." canonical: "https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/recruit-volunteers-for-your-event" --- 1. [Ticket Fairy](https://www.ticketfairy.com/) 2. [Guides](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides) 3. Recruit volunteers for your event Crew and volunteers # Recruit volunteers for your event Fai, your AI teammate, can check sales, update your event or change a ticket when you ask. Your festival, charity event or community show runs on volunteer stewards, bar staff and information-point teams, often hundreds of them. With a form that fills your Volunteers list and Fai's reading of each person, you can decide on a whole spreadsheet of applications in a few minutes. Takes: 10 minutes [Watch the video: Recruit volunteers for your event](https://d3lcdr963b5ubl.cloudfront.net/uploads/guides/video/recruit-volunteers-for-your-event/3159de19646250113c7fc7edf3c25ac0df5cc74b598ba92509e0937ea03c05fb/7cd267e8a9b3ad7f/guide.mp4) · [English](https://www.ticketfairy.com/resources/captions/guides/guide-recruit-volunteers-for-your-event-7cd267e8a9b3.vtt) ***Watch how it's done** 3 min 23 s, with captions.* - [Open Volunteers](#step-1) - [Set up the application form](#step-2) - [Add your own questions and a minimum age](#step-3) - [Check the privacy notice and turn on applications](#step-4) - [Share the application link](#step-5) - [Read an application](#step-6) - [Choose the people to decide on](#step-7) - [Accept, waitlist, decline or shortlist them](#step-8) - [Check the statuses](#step-9) ## Before you start - You need an owner, admin or producer role on the event to open applications and decide on them. 1. ## Open Volunteers [Play from here](#guide-video) Open the event, select **Operations**, then select **Volunteers** in the list of sections. The section opens on **Applications**. **Note:** If Volunteers is not in the list, select **More sections** and open it there. ![The Volunteers section on Applications, with two people to decide, Fai's reading of each and the buttons to invite last year's volunteers and send page links](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-volunteering--applications.png) *Management, Volunteers, Applications.* 2. ## Set up the application form [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Open applications**, or **Settings** once the form exists, then add the **Roles you need** and your **Welcome text**. **Note:** The form always asks for name, email, phone, days, emergency contact and consent. Select **Use your rota teams** to copy your rota's teams as the roles. ![The Volunteer settings with Take applications turned on, the application link, welcome text, roles, your own questions and the privacy notice](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-volunteering--settings.png) *Volunteer settings.* 3. ## Add your own questions and a minimum age [Play from here](#guide-video) Optional: Select **Add question** for each question of your own, and enter the **Minimum age**. **Note:** The minimum age is 16 unless you change it. Someone under 18 is asked for a parent or guardian's name, phone number and agreement. **Tip:** Turn on **Don't send the answers to Fai** for a question about health or anything else private. 4. ## Check the privacy notice and turn on applications [Play from here](#guide-video) Check the **Privacy notice**, turn on **Take applications**, then select **Save**. **Note:** Applicants tick a box to say they have read the notice. 5. ## Share the application link [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Copy application link** and share it on your website and social media. People apply from their phone with no account. ![Volunteer application form on a phone, asking about the applicant, the days and roles, experience, an emergency contact and consent](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-volunteering--apply-form.png) *The form a volunteer fills in.* 6. ## Read an application [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Open** on a row to read **Fai's reading**, the days and roles they chose, their experience and your questions. **Note:** Fai marks each person a strong, possible or unlikely fit for a role, with her reason. Fai suggests; you decide. ![Volunteer application for Amara Okafor with Fai's reading, a strong fit for the bar, her days, roles, contact details and history](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-volunteering--applicant.png) *One application.* 7. ## Choose the people to decide on [Play from here](#guide-video) Tick each person on **To decide**, or narrow the list first with the role, day or **Strong fits only**. **Tip:** If some applications have not been read yet, select **Ask Fai to read** with the number beside it. 8. ## Accept, waitlist, decline or shortlist them [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Accept**, **Waiting list**, **Decline** or **Shortlist**, check the email, then select the button that confirms and emails them. **Note:** Each person gets one email from you, and replies come to you, unless you untick **Email each person the decision** to change the status without emailing. A shortlist is only a note for your team, and nobody is emailed. ![Dialog accepting three volunteers, with the email subject and message each one gets](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-volunteering--accept.png) *Accept volunteers.* 9. ## Check the statuses [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Accepted**. The people you accepted are listed there, and you see "Done. The statuses are updated." **Note:** If a teammate changed someone at the same moment, the message tells you we left that person as they were. ## Or have it done for you Fai sets up the volunteer form, lists applications with her reading of each, accepts, waitlists, declines or shortlists people, and invites back last year's volunteers. She shows you who gets which email and waits for your yes. ### In your dashboard, with Fai ``` Show me the volunteer applications for that are a strong fit for the bar, and accept them with the usual email ``` ### 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 , list the volunteer applications still to decide with Fai's reading of each, and ask me before you accept or decline anyone ``` ## 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 list applications and decide on them. To set up the form or invite last year's volunteers, use the dashboard or Fai. You need an owner, admin or producer role on the event. ### List the applications still to decide that Fai rates a strong fit, with each person's id and version. ``` ticketfairy event-os volunteers list --status undecided --strong-fit ``` ### Accept people and email them the decision. Use id:version pairs from the list. This asks you first unless you add --force. ``` ticketfairy event-os volunteers decide --decision accept --volunteers : ``` ## Invite last year's volunteers back [Play from here](#guide-video) 1. ### Choose last year's event Select **Invite last year's volunteers** and choose the event under **Which event?**. **Note:** Each person shows the shifts they worked and Fai's reason, such as **Worked every shift**. Applications must be open, so the invitation has a form to fill in. ![The Invite last year's volunteers dialog listing last year's team with the shifts each worked and who Fai suggests](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-volunteering--invite-returning.png) *Invite last year's volunteers.* 2. ### Send the invitations Select **Invite everyone Fai suggests**, or tick people and select the invite button with the number beside it. **Note:** Their answers from last time are filled in, and they enter their emergency contact again. Fai suggests who to invite back from an earlier event, from the shifts they worked, and sends the invitations after you confirm. ### In your dashboard, with Fai ``` Invite back the volunteers from last year's who worked every shift ``` ## Questions you might have **Can I change a decision later?** Yes. You can accept someone on the waiting list or shortlist, and decline someone you accepted. A declined person stays declined in the list. **What happens if someone applies twice?** A second application from the same email address updates the first, and the applicant sees "We already had your application, so we have updated it with these answers." **Why does it say "Saved as a suggestion on Today"?** The emails did not go straight away, so the decision is waiting on the event's Today page for an owner or admin to approve. **Where do volunteers I accept show up across my events?** In **People** on your brand's Event Operations, with every event they worked and what their shifts show, so you can offer them shifts at your next event. The food needs they gave when they applied count for the kitchen until they change them. **Can I remove a volunteer's personal details?** Yes, with an owner or admin role. Open the application, select **Remove personal details**, enter the reason and confirm. We delete their name, contact details, emergency contact, answers and files for good. Their status, shifts and hours stay. **Can I use my own event form for volunteers instead?** Yes. A form on the event can add each person who sends it to your volunteers as applied. ## 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) - [Give your event volunteers their own page and track their hours](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/give-volunteers-their-own-page-and-track-hours) - [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) - [Message the crew, volunteers and traders working on your event](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/message-the-people-working-on-your-event) - [Build your event rota and check staff in](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/build-your-event-rota-and-check-staff-in) - [Give crew meals at your event meal desk](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/give-crew-meals-at-your-meal-desk) - [Offer open shifts on your event rota to crew and volunteers](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/offer-open-shifts-to-your-crew-and-volunteers) - [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)