— from 347 cities to every venue —
One vendor. Every city. Zero surprises.
Event staffing across the US and Canada runs through one phone number. Your operations should feel that way too.
W-2 event staff for brand activations, conventions, stadiums, festivals, galas, and corporate events. Staffed by partner agencies who live in your market, payrolled compliant with every state's wage law.
Event Staffing in the US & Canada, in 60 seconds.
Event staffing through TempGuru costs $25–$45/hr for general roles and $50–$95/hr for specialized positions, billed all-in W-2 across 347 cities in the US and Canada.
Every worker is W-2 classified with workers' comp and general liability coverage in force, payrolled by the partner agency in their city. No 1099 risk transfer to the event organizer. No gig-app dispatch model.
Standard lead time is 2–4 weeks. Same-week backfills are available in 10 major metros. Multi-city events run through one contract and one point of contact.
The model is partner-agency-led. The Vegas partner staffs Vegas. The Atlanta partner staffs Atlanta. TempGuru coordinates, contracts, and invoices. Every worker is W-2 employed by the agency on the ground.
What every event producer needs to know, on one page.
- What W-2 event staffing across 347 cities in the US and Canada.
- Pricing $25–$95/hr all-in W-2. No markups, no per-shift fees.
- Speed 2–4 week typical. Same-week available in 10 metros.
- Compliance W-2 classified, state wage law tracked, full insurance stack.
Event staffing isn't a market. It's a network problem.
The "national staffing platform" model works on a sales deck. It does not work on event day. The reason is geography. A platform headquartered in one city cannot actually staff a Vegas convention, a Boston gala, and a Charlotte stadium with the same workers. So they don't. They subcontract on the fly, often to people who have never worked together.
We picked a different model from day one. 347 cities. 50 states. 8 provinces. Each market has a partner agency that lives there, hires there, payrolls there, and is on the ground on event day. We coordinate. They execute. The cost of that coordination is the only thing we charge for.
Other staffing companies dispatch from a national queue and hope the labor shows up. We payroll the partner agency that already knows the venue, the dock, the credentialing window, and the rotation.
Booking event staff, in four steps.
Avg. 2.1 weeks lead time
You scope the event
City, dates, role mix, count, lead time. One form or one phone call. We don't push you to an app.
We send the quote
All-in W-2 rate, line-item per role, in under 4 hours. The rate is the rate. No surprises on the invoice.
The partner agency payrolls the crew
Background checks, I-9s, training briefs, dress code, travel. Every worker is W-2 employed by the agency in their city.
One invoice, post-event
Reconciled hours, taxes withheld, insurance certs attached. You pay one number to one vendor. That's it.
Transparent rates. All-in. W-2.
US & Canada · USD
| Role | Hourly (all-in W-2) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Brand ambassadors | $40–$75 | Activations, sampling, trade show booths |
| Bartenders & F&B | $30–$55 | Galas, weddings, conventions (state ABC) |
| Registration & hospitality | $29–$38 | Trade shows, conferences, corporate events |
| Gate, ushers, ticket scanners | $30–$42 | Stadium & arena entry, festival gates |
| Production runners | $29–$39 | Festivals, multi-stage operations, load crews |
| Security (state-licensed) | $55–$85 | Armed and unarmed available by market |
| Specialty (translators, RN, certs) | $50–$95 | Medical events, multilingual front-of-house |
Wage law, classification, insurance, handled.
federal + state DOL
Why W-2 matters
Most gig platforms put event workers on 1099. That moves the tax, workers' comp, and wage law risk onto whoever booked the event. The DOL has been auditing this aggressively across multiple states. The event organizer is the joint employer in most reclassifications.
Every TempGuru worker is W-2 employed by the partner agency in their city. Workers' comp is in force. Payroll taxes are paid. Wage law is tracked, state by state.
What's included, every event
- check_circleW-2 employment classification — full payroll tax withholding
- check_circleState wage law tracking — minimum wage, overtime, breaks, all 50 states
- check_circleWorkers' compensation — in force, per state policy
- check_circleGeneral liability insurance — COI on demand
- check_circlePayroll taxes — FICA, FUTA, state SUTA
- check_circleState ABC permits — bartender certifications verified per market
Six specialties. Every market.
across categories
Festivals
Gate staff, crowd control, vendor support, info booths. Multi-day, multi-stage, multi-vendor.
Conventions
Registration, info desk, AV runners, expo support, breakout coordination.
Stadiums & Arenas
Concessions, ushers, ticket scanning, gameday ops. Credentialed in major venues.
Brand Activations
Brand ambassadors, promo models, samplers, trade show staff, street teams.
Corporate Events
Greeters, white-glove hospitality, badge desk, attendee flow, executive support.
Galas & Private Events
Bartenders, servers, catering support, day-of coordination. Discretion first.
347 cities. Pick yours.
updated Q1 2026
Why most event staffing fails. Three patterns.
on event day
The vendor disappears
You signed a contract with a national platform that doesn't actually have anyone in your city. The night before, they're scrambling on Facebook groups. Some workers show. Most don't.
The workers were never properly employed
1099 contractors who picked up the shift on a gig app. When the DOL reviews the relationship, the workers get reclassified as your employees. You owe back payroll taxes, workers' comp, and penalties. The app doesn't.
The fill rate looks fine on paper
Contract said 50. 47 showed. You congratulate the vendor. You don't notice that 12 of the 47 were untrained and gone by hour three. The post-event survey blames the venue.
TempGuru vs. other staffing options.
see compliance above
| TempGuru | Gig apps | Local 1099 broker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worker classification | ✓ W-2 employees | ✗ 1099 contractors | ✗ 1099 contractors |
| Payroll tax exposure | ✓ Held by partner agency | ✗ Falls to event organizer | ✗ Falls to event organizer |
| Workers' comp coverage | ✓ In force, per state | ✗ Worker self-insured | Varies — request COI |
| National fill rate (18 mo) | 99% | ~70–80% | ~85% |
| Multi-city, one contract | ✓ One contract, every city | ✗ City-by-city | ✗ Single market |
| Roster continuity | ✓ Same partner, same crew | ✗ Random pool | Partial |
What is event staffing?
Event staffing is hiring temporary workers for the specific shifts an event needs. Sourced, employed, and dispatched by a staffing agency — not the event organizer directly.
How much does event staffing cost in the US?
$25–$45/hr for general roles, $50–$95/hr for specialized. All-in W-2 — taxes, workers' comp, GL included.
What is the standard lead time?
2–4 weeks typical. Same-week available in 10 major metros. Under 24 hours for existing clients with pre-built rosters.
Are TempGuru workers W-2 or 1099?
Every TempGuru placement is W-2 employed by the partner agency in that city. Never 1099. The agency carries the tax, WC, and wage-law exposure.
How many cities does TempGuru cover?
347 cities across the US and Canada. 50 US states + 8 Canadian provinces. Partner-agency model in every market.
How is TempGuru different from gig staffing apps?
Gig apps post shifts and let workers self-claim. No agency layer, no W-2 employment, no on-site lead. We coordinate partner agencies who live in the city.
Event staffing, answered.
What is event staffing?
Event staffing is hiring temporary workers for the specific shifts an event needs. A festival hires brand ambassadors. A stadium hires concession staff. A convention hires registration agents. The workers are sourced, employed, and dispatched by a staffing agency, not the event organizer directly.
How much does event staffing cost?
Rates vary by role, market, and lead time. Brand ambassadors typically run $25–$45/hr in most US markets. Bartenders and servers run $30–$55. Specialty roles (translators, RNs, certified security) run $50–$95.
Rush jobs under 72 hours add 15–25%. Multi-city or multi-day events usually move to flat-rate packages.
How does event staffing work?
Send us the brief: city, dates, role, count, lead time. We confirm fit in 24–48 hours. The partner agency in that city sources and trains the workers. We dispatch them to your venue. On event day, the agency runs check-in and shift management. You get a roster and fill-rate report after.
How fast can you staff an event?
2–4 weeks is typical. 2–3 days is the urgent floor for most cities. Same-week backfills are available in select markets (NYC, LA, Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Austin, Dallas, Phoenix, Houston). Under 24 hours is reserved for existing clients with pre-built rosters.
What's the difference between W-2 and 1099 event staff?
W-2 means the worker is employed by the staffing agency. The agency pays workers' comp, payroll taxes, and tracks wage law compliance. 1099 means the worker is a contractor responsible for their own taxes, with no workers' comp coverage.
If the DOL audits and reclassifies 1099 workers as employees, the event organizer can be liable for back taxes, penalties, and benefits. Every TempGuru placement is W-2.
Do you have minimums?
No per-shift minimum. We staff 4-person registration desks and 800-person festivals through the same workflow. There's a soft 4-hour floor per shift because that's where most local wage laws set the minimum reportable shift.
Can you staff a multi-city event?
Yes. National tours, multi-city activations, and franchise rollouts are the workflow we were built for. One contract, one point of contact, partner agency in every market. The Vegas partner runs Vegas. The Atlanta partner runs Atlanta. You're not coordinating eight vendors.
How is TempGuru different from gig staffing apps?
Gig apps post shifts and let workers self-claim them. No agency layer, no W-2 employment, no on-site lead. When a worker doesn't show, the app sends a push notification.
We don't operate that way. Every market has a partner agency. Every worker is W-2 employed. Every event has an account contact who picks up the phone.
Need event staff? We can quote it in under 4 hours.
One vendor. Every city. W-2 compliant.
