Bartenders and waitstaff are often the first line of defense to handle any problems that might arise at an event. That’s why it’s so important that they have solid training, particularly if you’re short on help. Courtesy of Allison Beers

More than four years after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel and hospitality industries still have not fully recovered. That’s according to a survey of hotels conducted in 2024 by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, which showed that 76% of establishments are still face staffing shortages.

Although most venues say their staffing figures are healthier than they were at the peak of COVID, some still have not returned to their pre-pandemic numbers. And while they remain focused on hiring new staff, many have also ramped up retention efforts for existing employees.

At the Woodloch Resort in Hawley, PA, they have done both. Co-owner and vice president of sales, marketing and hospitality Brooke James says her team has worked hard to add to their workforce and provide incentives to employees who have remained with the resort.

“We’ve definitely experienced staffing shortages over the last several years,” James says. “We’ve done a lot of HR. We’ve worked with our team on ways to market to new staff, we’ve offered sign-on bonuses, a referral system. We’ve put a lot of energy into recruiting. It’s been an uphill battle, but we’re in a better spot than we were a few years ago.”

James says they incentivize their staff with special events such as “play days” (where employees can bring their family to the property) and morale-boosters that include holding trivia nights and bringing in comedians — “different things to make them like where they work,” she says, noting that the effect has been felt by all.

Woodloch has also limited the number of guests being hosted on the property, to ensure there are enough staff members to assist them. They’ve had to cut back on scheduling events and are still getting back into a normal routine where they can hold more onsite functions.

“We’re in a better spot as far as onboarding and new hires — we’re onboarding every week,” James explains. “International staff has been a lifesaver. When they are here, we can book to a fuller capacity.”

Changing Attitudes and Perceptions

Staffing shortages have an undesired domino effect on staging events. Vacancies mean venue staff members are often handling double or triple their regular workload, as newer employees acclimate to the venue’s policies and procedures. The comfort level and familiarity that event planners once had with staff at frequently utilized venues is gone, as they must now get acquainted with new employees — and the results have been mixed.

“I’ve been in the industry for 35 years and have never seen anything like it,” says Jill Garcia, president/CEO and chief inspiration officer of The Hutton Group in Pittsburgh, PA, referring to the overall lack of experience and professionalism she’s been noticing among new venue staff. “Where did all those great people who worked in the industry go? I think they’re bringing on a lot of new people who don’t understand the industry and what it means to be ‘hospitable,’” Garcia says. She also points out that attention to detail and a clear channel of communication — two musts in the industry — are largely absent as well.

Garcia mentions one instance in which her firm was finalizing details just a week before she was to hold a meeting of 600 people at a well-known conference hotel in Orlando, FL. It was only then, seven days prior, that the venue manager mentioned that one of the site’s ballrooms would be undergoing construction at the same time as the meeting!

Says Garcia: “I don’t think the attendees realized what was going on. The space was closed off enough that it didn’t seem to bother them. But I still have to pat my team on the back — it was quite a week of playing hide-and-seek with a gutted ballroom. Every time I heard a drill, I called the manager.”

Allison Beers, owner and founder of Events North in Traverse City, MI, says she’s also noticed newer employees lack the attention to detail that is second nature to more experienced staff.

“Stuff I haven’t had to worry about before, like no knives at the buffet — I’m seeing more and more of this. When you add up all of those little things, it makes an event just ‘okay,’” Beers says. Similarly, she has noticed a lack of urgency among new or inexperienced venue staff, who are generally slower to respond to issues.

“It’s killing me,” she admits. “I have a sense of urgency with all that I do, without looking alarmed. But I’m not seeing this sense of urgency when things are going sideways. Our job is to shield it from our attendees.”

Beers’ staff has had to step in to assist on more than one occasion, and one of her biggest challenges now is explaining to clients that she and her team can only do so much to ensure that an event is going off without a hitch. In the past, it’s been a strategic team effort between meeting planners and venue staff, but now it’s less of a pure 50/50 partnership than it was before. “Short of me just going back and getting what I need, it’s been a challenge. It’s been interesting, to say the least,” she says.

However, there is no single reason for these staffing challenges. Antoinette Gouveia is manager in the strategic meetings division at Cencora, an American drug wholesale company in Conshohocken, PA. She has worked with hospitality professionals for over 15 years and has seen the “blasé” attitude among hotel and venue employees firsthand — and she attributes at least part of it to a misguided perception of the meeting and event industry.

“People go into it thinking it’s a party, but they get into it and they’re working 16-hour days, when most of the work is done before they get onsite,” Gouveia says. Rather than simply “planning parties,” executing a well-run event takes much more than a creative theme and fun swag bags. Among a long list of other traits, event planning requires strong attention to detail, working well with others and the ability to think on one’s feet.

“People get into it thinking it will be an easy job, but it’s not,” Gouveia says. “But part of it is also how well the staff is treated. You treat your staff as well as you treat the event attendees. For me, it’s the same — if they’re happy, they’ll make my attendees happy.”

The Importance of Building and Maintaining Relationships

Relationships between planners and vendors are also more critical than ever. To that end, planners must be strategic and intentional when choosing a venue. John Hanks, Jr., owner of Make It Happen Events in Harrisburg, PA, says mindful selection of a site location makes the difference in how well an event will work.

“I try to pick the right venue for the right event,” says Hanks. “I don’t want my event to be one of seven things going on. You want to be somewhere where you are the main focus so the venue can focus their staff and resources on you. It’s important to find the right sizing for the event.”

Likewise, planners must focus on getting to know frontline staff and event/sales managers at each venue, so if a problem arises, there’s an established chain of command. Hanks makes it a point to introduce himself to staff members at the various venues he uses.

“If you’re in the middle of an event and a problem pops up, how can you find a solution?” he asks. “But I’ll introduce myself and find out who is who — who is the banquet captain or the maintenance supervisor, and establish that personal relationship so I know what our options are.” If a problem does arise, Hanks can contact the appropriate staff member, discuss options and troubleshoot a solution quickly.

“You’re using your experience to fix things, and I’ve found if you’re approaching things in a reasonable way, you usually have a willing partner,” he says. “The biggest thing is to set yourself up for success beforehand.”

Focus on Quality Over Quantity

For the most effective use of resources and manpower, some businesses are scaling back on the number of events they hold off-site. Gouveia says her company decided to hold smaller events (roughly 100 to 150 people) in-house but continues to stage larger-scale events off-site because of their networking potential.

Gouveia’s department has gone from holding 50 to 60 meetings a year pre-COVID to roughly 20 to 30 after the pandemic — and they are now being hosted in larger, more urban locations.

“I’m very aware of how hotels are staffed, so we’ll focus our events in larger areas, like Vegas or Dallas,” she says. “We’ve seen it [staffing] become better either because the staffing is better or the training is better.” Gouveia also insists that an event’s success greatly relies on how prepared the meeting site is.

“We try to make sure the hotel is as prepared as possible, and we try to explain to stakeholders why changing deadlines is as important as they are,” Gouveia says. For instance, last-minute menu changes or attendee cancellations are no longer a surefire quick fix. “We would explain that [changing deadlines] before COVID, but I think more people are starting to see it now.”

Working with travel directors has also helped to make staging events easier. Gouveia says partnering with these third-party logistics professionals has been a great decision for her company. “We bring them in specifically to support the meeting, to handle the registration desk, AV — and with the shortages, they can double-check to ensure everything is running smoothly.”

They can also be an extra pair of hands if needed at the last minute. Of course, this increases the event’s budget, Gouveia points out, but for Cencora, it’s been a worthwhile investment. Another tip is to write copious notes for venue staff.

Helen DeVaux lives by this practice. Like Gouveia, she is also a manager of strategic meetings with Cencora and stages large-scale events for the company around the country. She attributes the staffing issues to “frontline jobs — the servers and bartenders who did that work as a second job, and now after COVID, they decided they don’t want that second job anymore,” she says, adding, “There were some career servers and bartenders who knew what they were doing, but you’re not seeing that now.”

DeVaux calls staffing a “mixed bag” and says she understands why many venues are still struggling to fill key roles. “I think the hotel industry is still recovering and still trying to get the right people in key customer-facing positions,” she says, recalling an example of a plated dinner her company was holding at its Conshohocken headquarters.

“The day before, the caterer was in a bit of a panic because he wasn’t sure if he had enough staff to work the dinner,” DeVaux says. “We didn’t have the staff — we have a cafeteria, we don’t have servers. Luckily, he wasn’t short-staffed, but it’s very challenging, whether you are a local caterer or running a hotel. There’s maybe not a commitment to do that job.” She advocates for patience and overdoing it on the notes for the banquet event order, because in today’s environment, it could be a costly risk to assume that any element of an event will be in place and handled.

How Venues Are Addressing Staff Shortages

As they continue to recoup staff, hotels and conference venues are trying different methods to attract and retain workers. Hilary Vatter, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CEBS, who works as a human resource manager at the Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sheboygan, WI, says the company essentially had to rebuild its team in 2020.

“We had a two-week layoff in June of 2020. We had a skeleton crew, but most of our hourly employees were laid off,” she says. Most of those employees found work elsewhere, and one returned.

The venue was at 50% turnover in 2020, but in early 2024, they were at about 36%. Openings are posted on both major and less-prominent job sites, and they work with a hospitality specialist to fill some of the higher-level positions.

Vatter explains the venue offers different training methods for new employees. First, an HR generalist meets with new hires one-on-one to review resort policies, safety and dress code. Upon completing onboarding, the employee is scheduled for their first day. “Either the supervisor, manager or director will train them one-on-one,” Vatter says. “They will also shadow a coworker so they know the policies, procedures and how to handle unique situations.”

A well-trained staff elevates an event and reduces stressors for everyone. At Blue Harbor, Vatter says, the majority of employees can handle most situations without calling on a supervisor or manager.

“Servers and bartenders are our front line — they handle the immediate situations,” she says. “Events here will have a conference services manager, or the group sales manager herself attends nearly all events to ensure things go off without a hitch.”

Additionally, there are three full-time captains and a food-and-beverage manager at every event. “Above the front-line staff, we have three higher levels as well as our sales team, who are there to assist,” Vatter says. The venue sends surveys to every group that books an event and asks for candid feedback so “we can identify areas where we need additional training or maybe just need to improve a process,” she explains. “The general manager reads every single one of them, as do I in HR. We take that feedback seriously.”

Despite the current challenging environment, planners still love being part of the industry. Garcia says she enjoys the fast pace and has a desire to put on a great event for her clients.

“I just knew from day one, when I walked into a hotel back in 1988, that I wanted to be part of [the industry],” she says. “I just love working onsite and watching it all come together. I love watching the attendees and seeing what we have created with our clients come together.” Garcia also finds it “so gratifying” when her staff’s hard work is recognized, though most of the kudos will go to the client.

Gouveia loves her job because “no two days are ever the same. You could do the same program year after year, and it’s always different. There aren’t many jobs where you get to be both analytical and creative. It also gives me a chance to travel more than I normally would.” C&IT