How We Plan and Deploy Teams Across the UK

When you're one of the UK’s leading staffing agencies - delivering hundreds to thousands of temporary staff to events and businesses every day - there’s an enormous amount of behind-the-scenes work required to ensure everything runs seamlessly. That’s why, at Arc Hospitality Recruitment, we have some of the industry’s finest talent on our team, including our Head of Operations, Sarah King, who specialises in delivering staffing solutions for large-scale events.

In this blog, we sit down with Sarah to explore exactly how we plan and deploy our thousands of team members across the UK. From long-term projects that take months of preparation to last-minute events that need teams on the ground within hours, Sarah lifts the lid on the strategic thinking and operational precision that make our service possible.

Stay tuned as we lift the lid on what it takes to ensure that every event and business receives the right people at the right time, with the right skills and attitude to make it a success.

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Effective deployment begins with one essential principle: planning. Many of the events we support are scheduled well in advance - sometimes a year ahead, or they’re annual projects we’ve delivered for many years. In these cases, our preparation starts early. We assign dedicated key account managers who understand the specific needs of each client and event. Their expertise, combined with the specialist knowledge of our wider team, allows us to deliver consistently high-quality service.

When we have the luxury of long lead times, our process becomes a structured project-management exercise. We map out each stage: where to begin, what marketing or recruitment campaigns will be required, and whether we can bring back experienced team members who have worked on the event before. Re-engaging familiar staff ensures consistency, while targeted recruitment helps us meet the expected level of service.

Overseeing these operations involves setting internal deadlines, monitoring progress, and maintaining regular communication with clients to ensure everything stays on track.

Sarah leads staffing The Open and spend months planning for the operation.

Providing Last-Minute Temporary Staff

Of course, the events industry is known for its unpredictability, and last-minute requests are part of the job. In these situations, the detailed planning we would normally spread over months must be condensed into a matter of hours. Even then, taking a few minutes to create a clear, focused plan is essential. It enables us to maintain the high standards of service and quality our clients expect, regardless of the timeframe.

At the heart of all this is our office-based team - particularly our key account managers - who play a vital role in bringing everything together. Training is also a major component of our success. While we pride ourselves on sourcing highly skilled staff, we also invest heavily in team members who bring great attitudes and potential. By providing them with the training and support they need, they’re able to step into events confidently and become true standouts.