The entry point is the first real interaction an attendee has with your event. A smooth, efficient entry process with friendly, competent staff sets a positive tone for the entire experience. A chaotic queue, untrained scanners fumbling with equipment, and aggressive door staff create frustration and anxiety before the event has even begun. Getting your door team right is one of the simplest and most impactful things you can do as an organiser.
Understanding the roles
The term "door staff" is used loosely in the events industry, but it actually encompasses several distinct roles with different requirements.
Ticket scanners
Ticket scanners check and validate tickets as attendees arrive. They operate scanning equipment (handheld scanners or smartphone apps), verify that tickets are valid, and manage the flow of people through the entry point. This role does not require an SIA licence because it does not involve security activities.
Door supervisors
Door supervisors control access to licensed premises. They check ID, refuse entry to people who do not meet the admission criteria, manage queues, conduct searches, and deal with confrontational situations. This is a licensable activity under the Private Security Industry Act 2001, and anyone carrying out these duties must hold a valid SIA Door Supervision licence.
Front-of-house staff
Front-of-house (FOH) staff assist with the overall entry experience. They might direct people to the correct queue, provide information, assist with accessibility needs, and manage the flow of foot traffic around the entrance area. This role does not require an SIA licence.
Many events need all three roles working together at the entrance. The key is to ensure that the right people are in the right roles, and that licensable activities are only carried out by licensed individuals.
Recruiting your door team
For ticket scanning and FOH roles, you need people who are friendly, calm under pressure, and comfortable using technology. Prior experience is helpful but not essential, as the scanning equipment itself is straightforward to operate. What matters more is the person's attitude and interpersonal skills. Attendees who have just queued for twenty minutes want to be greeted with a smile, not a scowl.
For door supervisors, you need SIA-licensed individuals sourced either directly or through a security company. Verify every licence through the SIA's online register before the event. Prioritise door supervisors with event experience, as the skills needed at a concert or festival are different from those needed at a nightclub or pub. Look for people who can de-escalate situations through communication rather than confrontation.
Calculate your staffing numbers based on the expected arrival pattern. Most events see 60% to 80% of attendees arrive in the hour before the main act. If you are expecting 1,000 people and most will arrive between 7pm and 8pm, you need enough scanning points to process roughly 700 to 800 people in an hour without creating unacceptable queue lengths. A good scanner can process 200 to 300 tickets per hour, depending on the equipment and the proportion of problematic tickets.
Training your door team
Every member of your door team should receive training before the event, covering the following areas.
Scanning equipment
Whatever scanning system you use, ensure that every scanner operator knows how to operate the device, how to interpret the results (valid ticket, already scanned, invalid, etc.), what to do when a ticket does not scan (common causes include screen brightness, damaged QR codes, and screenshots of screenshots), who to escalate to when they encounter a problem they cannot resolve, and how to handle the equipment safely (charging, protecting from rain, returning at the end of the shift).
Run a practice session before the event using test tickets. This builds confidence and identifies any issues with the equipment or the process before real attendees are standing in front of the scanner.
Customer service
Your door team should greet every attendee positively. First impressions matter enormously, and the entry experience sets the tone for everything that follows. Train your team on how to deal with common situations: a name not on the guest list, a ticket that appears to be a duplicate, a customer who has forgotten their ticket, a customer with accessibility needs, and a customer who is upset about queue length.
For each scenario, have a clear procedure. Staff should know what they can resolve on their own and what needs to be escalated to a supervisor. Empowering front-line staff to solve problems (within defined limits) speeds up the entry process and reduces frustration for everyone.
Queue management
Train your team on queue management principles. This includes using barriers and signage to create clear, organised queues, separating queues for different ticket types (general admission, VIP, guest list, will-call), communicating wait times to people in the queue, and monitoring for crowd density issues, particularly in covered or confined areas where queues can become dangerously compressed.
Equipment and setup
The physical setup of your entry area directly affects the efficiency of the process. Key considerations include the number of scanning points (more is better during peak arrival), the layout of queues and barriers, weather protection for staff and equipment (rain covers for scanners, shelter for staff during outdoor events), adequate lighting so that staff can read tickets and check ID, power supply for scanning equipment and any tills at box office, and signage directing attendees to the correct entry point.
Test everything before doors open. Check that the scanning equipment is charged, connected, and reading tickets correctly. Ensure that barriers are secure and that the queue layout works in practice, not just on paper. Do a walkthrough of the entry process from the attendee's perspective and fix any issues you identify.
During the event
Have a supervisor at the entry area at all times during the arrival period. They should monitor queue lengths and adjust the number of open scanning points as needed, deal with escalated issues that front-line staff cannot resolve, communicate with the event control room about any problems or concerns, coordinate with security for any incidents at the entrance, and ensure that staff are taking breaks and being rotated to prevent fatigue.
Keep a record of any ticket-related issues: invalid tickets, duplicates, counterfeit tickets, and system errors. This data is valuable for improving the process at future events and for resolving any disputes with attendees or ticketing platforms after the event.
Closing the doors
Have a clear policy on latecomers. For timed events (theatre, conferences), there is usually a cut-off time after which entry is restricted to specific break points. For open events (festivals, concerts), entry may continue throughout. Whatever your policy, communicate it clearly to both staff and attendees, and ensure that any late-arrival entry procedure is staffed and managed.
After the main arrival period, you can reduce the number of scanning points and redeploy staff to other areas. Maintain at least one staffed entry point until the event ends for latecomers, re-entry (if permitted), and emergency access.
Your door team is the face of your event. They are the first people your attendees interact with, and the quality of that interaction shapes expectations for everything that follows. Invest in recruiting the right people, training them properly, and providing them with the tools and support they need to do their job well. A smooth, welcoming entry is one of the hallmarks of a well-run event, and it starts with the team on the door.
