Event Scheduling Software

Why events needs a specific tool

A restaurant schedules a week at a time, with the same employees, at the same location. A shop does the same with predictable seasonal variations. Events runs on neither of these models.

Each event is a unique project: a different venue, different headcount, different hours, different profiles. On Monday, you schedule a 30-person seminar in a Brussels hotel. On Tuesday, a 3-day festival with 300 casual workers in Dour. On Wednesday, a 200-guest corporate gala at a château in Namur.

A standard scheduling tool, designed for fixed teams and fixed locations, cannot handle this variability. It is like using an accounting spreadsheet to manage a construction project: technically possible, but inefficient and error-prone.

The three current approaches and their limits

Approach 1: Excel and Google Sheets

This is still the most widely used tool in small event companies. One spreadsheet per event, columns for roles, hours and names. It works for 2 to 3 events per month with 20 casual workers.

The limits appear quickly:

• No link between the spreadsheet and casual workers (no notifications, no confirmations)
• No real-time availability updates
• No link with Dimona declarations
• No integrated time tracking
• No per-event cost tracking
• Version error risk (who has the latest version of the file?)
• No tracking of the 475-hour allowance for student workers
• No traceability in the event of an inspection

The apparent cost is low (Excel is "free"), but the real cost is enormous in administrative time. A coordinator spends 8 to 12 hours per week on manual staff management. At 30 euros per hour, that is 12,000 to 18,000 euros per year in hidden cost.

Approach 2: generic HR software

Some event companies use HR tools designed for retail or hospitality (Planday, Tamigo, Deputy, etc.). These tools handle recurring shifts, fixed schedules and stable teams well. They handle events poorly.

Main gaps:

• Weekly scheduling, not per-event
• No concept of casual workers (pool of occasional workers)
• No dynamic multi-site management (a new venue for every event)
• No phase management (setup, event, breakdown)
• No integrated Dimona declarations
• No per-event billing

The tool works for managing permanent staff, but it does not meet the main need in events: managing hundreds of casual workers on one-off projects.

Approach 3: event scheduling software

A tool built for events thinks in events, not weeks. Each event is a project with its phases, roles, venue and budget. The casual worker pool is at the centre of the system. Dimona declarations are automated. Time tracking is mobile and geolocated. Per-event cost is calculated in real time.

Essential features for events

1. Per-event scheduling

The schedule must be structured by event, not by week. Each event has its own schedule with:

• Event name and client
• Venue (exact address for geolocation)
• Phases (setup, event, breakdown) with separate schedules
• Required roles per phase (waiters, technicians, security, etc.)
• Headcount per role per time slot
• Planned staff budget

The coordinator sees all upcoming events in a calendar, with the status of each: being planned, team confirmed, in progress, completed.

2. Casual worker pool management

The pool is the system's central database. Each casual worker has a complete profile:

• Personal and contact details
• Skills and certifications (service, technical, security, etc.)
• Status (permanent staff, regular casual, student worker, agency worker)
• Availability updated by the casual worker themselves
• Reliability score (history of confirmations, attendance, punctuality)
• Hour counter (475h for student workers)
• Assignment history

When an event is created, the coordinator filters the pool by availability, skill and reliability to assemble the team in a few minutes.

3. Mobilisation and confirmation

The system sends shift proposals to selected casual workers via push notification. The casual worker sees the details (date, venue, schedule, role, pay) and confirms or declines in one tap. The coordinator tracks confirmations in real time and follows up or proposes to other casual workers as needed.

This process replaces hours of phone calls and texts. For a 50-person event, mobilisation goes from 4 to 6 hours down to 30 minutes.

4. Automatic Dimona declarations

As soon as the schedule is confirmed, the system generates Dimona declarations for each casual worker and student worker. In the event of a modification (replacement, cancellation, schedule change), the declaration is automatically updated. The volume of declarations in events (50 to 500 per week in high season) makes this automation essential.

5. Geolocated mobile time tracking

Each casual worker clocks in from their phone on arrival at the site. The system verifies geolocation and records the time. The coordinator sees in real time who is present, who is late, who is missing. Time tracking also works offline for venues without network coverage.

Time tracking data feeds directly into the calculation of hours worked, premiums and per-event cost.

6. Per-event cost tracking

Each event has a financial dashboard: planned budget, actual cost (based on time tracking), calculated margin. The coordinator sees in real time whether the event is staying within budget or whether overtime is causing it to drift.

After the event, the profitability report compares planned and actual. This data feeds subsequent quotes and continuous process improvement.

7. Multi-site management

Events work at a different site every time. The tool must allow a new venue to be created in seconds (address, geolocation zone) and associated with an event. For companies that work at the same recurring venues (exhibition halls, hotels, châteaux), venues can be saved and reused.

8. The mobile app for casual workers

The mobile app is the interface between the company and its casual workers. It allows them to:

• View and update their availability
• Receive shift proposals
• Confirm or decline in one tap
• View assignment details (venue, schedule, role, directions)
• Clock in and out
• View their assignment history and hour counter

9. Joint Committee 304 and Joint Committee 302 compliance

The tool must integrate the rules of the applicable joint committees: pay scales, premiums (night, weekend, public holidays), rest periods between assignments, maximum working hours. The schedule alerts if an assignment violates any of these rules.

10. Export to the social secretariat

Schedule and time tracking data must be exportable in the format required by the social secretariat for payroll calculation. No more manual entry, no transcription errors. The payroll process goes from 2 days to a few hours.

Shyfter: scheduling software built for events

A tool built around casual workers

Shyfter was built for sectors with high headcount variability. The casual worker pool concept is native, not a peripheral add-on. Every feature (scheduling, mobilisation, Dimona, time tracking, costs) is designed for teams that change with every event.

Per-event and per-phase scheduling

Create an event in a few clicks: name, client, venue, dates. Add phases (setup, event, breakdown) with their schedules. Define required roles and headcount. Filter the pool and assign casual workers. Confirm, and Dimona declarations are generated, notifications sent, schedule published.

Full integration

Scheduling, mobilisation, Dimona, time tracking, costs, payroll: everything is integrated in a single platform. No copy-pasting between Excel and the Dimona portal. No re-entering hours for payroll. No manual margin calculation. Each data point is entered once and flows through the entire system.

Third-party integrations

Shyfter integrates with Belgian social secretariats for payroll data export, with accounting tools for invoicing and with the NSSO portal for Dimona declarations.

Return on investment

Quantifiable gains

• Scheduling time: from 8–12h/week to 2–3h/week = 6 to 9 hours recovered
• Mobilisation time: from 4–6h per event (calls) to 30 minutes = saving of 3.5 to 5.5h per event
• Dimona declarations: from 2–3h/week (manual entry) to 15 minutes (automated)
• Billing accuracy: elimination of 3–5% errors on hours
• Reduction of missed Dimona declarations: risk of penalty eliminated

The quick calculation

For an event company managing 10 events per month with an average of 50 casual workers:

• Time saving: approximately 50 hours/month
• Value of time saved (at 30 euros/h): 1,500 euros/month
• Reduction of errors (Dimona, hours, billing): 500 to 1,000 euros/month
• Total gain: 2,000 to 2,500 euros/month

The cost of the Shyfter subscription is covered from the first month through productivity gains.

The transition: from Excel to Shyfter

Importing the existing pool

The first step is to import your existing casual worker pool. Shyfter allows import from a CSV or Excel file: names, contact details, skills, status (student, regular, agency). The initial import takes 1 to 2 hours. Each casual worker then completes their profile and enters their availability from the app.

The learning curve

Coordinators master the tool within 2 to 3 events. Casual workers adopt the app within a few days (confirming a shift and clocking in is intuitive). The training investment is minimal compared to the productivity gains.

The transition period

During the first 2 to 4 weeks, you can run both systems in parallel (Excel and Shyfter) to secure the transition. Once the team is comfortable, switch entirely. Companies that maintain both systems too long do not benefit from the productivity gains.

When to move to a scheduling tool

You should consider an event scheduling tool as soon as:

• You manage more than 5 events per month
• Your pool exceeds 50 casual workers
• You regularly mobilise student workers (475h tracking)
• Dimona declarations take more than 2 hours per week
• You have already had a missed Dimona declaration or a payroll error
• You do not know your actual margin per event
• Your coordinators spend more time on the phone than coordinating

If you tick 3 or more of these criteria, moving to a specialist tool pays off immediately.

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FAQ

Can an event scheduling software also manage permanent staff?

Yes. Shyfter manages permanent staff and casual workers in the same tool. Permanent staff have a recurring schedule (weekly hours) while casual workers are assigned per event. Both types appear in the same event schedule, giving a complete view of headcount. Management rules (contract, Dimona, payroll) are adapted to each person's status.

How long does it take to deploy event scheduling software?

Initial deployment (account creation, pool import, venue and parameter configuration) takes 1 to 2 days. Coordinator training takes half a day. Casual workers adopt the mobile app within a few days. Allow 2 to 4 weeks of transition before the tool fully replaces Excel. Most companies are fully operational on Shyfter after 3 to 4 events managed with the tool.

Does Shyfter handle Dimona declarations automatically?

Yes. As soon as an event schedule is confirmed, Shyfter generates Dimona declarations for each assigned person. Declarations are submitted to the NSSO in bulk. In the event of a schedule modification (replacement, cancellation, schedule change), the corresponding declaration is automatically updated. For student workers, the declaration type (STU) is automatically selected. The volume of declarations in events (50 to 500 per week in high season) makes this automation critical.