Not every event needs a team of licensed security staff, but plenty of organisers get this wrong in both directions – hiring stewards for a job that legally needs licensed cover, or paying for security where a steward would do just as well. Knowing the difference matters, both for the safety of your event and for what your licence conditions actually require.
What stewards are for
Stewards direct people, share information, manage queues and help with general crowd flow. They’re well suited to car parking, way-finding, ticket checks and keeping an event moving smoothly from one point to the next. What they can’t do is handle conflict, refuse entry, or take on any role that legally requires an SIA licence, however capable they are.
Where SIA-licensed staff are required
Door supervision, search duties, and any role involving conflict management or the physical removal of a person from a venue all fall under licensable activity. If your event serves alcohol, carries a licensing condition specifying security numbers, or has any realistic chance of confrontation, that’s licensed staff territory – not stewards, however experienced they are at the rest of the job.
The risk of getting it wrong
Using stewards for work that needs a licence isn’t just a safety gap – it can put your event authorisation and premises licence at risk if something goes wrong and the cover on site doesn’t match what was agreed with the authority. Licensing officers and insurers both look closely at whether the right staff were doing the right jobs on the day, and a mismatch found after an incident is a far worse conversation than one had at the planning stage.
Getting the mix right
Most events need both. Stewards handle the volume work – queues, directions, general presence – while a smaller number of licensed staff cover the door, the bar area, and anywhere conflict is a realistic possibility. Working out that split before the event, rather than on the day, is what keeps the cover proportionate and the licence conditions met.
Not sure whether your event needs stewards, licensed security, or a mix of both? Contact us and we’ll help you plan the right cover from the start.
