Operations
Shift
Definition
A shift is the continuous block of working time staff are booked for, aligned to the event's load peaks.
In practice
At a large event you plan a rota rather than a headcount: a three-day festival isn't three days of work but six to nine shifts, and the same person cannot cover them all. Overlapping shifts put extra people on the peaks and fewer in between, so the whole day needn't be sized for its busiest hour.