With a growing track record across some of the UK’s largest and most demanding live events, Spartan Crew has carved out a reputation as a staffing and multi-discipline agency capable of supplying everything from highly skilled technical personnel to the extra pairs of hands needed to keep a site moving, swiftly and safely.
Established with the intention of offering a professional, personal crewing service underpinned by rigorous training, the company now services the full breadth of the live entertainment landscape – from live entertainment and corporate events to major sporting occasions.
At the helm is Managing Director, Paz Brennan, whose remit spans finance, commercial strategy, client relationships, crew retention, recruitment, training, and internal staff management.
“As the sole director, I’m ultimately responsible for all actions,” he informed TPi. “I must be thorough and make sure all departments are in sync. If you don’t get your recruitment right, you have the wrong crew. If you don’t get your quoting right, you don’t have jobs. And if you don’t have any jobs… you have a bigger problem!”
Brennan divides his time between office leadership and life on the road. Two days each week are dedicated to being physically present with the internal team, while the remainder is spent on site visits, meetings, and visiting clients at their own headquarters.
“While I’m on the road, I’m in constant contact with HQ making sure everything is running smoothly, and they know they can call me any time,” he said. “We run a 24-hour duty-manager system, so I’m often on call for the last-minute evening curveballs that appear from time to time.”
What people often overlook, he explained, is the dual ecosystem he manages: an office team of eight, and a crew pool that can surge over 250 during peak season. “It’s my job to keep things running concurrently at both ends of the operation while keeping motivation and morale high,” he explained.
TRAINING AS A USP
Asked what sets Spartan Crew apart from other crewing outfits within the live events and touring sectors, Brennan didn’t hesitate. “Spartan Crew was started with a drive and passion to deliver a fully trained crew – that has always been our USP,” he said.
“No member of the crew puts on one of our T-shirts unless they’ve been through in-person manual-handling training and been briefed on our values and the level of service we provide.”
He personally addresses every recruit during their initial training, which covers company expectations, regular venues, and health and safety procedures before moving into lifting and loading techniques using flightcases and deck.
Sessions progress to pipe and drape, cable work – from taping down to correct coiling, and after 50 hours on the job, crew return for further technical training on parabella stands, fast-fold screens, tripod stands, truss, ratchet straps and more detailed cable handling.
“We’re going to build the back of a truck in the training area soon so we can train proper truck loading rather than just stacking cases,” he revealed.
A LANDMARK YEAR
2025 saw the company support a roster of long-standing clients as well as several first-time projects. Spartan Crew returned to Tobacco Dock for its seventh consecutive Bike Shed Show on May ’25.
The following month brought a major milestone as the team worked on Wimbledon for the first time, marking its entry into the upper echelons of sporting events. Meanwhile, August saw the team support the BBC Proms with Delta, provide crew for a large private wedding in Iceland, and work South Facing Festival with Method Events, before closing the summer at Victorious Festival in Portsmouth for the third consecutive year.
At the height of the season, Spartan Crew’s active pool reached around 270, with numbers currently sitting nearer 220 – a figure expected to dip in January and February before recruitment resumes in March.
“Crew retention is something we monitor constantly,” Brennan commented. “We’re always ready to recruit should we need to move fast, but our no-compromise training schedule means it can take longer than other outfits.”
Prospective recruits can apply via the company’s website, with opportunities running from March to mid-November. “It’s a constant flow and we’re always on the lookout for new talent,” he confirmed.
SAFETY FIRST
Given the increasing technical complexity and scale of modern productions, health and safety remains a central focus. “H&S has always been a hot topic for us,” Brennan said. “Training begins before the crew even puts on a T-shirt, and they’re led by Crew Chiefs trained to a higher standard.” Spartan Crew also sets expectations for its clients, consistently requesting RAMS, first-aid provision and sustenance information.
“If we feel the client isn’t meeting our standards, we won’t work with them. We’ll save the crew for a better client – it’s not worth the risk,” Brennan noted.
In May 2025, the company took the decision to externalise its health and safety oversight, contracting Citation to run all procedures. Operations Lead Anthony Dodd has since implemented the system company-wide.
“I’ve seen a huge improvement in culture,” Brennan continued. “It comes from the top – if you get the office culture right, it trickles down to the crew.”
He also highlighted two key trends affecting the wider sector. The first is the growing number of accreditation processes for major events.
“It makes sense from a client’s perspective and supports security, but it does add complexity,” he stated. “When we worked on the Commonwealth, crew sometimes had to wait up to two hours to get their pass. We encourage clients to factor accreditation in as early as possible, so nobody loses valuable time.”
The second challenge is last-minute confirmations and changes. He elaborated: “We’re not dealing with inanimate objects inside flightcases – when we book crew, they’re giving us their time, and there’s an element of trust we must uphold. Cancellations or moved shifts can upset the crew, and I sit in the middle of that, offering flexibility to clients while reassuring the crew that it wasn’t anyone’s intention. It’s tricky!”
FUTURE PLANS
In October 2025, Spartan Crew launched a courier service operated by its own crew. “They know how to load and unload AV equipment properly and know the venues and loading bays,” Brennan explained. “It’s going well, so I’m just letting that simmer for now.”
As for what comes next, Brennan remained tight-lipped. “I’m working on a couple of options for expansion, but I couldn’t possibly let that cat out of the bag just yet,” he added. “It’s exciting exploring how we can bring that ‘born ready’ energy to the new solutions clients are calling out for. Watch this space!”
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: Spartan Crew
