Young, Beautiful and Temporary. the Outsourcing of Emotional Labour and Interactional Practices between Front-Line Workers and Customers in Milan's «Events Industry»
In recent years, the Italian city of Milan has undergone a remarkable proliferation of events. Although this is not a new phenomenon, since EXPO 2015 there has been a noticeable shift toward the rise of a proper events economy, contributing to the creation of a multitude of temporary service jobs.
Among these positions, the labour demand of stewards and hostesses, providing front-line services during events, has increased. Although these jobs are often portrayed as ‘side hustles’ for students and young people, the reality is far more complex.
First of all, the outsourcing of front-line event workers has significantly expanded in recent years, resulting in the rapid growth of specialized labour intermediaries, which play a central role in recruiting, selecting and managing labour force for events. Moreover, this system has also shifted the quality of employment, prioritising flexibility and cost-effectiveness, which translates into low-wage and unstable working conditions for employees.
Secondly, these roles require significant emotional and aesthetic labour. Therefore, workers are expected to uphold a particular appearance, often reinforcing the processes of gender stereotypisation and essentialisation. In addition to this, workers are tasked with managing customer interactions, all while facing intense pressure, fast-paced environments, heavy workloads and strict forms of labour control.
Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Milan, this paper explores the precarious nature of event-based labour, with a dual focus. First, it examines how employment agencies shape the labour conditions and individual experiences of stewards and hostesses. Second, it investigates the strategies these workers employ to cope with the stress and pressures of customer interactions.