Event execution
Run of show template for professional event execution
A run of show is the minute-by-minute cue sheet your crew actually executes from — every transition, mic change, and door hold, with one owner per line. Copy the template below, download it as a CSV, or use it as a reference when entering cues in your event workspace.
The template: a full conference day
Nine columns, one row per cue. Replace the sample day with your own segments — the column structure is what makes the document callable under pressure.
| Start | End | Duration | Segment | Cue / action | Owner | Location | AV / tech | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:30 | 07:30 | 1:00 | Venue access | Load-in, crew badges collected | Production lead | Loading dock | — | Confirm freight elevator hold |
| 07:30 | 08:30 | 1:00 | Tech check | Audio levels, slide advance, lower thirds | AV lead | Main stage | Full system | Record confidence monitor feed |
| 08:30 | 09:00 | 0:30 | Registration opens | Scanners live, badge printers on | Registration lead | Foyer | Wi-Fi + scanners | Two walk-up lanes |
| 09:00 | 09:05 | 0:05 | Doors / walk-in | Walk-in music at -12dB, house lights 70% | Stage manager | Main stage | Music bed 01 | Hold doors until cue |
| 09:05 | 09:15 | 0:10 | Welcome | Host mic live, opening slide | Host | Main stage | Mic A, slide 1 | Housekeeping + safety notes |
| 09:15 | 09:45 | 0:30 | Keynote | Presenter walk-on, clicker handoff | Featured guest | Main stage | Mic B, deck 2 | Timer visible at 5/2/0 min |
| 09:45 | 10:00 | 0:15 | Q&A | Runners with handheld mics | Host | Main stage | Mics C/D | Hard cut at 10:00 |
| 10:00 | 10:20 | 0:20 | Break | Break slide + music, refresh water | Ops | Foyer | Slide 3 | Reset stage furniture |
| 10:20 | 11:20 | 1:00 | Breakouts | Room monitors confirm headcount | Track leads | Rooms A–C | Per-room audio | Capture attendance in app |
| 11:20 | 11:30 | 0:10 | Return to main | Chime cue, doors reopen | Stage manager | Main stage | Chime | Two-minute warning chime |
| 11:30 | 12:00 | 0:30 | Panel | Four chairs preset, mics tested | Moderator | Main stage | Mics A–D | Moderator holds hard stop |
| 12:00 | 13:00 | 1:00 | Lunch | Service opens, dietary table staffed | F&B lead | Ballroom | — | Allergen cards on tables |
| 13:00 | 16:30 | 3:30 | Afternoon program | Repeat block structure | Producer | Main stage | Full system | Mirror morning cue sheet |
| 16:30 | 16:45 | 0:15 | Close | Thank-yous, tomorrow preview | Host | Main stage | Mic A, slide 9 | Survey QR on screen |
| 16:45 | 18:30 | 1:45 | Strike | Load-out, lost & found sweep | Production lead | All spaces | — | Photograph room condition |
Six rules that keep a run of show usable
One owner per row
Every cue has exactly one named person accountable. Shared ownership is how transitions get dropped — a second name belongs in Notes, not in Owner.
Time to the minute, not the block
Use absolute start and end times plus duration. Durations alone drift; absolute times let anyone joining mid-day know exactly where the show is.
Write cues as actions
"Walk-in music at -12dB, house lights 70%" is executable. "Opening" is not. If a cue cannot be performed by someone reading it cold, rewrite it.
Mark the hard stops
Flag the moments that cannot move — venue curfew, union break, livestream start. Everything else absorbs the overrun.
Version once, distribute everywhere
Printed copies can become outdated as plans change. Keep one current version and tell the team where to find it, with an offline contingency for connectivity loss.
Debrief on the same sheet
After the event, annotate actual times against planned. Next year’s run of show writes itself from last year’s variance.
How to build yours in six steps
- 1. Lock the fixed points. Venue access, doors, meal service, livestream start, curfew. Everything else moves around these.
- 2. Fill the program blocks. Absolute start and end times for every session, with duration computed so overrun is visible at a glance.
- 3. Write the transitions. Each gap is its own row — stage reset, mic swap, door hold, music bed. Transitions are where shows fall apart.
- 4. Assign one owner per row. Named individual, not a department. Supporting crew go in Notes.
- 5. Attach AV and location. Which mic, which deck, which room, so AV preps from the same sheet the caller reads.
- 6. Share one current version. Confirm team access and keep an offline contingency for connectivity loss.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a run of show?
- A run of show is the minute-by-minute operating document for an event. It lists every segment with its start time, end time, cue, owner, location, and AV requirement, so the production team can execute the day without improvising.
- What is the difference between a run of show and an agenda?
- An agenda is audience-facing and lists sessions. A run of show is crew-facing and lists cues — mic changes, lighting states, door holds, room resets — including everything the audience never sees.
- Who owns the run of show during the event?
- The stage manager or show caller owns it live. The producer owns it during planning. One person must be authorized to change the timing in the moment, or the document loses authority.
- How detailed should a run of show be?
- Detailed enough that a competent stranger could call the show from it. For most corporate events that means five-minute granularity in program blocks and one-minute granularity around transitions, walk-ons, and video rolls.
- Can I run this template live instead of in a spreadsheet?
- ADGEvents includes an event run-of-show view for timed cues and live status updates. Enter the relevant cues manually; this download is a planning template, not an automatic import. Connected team members need event access to see updates.
Build your event cue sheet in ADGEvents
Enter your cues in the event run-of-show view and update their status during the event. Connected team members with event access can see updates. CSV import and guaranteed offline synchronization are not currently available.