Run sheet vs. checklist: two tools, two functions

A run sheet has a fixed structure, but the content is always bespoke. These are the elements that belong in every run sheet.

Contact list. Name, role and phone number of everyone who plays a part on the day. Not in the appendix, but at the top. Because if something goes wrong, you have no time to search.

Minute-by-minute timeline. Not by the hour. Every item gets a start time, end time and owner, including build, sound check and breakdown.

Technical cues. When does which light come on and when does which track play? This is the language between you and your technical team, and it applies just as much to the slides and video clips.

Catering moments. When is the coffee ready and when do the doors open for the buffet? And don't forget the agreement on clearing up by the kitchen staff.

Overrun scenarios. How do you deal with overrun, whether that's 10 or 30 minutes? Good run sheets think this through in advance, so you're not improvising on the day.

Communication agreements. Who communicates internally (via walkie-talkie or WhatsApp) and who communicates externally to the guests? Through which channel does that run?

A run sheet is rarely one document for everyone. At larger events you work with several versions, tailored to the recipient's role.

The stage manager has the most detailed run sheet: every technical cue and every item with exact times, plus all the communication lines. This is the master file.

The chair or MC has a version with their own moments: when they go on and which message they carry. That also includes how they hand over to the next item.

For the catering coordinator, a version with only the F&B moments will do: setting up and opening, serving and clearing. No technical details to distract them.

For the client or communication professional, an overview version is enough: the broad sweep of the programme with key moments and emergency contacts. No noise, but a firm grip.

We call this the run sheet architecture: one master, several working versions. Everyone has the information they need, no more and no less.

More on roles and responsibilities at events →

The unexpected is not a risk at events. It is a certainty. The speaker calls in sick or the projector gives up, and the catering arrives late. Good run sheets account for this.

Build buffers into the programme deliberately. After a 90-minute block, a buffer of 10 to 15 minutes is no luxury. It is professional risk management. You use that buffer for overrun, or for extra networking time if everything is on schedule.

Describe at least two overrun scenarios in the run sheet. A light variant reckons on 5 to 10 minutes of overrun; a heavier scenario on 30 minutes or more. Set down who makes the decisions and who steers the guests and the caterer.

Also set down which items can be moved and which cannot. An opening cannot be moved. A networking moment at the end can.

For technical faults the rule is: one person calls the technician and informs the chair, while another reassures the guests. If that is agreed in advance, no one has to improvise under pressure.

Both. And that is not a compromise. It is standard practice at every professional event.

The master file lives digitally: easy to amend and always the latest version. It can be shared with the whole team. Use a shared document (Google Docs or SharePoint) with editing rights per role. Save it as a PDF too, so no one accidentally overwrites something on the day itself.

On the day itself, paper works better than you'd think. A printed run sheet comes with you into the production room and is readable without a battery. It even survives a coffee stain. Laminate the first page with the contact list: it gets used the most and stained the most.

Always arrange a briefing moment on the day itself, thirty minutes before the build. The whole team stands together with the run sheet in hand. Walk through the day and discuss the critical moments. Name who is responsible for which decision, too. That quarter of an hour prevents hours of chaos.

We build run sheets that work, not run sheets that impress in a presentation. Our run sheets start at the concept and end at the breakdown. Every item is owned by someone. Every risk has a plan B.

Our show callers and stage managers help write their own run sheet. So on the day itself they rely on it completely. In the wings there are no surprises. Those belong on the stage.

For larger productions we also offer a run sheet workshop for the client: walking through the day together and discussing scenarios. After that we divide up the responsibilities.

More on the role of the show caller →

Have you got an event in the pipeline and want to approach the run sheet professionally? Maybe you're stuck on the set-up and don't know where to begin. We'll help you.

Whether it's a congress, kick-off, staff party or gala: we build the direction from concept to confetti. With a run sheet that holds up.

Send a brief via live-impact.nl/briefing or email us at hello@live-impact.nl. Or call us directly: 085 401 40 14.

Seriously fun.