Concept and
run-of-show

Yes, if the event has speeches, a reveal or a timed service sequence. Small events actually suffer more when timing slips, because there is no slack in the programme and no large crowd to hide a pause. A formal run-of-show makes sure the caterer, the DJ, the speaker and the host all work to the same clock. For a simple drinks reception with no programme, a one-page timing sheet covering arrival, service, any toast and the close is enough, and that is what we would produce. The test is simple: if more than two suppliers need to know when something happens, it needs writing down.

It will slip at some point, and the run-of-show is what keeps that manageable. A good document shows which segments can compress, which cannot move, and who has the authority to decide. When a speaker runs long, for example, the on-site manager already knows whether to shorten the next break, push dinner service or trim the DJ set, and the kitchen and the AV crew are told at once. Guests rarely notice a well-handled slip. They notice when nobody seems to know who is in charge, which is why one named person holds the document and makes the call.

An agenda tells guests what happens; a run-of-show tells the crew how to make it happen. The agenda might say “Welcome and keynote, 9:00”. The run-of-show breaks that into doors opening, walk-in music, house lights down, the host’s cue, microphone checks, slide changes and the moment the stage manager hands over to the keynote speaker, each with a time, a person and a contingency. For a conference it usually runs to several pages and lives with the on-site manager, the AV operator and the venue. Guests never see it, and that is exactly the point.

A working draft should exist six to eight weeks before the event, with a final version locked about a week before. The early draft lets suppliers check their own timings and raise conflicts, such as a caterer who needs longer to clear or a venue that only allows load-in after noon. The final version goes out with names, phone numbers and cue points, and stays fixed unless the producer approves a change. The day before or on the morning of the event we walk through it with the key people and run a technical rehearsal, which is where the last small problems are found.

Concept development turns the purpose of the event into decisions about how it looks, sounds and runs. We start with what the event is for and who it is for, then propose a central idea that the format, venue style, music, staging and invitations all follow. A good concept is short enough to explain to a supplier in one sentence and specific enough to rule things out. It is tied to your brand rather than a generic theme, and it is presented with a rough budget so you can judge it on cost as well as appeal. Once agreed, it shapes every line of the run-of-show.

Yes, writing the run-of-show as a standalone service is a common request. Your team keeps the venue, suppliers and guest list, and we turn the programme into a minute-by-minute document with cues, roles and contingencies. We interview the people involved, collect supplier timings and visit the venue if needed. The result is handed over in a format your team can maintain, with a short briefing on how to use it. Many clients pair it with our on-site management, so someone experienced calls the cues on the day while your own staff spend the event with the guests.