Advice for Scheduling Your Event to Perfection

A great AV setup is only half the equation. Without a solid schedule, even the most impressive lighting or sound won’t save your event from last-minute chaos. Whether you’re running a concert, awards night, corporate conference or school showcase, the timeline you build in advance becomes the backbone of a smooth, professional experience.

Here are a few tips from the Sidestage crew to help you build a bulletproof event schedule.

Work Backwards From the Final Cue: Identify Key Anchors

Start by locking in the key moments, from guest arrivals, speeches, main acts, and any hard curfews or changeovers. These become the non-negotiable markers to build around. Always give these moments buffer time, especially when dealing with catering, formalities or tight bump outs.

Include Rehearsal and Tech Time: It’s Not Optional

Even a simple event benefits from a short run-through. Whether it’s a mic check, lighting preset review or just walking through transitions, make sure there’s time to catch hiccups before your audience does. For more complex productions, this might mean a full cue-to-cue or line-by-line tech run.

Avoid Back-to-Back Scheduling: Build Breathing Room

Tight transitions sound efficient, but they’re a fast track to stress. Leave small breaks between major moments so people can reset, AV can troubleshoot, and unexpected delays don’t derail the whole show. A five-minute buffer here and there goes a long way.

Plan for Load-In, Not Just Showtime: Gear Doesn’t Teleport

Factor in time for staging, audio, lighting and screens to bump in and be tested. For larger shows, this might mean a multi-day install. A well-paced bump-in means less risk of overtime or issues creeping into showtime.

Assign a Show Caller or Stage Manager: One Point of Truth

A good schedule means nothing if no one is across it. Nominate someone to run the run sheet on the day calling cues, chasing speakers, and keeping things on track. This is especially crucial when multiple suppliers or departments are involved.

Double-Check the Tech Before Doors Open: Final System Tests

Lights, mics, screens, laptops - it all of it needs a final test before the show starts. This last check is the time to catch muted outputs, dead batteries or mismatched screen resolutions before they become on-stage issues.

Account for the Audience: Arrival, Breaks, and Energy

Long stretches without breaks can lead to audience fatigue. Consider flow and timing from their perspective: Are they standing? Seated? Will they need a bathroom break before Act II? Good schedules factor in people, not just performers.

Use Tools to Build Your Schedule: Don’t Wing It

Shared run sheets in Google Sheets, Excel or event tools like Moment or Run The Show can help you create clear, collaborative documents. Colour-code them by department (AV, catering, client) for extra clarity. And always label versions clearly.

At Sidestage, we’ve worked on everything from all-day music festivals to five-minute political pressers and the one thing they all need is a solid, flexible schedule. We’re here to help you get your run of show running smoothly, every time.