Run of Show Examples
What does a finished run of show look like?
Seeing a filled-in run of show is the quickest way to understand one. This page shows four: a one-day conference, an evening awards gala, a trade show day and a hybrid summit.
All times, segment lengths and names are invented to illustrate the format. They are not recommendations, so replace them with the numbers that fit your event.
If you want a blank version to fill in, use the run of show template. If you are new to the term, start with what run of show means.
Updated by the Eventdex team
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How to read these examples
Each example is a table with the same core columns: time, length, segment, owner and cues. The extra columns change with the event.
Look at what is in each table that the attendee agenda would not show. Those hidden rows are what make a run of show useful.
Example 1: a one-day conference
This example follows the main stage for a one-day conference with two breakout rooms. The times are invented for illustration.
Note the crew call before doors, the five-minute call before the welcome and the buffer between sessions.
| Time | Length | Segment | Owner | Cues | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | 60 min | Crew call, sound check | Stage manager | All mics tested, slides loaded | Confirm Wi-Fi in all rooms |
| 08:00 | 45 min | Doors open, registration | Registration lead | Walk-in music, holding slide | All desks staffed |
| 08:45 | 5 min | Five-minute call | Stage manager | Announcement: take your seats | Speakers at side of stage |
| 08:50 | 10 min | Welcome | Host | Music fades, host mic live | Thank the title sponsor |
| 09:00 | 40 min | Opening keynote | Keynote speaker | Lectern mic, speaker slides | Warning sign at 09:35 |
| 09:40 | 5 min | Questions | Host | Audience mics live | Close on time |
| 09:45 | 30 min | Break and exhibition | Floor manager | Holding slide, music up | Remind attendees of the 10:15 restart |
| 10:15 | 45 min | Breakouts, rooms A and B | Room hosts | Room mics live | Scan attendance at the doors |
| 11:00 | 15 min | Room reset and move | Room hosts | Holding slide | Buffer to recover time |
| 11:15 | 45 min | Closing panel | Moderator | Four panel mics, lower-third names | Hand-held mic for audience |
| 12:00 | 10 min | Close and thanks | Host | Thank-you slide, music up | Announce feedback survey |
Example 2: an awards gala
A gala is paced by service and ceremony. This example shows an evening with dinner and two award blocks. The times are invented for illustration.
The interval gives the crew a fixed point to catch up if dinner runs late.
| Time | Length | Segment | Owner | Cues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:00 | 60 min | Rehearsal with host and presenters | Stage manager | Run walk-ons, test sealed-envelope handover |
| 18:00 | 30 min | Doors and welcome drinks | Venue manager | Walk-in playlist, holding slide |
| 18:30 | 10 min | Seating call | Stage manager | Announcement, house lights flash |
| 18:40 | 10 min | Host welcome | Host | Host mic live, sponsor slide |
| 18:50 | 60 min | Dinner service | Catering lead | Background music, no stage activity |
| 19:50 | 40 min | Awards, first half | Host and presenters | Winner slide per award, walk-up music, spotlight |
| 20:30 | 15 min | Interval | Stage manager | House lights up, holding slide |
| 20:45 | 40 min | Awards, second half | Host and presenters | Winner slides, walk-up music |
| 21:25 | 10 min | Close and thanks | Host | Thank-you slide, music up |
Example 3: a trade show day
A trade show day is paced by the floor, not a stage. This example covers show day one of a three-day expo with a demo stage. The times are invented for illustration.
The floor checkpoints are the rows a stage-focused document would leave out.
| Time | Length | Item | Owner | Checks and cues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | 60 min | Exhibitor access | Exhibitor services | Doors staffed, badge check at entrance |
| 08:00 | 30 min | Floor walk before doors | Show manager | Aisles clear, power live, signage up |
| 08:30 | 15 min | Visitor doors open | Registration lead | Scanners ready, queues marked |
| 09:00 | 20 min | Opening remarks, demo stage | Host | Stage mic live, welcome slide |
| 10:30 | 30 min | Demo: exhibitor session | Stage manager | Exhibitor slides loaded, 5 minute warning |
| 12:00 | 60 min | Lunch service | Catering lead | Restock check at 12:30 |
| 14:00 | 15 min | Floor checkpoint | Floor team | Spot check on aisles, fire exits and power |
| 16:00 | 30 min | Reception on the floor | Event manager | Bar open, music low, last demo ends |
| 17:00 | 30 min | Show closes | Show manager | Announcement, doors closed to visitors |
| 17:30 | 60 min | Overnight security handover | Security lead | Walk the floor, lock-up checklist |
Example 4: a hybrid summit
A hybrid event needs two sets of cues for each segment: one for the room and one for the stream. This example shows a half-day summit. The times are invented for illustration.
Note the stream test before doors and the holding slide for breaks, so remote viewers are never left on a blank screen.
| Time | Length | Segment | In-room cue | Stream cue | Remote action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | 30 min | Stream test | Mics and lectern checked | Test feed, record on | Test viewers join |
| 08:30 | 15 min | Virtual doors open | Doors still closed | Holding slide, music | Viewers arrive, chat open |
| 08:45 | 15 min | Venue doors open | Walk-in music | Camera on the room | Welcome message in chat |
| 09:00 | 10 min | Welcome | Host mic live | Host camera, title graphic | Poll one opens |
| 09:10 | 40 min | Keynote | Slides, lectern mic | Slide and camera mix | Questions go to the moderator |
| 09:50 | 10 min | Questions | Audience mic | Camera on host | Moderator reads remote questions |
| 10:00 | 20 min | Break | House lights up | Holding slide, music | Chat stays open |
| 10:20 | 40 min | Panel | Four mics | Camera switching, lower-thirds | Poll two opens |
| 11:00 | 10 min | Close | Thank-you slide | Stop stream, keep recording to 11:05 | Survey link in chat |
What to take from these examples
The examples share a few habits. Copy these even if you change the rows.
Hidden work has rows
Crew call, rehearsal, stream test and floor checks all have a time and an owner.
Every row has one owner
A person's role is named beside each segment, so nobody has to guess who to ask.
Cues are written down
The crew can work without asking what happens at each change.
Buffers are visible
Gaps such as room resets and the gala interval are real rows, not hope.
Holding states exist
Holding slides, walk-in music and closed doors fill the gaps cleanly.
Where Eventdex fits
Eventdex is not a show-calling or cueing tool, so the run of show lives in your own spreadsheet. Eventdex covers the attendee side of what these examples assume.
Published schedule and updates
Sessions with rooms and speakers go to the event app, and push notifications can announce a change to chosen ticket types or tags.
Event mobile appSession attendance
Staff scan badges at session doors with the Scan Attendee app, which is what the conference example's door-scan note refers to.
Attendee check-in appAudience questions
The live Q&A widget collects questions for the host, in the room or online.
Live event Q&A widget
The Eventdex platform
Tools around a running order
- Agenda and sessionsSessions with rooms, tracks and speakers, published to the event app.Learn more about Agenda and sessions
- Session trackingBadge scans at each session door.Learn more about Session tracking
- Live Q&AAudience questions collected and moderated during sessions.Learn more about Live Q&A
- Hybrid eventsIn-person and online audiences from one event.Learn more about Hybrid events
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FAQ
Run of Show Examples: common questions
Where can I see a run of show example?
This page has four: a one-day conference, an awards gala, a trade show day and a hybrid summit. Each is a filled-in table you can copy and adapt.
Are the times in these examples real?
No. All times, lengths and segment names are invented to show the format. Replace them with your own.
How long should a run of show be?
As long as the event needs. A one-day conference may fill a page or two. A multi-day trade show may have one page per day. Stop adding rows when someone new could follow the day from the page.
Is there an example for a webinar?
Yes, in the webinar run of show template guide, which has a minute-by-minute table for a 60-minute webinar.
Where is the blank version?
Use the run of show template guide. It has a blank template for a conference, a gala, a trade show and a hybrid event.
Does Eventdex build a run of show for me?
Eventdex's pages do not describe a run of show or cue sheet tool. They describe a published attendee schedule that you can export to XLS or CSV as a starting point for your own document.
Publish your event schedule on Eventdex
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