Free template
Free run of show template, with a full example
A run of show gives the time, cue, space, and owner of every moment, from load-in to lockup. Download the blank run of show and the filled example of a corporate dinner for 120, in Excel or PDF.
30-day free trial, no credit card. From $69 per venue per month, unlimited users.
Download the free run of show template
One Excel file with two tabs: a blank run of show with its seven columns (time, duration, cue, space, owner, AV, notes) and the corporate dinner example. The PDF is the same document, ready to print.
- DownloadRun of show template, Excel (.xlsx)
Run of show template, Excel (.xlsx)
Two tabs: a blank run of show and the filled example below. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
- DownloadRun of show template, printable PDF
Run of show template, printable PDF
The filled example, then a blank run of show to print. US Letter, landscape.
Free, with no sign-up and no email address required.
Run of show example: a corporate dinner for 120, minute by minute
The run of show a Chicago event space issues for Talvenor's annual dinner, from load-in to lockup. Names and times are made up. The same run of show opens the Excel file.
| Time | Duration | Cue | Space | Owner | AV / tech | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Load-in and setup | ||||||
| 2:00 PM | 60 min | Venue access. Tables and chairs, 12 rounds of 10 | Main Hall | Floor captain | Table plan v3 from the client | |
| 2:30 PM | 90 min | AV build: PA, 3 mics, projector, screen | Main Hall | AV technician | ||
| 3:00 PM | 60 min | Florist: 12 centerpieces, terrace planters | Main Hall, Terrace | Florist | Loading dock slot 3:00 to 3:30 PM | |
| 4:30 PM | 15 min | Sound check, client slides on screen | Main Hall | AV technician | Slides on USB | |
| 5:00 PM | 30 min | DJ load-in and line check | Main Hall | DJ | DJ on house PA | |
| Doors and guest arrival | ||||||
| 5:30 PM | 15 min | Staff briefing: timeline, table plan, allergies | Kitchen pass | Venue coordinator | Each owner reads their own lines | |
| 6:15 PM | 10 min | Final walk-through with the client contact | All spaces | Venue coordinator | Lights preset | |
| 6:30 PM | 50 min | Doors open. Cocktail hour, passed hors d'oeuvres | Terrace | Floor captain, bar | Background music, low | Heaters on at 6:00 PM |
| 7:20 PM | 10 min | Guests invited to the Main Hall | Terrace to Main Hall | Floor captain | Music fade | |
| Program, speeches and cues | ||||||
| 7:30 PM | 15 min | Guests seated | Main Hall | Floor captain | Lights to 40% | |
| 7:45 PM | 5 min | Welcome speech (Sarah Chen) | Stage | Client | Mic 1, lectern spot | |
| 8:00 PM | 30 min | First course served | Main Hall | Kitchen, floor | Table 4: no pecans (nut allergy) | |
| 8:40 PM | 40 min | Main course served | Main Hall | Kitchen, floor | 12 vegetarian: tables 3, 7, 11 | |
| 9:30 PM | 15 min | Dessert and coffee | Main Hall | Kitchen, floor | Gluten-free: tables 2, 9 | |
| 9:40 PM | 5 min | Sparkling wine poured for the toast | Main Hall | Bar | Sparkling cider for non-drinkers | |
| 9:45 PM | 10 min | Award presentation and toast | Stage | Client | Slides 12 to 18, mic 2 | Presenter: Talvenor CEO |
| 9:55 PM | 5 min | Room flip: 2 tables cleared for the dance floor | Main Hall | Floor captain | House lights 60% | |
| Entertainment | ||||||
| 10:00 PM | 120 min | DJ set | Main Hall | DJ | Dance lighting on | Sound limit from 11:00 PM |
| Close | ||||||
| 11:15 PM | Last call announced | Main Hall | DJ, bar | Mic 2 | ||
| 11:30 PM | Bar closes | Bar | Bartenders | |||
| Midnight | 15 min | Music off, house lights up, guests leave | Main Hall | Venue coordinator | Lights 100% | Rideshare pickup at the main door |
| Teardown and load-out | ||||||
| 12:15 AM | 15 min | Damage walk-through with the client contact | All spaces | Venue coordinator | Noted and signed on the BEO | |
| 12:30 AM | 45 min | DJ and AV load-out | Main Hall | DJ, AV technician | Loading dock opens 12:30 AM | |
| 1:30 AM | Venue reset, doors locked | All spaces | Floor captain | Lost and found logged | ||
Menus and quantities are not repeated here because they are on the banquet event order. The DJ and the speakers get this timeline instead of the BEO.
The eight blocks of a run of show, in order
The blocks in the order of the day, with the lines each one carries and what most often goes missing when the timeline is rebuilt the night before.
Header and owners
Start with the event name, client, date, guaranteed headcount and the spaces used. Then name the two people who own the day: the venue coordinator and the client's main contact, each with a cell number. Below them, list the owners who will appear on the lines: floor, kitchen, tech, security and each vendor. The usual gap is the client-side contact who can decide at 7 PM whether the speech starts without the CEO.
Load-in and setup
List each vendor's arrival with its loading dock slot, furniture and setup by space, linens and tableware, the technical build and sound check, florals, signage, and a timed final walk-through. What most often goes missing is the order between vendors: sound cannot build while the stage is being assembled, and the florist needs the tables set. Give each dependency its own line.
Doors and guest arrival
Cover the staff briefing, doors, welcome and check-in, coat check, welcome drinks, the background music level, and the moment guests are invited into the next space. Two things are often missing: the buffer between doors and the first program block, and who watches the door for late arrivals once the room has closed.
The program, block by block
Give each program block its own line: opening remarks, sessions or courses, breaks, meals with the exact service time per course, awards and the group photo. Meals are the venue's lines and sessions are the client's, but both sit on the same timeline. The lines most often missing are the service time of each course, which is what the kitchen actually needs, and the breaks that let the floor reset a room.
Transitions and technical cues
Note every moment when lighting, sound, screens or room layout change: lights down for the film, the mic handover between speakers, who advances the slides. Add the room flip from general session to dinner with its duration, and what is on screen during meals. The detail most often left out is who presses the button.
Speeches and entertainment
List the speakers in order with names and durations, their introductions, and the band or DJ set times and breaks. Add the award ceremony or the first dance, the cake or the surprise, and the fallback if a speaker runs long. What is often missing is the cutoff time the DJ has agreed to and the noise curfew the venue must respect.
Close: last call to guest departure
Plan the last call announcement, bar close, house lights up, transportation and rideshare pickups, guest departure, coat check and a quick debrief with the client on the spot. The gap between the official end and the moment the last guest leaves is easy to forget, yet staff are still on the clock during that time.
Teardown and load-out
Schedule vendor load-out in the reverse order of load-in, then the venue reset, lost and found, and a damage check with the client's main contact before they leave. End with the return of keys and access badges, and a final line with the time the venue is handed back. The walk-through with the client is the step most often skipped, and it is the only moment a damage claim can be settled without a dispute.
What belongs on a run of show line, and what does not
A last check before you send the run of show: for each column, what is always on the line, what to add when relevant, and what belongs on another document.
| Column | Always on the line | Add when relevant | Never on the run of show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | A clock time, not a duration, for every line from load-in to hand-back | A duration next to the time for blocks that can slip, such as speeches | The sales timeline: when the proposal was sent, viewed, or signed |
| Cue | One action in plain words: doors open, lights down, main course served | The trigger for the cue, such as a speaker's last sentence or a song | Quantities and menus, which belong on the banquet event order |
| Owner | One named person or team per line, never everyone | A backup owner for the cues that cannot slip | Vendor rates and agency commissions |
| Space | The space where the cue happens, especially on multi-space events | The setup style of the space at that moment, when the room flips | Room rental prices per space |
| Notes | The one thing that will go wrong if forgotten: the allergy at table 4, the speaker who needs a lapel mic | The client's wording for announcements | Anything financial, and the client's history with the venue |
A run of show runs to time when it plans the buffers
Delays always happen in the same places: after the speeches, at the room flip, between two courses. That is where the buffers and the owners go.
Give the room flip its own line, with its duration and crew. Between a general session and dinner, it is the moment that pushes the whole evening back
Give the DJ or band their end time and the venue's sound curfew in writing
Have the client name one person who decides on the day, if a speaker runs long or the CEO is late
To check before you send
- Every line has a clock time and a named owner, including the technical cues
- Service times match the kitchen's BEO
- The client has confirmed the program in writing, and each vendor has their link
One time per course, not a time range
"Dinner 8 to 10 PM" tells the kitchen nothing. First course at 8:00, main at 8:40, dessert at 9:30: each course has its time, and the speeches fit between them.
Your run of show lives in a separate spreadsheet, and it is out of date by event day
You rebuild the timeline the day before from the proposal, the BEO, and the client's emails. Room times are in your calendar, service times on the BEO, and the client's program in their latest attachment. On event day, each team follows the version it printed.
You copy the times from the proposal and the BEO: at the first gap, the kitchen and the floor no longer have the same service time
With JoinwaysThe timeline is part of the BEO, drafted from the signed proposal: the meals, breaks, and services you sold are already there, with their times
The general session booked until noon ends at 12:30 PM on the run of show, and nobody sees the overlap with lunch
With JoinwaysA line linked to a space booking shows the room and times from the calendar. An overlap between two lines is flagged, with a one-click fix
The client's program changes by email or phone, and you don't know which version they approved
With JoinwaysThe client reads the timeline through their link, then approves it or asks for a change from the page. You see which version they approved
The DJ, the caterer, and the speakers get the full spreadsheet, prices included
With JoinwaysEach recipient has their own link. A vendor sees the BEO without the internal note and with no prices, and replies "Got it, I confirm" or "Not available"
A last-minute change never reaches the people who printed the night before
With JoinwaysLinks always show the latest version. A change after the freeze is flagged, and a change within 48 hours of the event alerts the event team
Related product pages: Reports
The product, screen by screen
What you can check during the trial
On your own inquiries, alongside your current tools.
One timeline per day
For a two-day offsite or an event over several dates, each day has its own lines, rooms, and staff.
Common steps in one click
Welcome, coffee break, lunch, cocktail reception, dinner, closing: the usual steps are added in one click, set to the event's times.
Free trial, alongside your tools
Build the timelines for your next events and compare them with your current spreadsheet. No credit card.
The same template, from one event to the next
The structure stays, the lines change.
A corporate dinner with speeches
Cocktail hour, seating, three courses, two speeches, an award, and a DJ until midnight: the run of show fits the time of each course between the speeches.
A two-day offsite
General session, breakouts, lunch, a room flip for dinner, then breakfast the next morning: each day keeps its own breaks and room flips.
A private party
From welcome drinks to last call, with dinner, toasts, and the DJ. The planner owns the program, and the venue owns setup, service, and teardown.
Go further: BEO software · Events
Frequently asked questions
The essentials: what a run of show contains
- The venue owns load-in, service, room flips, and teardown; the client or their planner owns the program content
- Menus and quantities stay on the BEO, prices on the proposal
What is a run of show?
What is the difference between a run of show and a BEO?
Who writes the run of show, the venue or the client?
Does it really need to be minute by minute?
When should the run of show go out, and to whom?
Is there a run of show template for Excel or Google Sheets?
What does a run of show example look like?
What columns should a run of show have?
What is the difference between a run of show and an event planning timeline?
How do you write a run of show?
Should you print the run of show or share it online?
What software can you use to build a run of show?
Pricing is public: from $69 per venue per month depending on venue size, with a 30-day free trial. See pricing