February 2020

Run Of Show – A Vital Component Of Successful Events

This technical term is something that event planners and anyone hiring an event team must be familiar with to ensure optimal success. We want to educate you about this term today so you can take a proactive approach. With a proper run of show, your vendors will have a detailed, big-picture view of what to expect.

Planning is crucial! We can’t control everything, but we need to anticipate as much as possible to make sure your event is as awesome as your initial concept.

What Is A Run Of Show?

The term run of show refers to a very detailed roadmap of everything that you’ve scheduled for your event. It walks all the vendors and fellow planners through your vision.

It’s a sequence of events within your event and you share this document to make sure everyone is on the same page. You might also hear this called a ‘rundown,’ ‘show flow,’ ‘cue sheet,’ or ‘event rundown.’

The terms are interchangeable.

Your cue sheet or rundown must detail everything happening both on and off stage. That means it includes the behind the scenes stuff as well as what your guests will see specifically.

Why Do You Need A Rundown?

It’s probably fairly obvious why you need one of these event maps. It leaves very little to chance. It removes any assumptions between you and your team and, instead, clearly defines expectations.

It helps vendors prepare and deliver the appropriate gear, plan out their staffing needs, and also helps planners visualize how the event will progress. It’s good for you and your team.

Having a run of show doesn’t guarantee that nothing will go wrong, but it does put you in the best position to avoid problems. It particularly protects against accidental omissions or miscommunications.

Creating A Run Of Show

Your event vendors might have a run of show template that they like to use, so ask them if they want to provide a framework for you. If you want to create the document yourself, you can use whatever format feels natural to you.

This might be something created in a spreadsheet, something that looks like a flow chart, or a simple table that lists times in one column and activities in another beside it.

Check out an example at UNCC.edu. A Google image search or regular search for ‘run of show template’ will also provide more visuals and even templates for you to work with.

As you fill out your rundown, mentally experience your event. Visualize the experience first from your perspective and then from a guest’s point of view. This will help you catch any things you may have missed.

It’s a great idea to go over your cue sheet with your vendors in a meeting if possible. This way, you can talk about any issues they see or clarify things as needed.

Here’s To A Smooth Event!

This little piece of the event planner’s toolkit will help anyone who is hosting an event. You want to crush this and deliver the best experience possible to your company, your guests, and yourself.

We hope this helped you in your journey toward great future events.

Blog - 02/18/2020

Event Lighting – Why Great Lighting Is Important For Corporate Events

Event Lighting – Let’s Talk About It!

Unless you’re a lighting tech, you might underestimate the real importance of choosing the right options for your event. Today we want to discuss why event lighting is so important. We encourage you to consult with your professional lighting vendor and to keep these points in mind while doing so.

Your goal is to hold a memorable event that pleases your guests or delivers value to them. You also want to ensure you meet any goals for the event. These goals may including fundraising or a particular type of networking. Finally, you want to walk away from the event with content you can use and repurpose.

Gleaning useful content after your event drives up the value for you and the company. Additionally, it makes future projects easier especially for marketing, outreach, and fundraising efforts.

Here’s how lighting factors into these goals.

Event Lighting Sets A Vibe

We’ve all heard the term ‘mood lighting’ and it’s often used for good reason. Lights and sound help set the tone and emotional environment at your event. You can coax your guests into certain responses and even promote certain behaviors with the right environment.

Lighting plays a huge role in setting this emotional tone. It can inspire people to be more social. Conversely, it can create a relaxing environment for people. The right lighting can establish incredible places for selfies that promote your brand for free.

A combination of all of these options can establish different tones in different rooms. This is particularly helpful during long events that may span several days. Guests might appreciate a brightly lit space to review the information they’ve learned. Alternatively, they might appreciate soft lighting in a bar area to help them get to know each other in a relaxed setting.

Event Lighting Supports Your Photographer And Videographer

Your on-site media team is going to really appreciate the time you spend on thoughtful lighting. It will make their shots more compelling in post-production. It also helps convey a real sensation of being there to people who view these deliverables after the event.

Lighting can even inspire these professionals to focus on certain areas during the event. This could be the key to capturing a million-dollar shot.

Lights And Music

If your event features music in any significant way, the lights can compliment this. It’s especially important if there are any live performances occurring during your event. Performers must be showcased correctly and proper lighting is essential to ensure this.

Just like lighting in different rooms establishes different moods, your music intensifies this effect. Combining the two creates true ambiance.

Is this one of the reasons you’ll find many full-service event vendors specialize in both lighting and sound? It makes sense, doesn’t it? The two are linked!

Event Lighting Deserves Its Due

The next time you meet with a lighting tech or event services company to discuss an event plan, focus on lighting. Empower them to be creative and together, you’ll establish a unique set of lighting that compliments your event perfectly.

Blog - 02/17/2020