The corporate event AV checklist: pre-show, show day, strike

A corporate event lives or dies on the boring stuff

A corporate event is not a creative challenge. It is a logistical one. The keynote does not need surprising lighting design, it needs a microphone that does not feed back, a slide that comes up when it is supposed to, and a confidence monitor the presenter can actually see.

This is a working AV checklist for corporate events, split into the three phases of the job: pre-show, show day, strike. Use it as-is, or pull the parts you need into your own running order.

Pre-show: the week before

This is when you avoid 90% of the problems that show up on the day.

Brief and scope

• Final run sheet from the client, with timings, speakers and presentation order
• Final slide deck reviewed for video clips, fonts and aspect ratio surprises
• Stage plan and seating chart confirmed with the venue
• Number of breakout rooms and their AV requirements confirmed
• Streaming requirements: platforms, resolution, recording, captioning

System design

• Signal flow diagram drawn for stage, control, and any breakouts
• Patch list completed and shared with the venue
• Packlist generated from the plan, with extras added
• Cable lengths estimated and ordered
• Redundancy plan in place for mics, switcher and recording

Logistics

• Venue tech contact identified, with phone number for the day
• Load-in time, parking and lift access confirmed
• Power requirements confirmed with the venue, including any three-phase needs
• Internet bandwidth confirmed if streaming, ideally a dedicated line
• Insurance and risk assessment paperwork submitted

People

• Crew list confirmed, with call times and roles
• Freelance contracts and rates signed off
• Catering for the crew arranged
• Briefing pack sent to crew with all relevant docs

Show day: load-in and rehearsal

The morning of the show is for systems testing, not problem solving. If you find yourself solving problems, something in the pre-show phase went wrong.

Load-in

• Arrive at the agreed time, ideally 30 minutes early
• Check the room is empty and ready for setup
• Run cables before placing gear, not after
• Build the audio system first, video second, lighting third
• Power up gear in the safe order: distros, then small kit, then amps

Audio

• All mics tested at the desk and at the stage
• Wireless frequencies coordinated and scanned
• Spare handhelds, lavs and IEM batteries in the wings
• Comms tested between FOH, video, lighting and stage manager
• Recording started on a backup device

Video

• All cameras white-balanced and matched
• All inputs to the switcher labelled and tested on the multi-view
• Presenter laptop connected and tested with the actual slide deck
• Confidence monitor positioned where the presenter can actually see it
• Streaming encoder tested with a private stream to the platform

Lighting

• All cues tested with the actual slide and video content
• House lights levels confirmed with the venue
• Stage lighting tested for face wash on every position the presenter will use

Rehearsal

• Full cue-to-cue with the production team
• Walk-through with each presenter, on their mic, with their slides
• Sound check with the band, choir or speakers as appropriate
• Final timing check of opening and close sequences

Doors

• Comms check across all positions
• Backup gear within arm’s reach
• Spare batteries in every pocket
• Water for the desk operators, because they will forget

During the show

• Watch every camera angle, even the ones you are not cutting to
• Listen on headphones, not on the room PA
• Note every change for later, even small ones
• Keep the patch list and run sheet within sight
• Stay off your phone, on comms

If something breaks, fix it quietly. The audience should never know.

Strike: the part everyone underestimates

The show is over, the client is happy, and now you have an hour of focused work to load out without leaving anything behind.

Power down

• Power down in the reverse order of power up
• Amps off first, then small kit, then distros
• Wait 30 seconds before unplugging anything

Pack

• Coil cables back to their stock lengths and labels
• Return each item to its case in the same position it left
• Run the packlist as a checklist as you load the cases
• Check the stage and FOH for stragglers: tape, water bottles, batteries

Hand back

• Confirm with the venue that the room is left as found
• Collect any client equipment, including the slide deck on a USB
• Final walk-around with the venue tech contact

Document

• Note any gear that failed or needs servicing
• Note any cables that came back damaged
• Update the plan and patch list with any on-day changes
• File the show pack somewhere the team can find it next time

The plan is the spine of the show

Every section above gets easier when you have a plan and a packlist as the source of truth. Build the show in H2R Gear, generate the packlist, share the plan with the venue and the crew, and the checklist above becomes a series of small confirmations rather than 100 separate things to invent on the day.

For the schedule, crew, budget and file side of the same show, our other tool ProductionPlanner.io handles day-by-day run sheets, team access, budget tracking and shared production files in one place. Together, H2R Gear covers the gear and signal flow, and ProductionPlanner covers everything around it.

For more on how teams collaborate on plans, see the teams use case.