Event Run Sheet Template (Copy-Paste Example + Guide)

Someone has just asked you to “put together the run sheet” for the company event, and you have a blank spreadsheet. An event run sheet is a single page that says who does what, when and where on event day. Below is an event run sheet template you can copy, a worked corporate example, and a step-by-step way to fill it in.

Both tables paste straight into Excel, Google Sheets or a Word table.

What is an event run sheet?

An event run sheet is a timed, line-by-line plan of event day, from the first delivery arriving to the last item leaving the building. It tells every person involved what is happening next and who is responsible for it.

You will also see it called a run of show, a running order, an event schedule or an event day schedule. They are close enough to be the same document in most corporate events. The names tend to vary by industry, not by content.

It is not the same as a planning timeline or checklist. A checklist covers the weeks and months before the event (book the venue, confirm numbers, brief suppliers). A run sheet covers the event day only. If you are still at the planning stage, start with a corporate event planning checklist and write the run sheet once the format is settled.

Event run sheet template

Use one row per item, and keep the same columns all the way down. These seven cover almost any corporate event.

What each column is for:

• Time and duration: start time and length. Keep both, so you can spot a gap or overlap at a glance.
• Item: what is happening, in plain words (“Welcome and housekeeping”, not “Opening segment”).
• Location: the room or zone, as the venue names it.
• Owner / contact: one named person per row, with a mobile number for any supplier.
• Kit and AV notes: microphones, screens, power, tables, anything that has to be in place first.
• Cue / notes: what triggers the item and what comes next (“Host hands to MD”, “Doors open when lunch is served”).

Worked example: a one-day corporate event

This is an illustrative running order for a half-day company event with a welcome, an interactive session and lunch. The times are examples to show the structure, not recommended timings. Yours will depend on your venue, group size and format.

Notice the named owner on every line, set-up and breakdown as rows in their own right, and buffers after the items most likely to overrun.

How to fill in a run sheet, step by step

Work backwards from the end time, because the finish is the hard constraint. Venues, coaches and caterers all have fixed times, so build the sheet from those.

1. Start with the fixed points. Enter the venue’s access time, the venue’s finish time, lunch or dinner service and any transport. Everything else slots in between.
2. Add set-up and breakdown. Suppliers need time before the first guest arrives and time after the last one leaves. Ask each of them how long they need, rather than guessing.
3. List the guest-facing items in order. Welcome, talks, sessions, meals, activities, close. Give each a duration.
4. Name one owner per row. Two owners means neither is sure it is theirs. A supplier can own their own slot, but one person on your team should still be responsible for the line.
5. Add buffers. Put a 5 to 15 minute gap after anything that can overrun, such as speeches, and before anything that cannot, like a meal service or a coach departure.
6. Write the cues. For each item, note what triggers it and who gives the signal.
7. Add a plan B. For anything weather- or tech-dependent, note the fallback and who decides to switch.

What to include for suppliers and entertainment

Suppliers can only work from the run sheet if it answers their practical questions. For every supplier line, include the access time, where to park or unload, who meets them, the space they have, the power they can use and who to call on the day.

Here is how our side of it looks. For corporate events, setup, breakdown and all equipment are provided, along with professional hosts, so set-up and breakdown are rows that belong on your sheet. Howdens put it this way: “Gold Tier arrived at the exact time they said they would, they set everything up ready for the start of our event.” (Diane Collins, Business Developer, Howdens.) That only works when the arrival time and the access route are on the page.

Interactive sessions and entertainment need four rows, not one:

• Set-up: before guests are in the room, with agreed access and power.
• Briefing: a few minutes for the host or lead to explain how it works.
• Play: the main block, with the end time clearly marked.
• Reset: clearing the room for the next item, which is often forgotten and is where schedules slip.

Audio and visual needs belong on the sheet too: microphones, PA, staging, projectors and screens, and who is on site to look after them. If you are using an AV supplier with on-site tech support, put their name and mobile number next to every line that depends on them. If you would rather hand the whole day to one team, event management covers planning, venue sourcing, entertainment, catering and transport coordination.

Run sheet tips for event day

• Print copies. Wifi and phone batteries fail. Give your core team and each key supplier a paper copy.
• Keep one master version. Put a version number and time in the header, and share it with suppliers a few days ahead.
• Have one person call the cues. Usually that is the host or the organiser. When three people shout “go”, nothing starts on time.
• Build in slack. If everything is back to back, one late speaker will move everything after it. Buffers are cheap, and overruns are not.

If you are still working out the format of the day, write the event brief first and let the run sheet follow from it. If you are early in the planning, check how far in advance to plan a corporate event, then build the run sheet closer to the date.

Adapting the template

The columns stay the same. What changes is what you put in them.

• Conference: add a column for room or stream if you run parallel sessions, and rows for speaker handovers and breaks.
• Evening party: begin the sheet at the supplier arrival time, not the guest arrival time, and include rows for last orders, music curfew and the venue’s finishing time.
• Hybrid or remote guests: add a platform and tech-check row, and mark which items are streamed.
• Accessibility and dietary needs: note step-free routes and attach the dietary list to the catering row. Confirm specifics with the venue and each supplier.

Run sheet FAQs

What is the difference between a run sheet and a run of show?

In practice they mean the same thing: a timed, line-by-line plan of event day. “Run of show” is the term you will often see in conference and production work, “run sheet” elsewhere, and some teams use “cue sheet”. Use whichever your suppliers and venue already use, and keep it to one master version.

Is there an event run sheet template for Excel or Google Sheets?

Yes. The tables on this page are built to copy and paste straight into Excel, Google Sheets or a Word table. Select the table, paste it into a blank sheet, then replace the example rows with your own. Use one row per item and keep the column order the same throughout.

What should an event run sheet include?

At minimum: start time, duration, what is happening, where, who owns it, and any kit, AV or cue notes. Add a named contact with a mobile number for every supplier line, plus set-up, breakdown and buffer rows. Anything someone needs to know to act on time belongs on the sheet.

How detailed should a run sheet be?

Detailed enough that a competent stranger could run the next hour from it. Use five to fifteen minute rows for the guest-facing programme and finer cues only where timing is tight, such as speeches, handovers and AV changes. If a row has no owner or no action, cut it.

Who should get a copy of the run sheet?

Everyone who has a line on it: your internal team, the venue, caterers, AV and any entertainment supplier. Send the near-final version a few days ahead so suppliers can flag clashes, and share one final version on the day. Guests do not need it; give them a short agenda instead.

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