Complete guide to creating an event runsheet
I have shot 750 events and weddings since 2015, and every time (with a few exceptions) the event organiser has provided me with their own bespoke runsheet.
Sometimes that is just some text in an email with times and activity names, but it’s normally either a Microsoft Word document, Microsoft Excel document or Adobe PDF document (although I recommend PDF format for runsheets).
I have a big, thick ring binder in my office that contains every single printed runsheet I have been exposed to since 2015.
That has given me a pretty unique insight into what makes for the perfect event runsheet. I have seen all the mistakes people make, and I want to share my tips to make sure your event is successful as possible.
But that’s not all… in September 2022 during the blackhole that was COVID I started building a new application called 1pm.app that generates runsheets automatically from activity and participants.
So I have lived and breathed runsheets for the past few years, and here are my top tips for creating one…
What is an event runsheet?
Well, thankfully runsheet is an autological word, that is … the word describes itself. Incidentally, so does the word ‘autological’! Run is short for ‘Rundown’ and ‘Sheet’ or course means a document.
So here is my definition of an event runsheet:
“An event runsheet is a chronological timeline of event activities assigned to and distributed to key participants, and other important details.”
Now let’s breakdown the components of this definition by providing examples for clarity:
Activities
Pre-event preparations or tasks.
Setup and tear down -or- bump-in/bump-out of the event spaces.
Welcoming guests.
Stages or sessions.
Speeches or presentations.
Key activities.
Key Participants
Persons that play any active role in preparing, delivering, assisting or supporting the event for example suppliers, presenters, speakers, performers, assistants, venues & locations etc.
Speakers
Presenters
Performers
Assistants (Greeters, Ushers etc)
Suppliers (Photographers, Caterers, AV Team, Decorators etc)
Locations (Location without cost e.g. a friend's house)
Venues (Acting as both a Supplier & Location)
You will need to get the email address of each Key Participant so you can easily email the latest version of the runsheet.
Other Important Details
In addition to the chronological order of events, the runsheet could contain other important sections or key bits of information such as:
Number of invited or expected guests (often abbreviated to PAX) e.g. 100 PAX.
Key locations and area details, including specifics such as sector, floor, room etc and any helpful instructions e.g. ‘Room is located at the end of the corridor’.
Sponsors logos or company logos.
Wet weather contingency plans.
The version number (or simply date & time last updated).
Key contact details such as venue event managers, photographer, caterers etc to promote quick direct communication and collaboration between key participants.
The total time span of activities for that day e.g. ‘8 Hours’.
What does a runsheet have to include?
There are no hard and fast rules for what must be included in a runsheet in my experience, providing it meets the definition above.
In other words, so long as the activities in the runsheet are sequenced (each activity appears one after the other in terms of timing) that meets the basic definition.
Everything else you add will depend on your situation, the scale and type of event etc.
What should a runsheet include then?
General Information
Event Name
Event Date, Start & Finish Time
PAX (Number of Guests expected) e.g. ‘100 PAX’
Main Locations, Areas & Addresses
Parking options
Key Contacts List (Email, Mobile)
The easiest way to create the Key Contacts list is to simply include every Key Participant, rather than second guess whether this information will be useful.
It’s useful to order these by priority, starting with the event organiser and venue main contact. If there are more than 10 Key Participants it may be helpful to order the remaining key participants by their abbreviated initials.
For each Key Participant, include:
Their main role e.g. ‘AV TEAM LEAD’ or ‘USHER’ etc.
Their abbreviated initials (which appear next to assigned activity on the runsheet)
Mobile phone number
Email address
Full name
Activity Grouped By Day
Time either 24 hour format or include AM/PM
Duration (if relevant) in minutes or hours e.g. ‘30 MINS’
Name
Details or Checklist (under the Activity Name)
Assigned To / Responsibility (often abbreviated to their initials e.g. JKK). You can assign Activity to multiple Participants.
Expert Tips
Always use Roboto font or Arial for the best legibility and compatibility.
Use a larger font size for everything than you are comfortable with. I recommend Roboto Size 16 or higher if possible. Yes this will mean more pages, but not everyone has 20/20 vision especially in dark event environments! Consider making the Activity names BOLD and in CAPS as well. A runsheet is all about communicating information as quickly as possible.
Resist the temptation to make the runsheet landscape orientation. Portrait orientation is just easier to handle and fold and will make the document shorter.
Do not use confusing times like ‘9.00AM - 9.30AM’. Does this mean it starts BETWEEN 9.00AM and 9.30AM or does it mean it has a 30 minute duration? This can be avoided by including a DURATION column and always specifying a start time.
Always version the runsheet in the footer of each page with the last updated date e.g. ‘VERSION: 9.00AM 24th Sept 2024’.
If you are not using 1pm.app (which does all of this and much more including digital RSVP for you) create an email group or mailing list with everyone who might benefit from the runsheet. This would be anyone who has tasks assigned to them, executives or managers, all suppliers etc.
Do not save the runsheet as a Microsoft Word or Excel document, always create a PDF because this is a universal document format. This is easy to do in Google Documents by selecting FILE / DOWNLOAD PDF or within Microsoft Word or Excel.
In general terms if you are not using software like 1pm.app the easiest software to create runsheets is going to be a spreadsheet and not a document, because it’s easier to insert Activities where required or move stuff around, or create simple calculations.
Finally, set a calendar reminder or phone alarm for two hours before the event starts to remind you to email the very latest version of the runsheet to your Key Participants. Then everyone will be on the same page!
