If you’ve ever had a corporate event where everyone is asking questions at once…
“Who’s greeting the speaker?”
“Where does the MC stand?”
“When are meals being served?”
“Has the AV team arrived?”
…then you already know why a corporate event run sheet matters.
A good corporate event run sheet is the behind-the-scenes plan that keeps everything moving smoothly. It’s not just a schedule, it’s your event’s “game plan”.
Here’s how to build one that your team, suppliers and venue can actually follow. Preparing a well planned run sheet will ensure you can concentrate on actually executing the event, as opposed to answering one million questions.
What is a corporate event run sheet?
A run sheet is a detailed timeline that outlines:
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what’s happening
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when it’s happening
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who is responsible
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what needs to be ready
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what’s happening next
It helps your event feel calm, coordinated and professional and helps to ensure everyone is informed on what they need to do and when.
Why a run sheet is essential for corporate events
A run sheet helps you:
- reduce confusion on the day
- keep speakers and key moments on time
- coordinate suppliers properly
- avoid awkward gaps and delays
- improve guest experience
- reduce stress for the organiser (you!)
It’s especially helpful when you have lots of moving parts — like AV, catering, entertainment, presentations, special guests, awards or formalities.
What to include in a corporate event run sheet
1. Event basics at the top
Start with the key info that everyone needs:
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event name
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date
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venue address (ensure the address can be easily found in Google Maps, if not ensure you provide a map or further instructions)
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bump-in and bump-out times
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event start and finish times
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key contacts (event lead, venue contact, AV contact). Ensure that you have “on the day” contacts for each supplier, not just a general office number
2. A timeline broken into blocks
Most events follow the same basic rhythm:
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supplier bump-in/setup
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guest arrival + registration
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opening/welcome
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main content (speeches, awards, presentation)
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food service
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networking / entertainment
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closing remarks
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pack-down
Your run sheet should clearly outline the timings for these elements and who is responsible for them.
3. Responsibilities (who does what)
This is what stops the “I thought someone else was doing it” problem.
Your run sheet should note:
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who cues the MC
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who is the microphone runner
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who manages the speaker arrival
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who checks dietary meals
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who is monitoring the room
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who is managing timing with the kitchen
4. Supplier cue points
Your AV team, venue team and photographer will love you if they have clarity. You should aim to include as much information as possible – if you need tub chairs taken off the stage after the panel then add this to the runsheet.
Examples:
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“AV to play intro slide at 6:05pm”
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“Photographer to capture welcome speech at 6:10pm”
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“Catering to serve mains at 7:00pm”
5. Key guest moments (VIPs, speakers, executives)
If you have a CEO speech or VIP arrival, add it clearly. It is also a good idea to provide any VIP’s with their own high level runsheet that revolves around their movements only. This is usually provided in addition to the full run sheet, but allows them to see exactly where they need to be and when at a quick glance.
Include:
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arrival time
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where they’ll be greeted
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where they should stand/sit
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who is managing them and a contact number
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any last-minute requirements
6. Dietary requirements and service notes
If you’ve captured dietary requirements, make sure the run sheet includes:
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where those meals are stored
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how they’re delivered
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who checks them off
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how they’re labelled
This avoids the dreaded “we forgot the gluten free meal” moment.
7. Contingency notes
You don’t need a full disaster plan in your run sheet, but it helps to include quick notes like:
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“If AV fails, MC to speak without slides”
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“If speaker is late, swap order with award segment”
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“If rain starts, move guest welcome indoors”
Planning for flexibility is what makes events feel seamless. It can also help to add a blank incident report template to the end of your run sheet. This way if anything unexpected happens and someone is injured, the staff have the appropriate paperwork on hand to complete at time of treatment.
Final thought: a run sheet is how you look “effortlessly organised”
Guests never see your run sheet, but they feel it in how smooth your event runs. And if you’re planning an event on top of your normal workload, having someone build and manage this for you is a game-changer.
Let’s Chat
If you want a professional team to manage your run sheet, suppliers and event delivery so you can actually enjoy the night too — Let’s Chat.
