Halding Foto / Event run sheet
Who opens the doors, checks the microphones and calls the next speaker? Bring timings, responsibilities and technical cues together in one shared event run sheet.
This guide includes a practical model and a free English Excel template for conferences, company events and receptions.
I am Mark, photographer and filmmaker at Halding Foto. When covering an event, I use the programme to plan where to be and which moments need particular attention. A speech, group photograph or interview cannot simply be moved without considering the rest of the day.
I created this guide to help you organise delivery and give suppliers a shared starting point. The example is fictional, but the fields allow the organiser, AV team and photographer to see their responsibilities. Read about me or explore my company event photography.
An event run sheet describes delivery from the first supplier’s arrival to the venue handover. The guest programme shows the content. The team’s run sheet adds named owners, technical cues, access times and backstage actions.
Keep one shared version with a clear date or version number. Appoint an event lead to approve changes and inform speakers, the venue and suppliers.
This is a fictional example of a morning event. Times and durations are illustrative. Adapt setup, checks, breaks and teardown to your venue and technical requirements.
| Time | Activity | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 07:30–08:00 | Access and setup | Venue and event lead |
| 08:00–08:30 | Sound and presentation check | AV and speakers |
| 08:30–09:00 | Registration and coffee | Hosts |
| 09:00–09:10 | Welcome | Host |
| 09:10–09:45 | Presentation | Speaker |
| 09:45–10:00 | Questions and changeover | Moderator |
| 10:00–10:20 | Break and networking | Hosts |
| 10:20–11:00 | Panel or workshop | Moderator |
| 11:00–11:10 | Recap and closing | Host |
| 11:10–11:30 | Networking and agreed interview | Event lead |
| 11:30–12:00 | Teardown and handover | Suppliers and venue |
Include time to fit the next speaker’s microphone, bring a panel on stage and move guests between rooms. Agree which sessions can be shortened if the programme runs late.
Where there are several stages, give each a clear owner. Nobody can be in two places at once. Check responsibilities across the whole programme.
Mark key people, group photographs, sponsor requests and important moments. An interview needs access to the person, a suitable location and time for a sound check.
For combined photography and film, agree simultaneous tasks and staffing. Explore conference photography and event films.
Download the free English Excel file with three worksheets: Checklist, Run sheet and Budget. Assign tasks, owners and deadlines, and keep one shared version with your team. No sign-up is required.
The run sheet contains a fictional example you can edit. Budget amounts start blank and calculate quantity × unit price and variance against actual spending. Use your own supplier quotes and a consistent VAT basis. Amounts are in Danish kroner.
XLSX file. Open in Excel or import into Google Sheets. Adapt the examples to your event.
They can share the same sessions, but the run sheet also contains the team’s practical tasks, responsibilities, technical cues, access and teardown. Give guests the programme they need and the team the more detailed plan.
Choose one event lead and agree a shared communication channel. Inform everyone affected by a change and confirm who does what. Save the updated shared version so the team is not working from different plans.
Yes. Replace presentations with the welcome, dinner, speeches, entertainment and dancing, for example. Plan catering, AV and photography around the key timings. See the company party planning guide as well.
I photograph conferences, receptions and company events and also create event films. We agree the key moments, image formats, usage rights and delivery before the day.
Send the date, venue, approximate timings and how you will use the material. I will suggest photography and film coverage suited to the assignment.
Explore conference photography and event photography and pricing.
Use the conference checklist or company party guide for the tasks before and after the event itself.
Supplement your plan with IDA’s conference guide, Aarhus University’s conference handbook and Teletech’s AV project-management guide (in Danish). Adapt the guidance to your event’s size, venue and supplier agreements.
Written by Mark Skov Halding, photographer and filmmaker at Halding Foto. Updated 29 October 2026.
Tell me briefly about your assignment, date and location. I will get back to you with options and a price that fits your requirements.
