Why this event matters now

• Tell me briefly, what is the core purpose of this event this year? Options: Annual conference, Member meeting, Product launch, Training or certification, Incentive trip, Regional meeting, Other
• How many attendees do you expect for the main program and for breakout sessions respectively? Options: <100, 100-300, 300-1,000, 1,000-3,000, >3,000
• Walk me through the last time you ran a similar event, what went well and what surprised you?
• Name the stakeholder groups who must feel this event was a success for the project to move forward Options: Executive leadership, Attendees or members, Sponsors, Speakers or faculty, Venue operations, Board or committee, Other
• If you had to cancel or scale back this event, which single constraint would trigger that decision? Options: Budget shortfall, Venue loss or cancellation, Insufficient registrations, Regulatory or travel restriction, Loss of a key sponsor or speaker, Other

How we will know this worked

• What single measurable outcome would make you call this event a success? Options: Hit attendance target, Achieve target revenue or profit, Sponsor renewals secured, Net promoter or satisfaction score, Number of qualified leads, Other
• How many new registrations, repeat attendees, and VIP guests are you aiming for? Options: New registrations target (open), Repeat attendees target (open), VIP or executive guests target (open)
• Name the data sources you will use to measure those signals during and after the event Options: Registration platform exports, Badge scan or RFID data, Post-event surveys, Sponsor feedback, CRM or sales pipeline, Financial reports, Other
• When during the event would you want real time alerts about attendance shortfalls or technical incidents? Options: Immediate phone/SMS alerts, Slack or chat channel updates, Onsite war room updates, Hourly dashboard summaries, End-of-day reports only
• Describe the impact if your top success metric misses by 20 percent, for next year's budget or your program strategy

What keeps you up at night about production

• What single production failure during a past event caused the biggest reputational or financial damage?
• How often do last-minute speaker or agenda changes require AV reprogramming at your events? Options: Almost every event, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• List what parts of production you have historically managed in-house and what you typically outsource Options: General session AV, Breakout room AV, Stage and set design, Onsite crew staffing, Registration technology, Sponsor deliverables, Other
• Where do budget overruns most often come from on your events? Options: Scope creep in production, Unexpected venue charges, Last-minute equipment rental, Travel and housing changes, Sponsor deliverable commitments, Other
• Is there any unresolved venue, insurance, or contractual risk that would prevent a vendor-led production from proceeding on your timeline? Options: Yes, venue restrictions, Yes, insurance or certificates missing, Yes, union requirements, No known blockers, Unsure

Who else you are weighing and why

• Who else are you seriously considering to run production, and what about those options appeals to you? Options: Incumbent vendor, National production company, Local AV house, Internal team, Hybrid internal plus vendor, No one yet, Other
• If price alone were the deciding factor, which option would you choose for production? Options: Incumbent vendor, Internal team, New external provider, Hybrid approach, Unsure
• Has anyone on your team proposed keeping production in-house, and if so who and what would they have to prove to win? Options: Yes, senior leadership, Yes, operations team, Yes, volunteer committee, No one has proposed that, Unsure
• Describe the specific capability or assurance that would make you walk away from your current vendor if they could not provide it
• Would delivering your top three must-haves at or below your target budget make you ready to sign a scope and timeline within two weeks? Options: Yes, ready to sign, Maybe, pending final review, No, need more approvals, Not under current circumstances

Are you ready to support execution

• Which technical or contractual constraint on your side would prevent us from executing the full production plan? Options: No venue access windows, Missing insurance certificate, No designated technical contact, Procurement restrictions, Union labor requirements, Other
• Who will be our day to day point of contact for production decisions, and do they have authority to approve vendor scope? Options: Event producer with approval authority, Producer without final approval, Procurement manager, Steering committee, Other
• Estimate the internal hours per week your team can commit to production planning over the next three months Options: <5 hours, 5-10 hours, 10-20 hours, 20-40 hours, >40 hours
• List the venue constraints we should know about now, including load-in windows, rigging rules, ceiling height, and union requirements Options: Tight load-in window, Rigging limits, Ceiling height restriction, Union labor required, Noise curfew or contract clause, Weight or floor limits, Other
• Are your registration and CRM systems able to share attendee lists and badge data via an export or API within the timelines we need? Options: API available and accessible, CSV export only, Manual export with lead time, No automated option, Unsure
• What final legal or procurement approval is required to sign a production statement of work, and how long does that approval typically take?

What you will not compromise on

• Which cost or service tradeoff would you not accept under any circumstance? Options: No onsite technical lead, Skipping full rehearsals, Using non-certified rigging, No contingency equipment on site, Uncapped pass-through fees, Other
• What target production budget range have you allocated for this event? Options: <$10,000, $10,000-$50,000, $50,000-$150,000, $150,000-$500,000, >$500,000
• Select the payment schedule that works best for your finance team Options: Deposit + milestone payments, Monthly retainer, Net 30 after event, Payment on delivery, Other
• What acceptance criteria will you require before signing off on post-event invoices and final deliverables? Options: Deliverables match scope, Attendance targets met, No unresolved technical incidents, Sponsor satisfaction confirmations, Formal sign-off by producer, Other
• Would a 10 percent higher deposit to reserve dates accelerate your contract approval? Options: Yes, would speed approval, Maybe, needs internal review, No, cannot increase deposit, Unsure

If we move forward, what happens next

• Assuming everything aligns, what is your target date to have full production locked and rehearsals completed? Options: Within 4 weeks, 4-8 weeks, 8-12 weeks, More than 12 weeks
• Who are the three people who must approve the final scope and budget, and how long does each typically take to sign off?
• Select the materials you would need from us to get internal buy-in Options: Production reel or showreel, Site-specific production plan, Line-item budget, Risk and contingency register, References from comparable events, Other
• How soon could you host a production walkthrough or site visit with your venue technical contact? Options: Within 1 week, 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, More than 4 weeks, Not possible
• What would stop you from signing within 72 hours if we provide a statement of work that meets your top three requirements?

• Production Walkthrough Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the current-state summary and accept the stated cost and risk as accurate.
• Provide the final speaker list and identify one high-risk session to use as the canonical scenario for final run-of-show.
• You confirm the demonstrated run-of-show and crew plan eliminate the primary failure modes you described.
• Run one high-risk session scenario end-to-end
• Deliver a tailored run-of-show for the highlighted session within three business days following this meeting.
• Share a draft equipment manifest and named crew schedule for review before the site walkthrough.
• You agree the acceptance criteria and escalation paths shown will reduce onsite failures to an acceptable level.
• Show the equipment manifest and crew call for the scenario
• Demonstrate risk mitigations for speaker changes and equipment failure
• You identify any remaining evidence or adjustments needed before commercial close.
• Schedule a technical director site walkthrough during the venue load-in window identified in Venue Discovery.
• Confirm acceptance criteria, escalation paths, and decision points
• Validate that this matches your need

• Production Walkthrough Session
• Production Walkthrough Deck
• Production Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Negotiate and Execute Venue Contracts
• Provide General Session AV Package
• Provide Breakout Room AV Packages
• Install Stage Lighting and Rigging
• Provide Onsite Technical Direction and Live Mixing
• Capture and Live-Stream General Sessions
• Operate Onsite Registration and Badge Printing
• Provide Onsite Speaker Tech Support and Rehearsals
• Contract and Manage Third-Party Show Vendors
• Provide Load-In and Load-Out Crew and Forklift Service
• Conduct Onsite Cue-to-Cue Rehearsal
• Deploy AV Redundancy and Backup Systems
• Manage Freight, Drayage, and Material Handling
• Deliver Production Invoicing and Budget Reconciliation

Negotiate and Execute Venue Contracts

• Confirm the target event dates and alternate dates to be included in the venue contract, including official move-in and strike days
• Provide the peak room-nights and total room block you require by date for the venue agreement (number of rooms per night) Options: Less than 100 peak, 100-300 peak, 300-600 peak, More than 600 peak
• Specify which contract clauses are mandatory for you: attrition percentage, force majeure language, indemnity cap, cancellation window, or exclusive vendor rights Options: Attrition clause, Force majeure, Indemnity cap, Cancellation window, Exclusive vendor rights, Price escalation
• List venue operational constraints that must appear in the SOW: loading-dock hours, service elevator dimensions, venue curfew, union labor rules, and floor loading limits (lbs/sq ft)
• What acceptance criteria will confirm the venue contract is fully executed and acceptable (signed agreement, certificate of insurance, final SOW with room diagram) Options: Signed contract and COI, Signed contract plus final SOW and room diagrams, Signed contract with negotiated addendum

Provide General Session AV Package

• Provide the expected general session attendance by day and seating configuration (theater, banquet, classroom) for AV sizing and screen placement Options: Theater, Banquet, Classroom, Varied by session
• Specify the primary presentation feed types we must support on stage: laptop HDMI, SDI video switcher inputs, wireless presentation gateway, and confidence monitors Options: Laptop HDMI, SDI camera feed, Wireless presentation, Streaming encoder feed
• Identify required AV deliverables for the general session: stage display sizes and placement, FOH sound system SPL target (dB), and house lighting presets
• Describe your preferred stage plot and screen arrangement (single center screen, dual side screens, LED wall) and attach any existing stage artwork or CAD floorplan Options: Single center screen, Dual side screens, LED wall, Other
• What acceptance criteria will validate the general session AV package on show day (successful cue-to-cue, full video playback at agreed resolution, measured FOH sound within agreed SPL range) Options: Successful cue-to-cue and full playback, Measured FOH within SPL target and confirmed screen mapping, All of the above

Provide Breakout Room AV Packages

• Indicate the number of breakout rooms and typical seating setups so we can size projectors, screens, and sound for each room Options: 1-5 rooms, 6-10 rooms, 11-20 rooms, 20+ rooms
• Specify whether breakouts require mic types per room: lavalier, handheld, tabletop boundary, or no microphones Options: Lavalier, Handheld, Tabletop boundary, None
• Detail any AV interoperability needs for breakouts such as local recording, slide playback from presenter laptop, or virtual participant bridging Options: Local recording, Presenter-managed playback, Video conferencing bridge, None
• List any room-specific constraints: ceiling height for projector throw, wall surface limitations, or fixed seating that affects screen placement
• Describe how you prefer AV inventory allocated across rooms (dedicated equipment per room, shared carts, or hot-swap spares) and acceptable swap time Options: Dedicated per room, Shared carts, Hot-swap spares

Install Stage Lighting and Rigging

• Specify the stage lighting style and artifacts you require: house wash presets, follow spots, LED uplight locations, and gobo usage Options: House wash, Follow spot, LED uplight, Gobos/graphics
• Provide the stage weight limits and truss capacity constraints from the venue rigging plot that we must observe
• Identify the number of DMX universes or lighting control channels you expect to require for the show Options: 1-4 universes, 5-8 universes, 9+ universes
• Are there venue rigging or LOTO (lockout/tagout) requirements, pre-show inspection certificates, or millwright approvals we must obtain? Options: Yes, No
• List any specialty rigging or flown elements (chandeliers, scenic truss, branded banners) including dimensions and point loads

Provide Onsite Technical Direction and Live Mixing

• Who will be the named onsite technical director and FOH mixing lead during load-in, rehearsal, and show day (name and contact preferred)?
• Specify broadcast-style mixing requirements for live sound: stereo mains only, stereo plus ambient room fills, or multi-zone delay/cover systems Options: Stereo mains, Stereo + ambient fills, Multi-zone delay systems
• Indicate preferred console types or channel counts we must reserve for front-of-house and monitor mixing (e.g., 48ch FOH, 32ch monitors)
• Describe any routing or integration needs with your recording/streaming workflow such as multitrack split, ISO recording, or aux feeds to encoder Options: Multitrack split, ISO recording, Aux feeds to encoder, None
• Identify escalation contacts and decision authority for technical change requests during show day (role and contact method)

Capture and Live-Stream General Sessions

• Specify the live-stream endpoints you will use (your CDN, platform embed on event site, or private RTMP endpoint) and provide any encoder URLs Options: Your CDN/RTMP, Platform embed, Private RTMP endpoint
• Provide target stream bitrate and resolution for primary and backup encoders for the general sessions Options: 1080p/5 Mbps, 720p/3 Mbps, Adaptive multi-bitrate
• Describe captioning and accessibility needs for the live stream such as live captions, ASL feed, or post-event VOD captions Options: Live captions, ASL feed, Post-event captions, None
• Indicate whether you require multi-camera recording masters, ISO camera tracks, or single mixed program feed for archive delivery Options: Multi-camera masters, ISO camera tracks, Single program feed
• How will you measure successful stream delivery after the event (view counts, stream health logs, encoder uptime) and who receives the post-event stream report Options: View counts, Stream health logs, Encoder uptime report, All of the above

Operate Onsite Registration and Badge Printing

• Provide expected daily registration volumes and peak check-in per hour so we can size station counts and badge printers Options: Under 100 per hour, 100-300 per hour, 300-600 per hour, 600+ per hour
• Specify badge content and format requirements: full color, attendee type ribbons, QR code for session check-in, and lanyard style Options: Full color badge, Ribbons, QR code, Lanyard
• Which registration integrations must we connect on-site (CRM check-in sync, payment gateway for on-site sales, or badge-scan reporting endpoint) Options: CRM sync, Payment gateway, Badge-scan analytics endpoint, None
• Describe your badge data source and update cadence (final roster spreadsheet, live API feed, or onsite edits) and who can authorize day-of changes Options: Final spreadsheet, Live API, Onsite edits allowed
• Specify printer redundancy and supply expectations (number of spare ribbons, spare printers, and technician coverage)

Provide Onsite Speaker Tech Support and Rehearsals

• Indicate how many presenters require one-on-one tech checks and the preferred timing window before their session (e.g., 30 minutes prior) Options: All presenters, Keynote only, Selected presenters, None
• Specify rehearsal needs: remote pre-record check, onsite run-through, and full cue-to-cue rehearsal with AV, lighting, and stage blocking Options: Remote pre-check, Onsite run-through, Full cue-to-cue, None
• Describe the speaker assets you will provide and their delivery method: slide deck, embedded video files, and presenter notes via shared folder or USB Options: Shared folder upload, USB deliverable, Email attachments
• Who on your team will approve final speaker AV readiness and sign off on slide formatting, videos, and stage cues
• List any special speaker requirements such as teleprompter, eat-on-stage microphone, or ASL interpreter access

Contract and Manage Third-Party Show Vendors

• List third-party vendors you expect us to contract and manage (caterer, decorator, entertainment, transportation, exhibitor services) Options: Caterer, Decorator, Entertainment, Transportation, Exhibitor services, Other
• Specify any vendor qualification criteria we must enforce: insurance limits, WAIVER clauses, background checks, or union affiliation Options: Insurance limits, Background checks, Union affiliation, W-9/Tax forms
• Indicate your preferred procurement workflow for vendor approval: single authorized signer, committee review, or procurement team sign-off Options: Single signer, Committee review, Procurement sign-off
• Detail whether vendor SLAs should include on-time arrival windows, setup duration targets, and remediation penalties Options: Yes, No
• Provide contract deliverable expectations for each vendor such as insurance certificate, W-9, scope of work, and final invoice timing

Provide Load-In and Load-Out Crew and Forklift Service

• Indicate load-in and load-out windows available from the venue and any hard cutoff times we must meet
• Specify required crew levels (riggers, stagehands, audio techs, lighting techs) by day and shift for load-in, rehearsals, and strike Options: Minimal crew, Standard crew, Augmented crew with overtime
• Identify forklift and heavy lift needs including required lift capacities and whether certified operators are required by the venue Options: Forklift needed, Certified operators required, No heavy lift required
• Describe freight routing constraints at the venue (single dock, multiple docks, shuttle from remote lot) and any weight or pallet restrictions
• List any onsite labor union rules or vendor check-in procedures that affect crew staging or overtime approval

Conduct Onsite Cue-to-Cue Rehearsal

• When do you want the full cue-to-cue rehearsal scheduled relative to show time (e.g., day before, morning of, or multiple runs) Options: Day before, Morning of, Multiple runs
• Provide the definitive cue list artifacts we must prepare: run-of-show PDF, timing grid in minutes:seconds, and numbered cue sheet for lighting and video Options: Run-of-show PDF, Timing grid, Numbered cue sheets
• Identify who must attend cue-to-cue for sign-off (technical director, event producer, client show lead, keynote AV operator)
• Describe acceptable rehearsal pass criteria such as no major video sync errors, lighting cue timing within 2 seconds, and audio levels within agreed SPL thresholds
• How will last-minute run-order changes be handled during cue-to-cue and who has authority to authorize sequence edits

Deploy AV Redundancy and Backup Systems

• Specify required backup systems for critical paths: backup encoder, redundant switcher, N+1 audio console backup, or failover power Options: Backup encoder, Redundant switcher, N+1 audio console, Failover power
• Identify acceptable RTO (recovery time objective) for AV failures in minutes for general session continuity Options: Less than 1 min, 1-5 mins, 5-15 mins, 15+ mins
• Provide the redundancy architecture you prefer for streaming: dual encoders to separate networks, encoder plus recording fallback, or CDN-level failover Options: Dual encoders on separate networks, Encoder + local recording fallback, CDN failover
• Describe power and UPS needs for redundant systems and whether venue backup generator runtime is sufficient for extended failover
• List any encryption or DRM requirements for backup recordings or stream failovers that we must implement

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Payment & Milestone Schedule
• Change Order Agreement
• Risk & Contingency Plan
• Insurance & Indemnity Addendum
• Site Access, Permits & Vendor Responsibilities Schedule
• Cancellation & Rescheduling Terms
• Event Acceptance & Closeout Certificate

• Immediate Event Debrief
• First Metrics Review
• Acceptance and Closeout Gate
• Quarterly Program Review

• Schedule vendor performance follow-up actions and vendor improvement checkpoints before the next quarterly review.
• Open corrective action plans for each metric failing to meet targets and publish owners and target completion dates.
• Run vendor post-mortems for any AV or equipment failures and produce recommended process changes for future events.
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Each acceptance criterion in the Production Scope is recorded as pass or fail with evidence cited.
• A remediation plan with owners and resolution dates is in place for any failed criteria.
• Formal acceptance is documented and the process for sign-off or buyer owner confirmation is agreed.
• Publish the formal acceptance record with pass/fail status and evidence within 2 business days.
• Execute the remediation plan items and provide weekly progress updates until each item is closed.
• Finalize and distribute the vendor invoice reconciliation and equipment return confirmation.
• Performance summary across recent events
• Validate whether average attendee satisfaction and average budget variance are within the acceptable ranges defined in the Production Scope.
• Reduce the high-severity enhancement and incident backlog by agreeing priorities and target delivery windows.
• Agree a standing short update cadence for progress on prioritized items.
• Publish the quarterly performance dashboard showing the named metrics and trend lines versus Production Scope targets.
• Create prioritized work packages for the top 5 enhancements with target delivery dates.
• Re-confirm agreed success signals and owners
• All immediate operational incidents are recorded in the issue log with owners and target remediation dates.
• Delivery checklist items that require follow-up are identified and scheduled for resolution within 30 days.
• Date and expectations for the First Metrics Review are confirmed.
• Publish the event debrief summary and incident log for async review within 3 business days.
• Create remediation tickets for all high-severity incidents with target resolution dates.
• Collect and archive raw attendance and financial reconciliation data for the first metrics package.
• Present attendee count and budget reconciliation
• Determine whether attendee count and budget variance are trending toward the Production Scope targets and identify the primary drivers of any gap.
• Agree remediation actions for production incidents and a clear timeline leading to the Acceptance and Closeout Gate.
• Confirm authoritative data sources for acceptance reporting.
• Deliver the first metrics packet containing reconciled attendance, P&L variance, and attendee survey summary within 7 business days.
• Present outcome data against each criterion
• Open issues and enhancement backlog review
• Delivery checklist and handoff validation
• Review attendee satisfaction and session feedback
• Document pass/fail per criterion and required remediation
• Immediate operational issues and incident log
• Vendor and crew performance audit
• Analyze production incidents and root causes
• Prioritization and timeline for top enhancements
• Finalize acceptance record and sign-off logistics
• Open items, owners, and short-term remediation
• Agree corrective actions and timeline to acceptance gate
• Confirm data sources and verification steps
• Closeout administrative tasks
• Short update cadence and reporting
• Next steps and communications