Remote rehearsal and run-of-show walkthrough
Your team, speakers and venue are apart, and everyone should hear the whole event once beforehand.
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Hi, I'd like to discuss support for an upcoming event. Help needed: Not decided Event type: Not decided Event area: Not decided Date: Not decided Approx. attendees: Not decided Reference: EV-1148 / en Page: https://eventconsultant.com.my/guides/malaysia-wide/remote-rehearsal/
The short answer
A remote walkthrough reads the run-of-show aloud, cue by cue, with everyone who has a role on a call together. Each person says what they will do and what they need. You write down what is unclear, and each role signs off.
It rehearses decisions and handovers. You still need a technical check at the venue, so agree who will do that on site.
What a remote walkthrough can and cannot do
A call can test whether the run-of-show is clear, complete and agreed. It can show gaps in who does what, and when.
Only an on-site technical check shows that the stage, audio and screens work. Treat the on-site technical check as a separate step, and ask the venue or AV supplier what they will test and when.
Who needs to be on the call
- The event owner, who decides.
- The person who calls the cues on the day.
- The venue's event contact.
- AV and other suppliers who act on cues.
- Speakers' liaison or the speakers themselves for their own sessions.
- A named local contact if nobody from your team will be on site. See appointing a local contact.
Walkthrough agenda
Share the run-of-show before the call. Use the agenda below and keep to it. Attach it to your master run-of-show.
| Step | What happens | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Roles | Each person states their role and who they take instructions from. | A confirmed responsibility list. The responsibility matrix builder helps. |
| 2. Arrival and set-up | Walk through deliveries, load-in, room set-ups and the first cue. | Corrections to the arrival plan. |
| 3. Programme, cue by cue | Read each cue aloud with its time, the person responsible and the next action. | A marked-up run-of-show. |
| 4. Handovers | Check each point where one person hands to another. | Named handover owners. |
| 5. What if | Pick three likely problems and ask who decides and how everyone is told. | A short problem list with owners. |
| 6. Close and sign-off | Each role confirms they are ready or names what they still need. | A sign-off list with dates. |
Run it well
- Send the run-of-show and agenda before the call.
- Keep the call to people who have a cue. Others can read the notes.
- Read the cues aloud in order. Do not skip the quiet parts.
- One person writes down every question and change as it arises.
- Send the updated run-of-show and the sign-off list afterwards.
After the walkthrough
Issue a new numbered version of the run-of-show. Ask each role to confirm it.
Use the venue's own on-site rehearsal for what a call cannot test. See the final rehearsal sign-off and the rehearsal schedule. For the wider arrangement across states, see planning support across Malaysia.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional forum walks through its programme
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional professional body holds a two-day forum in another state. The organiser, the AV supplier, the venue's coordinator and two session chairs are in four places.
In the walkthrough, the AV supplier asks who gives the cue to start the first video. Nobody has been named. The organiser names the stage manager, notes it in the run-of-show and the AV supplier confirms. At the end each role signs off by email, and the venue's coordinator lists two items for the on-site check.
Use this yourself
Walkthrough agenda and sign-off list
Copy this into a document. Use the first part to run the call and the second part to record sign-off.
- Date of the call and the run-of-show version being walked through:
- Attendees by role (event owner, cue caller, venue contact, AV, suppliers, speakers' liaison, local contact):
- Responsibility list confirmed by each role:
- Arrival, load-in and set-up: corrections made:
- Cue-by-cue read-through: changes marked in the run-of-show:
- Handover points and the owner of each:
- Three likely problems, who decides, and how everyone is told:
- Items the call cannot test, and who checks them on site:
- Sign-off, one line for each role: name, ready or needs, date:
- New version of the run-of-show issued, with date:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The programme is simple and the team has run it before.
- Everyone with a cue can join one call.
- The venue has a coordinator who attends and takes notes.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Many speakers, suppliers and rooms need to be coordinated in a place you cannot visit.
- No one on your team can lead a walkthrough and also write the changes.
- You want someone to chair the call and hold the sign-off.
Would you like someone to lead the walkthrough?
We can chair the walkthrough, record the changes and hold the sign-off list. We lead the planning remotely from anywhere in Malaysia and can arrange on-site support for the event itself where the scope needs it. Send your run-of-show, even if it is still a draft, and we will reply with the level of support that fits and what it would cover.
Questions organisers ask
Can a remote rehearsal replace being at the venue?
No. It tests whether the plan is clear and agreed. Sound, screens and staging need an on-site check by the people responsible for them.
Who should chair the call?
The person who will call the cues on the day, or the project lead if one is appointed. One chair keeps the call on the agenda.
How many walkthroughs do we need?
One full walkthrough is a good start. Add a shorter one if the run-of-show changes a lot afterwards.
What if a supplier cannot join?
Send them the run-of-show and ask for written confirmation of their cues. Name someone who can answer for them on the call.
Related resources
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