Top 10 Live Event Production Tips for Beginners
Live event production is a combination of knowing your equipment, logistics, planning, and being prepared. Below are the top 10 live event production tips:
Quick‑Read Table of Contents
1. Plan out everything early
2. Use checklists & run‑of‑show docs
3. Label cables
4. Master basic signal flow
5. Protect power & keep it clean
6. Light for faces first, spectacle second
7. Build in rehearsal & buffer time
8. Communicate on clear channels
9. Plan a strike
10. Put safety over speed
1. Plan out everything early
Planning involves the pre-show exchange of every technical requirement: gear, power, rigging points, stage dimensions, crew counts, and trucking access with artists or clients.
· Venue contacts & load‑in times
· Electrical service (amps, phases, tie‑ins)
· Rigging plot & weight limits
· Console files or media assets’ due dates
2. Use checklists & run‑of‑show docs
· Load‑in Checklist (gear, cables, tools)
· Run‑of‑Show (ROS) timeline with minute‑by‑minute cues
· Strike Checklist so nothing gets left behind
3. Label cables
Label your cables using a color-code system. Color‑code by system (audio = blue, lighting = yellow) and coil neatly. Velcro ties facing out.
4. Master basic signal flow
Signal flow = source + processing + amplification + speaker. Not only audio signal flow but video signal flow and lighting signal flow.
5. Power & keep it clean
Ground lifts are not a cure‑all! Use proper power distribution, tie‑ins rated by a licensed electrician, and isolate audio gear from lighting dimmers to avoid hums. Have your electricians become ETCP certified? For more information on the certification, click here. Download a sample Event Power Checklist.
6. Light for faces first, spectacle second
Audiences connect with performers’ expressions. Ensure the key light is at a 45° angle, then add backlight or color washes. That being said, I love a good spectacle, and moving lights will give you that option. Light the ceiling with Gobo patterns, light the floor, and get a Gobo with the company logo on it. Put it in the mover and have it fly in and out. With so many options, many things can happen after you light the faces.
7. Build in rehearsal & buffer time
Pad your schedule: 30 min per set change, 15 min audio line check, 1 hr full run‑through. Buffers absorb overruns and calm nerves, here is an “event timeline example.”
8. Communicate on clear channels
Nothing derails a cue like chatter on comm. Assign call signs, keep chatter to a minimum, and establish backup hand signals. Clear-Com and Riedel are among the most common brands.
9. Plan a strike
Before the house opens, pre-pack road cases near exits and reverse the order of loading so that last-out gear becomes first-in for the next gig.
10. Put safety over speed
Hard hats under flown truss, locked casters, taped cables. Example downloadable “Live Event Safety Checklist (PDF).
Final Takeaway
Learning live event production is a marathon, not a sprint. Follow these ten tips, and you’ll solve 90 % of rookie problems before they start. Bookmark this guide, share it with your crew, and continually refine your live event production skills from show to show.
Would you be ready for in-depth explorations of signal flow, lighting design, and stagehand career paths?
Subscribe to the Backstage Essentials blog and get fresh production best practices every week.
