AV and Tech Pre-Event Setup Checklist

It covers the pre-event verification steps needed to confirm audio, video, lighting control, playback devices, network access, and event-specific settings are ready. The checklist is meant to be matched against the event order so the crew can confirm the right inputs, outputs, and cues before doors open. It is best for live events, meetings, conferences, and hybrid sessions where a missed setup item can delay start time.

Use it for every event that depends on AV or technology setup, especially when the room, show file, or speaker lineup changes. For recurring events, run it before each load-in or pre-open window rather than relying on a previous successful setup. If the event has multiple sessions, repeat the relevant verification steps before each session or room reset.

The DRI is usually the AV lead, technical producer, or event operations lead, with individual checklist items assigned to the person responsible for that system. For larger events, the checklist can be split across audio, video, lighting, streaming, and network owners. The key is that each item has one clear owner and one clear verification step.

Yes, and hybrid events are one of the strongest use cases because they add more points of failure. You can include stream encoding, camera framing, return audio, confidence monitoring, and platform login checks alongside in-room AV items. If the event is only in-person, you can remove the streaming-related items and keep the rest.

The most common mistake is writing vague items like 'sound check done' instead of independently verifiable checklist items such as verifying each microphone channel and playback source. Another common issue is skipping the event order review, which leads to the wrong slides, wrong cues, or the wrong room routing. Teams also sometimes mark everything critical, which makes real safety or go-live blockers harder to spot.

Yes. You should tailor the checklist to the venue layout, the equipment actually in use, and the event order for that specific show. For example, a board meeting, product launch, and training session will each need different verification steps, even if they share the same room. Keep the checklist item wording concrete so the result stays easy to audit.

An ad-hoc walk-through depends on memory and usually misses edge cases when the crew is under time pressure. This template turns the setup into a repeatable runbook with clear checklist items, priorities, and verification steps, which makes handoffs easier and reduces blocking surprises. It also creates a record of what was checked before the event started.

This checklist works well when linked to the event order, stage plot, cue sheet, equipment inventory, and incident log. You can also attach photos of rack layouts, patch sheets, or screen layouts so the crew can verify the intended configuration quickly. If your workflow supports it, connect it to task assignment and escalation so blocking issues are routed immediately.

Mark the item as blocking if it prevents the event from starting correctly, then assign the fix to the DRI and record the next verification step. If the issue is non-blocking, note the workaround and continue only if the event can still meet the required experience. The goal is to separate true go-live blockers from issues that can be corrected after opening.