Maximize Your Preproduction Game
- May 4
- 3 min read
Protect your budget and your decisions before you ever step foot in the ballroom.
For large corporate events, a keynote crew can include 25+ people across creative, video, audio, lighting, scenic, and speaker support. Overtime can cost $5,000 per hour and can add up quickly, especially if setup or rehearsal is held up by decisions and discussions happening in the wings.
But don't be alarmed! Get equipped!
A few smart discussions with your agency before your event can:
Keep your keynote on schedule and reduce overtime
Give you time make nuanced decisions with stakeholders
Lead to a "wow this event has never run so smooth" moment from that hard-to-please exec in the room (probably)
7 Things to Discuss with Your Agency During Preproduction
Detailed Run of Show Walkthrough
Go through the entire keynote ROS with your agency line-by-line. At Cylski, we often recommend doing this about two weeks before the event. It gives everyone enough time to identify what needs to be decided now, what can be finalized before onsite, and what truly needs to wait until you're in the room.
Plan the Pivot
Play out a few scenarios where you might need to implement a Plan B.
How will you rehearse if presenter flights are delayed? Perhaps offline? What actions need to be taken if the keynote is running 15 minutes behind because a presenter called an audible mid-show? Does it impact breakout timing, F&B, event app updates, or crew meals? What if no one raises their hand during Q&A? Planning for these scenarios in advance keeps your team focused on execution instead of scrambling in the moment.
Collect Presenter Walk-Up Songs and VOGS
Give easy-to-chose walk-up song options and get approvals early. Draft your VOG scripts for review and record them ahead of time. This includes speaker introductions, transitions, safety messaging, and housekeeping announcements. Can they change onsite? Sure. But you’ll be far better off making minor edits than starting from scratch.
Discuss Speaker Transitions and Stage Moves
Which side of the stage do speakers use to come off and on? Will they interact during the transition? When do chairs move on and off? Do stage moves need any content created to cover them? Mapping this out early gives your crew time to rehearse transitions and keeps speaker rehearsals running smoothly.
Agree on Speaker Timer & Confidence Monitor Strategy
Who will have a timer? Will sessions have one countdown clock or segment-specific timing? Once you agree on a strategy, prep your presenters with a detailed Know Before You Go that includes renders of the stage POV so they know what to expect. This can surface important questions or considerations and ease anxiety before rehearsals.
Define Decision Makers
Who is giving the final approval to open doors and to start the show? Who can/cannot request on a content update? Is there a deadline for presenter updates (and what's the final final deadline, between just us of course). Clarity here prevents last-minute delays and keeps your team moving with confidence.
Define What's Needed Post-Show
What needs to happen as soon as the session ends? Will there be any quick-turn needs for the final keynote script, slides, or event recording? Does the social team need a photo of executives on stage for a timely post? It's much easier to plan for all of these when you know they are coming.
Make Onsite All About the Execution
When your team arrives onsite, the focus is simple: execute the event with confidence.
Your agency is managing rehearsals, supporting speakers, executing content, and solving real-time challenges as they arise.
Your event team is staying focused on what matters most. Your executives, stakeholders, and guests.
And you... instead of reacting, you’re leading with clarity and confidence, and it's sure to be noticed!
The best events often feel effortless because so much of the heavy lifting happened before anyone walked into the venue. You got this!
Protect your budget. Protect your decision making.
That's the power of strong preproduction.
