Technical event management
Key roles in the technical production of a business event
Discover who’s who backstage. An essential guide to roles in event production for Project Managers.
Edgar Vásquez
22/01/2026
Have you ever felt that cold sweat when the CEO takes the stage, but the microphone is still muted and the presentation video won’t start?
That second of awkward silence seems to last for hours in a packed auditorium.
After years of managing congresses in demanding venues such as the Fira de Barcelona, we have learned that the difference between a memorable event and a chaotic one is not always technology, but order.
Many clients arrive with a general agenda (when is the coffee break, when does the speaker speak), but they forget the vital tool that synchronizes the technicians with what happens on stage: the corporate event rundown.
In this article, we break down how to build that technical script to make your next act flow with Swiss precision.
Don’t confuse the attendee’s agenda with the Run of Show. The agenda says “10:00 – Welcome.” The technical rundown breaks down exactly what happens at 09:59:30, what music plays, what spotlight comes on, and what microphone opens.
It is the master document that guarantees the success of any corporate event production service. It translates your creative desires into precise instructions for our sound, video and lighting equipment.
For a corporate event schedule to be useful, it must be much more than an Excel spreadsheet with schedules.
At Edgar Vasquez Audiovisual Services we recommend that your document always include these critical columns to avoid confusion in the control booth:
Time Code (Real Time): The exact time of day.
Duration: How long the block lasts (e.g. 00:05:00).
Action / Speaker: Who is on stage and what they do.
VIDEO: Are we launching PPT? Video with audio? Looped logo?
AUDIO: Handheld or headset microphone? Background music?
LIGHT: General environment or lectern clipping focus?
This is where 90% of the schedules we receive fail. Often, organizers calculate that if one talk ends at 11:00, the next one starts at 11:00. Wrong.
In a professional environment in Barcelona, you need to calculate the “changeover time”. Speaker A needs to go down, Speaker B needs to come up, set up the microphone and drink water. If you don’t include those 2-3 minutes of “buffer” in your schedule for your corporate event, at the end of the morning you will accumulate a 20-minute delay that will annoy your attendees.
To shield your event from these unforeseen events, it is essential to apply security strategies and learn about the guide to redundancies in congresses to ensure that the pace never slows down.
A perfect paper rundown is useless if there is no communication.
Paper can take it all, but live can’t. Therefore, it is vital to go over this document step by step with the alderman or technical manager before the event. Proper technical production logistics in Barcelona depends on both parties understanding the exact flow of the movements.
At Edgar Vásquez Servicios Audiovisuales, we always perform a previous script reading. We detect inconsistencies such as “Who gives the slide pin to the speaker?” or “Does the video have embedded subtitles?”. Those invisible details are the ones that mark excellence.
When it comes to the moment of truth in your business event, the agenda becomes our bible.
To keep everything running smoothly, follow these golden rules:
Freeze changes: 24 hours before, do not move important blocks. Last minute changes are the number one cause of technical errors.
Identify the files: If the rundown says “Corporate Video”, make sure the file on the computer has the same name, not “Video_Final_v3_definitivo.mp4”.
Mark the cues: Clearly indicate in your corporate event schedule whether a video should be launched at the beginning of the talk or after a specific phrase of the speaker.
I remember a recent medical symposium at the Palau de Congressos de Barcelona (Montjuic). The international Keynote Speaker was stuck in traffic in Plaza España 10 minutes before his speech.
Because we had planned in the rundown a contingency block with background music and a video of “success stories” pre-loaded into the system, we were able to launch that content instantly. For the audience, it was a very professional intro; for us, it was the vital 5 minutes to mic the speaker who had just walked in the back door. Without that line in the rundown, the stage would have been empty and silent.
The rider dictates the when, but the Rider dictates the with what.
In order to meet the set times, the equipment must be sized correctly. There is no point in putting “change of stage in 1 minute” on the rundown if there are no support personnel to move the chairs. In addition, it is crucial to verify the compatibility of the equipment with the venues in Barcelona to avoid unpleasant surprises on the day of assembly.
Coordinating the schedule for corporate events with the available human and technical resources is part of a strategic and realistic management.
Order does not kill creativity; it protects it. A well-designed technical rundown is your event’s life insurance, allowing unforeseen events to be minimized and your company’s image to shine with authority.
However, an Excel does not push buttons or adjust sound levels. To make that score sound in tune, you need an orchestra that knows how to play it with professional rigor.
Do you already have the date but are worried about the technical execution?
Don’t let chaos take over. Contact us to plan the event production in Barcelona and let’s make sure together that every minute of your event is a resounding success.
Discover who’s who backstage. An essential guide to roles in event production for Project Managers.
Discover the connection protocols and technical solutions (SDI, Fiber, Extenders) that ensure an impeccable image for your corporate events in Barcelona.
Looking to make your next corporate event memorable? Discover 5 visual staging strategies.
Newsletter
¡Suscríbete ahora y mantente al día con nuestras últimas noticias y ofertas exclusivas en nuestro boletín informativo!
Discover the best professional sound brands in speakers, microphones and mixers for large events and installations.
Newsletter
¡Únete a nuestra comunidad y mantente al día con las últimas noticias! Suscríbete a nuestro Newsletter ahora mismo.