Guides / Run of show template
Run of show template for a B2B virtual event
A run of show is the minute-by-minute script of an event that everyone working on it follows. For a B2B virtual event it lists, for each segment, the clock time and duration, who is on screen, what the audience sees, the production cue to move on, what the Q&A moderators do, and which call to action is live. Below is a template you can copy, with an example for a 60-minute customer event.
A slide deck tells speakers what to say. A run of show tells the whole crew what happens when: the host, the speakers, whoever runs the broadcast, the Q&A moderators and the person watching the platform. Without it, everyone improvises at the same time, and the transitions are where virtual events usually go wrong.
The columns
- Clock time and duration. Write the real start time in the audience's main time zone, not only “minute 12”. If a segment runs over, everyone can see by how much.
- Segment. A short name everyone uses, such as “Product demo”.
- On screen. Who is live, and in which layout: one speaker, two side by side, slides with the speaker small.
- Assets. Slides, video, lower thirds with names and titles, holding screens.
- Production cue. The words or moment that triggers the next segment, for example “when Ana says ‘let me show you’, switch to screen share”.
- Q&A and chat. What moderators do during the segment: collect questions, pass the top three to the host, answer in writing.
- Call to action. Which button or link is visible to attendees during the segment.
- Owner and plan B. Who is responsible, and what happens if it fails.
The template, with an example
This example is a 60-minute customer event with a product update, a customer conversation and a live Q&A.
| Time | Segment | On screen | Production cue | Q&A and CTA | Plan B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:15 (45 min) | Green room and final checks | Holding screen: “We start at 17:00” | Producer checks audio, video and screen share with each speaker | Moderators sign in and test the Q&A queue | Backup speaker joins on a second device |
| 16:50 (10 min) | Doors open | Holding screen with countdown and music | Producer starts the stream; someone checks it on a second screen | Chat welcome message; Q&A open | Backup stream ready |
| 17:00 (5 min) | Welcome | Host, full screen, lower third | Countdown ends, cut to host | Host explains how to ask questions | If the host drops, producer plays the intro video |
| 17:05 (15 min) | Product update | Ana R., Head of Product · slides | Host introduces Ana by name and title | Moderators group questions by topic | Pre-recorded demo ready to play |
| 17:20 (15 min) | Customer conversation | Host and customer guest, side by side | Ana says “now let's hear from a customer” | CTA: “Book a walkthrough” goes live | Host has five prepared questions |
| 17:35 (20 min) | Live Q&A | Host and Ana | Host says “let's go to your questions” | Moderators pass the top questions; answer the rest in writing | Host has three seeded questions if the queue is quiet |
| 17:55 (5 min) | Close | Host, then closing screen | Host thanks speakers and points to the CTA | CTA stays live; Q&A closes 10 minutes later | Closing screen can be shown at any time |
Example · Acme Ops Customer Summit (fictional data)
Copy the table into a spreadsheet and share one version with everyone. Keep the clock times in the first column and change them there when the agenda moves, so every other column stays in sync.
Roles to name in the run of show
- Host: opens, links the segments, keeps time and runs the live Q&A.
- Speakers: each one knows their segment, their cue in and their cue out.
- Producer: runs the broadcast, switches layouts, shows slides and lower thirds, and starts and stops the stream.
- Q&A moderators: read every question, group duplicates, pass the best ones to the host and answer the rest in writing. If you expect a lot of questions, plan for more than one.
- Platform watcher: watches the stream, sign-ins and error messages as an attendee would see them, and tells the producer if something breaks.
- CRM owner: makes sure attendance and questions reach the CRM after the event, and that follow-ups go out.
Before the show: a timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 6 weeks before | Agenda, speakers, registration page and form with the right consent wording |
| 3 weeks before | First draft of the run of show; slides due; invitations and reminders scheduled |
| 1–2 weeks before | Tech check with each speaker: camera, microphone, light, connection, screen share |
| 2–3 days before | Full rehearsal with every speaker, in order, with the real cues and the plan B for each segment |
| Show day | Green room 45 minutes before; doors open 10 minutes before |
Plan the data, not only the show
Add two things to the run of show that are easy to forget. First, write down the start time of every segment as it actually happened. Afterwards, that lets you match each question to the topic being discussed when it was asked. Second, decide before the event who owns the follow-up and when it starts. The webinar data checklist covers the settings that make questions usable afterwards, and the guide to following up attendees in HubSpot covers what to do with them.
Common mistakes
- Relative times only (“minute 12”), so nobody knows how late the show is running.
- No cue out for each speaker, which makes every transition hesitant.
- Skipping the full rehearsal because every speaker had a tech check.
- One person hosting, producing and moderating at once.
- No plan B for the most important segment, usually the demo.
Frequently asked questions
How can I run a customer summit on my own website instead of a webinar platform?
You need four parts: a broadcast studio for the speakers, a video player on your page, a sign-in so you know who is watching, and a Q&A and calls to action that record who asked and who clicked. A common setup streams from a browser-based studio such as StreamYard to YouTube and embeds the video on your site. StreamYard and YouTube get the video out reliably. On their own they don't tell you who watched or who asked what, so add a sign-in and a Q&A tied to each attendee's email, and send that data to your CRM after the event.
Who can produce a live product launch and sync attendees to HubSpot?
Production companies handle the broadcast, and many webinar platforms send registrations and attendance to HubSpot through their integrations. Keepstage Live does both on your own site: remote production included, a rehearsal with every speaker, sign-in by email and first name, a moderated Q&A, calls to action tracked per contact, and attendance, new contacts and clicks written to HubSpot after the event.
How long should a B2B virtual event be?
Long enough for the content and no longer. A single product webinar usually needs less time than a customer summit with several sessions, which can run for a few hours with breaks. Whatever the length, keep segments short and give the audience a reason to stay for the Q&A.
How Keepstage does this
Keepstage Live runs launches, customer summits and flagship webinars on your own site. Remote production is included: the run of show, a tech check with each speaker, a full rehearsal, and we operate the broadcast studio and monitor the platform for the whole show. Attendees sign in with email and first name, ask questions in a moderated Q&A that stays private until an answer is published, and click calls to action next to the stream. Attendance and clicks go to HubSpot after the event.
Every Keepstage Live event includes After-Show: follow-ups by lifecycle stage for sales, and a ranked list of audience requests with quotes for product.