Vantly Get a custom quote

Sales Kickoff Production Checklist for Field Marketing (AV, Run-of-Show, Version Control)

By the Vantly team · Research checked October 2026

Research checked: October 2026 If your shared drive holds a file called SKO_Keynote_FINAL_final_v7_USE-THIS-ONE.pptx, this guide is for you. Most sales kickoff stage failures are not dramatic. A slide is out of date, a mic dies, a video plays without sound, or the agenda drifts until awards start late. A calm stage runs on four production artifacts: a run-of-show, a cue sheet, a stage plot and a file-version log. Get those right, name one owner for each, and the stage gets boring in the best way.

Get a custom quoteSee sample events
Colleagues chat over drinks at an office gathering.
Photo: Edmond Dantès / Pexels

Research checked: October 2026

If your shared drive holds a file called SKO_Keynote_FINAL_final_v7_USE-THIS-ONE.pptx, this guide is for you. Most sales kickoff stage failures are not dramatic. A slide is out of date, a mic dies, a video plays without sound, or the agenda drifts until awards start late. A calm stage runs on four production artifacts: a run-of-show, a cue sheet, a stage plot and a file-version log. Get those right, name one owner for each, and the stage gets boring in the best way.

This is the production companion to our sales kickoff planning guide for sales leaders (/guides/sales-kickoff-planning-for-sales-leaders). That guide covers the decisions a CRO makes before booking: purpose, agenda blocks, plenary versus breakouts, and venue. This one picks up where field marketing takes over, which is turning a locked agenda into a show that runs on time.

At a glance: the SKO production checklist

Area | What "done" looks like | Usual owner

Run-of-show | Minute-by-minute agenda shared with every speaker and the AV team | Field marketing

Cue sheet | Every light, audio, video and slide cue listed in order | Stage manager / AV lead

Stage plot | One diagram of stage, screens, mics, monitors and power | AV vendor, signed off by field marketing

File-version log | One locked folder, one naming rule, one person who accepts files | Deck owner (one named person)

AV confirmations | Every item confirmed in writing, with a backup | Field marketing + AV vendor

WiFi and power | Dedicated bandwidth, wired presenter, tested under load | Venue IT + AV vendor

Load-in and rehearsal | Walkthrough, tech check and speaker rehearsals scheduled | Stage manager

Day-of control | One person calls cues; buffer blocks in the agenda | Stage manager

Owners vary by team. The rule that never varies is one named owner per row.

The four production artifacts

  1. Run-of-show. The run-of-show is the master timeline of the event: every session, speaker, walk-on, break, video, award and transition, with start times, lengths and locations. It is the single document the whole team works from. Keep one version, with the owner's name at the top and every revision dated.
  2. Cue sheet. The cue sheet is the technical version of the run-of-show. It lists, in order, every moment someone at the AV desk has to do something: bring up a walk-on track, cut a lav mic, switch to a video, roll award graphics, change lighting. Each cue gets a number, a trigger ("when the CRO says 'let's hear from the team'") and an operator.
  3. Stage plot. The stage plot is a simple diagram of the stage from above. It shows the lectern, screens, confidence monitor, mic positions, chairs for panels, steps, the award table and where power and cables run. Agreed in advance, it stops arguments at load-in. Ask the AV vendor to draft it and check it against the venue floor plan.
  4. File-version log. This is a running list of every presentation, video and graphic in the show: file name, version, who submitted it, when, and whether it is approved for the stage. It is the cure for deck version chaos, and it is the artifact most teams skip.

Version control that survives speakers

Speakers will always want one more change. Version control does not stop that. It makes sure the last change goes through one door.

  • Set a deck deadline, and a hard lock. Agree with the sales leader on a date when content is final and a later date when files are locked for the show. Put both in the run-of-show and in every speaker invite.
  • Name a single deck owner. One person accepts files, checks them against the template and loads them to the show machine. Speakers do not send decks directly to the AV desk, the CRO's EA or a group chat.
  • Use one naming convention. For example: Session#_Speaker_Title_v01.pptx. The number goes up only when the deck owner accepts a new file. "Final" never appears in a file name.
  • Keep a locked show folder. One shared folder holds the approved files, and only the deck owner can edit it. The show machine plays only what is in that folder.
  • Embed or package media. Videos, fonts and audio should be embedded or sent alongside the deck, then tested on the show machine. Do not assume a link will play on the venue network.
  • Agree a hot-swap protocol in advance. A late change after lock needs the deck owner's approval, a new version number, a test on the show machine and a heads-up to the stage manager. If there is no time to test it, the previous approved version runs.

Share the protocol with every speaker before the event. People accept a rule they were told about in advance, not one invented in the green room.

AV checklist

Use this table with your AV vendor or the venue's in-house team. Confirm each line in writing, and fill in the backup column before load-in, not during it. Do not assume a venue has any of this equipment until someone confirms it.

Item | Owner | Confirmed? | Backup

Handheld mics for presenters and Q&A | AV vendor | ☐ | Spare handheld, fresh batteries at the desk

Lavalier (lav) mics for keynote speakers | AV vendor | ☐ | Handheld on stage, ready to pass

Confidence monitor facing the stage | AV vendor | ☐ | Printed speaker notes on the lectern

Clicker / slide advancer | Deck owner | ☐ | Second clicker; AV desk advances on cue

Show machine (laptop) running approved files | Deck owner | ☐ | Second machine loaded with the same folder

Video and audio playback | AV vendor | ☐ | Files stored locally, not streamed

Recording or livestream for remote reps | AV vendor | ☐ | Local recording if the stream drops

Adapters and cables (HDMI, USB-C, etc.) | AV vendor | ☐ | Labeled spare kit at the desk

Remote presenter connection | AV vendor + presenter | ☐ | Pre-recorded version of the session

Award graphics and walk-on music | Field marketing | ☐ | Simple title slide and house music

Name one person on your side who signs off on AV after rehearsal. That person does not need to be technical, but they need the authority to say "not ready yet".

WiFi and power for plenary and breakouts

Breakouts are where WiFi quietly fails, because a room of laptops and a video call share a connection nobody tested. Confirm these with the venue in writing.

  • Dedicated bandwidth. Ask whether your group's network is dedicated or shared with other guests, and ask for stated upload and download speeds.
  • Wired presenter. Run a wired connection to the show machine and to any streamed session, wherever possible.
  • Speed test under load. Test in the actual plenary room and in each breakout, at the time of day you will present, with other devices connected.
  • Backup connection. Know your fallback: a venue hotspot, a cellular backup or a nearby workspace.
  • Power circuits. Confirm there are enough outlets for laptops and AV, and that backup power covers more than the lights.
  • Router reset. Ask who on site can reset the network if it drops on the morning of the CEO's keynote, and get their mobile number.

Our guide to checking venue WiFi before a corporate offsite goes deeper on testing (/guides/how-to-check-venue-wifi-for-corporate-offsites).

While you are walking the rooms, check capacity as three numbers, not one: how many the plenary seats in your layout, how many each breakout seats at the same time, and how many can dine together at one sitting. Plan around the lowest, or plan the gap on purpose.

Load-in and tech rehearsal

Load-in is when the venue becomes your stage. Build it into the run-of-show as its own section, with times agreed with the venue and AV vendor.

Before load-in

  • Share the final stage plot, cue sheet and run-of-show with the AV crew and the venue's event contact.
  • Confirm access times, loading doors, parking for vendor vehicles and where cases are stored.
  • Confirm when the room is actually yours, and whether another group uses it right before you.

Walkthrough

  • Walk the room with the AV lead and the venue contact. Check sightlines from the back row, screen visibility and walk-on paths to the stage.
  • Check the stage plot against the room as built. Move things now, not during the keynote.

Tech rehearsal

  • Run every cue in order: walk-ons, videos, mic switches, award graphics.
  • Play every video with sound through the house system.
  • Load every approved file on the show machine and the backup machine.

Speaker checks

  • Give each speaker a slot to stand on stage, test their mic, use the clicker and see the confidence monitor.
  • Confirm speaker notes, timing and their walk-on and walk-off cues.
  • Rehearse panels and handovers. Transitions are where most time slips start.

Speakers arriving by air need a plan too. Map arrival windows against rehearsal slots, and give late arrivals a specific fallback, such as a shorter tech check first thing on show day. Ground transport for fly-in groups is covered in our group transport guide (/guides/group-transport-for-company-offsites).

Awards, F&B and the spouse/+1 program

Awards. Awards are often the most cue-heavy part of the show. Build a dedicated awards cue sheet: winner order, name pronunciation, walk-on music, graphics, who hands over the trophy, and where winners stand for photos. Rehearse it with a stand-in. Keep the winner list with the smallest possible group until the moment it is announced.

Dining model. Confirm early who is cooking. Is it the venue restaurant, a hired chef using a kitchen your group can use exclusively, or dinners in town? Each changes your timing, transport and how long the awards dinner can run. Ask whether the whole group can eat together at one sitting.

Dietary lead times. Ask the kitchen how far ahead it needs final dietary requirements, put that date in your plan, and send one consolidated list. Last-minute additions should go through one person.

Spouse and +1 program. If partners join for the awards night or extra days, give them their own short run-of-show: where they are during sessions, when they join, and who their contact is. Confirm dining seats and dietary needs include them.

Day-of hot swaps and timing slips

Even a well-rehearsed show drifts. The fix is deciding in advance who makes calls, and where the slack lives.

  • One stage manager calls the show. Everyone else, including the CRO, routes changes through them. Time cues and session overruns go through one voice on headset or radio.
  • Build buffer blocks. Put short, labeled buffers into the run-of-show, for example before lunch and before awards. If the show runs on time, they become networking time.
  • Know your cut list. Agree with the sales leader which items can shrink or move if time slips: a Q&A, a video, a second panel question. Never let the awards or the closing call to action get squeezed by accident.
  • Use time signals. Give speakers visible countdowns on the confidence monitor, and agree a signal for "wrap up now".
  • Hot swaps follow the protocol. If a speaker hands over a new deck at the side of the stage, it goes to the deck owner, gets tested, and runs only if it passes. Otherwise the approved version runs.
  • Debrief after day one. A short, honest check-in with the stage manager, AV lead and deck owner fixes most problems before day two.

When a local event designer runs production

Teams with an AV vendor they trust and a venue they know well may need only this checklist. Others are working in an unfamiliar destination, at an exclusive-use house or estate, or with a fly-in group and a program that has to feel designed. That is where a local event designer earns their place.

At Vantly, every kickoff is tailor-made by a local event designer who knows the venue and the area. The designer coordinates the venue, food, transport and production partners, so field marketing can focus on the show and the content. One point of contact and one invoice is how we aim to work.

If that sounds like your kickoff, tell us about your team, your dates and what the event needs to achieve, and a local event designer will come back with a tailored plan. Get a custom quote. If you would like a feel for formats first, see sample events: they are examples a designer tailors to each team, not fixed packages.

Frequently asked questions

What goes in a sales kickoff run-of-show?

A run-of-show lists every session, speaker, walk-on, video, break, award and transition in order, with start times, lengths, locations and owners. It is the master timeline for the event. Field marketing usually owns it, and the AV team builds the cue sheet from it.

What is a cue sheet?

A cue sheet is the technical companion to the run-of-show. It numbers every action the AV desk takes, such as playing a video, switching a mic, changing lights or rolling award graphics, and notes the trigger and operator for each. The stage manager calls cues from it during the show.

How do you manage presentation version control for an SKO?

Set a content deadline and a later file lock. Name one deck owner who accepts every file, use one naming convention with version numbers, and keep approved files in a locked show folder. Speakers never send decks straight to the AV desk, and late changes follow an agreed hot-swap protocol.

What AV does a sales kickoff need?

Most need handheld and lav mics, a confidence monitor, a clicker, a show machine with a backup, video and audio playback, adapters, and recording or streaming for remote reps. Confirm each item in writing with the AV vendor or venue, and list a backup for every line.

How do you handle a hot swap of slides?

Route the new file to the deck owner, give it a new version number, test it on the show machine and tell the stage manager before the session. If there is no time to test it properly, run the last approved version. Agree this protocol with speakers before the event.

What happens at load-in and tech rehearsal?

At load-in, the AV crew builds the stage from the stage plot while you walk the room for sightlines and paths. At tech rehearsal, the team runs every cue, plays every video with sound, loads approved files and gives each speaker time on stage with their mic, clicker and monitor.

Sources

Threads are cited by URL and topic only; no comment text is quoted.