Before you begin
- Set up your organization, members, and positions, such as stage manager, audio engineer, lighting technician, and stagehand.
- Use an owner, admin, or gig coordinator account for operational setup. Financial actions depend on your role permissions.
- Manual staffing works on every plan; saved call lists require Pro+. The venue directory is on every plan. Crew availability, crew offers, and the Inventory directory require Team or Enterprise and the relevant features enabled for your organization.
CheckAI and Chat are Private Preview, available only to the existing beta tester group. Signing up, buying a plan, upgrading, contacting support, or viewing a public demo does not provide preview access. The workflow below does not require those previews.
Run a production from preparation to payout
1
Prepare the venue before promising a crew call
Save or update the venue record: production contact, stage dimensions, house equipment, restrictions, and access details. Confirm the information with the venue before relying on it for staffing or transport.Record the usual load-in route, load-out instructions, dock, freight elevator, parking, and access instructions once. These become defaults for linked gigs. Use the venue-logistics workflow for a practical preparation checklist.
2
Create the gig and capture this show's exceptions
Create the gig with its date and times, then link the saved venue from the gig’s Venue tab. Review Load-in & access and set an override where this show differs, such as an earlier dock appointment or a temporary parking location.Overrides apply to one field on this gig. They do not change the venue’s default. Add This show only notes for context the crew needs, such as a delivery window shared with another event. Stage size and house equipment remain venue facts; a temporary equipment substitution belongs in the show’s notes and equipment plan.
3
Staff each position and confirm responses
New organizations staff with shifts: on the gig’s Crew tab, add a shift for each position with its days, call times, and pay, then send offers. Organizations still on invitations use Manage Team to add positions and select crew manually or from a saved call list where available. Review availability and conflict warnings before sending. An availability response helps you choose a person; an accepted invitation or offer confirms their commitment.Record the house crew the venue or union local supplies as the gig’s labor call, on the Crew tab, so head counts and call times for load-in, show, and load-out sit next to your own crew.Track pending, accepted, and declined responses in Mailbox. Keep a replacement plan for unfilled positions and review the roster after substitutions. Where available, the crew calendar gives a broader view across shows; a warning still needs a scheduling decision.
4
Assign the gear the show needs
Compare the venue’s house equipment with the production requirements. On the gig’s Gear tab, add your own inventory to the gear list by item and quantity, and pick the stock location it ships from. Adding a kit brings its contents with it. Soundcheck checks availability over the gig’s dates and marks any item that is Short, with the gig that already booked it.Record rented equipment and delivery arrangements in the show notes or attached production documents. An inventory assignment records where your equipment is allocated; confirm the transport and delivery arrangements with the people responsible.
5
Share the plan from load-in through load-out
On the gig’s Run of Show tab, add the load-in, crew call, soundcheck, doors, show, and strike times to the Run of Show. Older organizations that haven’t switched to Run of Show use the simpler timeline for the day’s key times.Attach the stage plot, technical rider, and venue map on the gig’s Documents tab under Attachments. Crew with access to the gig can consult the load-in/access details and show notes. Full venue contacts and specifications follow role permissions, so put the relevant working instructions in the gig’s crew-visible plan.
6
Return equipment, finish closeout, and settle payouts
After load-out, mark returned inventory with Return so its quantity is available again. Capture lasting venue corrections on the venue record and keep one-off incidents on the gig.After the gig’s effective end (the later of its event date and end date), an Owner, Admin, or Gig Coordinator must explicitly mark it Completed. Passing the date alone does not complete the gig. Follow How a gig completes, review Closeout, and have the authorized finance manager handle crew payouts from Finances. Choose Settled from the status control once completion is saved, payouts have cleared, and any enforced closeout requirements are satisfied.
Example: two productions at the same venue
A fictional production company, Lantern Stageworks, has a conference on Friday and a concert on Saturday at Harbor Hall. Both gigs use the same venue record, including the stage dimensions and house PA. Friday’s dock is available only after 10 AM, so the coordinator overrides Dock for Friday’s gig and adds a delivery note. Saturday keeps the usual dock instructions. Each gig gets its own crew shifts, gear list, and show schedule. After Friday, the coordinator records equipment returns before checking what is available for Saturday. The venue record answers “What is normally true here?” Each gig answers “What is different for this show?”Continue the workflow
Venue logistics
Prepare the building, access, and show-specific instructions.
Staff a gig
Move from required positions to confirmed crew.
Inventory
Assign equipment and record returns.
Closeout and payouts
Finish the paperwork and settle the show.