Running a show from start to finish

This article walks you through a full show day — from setting up the event to pressing the final End Show button. Follow these steps in order and you'll be ready to run a confident, on-time event.

Step 1: Create the event

In your venue dashboard, go to Events and click Create Event. Fill in the event name, date, and start time. While you're there, set your default timer durations under Timer Settings — these become the planned lengths for each rundown item:

Setting	What it controls
Set length	How long each performer or session gets
Changeover	The gap between items while the stage resets
Intermission	Scheduled break length

You can change any of these later, so don't worry about getting them perfect right now.

Save the event as a Draft while you're still setting up. It won't appear publicly until you publish it.

Step 2: Build the rundown

Open the event, then go to the Rundown tab. This is where you lay out everything that happens on your show day, in order.

1. Click Add Item for each performer, break, ceremony, or session.
2. Give each item a name and set its planned duration (or leave it blank to use the event default).
3. Drag items up and down to change the order.
4. Add performer photos or logos if you want them to show on the projector during their slot.

A complete rundown means the director can advance through the show with a single tap — you won't need to remember the order or duration of anything mid-show.

Step 3: Publish the event and open the projector

When the rundown looks right, change the event status to Scheduled so it appears publicly. Then open your projector screen.

The projector URL follows this pattern:

nextset.ca/<your-venue>/<event-slug>/projector

You'll also find a direct link to the projector on the event dashboard. Open it in a browser on whatever device is driving your display — a TV, a laptop connected to a projector, a second monitor. The page shows a full-screen countdown and performer info. Leave it open.

Step 4: Go live and open the director

When the doors open and you're ready to run the show:

1. Change the event status to Live in your venue dashboard (or from the event dashboard).
2. On your control device — usually a phone or tablet — open the Director link from the event dashboard.

The director URL looks like:

nextset.ca/<your-venue>/<event-slug>/director

You'll see the rundown, the timer controls, and a message panel. The projector screen is already connected and will respond to every action you take here without any extra setup.

Step 5: Advance through the show

The show runs item by item. For each slot:

1. Start the set — tap the play button to start the countdown for the current rundown item. The projector shows the performer's name and the timer.
2. Watch the clock — when a performer is close to time, tap Add time if they need more, or send a quick message like "Wrap it up" to their backstage monitor.
3. Tap Next — when the item ends, tap Next to move to the changeover. The timer switches to changeover mode automatically using the duration you set. Tap Next again when the stage is ready and the next item begins.

That's the core loop. You repeat it for every item in the rundown.

If you have a scheduled intermission, tap the Intermission button. The projector switches to intermission mode and counts down. When you're ready to resume, tap Next to start the following item.

Every tap you make on the director updates the projector and any backstage monitors within a second or two — automatically.

Step 6: End the show

After the final item, tap End Show. The projector displays a thank-you screen. Back in the event dashboard, change the status to Completed.

That's it — your show is done and all the timing data is saved.

Quick-reference: show-day checklist

• Event created with timer settings configured
• Rundown built with all performers and breaks in order
• Event published (status: Scheduled)
• Projector page open and showing on your display
• Event set to Live before the first act
• Director open on your control device
• End Show tapped after the final item

Common problems

Nothing happens when guests arrive — Check two things: the event status must be set to Live (not Draft or Scheduled), and the rundown must have at least one item. Guests following along on their phones see a "show not started" state until the event is live and the director starts the first item.

The projector shows the wrong performer — The projector follows the rundown in order. If the active slot is showing someone unexpected, check the rundown on the director screen and use Skip to to jump to the correct item.

The timer starts from the wrong duration — Each item uses its own planned duration if you set one, otherwise it falls back to the event default. Open the rundown item and update the duration, then tap Next to apply it on the next start.

Messages sent from the director aren't appearing on screen — Reload the projector page. It reconnects immediately and will pick up the current state. If the venue network is briefly unstable, the projector catches back up on its own when the connection returns.

The show is over but the projector still shows a countdown — Tap End Show in the director. This switches every connected screen to the thank-you mode.