An event script is not there for show. It tells the host what to say, the sound engineer which track to play, and the coordinator when to bring out the cake or send on the performer. A good script is equally clear to everyone working at the venue.
Below we look at how to build a programme around dramaturgy, how to write the opening and the finale, and how to format the document itself. At the end there is a template you can use as a starting point.
Dramaturgy: four parts of any evening
- Opening. Gather the room’s attention and explain why everyone is here. 5–15 minutes
- Development. The main part: dinner, performances, interaction, awards. The key is to alternate calm and active blocks
- Climax. The one moment the whole thing was planned for. The most emotional number of the evening
- Finale. A closing point: a group photo, a last song, thanks. After it guests leave or stay to dance
A common mistake is putting the strongest number at the start to “warm up” the room, leaving only toasts for the end. Guests remember the peak and the ending, so the climax is best kept in the second half, while everyone is still in the room.
An opening script
The opening has one job: to switch guests from chatting at the bar to the stage. Simple techniques work:
- A change of light and music: the room dims, a sting plays. People turn to the stage on their own
- A short welcome from the host with no long preamble
- A word from the main person: the CEO, the person being celebrated, the organiser
- A simple action for the whole room: raise glasses, applaud, switch on flashlights
A formal opening of a forum, exhibition or competition follows the same logic, only more protocol: an anthem or a signature tune, welcomes from officials, a symbolic gesture like pressing a button or cutting a ribbon. Opening options for business events in the article on shows for forums and awards.
Development: how not to lose the room
Attention lasts 15–20 minutes, then something has to change. So in the programme script blocks are mixed:
- After dinner or a long speech, put a short active block: a game, a poll, a performer
- Split the awards into 2–3 parts spread across the evening
- Leave music breaks between blocks so guests can eat and talk
- Run games at the tables rather than on stage: not everyone likes being called up
Ready-made games for this part in our selection of games without props. A team building script follows the same pattern, only team tasks replace dinner at the centre: examples in the article on unusual team building.
A climax the whole room takes part in
The climax can be the headliner, the first dance, the announcement of a winner. We offer one more option: a light show made of guests’ phones. The host asks everyone to scan the QR code on the screen, guests raise their phones, and the whole room’s flashlights flash to the music. The sound engineer or DJ runs it, and the signal travels via ultrasound from the venue speakers, so no internet or app is needed.
In the script it looks like a regular 5–10 minute number. We prepare the host’s line and the tracks together with you. A fixed price: from 10,000 ₽ per event for up to 100 guests, more on the corporate events and weddings page.
How to format a script
A working script is easiest to keep as a table. One row is one block of the programme. Columns:
- Time: start and duration of the block
- Block: what happens
- Who hosts or performs
- Text: the host’s lines or key points
- Sound: track, sting, microphones
- Light and screen: what to switch on, what to show
- Owner of props, performer entrances, awards
Such a table replaces separate scripts for the host, sound and coordinator: each looks at their own columns. It is printed the day before the event, after the run-through.
A sample script for a 3-hour corporate party
- 19:00–19:40. Guests arrive. Background music, photo zone. The host meets guests at the entrance
- 19:40–19:50. Opening. Lights down, sting, host, a word from the CEO
- 19:50–20:30. Dinner. Background music, a table game
- 20:30–20:45. Awards, part 1
- 20:45–21:00. A performer or cover band
- 21:00–21:15. Awards, part 2
- 21:15–21:25. Climax: light show for the whole room, followed by a prize draw on phones
- 21:25–21:30. Finale: group photo, thanks
- 21:30. Dancing
For a city festival on a square the logic is the same, the blocks are just longer, and the finale is usually fireworks or a replacement for them. How to end a city day without pyrotechnics is covered in a show for city day.
FAQ
Who writes the script? Usually the host or the event agency. The client provides the brief: the occasion, the number of guests, must-have moments like awards.
Is a run-through needed? Yes, at least a technical one: check sound, light, microphones and the order of entrances. If there is a light show, it is enough to check that the signal track plays through the room speakers.
How to stay on schedule? Leave 10–15 minutes of slack and decide in advance which block can be cut. Usually it is the second part of the awards.
General preparation steps in the article on event organisation. Programme ideas in our overview of corporate show programmes.