Why We Believe in the Show Flow

​At Reach Partners, we spend a lot of time developing show flow documents.
 
That’s because they are one of the most powerful tools for ensuring an event’s success.
 
A show flow is more than a spreadsheet or a checklist. It’s the operational backbone of your event, the single document that holds the who, what, when, where, and how. Whether your event runs for one hour or spans several days, the show flow becomes the go-to reference that keeps every person, every detail, and every resource aligned.
 
Here are several qualities that make a show flow valuable:

Efficiency
It’s easier when one document contains an event’s details: roles, timing, resources, and decisions. If something unexpected happens (and it will), anyone can step in to help without losing momentum. This allows the whole team to stay calm, focused, and ready to adapt when needed.
 
Once, a Reach Partners team member got ill and couldn’t attend an event we had planned. As we re-assigned duties, we found a few details that weren’t on the show flow document because they were tasks that the team member always did. Fortunately, the team that was on site figured out how to do things quickly, AND it was a good reminder for us to include everything in the show flow document.
 
Communication and Accountability
A show flow allows team members to clearly see who is responsible for what task.  (And by team members, I mean everyone involved – staff, staff volunteering for roles they don’t typically perform, board members, external volunteers and groups of volunteers.) A shared understanding prevents confusion, dropped tasks, and last-minute scrambling.
 
After an annual event for one client, we documented which staff person was responsible for each area: volunteers, registration, vendors, décor, materials. This meant that everyone knew whom to go to with questions during setup. It was a much better experience than I had observed at an earlier event where individual staff gave different instructions to volunteers during setup. Everyone was trying to be helpful, but defining roles provided additional clarity for all.
 
Flexibility and Adaptability
A thorough show flow, reviewed ahead of time with the whole team, exposes gaps before they cause trouble. The author of the show flow can be too close to the details and not see holes in the information.
 
Plus, when something changes on the fly, like a vendor delay or a shift in the program, you have the names, phone numbers, and plan right in front of you.
 
Chronology
Whether we’re working with presenters or tech teams, the order of tasks is deliberate. A good show flow ensures that there is no wasted effort, no rework, just smooth progression from start to finish. A fast way to frustrate the set-up team is to have them keep touching things. I’ve witnessed people moving boxes from one table to another multiple times, only because a specific table is needed for something else. A good show flow will identify those needs ahead of time.
 
Post-Event Insight
I write all over my printed hard copy of the show flow during setup, the event, and tear down. I capture what happened, what worked well, and what could improve. This real-time documentation becomes a powerful tool for refining future events.
 
Sometimes clients don’t fully appreciate the show flow until after the event. They might notice its usefulness as the day approaches and the details fill in, but it’s often in hindsight that the true value becomes clear. That’s okay. We know from experience that investing in this tool pays off in smoother execution. It reduces stress and presents better results for everyone involved.
 
How We Do It
Reach Partners brings the strategy, experience, and systems thinking needed to create a show flow that works. For some clients, that means we manage the event, which has a show flow document. For others, we collaborate with clients to build a document they can confidently use themselves.
 
If you’re planning an event and don’t yet have a show flow, let’s talk. We’d love to help you create one that works for you so you can step into event day with confidence, clarity, and maybe even a little joy.
 
In the meantime, here are additional resources about show flow documents:
 

• “Top 10 Documents You Need to Plan Your Event”
• “Stay Organized by Communicating Clearly”
• “HBB File”

 
– Anita