October is all about jump scares, haunted houses, spooky surprises, and the occasional black cat crossing your path. Fun when it’s Halloween.
Not so fun when it’s your live event.
In production, the real “tricks” can show up at the worst times: right before a cue, in the middle of a demo, or just as doors are about to open. The good news? With the right prep and the right people, you can turn those scares into smooth sailing.
Here are 10 show-day “boo!” moments we’ve all seen and the treats that make them disappear:
1. The Vanishing Script
- Scare: Teleprompter freezes mid-show.
- Treat: Always have a printed script or backup device on hand — for clients and crew.
2. The Phantom Cue
- Scare: Talent walks on too early (or too late).
- Treat: Schedule rehearsals for presenters and crew so cues are crystal clear and hire a professional deck manager to ensure every cue is executed perfectly.
3. The Tangled Timeline
- Scare: Last-minute changes send the crew scrambling.
- Treat: Build buffer time, confirm updates in writing, and circulate changes to the full team.
4. The Mic That Goes Bump in the Night
- Scare: Mics cut out mid-presentation.
- Treat: Sound checks, fresh batteries, and backup handhelds at the ready.
5. The Blood-Sucking Wi-Fi
- Scare: Streaming demo drops mid-show, or presenters can’t connect.
- Treat: Always hardline your connections, test them, and have a backup plan if the network dies.
6. The Disappearing Talent
- Scare: Keynote speaker is stuck in traffic or in the wrong ballroom.
- Treat: Share call times early, build buffer into the run, and always have filler content ready.
7. The Zombie Slide Deck
- Scare: Presenter shows up with “the final version”… five minutes before showtime.
- Treat: Lock deadlines early and set a clear protocol with your graphics ops so they’re prepped to respond fast when changes do sneak in.
8. The Cursed Clock
- Scare: Sessions run long, meals disappear, and crew morale tanks.
- Treat: Keep agendas realistic, rehearse with honest timing, always schedule and HONOR breaks and meals for your crew, and have a producer who knows when to call “cut.”
9. The Creeping Cable
- Scare: Dark paths, wobbly lecterns, and sneaky carpet lumps waiting to trip talent in the shadows.
- Treat: Light it up, spike it down, and cover those cables. A full deck manager stage sweep before doors keeps the ghosts at bay.
10. The Costume Malfunction
- Scare: Wardrobe tears, mic packs fall, or shoes betray talent mid-walk-on.
- Treat: Backstage kit stocked with tape, pins, clips and calm hands ready to fix fast.
At Tempo, we’ve seen it all – vanishing scripts, zombie decks, even Wi-Fi that drains the life out of a show. The fix is almost always the same: preparation, rehearsals, backups, and trusted pros who show up ready.
Because in live events, the scariest thing isn’t the fog machine.
It’s walking into show day unprepared.
Finding the right people makes all the difference! Hire a vetted event professional ready to seamlessly support your team whenever and wherever they are needed.