How to build an event loading schedule with the venue
Five suppliers want to arrive at the same hour, and the venue has one loading area and one lift.
The short answer
A loading schedule gives each delivery team a time slot, an access point and a named contact, all inside the windows the venue has approved in writing. Start from the venue's windows, not from what suppliers prefer, then place the work in the order the room needs to be built.
Where a lift or a dock is shared, two exclusive deliveries cannot use it at the same time. The schedule's main job is to show those clashes before the day.
Start with what the venue has approved
Ask the venue for its access windows for load-in and load-out, the loading point and the lift rules, as stated in writing for your dates. See venue loading access for the questions to ask while choosing the venue.
Do not assume that access available during a site visit is available on event days. Ask for the confirmed windows and who controls them.
Build the sequence from the room
- List every team that delivers or builds: staging, AV, lighting, furniture, registration, catering, exhibition, signage, couriers.
- For each team, note the area they work in, the equipment or vehicles they bring and the time they need on site, as they state it.
- Order the teams by what must be built first. Staging typically comes before lighting and AV, then furniture and branding.
- Place each team in a slot inside the venue's windows. Mark anything that needs the shared lift or loading area exclusively.
- Add a buffer to each slot and ask each team to confirm it in writing.
What each slot records
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Team or company (as a label) | So the venue and security know who is expected |
| Contact on the day | One reachable name for every slot |
| Arrival window and loading point | Matches the venue's approved access |
| Equipment or vehicle description | Lets the venue check against its rules |
| Lift or dock needed, exclusively or shared | Reveals bottlenecks |
| Area to be delivered to and a hand-off | Prevents a delivery blocking circulation |
| Departure or load-out slot | Plans the reverse sequence |
Finding bottlenecks
- Two exclusive deliveries overlap in the same loading area or lift.
- A team starts before the area it works in has been handed over.
- Several vehicles arrive at the same entrance with no one directing them.
- Load-out begins before the event has finished in the room.
- A delivery needs a storage space that has not been planned (see storage room plan).
Using the planner and the access list
The venue load-in and delivery-slot planner lays out slots and flags overlaps based on the windows you enter. It checks timing only, and any weight, structural or vehicle-safety question stays with the venue and the supplier.
Pair the schedule with the contractor access list so the venue knows who is allowed in and when.
Worked example · Fictional example
Loading schedule for a one-day conference build
Fictional organisation and figures. Times are illustrative and not a standard.
A fictional pharmacy association has a venue window from early evening the night before. One lift is shared by all teams. Staging takes the first slot and is marked exclusive. AV starts when staging hands over the stage. Furniture and catering equipment follow, and registration fittings arrive last.
The coordinator writes each slot, sends it to the teams and the venue, and asks each to reply with its confirmation. When the AV supplier asks for an earlier slot, the schedule shows an overlap with staging on the lift, so the coordinator proposes a later start to the supplier instead of moving staging.
Use this yourself
Loading schedule template
Copy this into a spreadsheet and add one row per slot. Use only windows the venue has confirmed.
| Slot (start to end) | Team | Contact | Loading point | Lift or dock use | Area delivered to | Confirmed by team (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue-approved window 1 | Staging | Name and phone | To be confirmed with venue | Exclusive | Plenary room stage | Not yet |
| Venue-approved window 1, after staging hand-off | AV | Name and phone | To be confirmed with venue | Shared | Plenary room | Not yet |
| Venue-approved window 2 | Furniture | Name and phone | To be confirmed with venue | Exclusive | Foyer and breakout | Not yet |
| Load-out window | All teams, reverse order | Name and phone | To be confirmed with venue | Exclusive per team | All areas | Not yet |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- Two or three suppliers with simple loads and a venue that gives clear windows.
- One person can brief each supplier and keep the schedule.
- The event is a single room with limited changeover.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several suppliers, rooms and exhibitor deliveries compete for one lift or dock.
- Windows are narrow and suppliers disagree about order.
- You need someone on site to run the schedule and handle changes in real time.
Need the loading schedule run for you?
A conference project lead can collect each supplier's needs, build the schedule inside the venue's approved windows, resolve overlaps and brief suppliers, then be the point of contact on the load-in days as agreed. Send your supplier list and the venue's stated windows. This is coordination of the schedule, not technical production.
Questions organisers ask
Who sets the loading windows?
The venue. Your schedule works inside the windows it confirms in writing for your dates.
What if suppliers cannot fit the windows?
Raise it early with the venue. It may offer other windows or conditions; record any change in writing.
Do I need a slot for load-out too?
Yes. Plan load-out as its own sequence and confirm it with the venue and suppliers.
Can the planner check safety?
No. It checks timing and overlaps. Weight, structural and vehicle-safety questions go to the venue and suppliers.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.