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Product Launch

Product Launch — the checklist

A product launch is not a party where you happen to unveil something. It is theatre, and the only line that matters is someone else's. Every decision on the floor—where the demo runs, how the product is lit, whether the screen is visible from the back, whether the livestream can hear the speaker—exists to keep the focus there.

This checklist is grouped by phase and written as yes-or-no questions. It includes the items organisers reliably forget: who holds the venue keys, where the crew eats, who handles noise complaints at midnight, what happens if the stream drops. Short items. Use the ones that apply.

Before you book anything

  • Has the product date been fixed by the product team, or can the event move if the venue or the key speaker is unavailable?
  • Do you know the format: a single reveal moment, a presentation with a demo, or a longer programme with multiple speakers?
  • Is this for press, customers, partners, or all three, and does the venue's reputation matter to the attendees?
  • Will there be a livestream, and if so, does the venue have the bandwidth and the lighting to support it?
  • Who approves the budget, and what is the approval lead time if you need more?

The venue

  • Does the room have a stage or a clear sightline from every seat to where the product will be shown?
  • Can the demo run there—does it need stable power, internet that does not drop, or a surface it can sit on?
  • Is there a loading door wide enough for the cases, and can the crew access it before guests arrive?
  • Who holds the keys, and will they be there if the rig starts at seven?
  • If the launch runs past eleven, who speaks to the venue about noise, and what are the constraints?
  • Is there a separate room for crew to eat, or do they eat in the same space as your guests?

The programme and the script

  • Who speaks, in what order, and have they been told how long they have?
  • Does the CEO know the schedule is fixed, or will you be adjusting the run sheet on the day?
  • Is there a moment when the product is revealed, and does it need a lighting cue, a screen, or both?
  • If there is a demo, who is responsible for it working, and have they tested it in a room like this one?
  • Who holds the running order on paper, and is there a printed copy at the tech desk?

The technical side

  • Does the product need to be lit separately from the speaker, and if so, does the crew know what it looks like?
  • Will there be a presentation, and does the file need to be sent in advance or will someone bring it on a laptop?
  • If the screen is rear-projected, is there space behind it, and if it is front-projected, will the speaker walk through the beam?
  • Does the livestream need a direct feed from the microphone, or will it use the room audio?
  • Is there a photographer, and does the lighting rig account for them?
  • Who pays for the internet, and is it a dedicated line or shared with the building?

Food and drink

  • Is this a standing reception or a seated programme, and does the food service happen before or after the presentation?
  • If service happens during the programme, can the catering team move quietly, or will they wait until the speaker finishes?
  • Are there dietary requirements, and have they been sent to the caterer with enough time to adjust the menu?
  • Does the bar close at a set time, or is it open until the last guest leaves?

Guests and transport

  • Have invitations gone out with the full address, or will guests be searching for the building at night?
  • Is there parking, and if not, is there a taxi rank or a ride-share drop point that works?
  • If guests are coming from abroad, have they been told the door time, or will they arrive during the presentation?
  • Who manages the guest list at the door, and do they have a printed copy in case the tablet fails?

The last week

  • Has the final headcount been sent to the venue and the caterer, and do they both have the same number?
  • Does the crew have the load-in time in writing, and has the venue confirmed they will be there to open?
  • If the weather forecast is poor and part of the event is outdoors, what is the indoor fallback?
  • Have the speakers been reminded of their slot length, and does someone have the authority to cut them if they run over?
  • Who has the venue contact's mobile number, and is it saved in more than one phone?

The day

  • Is someone on site when the crew arrives, or will they be waiting in the truck?
  • Has the demo been tested in the actual room, with the actual screen, before anyone sits down?
  • If the product is delicate or valuable, where is it stored before the reveal, and who is responsible for moving it?
  • Does the livestream operator have a backup device and a backup connection?
  • Is there a printed schedule at the tech desk, at the door, and with the person running the programme?
  • If something breaks during the presentation—a microphone, a screen, a light—who makes the call to stop or to continue?

After

  • Who stays until the last case is back on the truck, and do they have the authority to sign off on the venue?
  • Is there a debrief scheduled, and will the people who ran the evening be in it?
  • If the livestream was recorded, who holds the file, and does the marketing team have access to it?

The difference in event production is not the name on the invoice. It is whether the people who quote the job are the same people who build the room, run the tech desk, and pack the truck at two in the morning. Some companies plan and then forward the brief to subcontractors they have never worked alongside. Others send their own crew. The result is not the same.

This guide was written by the crew at After 5 Events—the people who arrive at seven, find the power, and are still there when the last guest leaves. Before you call anyone, settle three things: the product date, the venue's technical capacity, and who has the authority to make decisions on the day when the plan meets the room.

Who is writing this

A crew, not a middleman

These guides are written by After 5 Events — the team that grew out of the After 5 band and DJ roster and has stood on the stage itself. We are not an agency that forwards your brief to subcontractors and takes a commission on every line: the people who plan your evening build the stage, run the sound and light, and are in the room when the doors open.

When you get to booking

The pages this guide has probably made you want to ask about.

The same reader, other occasions
The same occasion, another topic
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