Journal · Planning
Event Slides and Video Handoff Checklist
A presentation can look perfect on the person who made it and still need work before it is ready for a room full of people. Maybe the video lives in a separate folder. Maybe the presenter has the newest version on their laptop. Or maybe nobody has decided who is actually advancing the slides.
The fix starts with a simple handoff. You do not need to know every technical detail, but you do need one clear answer to each of the questions below.
The short version: name a content owner, agree on who advances each deck, collect one labeled final package, test it on the show system, and give revisions one clear path.
1. Who owns the files?
Pick one person to gather content from speakers, sponsors, and your team. That person keeps the current list of files and sends the approved version to production. It is much easier to make a last-minute correction when everyone knows which copy is current.
For each session, include the speaker name, the deck name, and any separate video, music, logo, or holding graphic. If a video needs sound, say so. If a sponsor logo must appear in a particular place, identify the moment in the program.
2. Who advances the slides?
There are a few workable choices: the presenter uses a remote, a stage manager gives cues, or an operator advances the deck from the control position. The right choice depends on the event. What matters is agreeing on it before rehearsal and giving the presenter a chance to try it.
Also decide what appears on the audience screens between speakers. A holding slide or event graphic gives the room a clean place to land while laptops and presenters change.
3. What exactly should you send?
- The editable presentation file if production will run or adjust the deck
- A PDF reference copy so the intended layout is easy to compare
- Separate copies of every important video and audio file
- Logos and graphics in the best original quality available
- A note identifying the final filename and the date it was approved
If the deck uses unusual fonts, tell the production team. Font substitution can change a slide's layout; Microsoft documents font embedding in PowerPoint, though the file still needs to be checked on the computer that will run it.
4. Will the videos actually play?
Do not stop at seeing a video thumbnail on a slide. Play each video all the way through on the planned show computer, with audio routed to the room. Check the start, the end, and the volume relative to speech. If a clip will also appear in a recording or overflow room, test that destination too.
For PowerPoint, Microsoft recommends MP4 video encoded with H.264 video and AAC audio. It also explains why linked media needs special attention when a presentation moves to another computer. A supported format is a good starting point, not a substitute for a rehearsal on the actual system.
5. How will changes arrive?
Agree on a content deadline that leaves time for testing. After that deadline, send revisions through the same content owner, with a new filename and a short note about what changed. Avoid having several people hand different versions directly to the operator while doors are opening.
It helps to keep the earlier approved package available as a fallback. If a late update does not test correctly, the team can make a deliberate choice about which version to run.
Free worksheet: the Show Moment Blueprint
Write down the moments that have to land (the opening, the big reveal, every handoff), then note who is on stage, what cue runs, who owns it and what happens if it doesn’t. Bring it to the planning call and everyone works from the same page.
A quick handoff you can copy
- Session and speaker:
- Final deck filename and approval date:
- Who advances slides:
- Videos or audio, and which ones need sound:
- Audience-screen and presenter-screen needs:
- What appears between sessions:
- One person authorized to send changes:
Once these answers are in place, the technical team can test the real sequence instead of guessing. If you are still working out your screen plan or the run of show, our event AV checklist is a useful next step. You can also bring SPRK into the planning conversation while those details are still taking shape.