Production Run of Show · Golden Cart Awards

Quick reference

Read this once before the 4:00 rehearsal. Everything else on this page is the calling script, top to bottom.

How to read a cue ID

VOG-A7 — recorded voice, award 7

M-W7 — music, winner walk-up, award 7

M-B7 — music, bridge out of award 7 into award 8

M-BED1/2 — Spotify playlists

The bridge, and why music never stops

Each winner's walk-off is the next presenter's walk-up. One continuous cue, 60 seconds maximum.

THE VOG IS A VISUAL CUE, NOT A TIMECODE. Fire it the moment the winner turns to walk off, right after their photo is taken. Not on a clock.

The VOG then rides over the bridge and the music ducks on the incoming presenter's first line.

Award anatomy

0:30 presenter walk-up (VOG over it)
0:30 presenting
0:30 winner walk-up
0:45 acceptance
0:60 photo, walk-off, bridge

That is 3:15 of content. Awards are scheduled 4:00 apart, so you bank roughly 45 seconds each — about 11 minutes across the night.

Presenter holding position

Individual call times, 15 minutes before each award. Printed against every award block below and on the guest page.

They hold stage right, behind the walls. Chairs there per Evan. One or two people waiting at a time, not a queue.

Diagram of the holding position to be added once Randy sends the marked-up floor plan.

A runner meets them with the trophy and their card. Nobody walks up empty-handed.

Play-off

M-PLAYOFF is armed at 0:45 of any acceptance. Mic cut at 1:00.

Caller triggers it. A2 never fires it unprompted. One shared track covers all fifteen.

Who actually runs the music

Star Group gives us two audio engineers. The lead mixes what the room hears. The second one, listed on their quote as the A2, sits at the playback computer and presses go on every music and voice cue, listening to the show caller on a headset.

The playback software is called QLab. It is a $275 line in the production quote. Anywhere this page says "QLab / A2" it means: the A2 presses go when the caller says go.

Everything loads at the 4:00 rehearsal. Files not delivered by then do not exist on the night.

Signal warning

Both playlists stream live from Spotify and both play in MIX MODE. Shuffle off. Basement ballroom, connectivity unconfirmed.

Test at 2:00, not 6:00. If the connection drops mid-cocktail-hour the room goes silent for two hours.

NV Events can activate ballroom internet remotely with a card on file. Downloading both playlists for offline is free insurance if you want it.

Load-in

Vendors 12:00 · our stage 2:00Star Group on a 10-hour call

12:00Star Group drape in place on stageStar Group · Evan: "we'll have it in by noon." Vendor prep, before we have the stage

12:00–2:00Fleurish sets the fabric backdropFleurish · 24ft. STAYS UP ALL NIGHT, does not strike

12:00–2:00Alan Party lays the red carpet60ft × 10ft, revolving door to stage, down the center

2:00LX-PRETEST INTERNET AND CELL SIGNAL IN THE BALLROOMAaron · Randy: at 2:00, not 6:00

2:00OUR LOAD-IN. The stage is ours. Cipriani room set begins.Randy: "you guys can do what you want with the stage starting at 2:00." Cipriani's contracted setup window is 2:00–6:00. 42 tables, ivory linens, 5 votives, number stands

3:00Trophies laid out backstage in show orderRunner · 15 stars, tagged by category, stage left

3:30Script cards to the lecternAaron · 18pt. No teleprompter

4:00–5:00REHEARSALCue-to-cue. Load all VOG and music into QLab. Mic check both handhelds and the gooseneck. One full award dry run. The envelope beat. The finale.Aaron + Star Group · contracted hour

5:00–6:00Crew meal break — mandatoryMissed break bills 1hr OT per crew position

5:15Presenter and VIP call, green roomAaron · cards out, walk entrances, brief the 45-second rule

5:45Photographers setCarpet position and on-stage thrust

5:55LX-PRESET
M-BED1House to arrival state. VIP/Cocktail/Dinner playlist starts.Amber wash, gobos live · Streaming from Spotify. PLAY IN MIX MODE. Shuffle off, both playlists are sequenced. "M-BED" just means background music that runs continuously, as opposed to a cue that gets fired

Arrivals

6:00 – 7:15Playlist runs unattended

6:00VIP RED CARPET OPENS — 60–85 walk itRope and stand opposite the revolving door. Our team directs carpet vs general

6:00step 1Coat and bag check — LEFT, across from the AV boothRandy: they drop coats and bags first, then walk unencumbered. Human coat check standing there

step 2Walk down the center to the stage. Photos at the backdrop.Photographers flanking the carpet, plus the on-stage thrust

step 3VIP CHECK-IN — after they leave the stage. They come off, head for the VIP cocktail hour on the mezzanine, and check in at the foot of the stairs on the way up. Table assignment issued here.Randy's call: they do NOT register on the way in. Needs a named owner with a device or clipboard — UNASSIGNED

step 4VIP cocktail hour on the mezzanineOff the stage east, past table 1, so they never cross the incoming carpet

6:30GENERAL DOORS — check-in on the RIGHT, table number issued thereFunnel non-VIP to the west bars, not the carpet. 16ft bar near the bathrooms + 24ft on the mezzanine

7:00VOG-SEAT1Rope lines down, captains into the room. VOG: please find your seats.Cipriani captains work with diagrams

7:05VOG-SEAT2VOG: second callQLab / A2

Dinner

7:15 – 8:15Playlist out 7:30, back at 7:35

7:15Appetizer service. Wine coursed.Cipriani · one appetizer to all

7:30VOG-OPEN
M-BED1 OUTVOG welcomes the room and introduces Colleen. Playlist fades out under it. Colleen walks up.House to half. No walk-on track — the VOG covers her walk

7:30–7:35— silent —COLLEEN WATERS — opening remarks~5 min. No music while she talks. No awards yet

7:35M-BED1 UPPlaylist fades back up for dinnerSecond and final duck point

7:35–8:15Entrée service. Program down, 40 minutes.No stage activity

Awards — Block A

8:15 – 8:50Awards 1–8, 4:00 each

8:15M-BED1 OUT
M-MCPLAYLIST HARD STOP. MC walk-on. MC opens, sets the 45-second rule, plants the envelope.Everything from here is a fired cue

8:18M-STING
M-A1PAct sting, then presenter 1 walk-upOnly presenter cue that is not a bridge

Award 1 · Best Ad Campaign · Alice Kim side stage 8:03

8:180:00VOG-A1VOG names the award, introduces Alice Kim, reads the three nominees. She walks up under it.Music ducks on her first line

0:30—Alice presents, reads the winner0:30. Winner only — VOG did the nominees

1:00M-W1Winner walk-up — acceptor TBCIf confirmed: full 0:30. If not: 0:15 hold, presenter accepts

1:30—Acceptance0:45 cap. Play-off armed at 0:45

2:15M-B1Walk-off. Presenter and winner stop for a photo at the backdrop, then off. Cue becomes presenter 2's walk-up.Runs to 4:00, VOG-A2 over the tail. Photographer is live on every walk-off

Award 2 · Customer First · PRESENTER TBC side stage 8:07

8:220:00–4:00VOG-A2
M-W2 · M-B2Same five beats. Winner is in the room.Presenter slot still open

Award 3 · Best Use of Technology · Laura Cantor side stage 8:11

8:260:00–4:00VOG-A3
M-W3 · M-B3All three nominees are in the room. Expect a big reaction.Winner in room

Award 4 · Extension of the Team · Jennifer Peters side stage 8:15

8:300:00–4:00VOG-A4
M-W4 · M-B4Vendor award. Acceptor TBC — caller decides the walk-up length on the day.Shortest VOG of the night, three names, no titles

Award 5 · Customer Community · Kellie Bailey side stage 8:19

8:340:00–4:00VOG-A5
M-W5 · M-B5Standard. Winner in room.

Award 6 · Best Innovator · Steven Sashen side stage 8:23

8:380:00–4:00VOG-A6
M-W6 · M-B6Standard. Winner in room.

Award 7 · Operational Excellence · Michael Villa side stage 8:27

8:420:00VOG-A7DECLARED TIE. Michael names both winners.Both names held together

1:00M-W7ACCEPTED IN ABSENTIA — VERIFIED. Neither winner is attending. Michael accepts on their behalf. No walk-up gap.0:15 hold. Trophies go backstage. Do not leave an empty stage

1:15M-B7Bridge into presenter 8 — no photo beat, nobody walked up0:60 max. Hands back roughly a minute

Award 8 · Best Use of AI · PRESENTER TBC side stage 8:31

8:460:00–4:00VOG-A8
M-W8 · M-B8Company rep accepts. M-B8 bridges into the envelope, not into award 9.Presenter slot still open

The Golden Envelope

8:50 – 8:56Quick break at the midpoint

8:50M-ENV1
LX-FULLHOUSE LIGHTS TO FULL. The room has to be able to see under their own chairs. Tension bed under a countdown from ten.Debbie Pearce · ~0:40

~8:52M-ENV2Reveal hit. Guest to the stage.30 seconds max. A moment, not a speech

8:56LX-SHOW
M-STINGHouse back to show state. Act sting into Block B.Same sting as Block A

Awards — Block B

8:56 – 9:20Awards 9–14

Award 9 · The Signal · Domonique Brown side stage 8:41

8:560:00–4:00VOG-A9
M-W9 · M-B9First award out of the envelope. Winner is in the room — a real walk-up, deliberately.Keeps the energy from the break

Award 10 · Best Integrated CRM · Joan Morales side stage 8:45

9:000:00–4:00VOG-A10
M-W10 · M-B10Acceptor TBC. Longest VOG of the night.A nominee in this category is in the room

Award 11 · Margin Maker · Bobby Reger side stage 8:49

9:040:00–4:00VOG-A11
M-W11 · M-B11Standard. Winner in room.

Award 12 · Omnichannel MVP · Colleen Waters side stage 8:53

9:080:00–4:00VOG-A12
M-W12 · M-B12Colleen's second time on stage tonight.She also opened at 7:30

Award 13 · Best Industry Event · Nevin Jethmalani side stage 8:57

9:120:00–4:00VOG-A13
M-W13 · M-B13Acceptor confirmed. Full walk-up.

Award 14 · The Full Cart · Louis Monoyudis side stage 9:01

9:160:00–2:15VOG-A14
M-W14Company rep accepts.Two people from the winning brand are in the room

2:15M-GCAward 14's walk-off transitions into THE GOLDEN CART build rather than a standard bridge.Biggest cue of the night. 1:30

The Golden Cart

9:20 – 9:25David Xu presents · 5:00

9:200:00VOG-A15"And now, the final award of the evening." David Xu walks up under the build.House lower than it has been all night

0:30—David presents, reads the winnerLongest beat before a reveal — count three

1:00M-W15Winner walk-up. Full, long, unhurried — let it run all the way to the mic.Winner is in the room

1:30—AcceptanceThis one gets up to 90 sec, not 45. Do not fire the play-off before two minutes

~9:24M-B15Winner walks off, photo at the backdropOut before M-DEBBIE

Close & out

9:25 – 10:15Simple close, no underscore · 5:00

9:25M-DEBBIEDebbie walk-up — she comes on fresh to closeOut on her first line. Five minutes to wrap

—DEBBIE CLOSES. Simple close, no music under it.Runs dry. No group photo, no toast

on the wordM-BED2THE MOMENT SHE SAYS "GOODNIGHT" — Post Show Playlist fires. Mix mode.Target 9:30. Listening cue — no cue light, no countdown. A2 listens for the word

9:45Published "evening concludes" timeWe wrap at 9:30, fifteen minutes early. Comfortable buffer to hard out

10:00HARD OUT — room and bars close$5,000 per half hour after, plus 24.5% admin and 8.875% tax

10:15Guest sweep complete, strike beginsVideo and rigging last