Event Gear Loadout Checklist — What AV Teams Actually Need
Every event production team has a loadout process. Some have refined it over years. Others reinvent it from memory before every show. The difference between the two determines whether setup runs smoothly or starts with "where's the XLR adapter bag?"
This isn't a generic packing list. It's a framework for building reliable loadouts that account for what actually goes wrong in the field — and a system for making sure everything comes back.
The Loadout Problem
Most AV teams don't have a loadout problem on paper. They have experienced crew members who know what a corporate conference needs versus a live concert. The problem is that institutional knowledge lives in people's heads, not in a system.
When the lead tech is on the job, loadouts are complete. When the lead tech is on holiday and the junior handles it, three critical items get missed. The pattern repeats every time there's a personnel change, a rush job, or a simultaneous multi-show day where attention is split.
The fix isn't a better spreadsheet. It's reusable presets with variation — a base configuration that captures the collective experience, with the ability to add, remove, and adjust per show.
Core Loadout Categories
Audio
The audio rig is where most loadout errors happen because the component count is high and the items are visually similar. Twelve wireless mic receivers look identical but are configured for different channels.
Essential tracking for audio gear:
Wireless systems need serial-number-level tracking, not just counts. "4 wireless lavs" isn't enough information when they're programmed to specific frequencies. Track the specific unit by serial and its frequency assignment so you can confirm compatibility before the truck leaves.
Cable runs are the highest-loss category in most production inventories. XLR, TRS, SpeakON, powerCON — they leave in labeled bags and come back jumbled. Track cable bags as units (not individual cables) and weigh them on return. A cable bag that left at 8kg and came back at 6kg is a flag.
Speakers and amplifiers are high-value and should have individual asset IDs. Track condition on return — a speaker that's been rained on at a festival needs inspection before the next show even if it still works.
Mixing console and processing — these typically don't vary between shows of similar size. This is where presets work well: "8-channel corporate" or "24-channel live music" as base configurations.
Video and Projection
Projectors vary by lumens, throw ratio, and lens. A 5,000-lumen projector for a daylit conference room is a different item than a 10,000-lumen projector for a ballroom. Track specs as item attributes so the person building the loadout can filter by capability, not just availability.
LED walls add complexity because they're modular. You need enough panels for the configured size, plus spares. Track panel count per job and maintain a spare ratio (typically 5-10% extra).
Cameras and capture — if you're providing video production alongside AV, this is a separate loadout category with its own expertise requirement. Camera bodies, lenses, monitors, recording media, tripods, gimbals — each with individual asset tracking.
Lighting
Fixtures by type — LED pars, moving heads, ellipsoidals, cyc lights. Track fixture count and ensure the power draw matches available circuits at the venue. A loadout with 40 fixtures that the venue can't power is a loadout failure.
Control and distribution — lighting console, DMX distribution, dimmer packs, cable. The console configuration often needs to match the fixture count, so these should be linked in the loadout template.
Rigging and mounting — truss, clamps, safety cables, stands. Weight ratings matter here. Track the weight capacity of truss sections and ensure the loadout doesn't exceed venue rigging limits.
Power and Distribution
This is the unsexy category that causes the most on-site problems when wrong.
Generator or utility power — confirm the venue's available power before building the loadout. Portable generators, distribution panels, cable gauge for run lengths, and cam-lok connections are all determined by the venue's infrastructure.
Extension and distribution — heavy gauge extensions for runs, power strips for workstation areas, adapters for regional differences if you work internationally.
Staging and Scenic
Staging platforms, risers, steps, skirting. Track by dimension and height — an 8×8 riser at 24" is not interchangeable with one at 32".
Drape and softgoods — pipe and drape kits, backdrops, scrims. Track by size and color. The difference between a 10×20 black drape and a 10×20 white drape matters.
Consumables and Expendables
This is the category most teams track worst and lose most money on.
Tape — gaff tape, spike tape, cable tape. These get consumed and not logged. Set par levels and track consumption per show to understand true consumable cost.
Batteries — AA, 9V, rechargeable packs. If your wireless systems use disposable batteries, your consumable cost per show might surprise you. Track it.
Tie-line, zip ties, velcro wraps — small items that disappear without anyone noticing until you need them.
Cable labels, markers, signage — these are consumed per show but often not restocked until someone notices they're out.
Building the Loadout Process
Before the Show
Start from a preset, not from scratch. A "Corporate Conference — Medium" preset with 100 items saves 45 minutes versus building from memory. Adjust the preset for the specific venue and client requirements.
Check availability against other shows. If you're running simultaneous events, the loadout can't just check total inventory — it needs to check what's available after other show commitments. This requires real-time availability that factors in all active deployments.
Assign responsibility. Who is packing each category? Who verifies the truck before it leaves? Who is the on-site lead? Assignment creates accountability. Without it, "someone" packs the audio and "someone" forgets the wireless belt packs.
During the Show
Log additions and substitutions. The client requests a second projector on-site. The crew grabs one from the warehouse. If this doesn't get logged against the project, the loadout return check won't know to expect it.
Track consumable usage. If the crew used 4 rolls of gaff tape, that should be logged. Not because anyone's going to chase 4 rolls of tape, but because over 50 shows that consumption data tells you your real cost per event.
After the Show
Item-by-item return check. Not "it's all back." Each item gets a status: returned, consumed, needs repair, or missing. This takes 10-15 minutes for a standard loadout and saves hours of hunting later.
Condition notes. Items that came back damaged get flagged immediately, not discovered when the next crew unpacks them. A cracked projector lens housing needs to be caught today, not next Tuesday when someone's frantically prepping for a show.
Close the project. The loadout isn't done until every item has an outcome. If three items are unaccounted for, the project stays open. Those three items become exceptions — tracked, visible, and someone's responsibility to resolve.
The Return Problem
The loadout gets the attention. The return gets neglected. This is where equipment loss actually happens.
After a long show day, the crew wants to pack fast and go home. Items get thrown in cases without verifying counts. Cases get loaded without checking against the original loadout. The truck arrives at the warehouse and someone receives "the stuff from the Friday show" without a line-by-line check.
Each shortcut adds uncertainty. By the time someone does a proper count, the show was a week ago, the crew has scattered, and nobody remembers whether the missing wireless receiver was left at the venue or packed in the wrong case.
The solution is structural: a system that won't let the project close without accounting for every item. Not a suggestion. Not a reminder. A structural constraint that makes sloppy returns visible to management immediately.
This is the difference between a loadout process and a loadout system. The process depends on discipline. The system depends on structure. Discipline fails under pressure. Structure doesn't.