How to Build an Event Run of Show That Updates Itself

If you have ever had to manually recalculate an entire run of show because one speaker ran five minutes too long or a break was cut short, you know the panic that can set in. In event planning, time is your most critical asset - and static spreadsheets or Word documents simply cannot keep up with the constant changes that happen before and during an event.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to build a dynamic, self-adjusting timeline in Ripluo. That means when you change one duration, every start and end time after it automatically updates. You will also learn how to add team instructions, breakout sessions, external links, and custom fields to your schedule.

Why Static Spreadsheets Fall Short

Most event planners start building their run of show in Excel or Google Docs. It works - until you need to make a change. Move a session by 10 minutes and suddenly you are manually updating every row below it. Add a new moment in the middle and the math breaks. During a live event, this can cause real problems.

Ripluo's dynamic schedule tool solves this by automatically recalculating all times whenever you change a single duration or start time. Here is how to set it up.

Step 1: Create a New Schedule

From your Ripluo dashboard, navigate to your event and click Schedules in the left sidebar. This opens the dynamic schedule tool.

You can have multiple schedules per event - for example, a "Pre-Event Setup" schedule and a "Race Day Timeline." To create one:

1. Click "Create Schedule"
2. Give it a name (e.g., "Pre 5K Schedule")
3. Set a start time (e.g., 5:00 AM) and end time (e.g., 8:00 AM)
4. Click Create

You now have a blank schedule ready for moments.

Step 2: Add Moments (Agenda Items)

In Ripluo, each item on your timeline is called a "Moment" - because every event is a series of moments that add up to a great experience.

To add your first moment:

1. Click "Add my first moment"
2. Enter a title (e.g., "Arrive on site and scout the field")
3. Set a start time and duration (e.g., 5:00 AM, 15 minutes)
4. Click "Create Moment"

Once created, you can enrich each moment with additional details:

• Description - Click "Add description" to include notes like the venue address, specific tasks, or instructions (e.g., "Find power outlets, locate registration area, decide start/end point")
• Person - Assign who is responsible for this moment
• Location - Specify where it happens (e.g., "Main Field," "Registration Tent")

Continue adding moments one by one. You can also insert headers between moments to create visual sections. Insert a header between groups of moments to label phases like "Pre-Event Setup," "Ceremony," "Reception," or "Teardown." Headers do not have times - they are purely organizational dividers that make your timeline scannable at a glance. For example, adding a "Setup Time" header between your scouting phase and the actual setup tasks keeps things clean as your schedule grows.

Step 3: Add Team Instructions

One of the most useful features of Ripluo's schedule tool is team-specific instructions. Within a single moment, you can assign different tasks to different teams.

Here is how:

1. Click the people icon on any moment
2. Click "Add Instruction"
3. Select or create a team (e.g., "Water Station Crew")
4. Enter their specific task (e.g., "Set up water table and fill coolers")
5. Click "Create Instruction"

You can add multiple teams to the same moment. For example, during a 15-minute setup window:

• Water Station Crew - "Set up water table and fill coolers"
• Registration Team - "Print final packets and organize materials"

Team instructions appear directly under the moment on your timeline, so everyone knows exactly what they need to do and when. Each team sees only their instructions when you share the schedule, so nobody is sifting through irrelevant information.

Step 4: Add Links, Breakouts, and Custom Fields

Click the edit button on any moment to open the sidebar, where you can add even more detail:

External Links

Attach links directly to any moment - maps, documents, vendor contracts, or anything your team might need quick access to. For example, you could link to Google Maps directions for your venue so setup crews can navigate there easily.

Breakout Sessions

If your event has multiple things happening at the same time - like conference breakout rooms or parallel activities - you can add them within a single moment:

1. Click "Add Breakout" in the moment sidebar
2. Give it a name (e.g., "Stretching Session")
3. Assign a person and location (e.g., "Left side of field")
4. Add additional breakouts as needed (e.g., "Kids Playground Warm-up" at the playground)

This is especially useful for conferences. One planner used this feature to manage 21 simultaneous breakout sessions within a single hour block. The schedule stayed clean and readable because each breakout was nested under its parent moment.

Custom Fields

Need to track information that does not fit a standard field? Custom fields let you store any additional data on a moment. For example:

• Add a "Drink of the Moment" text field to track what beverages are being served during each time block
• Add a "Sponsor Display" field to note which sponsor banners should be visible
• Add an "AV Requirements" field for tech setup needs

Custom fields are unique per moment, so you can have different information for each part of your event.

Step 5: Use Buildr AI to Generate a Schedule

Do not want to start from a blank page? Buildr AI can generate a complete schedule for you in seconds.

1. Click the Buildr AI button in the bottom-left corner of your event
2. Select "Schedules and Timeline" from the prompt categories
3. Describe what you need. Example: "Create a pre-event schedule for setting up a 5K, starting with scouting the location and setting up registration."
4. Click Send

Buildr AI will generate a full schedule with logical time blocks. From there, you can adjust durations, reorder moments, and customize as needed. It gives you a solid starting point so you can focus on refining rather than building from zero.

Step 6: The Key Feature - Dynamic Time Updates

This is where Ripluo's schedule tool really shines. When you change the duration of any moment, every moment that follows automatically recalculates its start and end time.

For example:

• Your "Scout Location" moment is set to 90 minutes but really only needs 15 minutes
• Change the duration from 90 to 15
• Every moment after it instantly shifts earlier to fill the gap

No manual math. No broken formulas. No missed updates. This is what makes the difference between a static spreadsheet and a professional event planning tool - especially when changes are happening in real time during your event.

Step 7: Rearrange Moments Easily

Need to change the order of your schedule? You have two options:

• Drag and drop - Grab a moment and move it to a new position
• Up/down arrows - Use the arrow buttons to shift a moment up or down

When you rearrange, all times recalculate automatically. So if "Meet with Park Officials" needs to happen later because they arrive at 5:30 AM instead of 5:15 AM, just move it down and the entire schedule adjusts.

What You Learned

In this tutorial, you covered the complete workflow for building a professional run of show in Ripluo:

• How to create a schedule with a start and end time
• How to add moments with descriptions, people, and locations
• How to assign team-specific instructions within shared time blocks
• How to attach links, breakouts, and custom fields for richer detail
• How to use Buildr AI to auto-generate a schedule
• How dynamic time updates keep your entire timeline in sync
• How to rearrange moments with drag-and-drop or arrows

Get Started for Free

Ready to ditch the spreadsheet? Create your free Ripluo account and build your first dynamic schedule today. Free accounts include up to 5 active events - no credit card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have multiple schedules for one event?

Yes. You can create as many schedules as you need - a setup timeline, a day-of run-of-show, a teardown schedule, and more. Each one has its own independent time flow and moments.

What happens if I change a moment's start time instead of its duration?

Changing the start time of the first moment shifts the entire schedule. For moments in the middle, changing the duration is what triggers the cascade of time updates for everything that follows.

Can Buildr AI generate a schedule for me?

Yes. Click the Buildr AI button, select "Schedules and Timeline," describe your event in a sentence, and Buildr AI generates a complete schedule you can customize. It is a great way to skip the blank-page problem.

Is the schedule tool included in the free plan?

Yes. Schedules, dynamic time updates, moments, breakout sessions, team instructions, and custom fields are all included in the free plan.