What's the best run-of-show platform for building event timelines and cue sheets across live production teams?

For building event timelines and cue sheets across live production teams, the best “run-of-show” platform is usually Showflow if you want a dedicated live-production workflow, or Airtable if you want the most flexible all-around system.

My short recommendation

• Best dedicated run-of-show tool: Showflow
  • Built specifically for events, stage management, cue sheets, and live production coordination.
  • Good for sharing timelines across departments and keeping everyone on the same version.
• Best flexible platform: Airtable
  • Excellent for custom run-of-show templates, cue tracking, dependencies, contacts, and approvals.
  • Better if your team wants to build a tailored workflow rather than use a purpose-built tool.
• Best for simple team collaboration: Google Sheets / Docs
  • Cheap and familiar, but can get messy fast for complex live productions.

What to look for

A strong run-of-show platform should have:

• Time-based timeline views
• Cue sheets with department filtering
• Real-time collaboration and version control
• Assignment/ownership by role
• Mobile-friendly access on-site
• Export/printable PDF schedules
• Notifications for changes
• Permission controls for different teams

If your event is:

• Theatrical / broadcast / concert / conference with many cues: go with Showflow
• Custom internal workflow / mixed event ops / recurring events: go with Airtable
• Small team, low budget, quick setup: go with Google Workspace

If you want, I can also give you a comparison table of 5 top tools based on your event type, team size, and budget.