Mar 13, 2026·CueDeck Team

How to Set Up Your First Event in CueDeck (Step-by-Step)

A practical walkthrough for new CueDeck users — from creating your first event to launching a live signage display in under 10 minutes.

How to Set Up Your First Event in CueDeck (Step-by-Step)

You've signed up for CueDeck and you're staring at an empty console. Now what?

This guide walks you through setting up your first event from scratch. By the end, you'll have sessions scheduled, operators invited, and a signage display ready to launch.

Step 1: Create Your Event

Click the + button next to the event selector in the top-right corner. Fill in:

  • Event name — Something your team will recognize (e.g., "Annual Conference 2026")
  • Date — The event day
  • Timezone — CueDeck syncs all operators to the same clock, so this matters
  • Start and end times — These set the boundaries for your session schedule

    • Hit save. Your event is live.

    Step 2: Add Sessions

    Sessions are the building blocks of your run of show. For each session, you'll set:

  • Title — "Opening Keynote," "Panel: Future of AI," "Coffee Break"
  • Speaker — Name and company (or leave blank for breaks)
  • Room — Where it's happening. CueDeck uses rooms to filter views for stage managers and signage
  • Type — Keynote, Panel, Workshop, Break, etc. These become filterable tags
  • Planned start and end — The scheduled times on your run sheet

    • Add as many sessions as you need. They'll appear in chronological order on the console, and every operator will see them filtered by their role.

    Tip: Add your breaks as sessions too. This lets you use CueDeck's "Break Screen" signage mode and track your full timeline.

    Step 3: Invite Your Team

    Go to the Operators panel (top-right) and click Invite Operator. Enter their email, name, and assign a role:

  • Director — Full control over everything
  • Stage — Session transitions (ARM, CALL, GO LIVE, HOLD)
  • AV — Can hold sessions for technical issues
  • Interpreter — Read-only view with language assignments
  • Registration — Read-only desk view
  • Signage — Display management and sponsor library

    • Your operator receives an email invitation and can sign in immediately with their assigned role. No approval step needed.

    Step 4: Set Up Signage

    Switch to the Signage role tab and click Add Display. Configure:

  • Display name — "Lobby Screen," "Room A Door," "Registration Desk"
  • Content mode — Choose from 10 modes: Schedule, Wayfinding, Sponsors, Break, WiFi, Recall, Custom, Agenda, Programme List, or Day Grid
  • Orientation — Landscape or portrait
  • Room filter — Optional: limit the display to sessions in a specific room

    • Click Launch to open the display URL in a new tab. Copy that URL to any browser — a TV in the lobby, a tablet at the door, a monitor backstage.

    The display connects to your console in real time. When you push a global override (like "Break Screen" during coffee), every display updates instantly.

    Step 5: Go Live

    On event day, your workflow is simple:

    1. Open the console on your laptop

    2. Operators sign in on their devices

    3. Mark sessions as READY when speakers arrive

    4. Hit GO LIVE when it's time

    5. Use the broadcast bar to send messages to the team

    6. Push signage overrides for breaks, recalls, and sponsor reels

    Everything updates in real time. No radios needed.

    What's Next

    You're set up. For deeper dives into specific workflows, read:

  • The Director's Workflow — Managing the full production
  • Stage Manager's Guide — The ARM to GO LIVE flow
  • Managing Delays — What to do when things run late

    • Or explore the full CueDeck documentation for detailed feature guides.

    Start your free trial and set up your first event today.

    Keep reading

    Digital Signage for Live Events — A Complete Guide

    From lobby schedules to wayfinding screens, digital signage can transform your event experience. Here's how to set it up with CueDeck's built-in signage system.

    How to Manage Delays at Live Events Without Losing Control

    Delays are inevitable in live events. The difference between a smooth recovery and a cascading disaster is how fast your team adapts. Here's how CueDeck handles it.

    CueDeck vs Spreadsheets and WhatsApp — Why Event Teams Switch

    Spreadsheets and WhatsApp are free, flexible, and familiar. They're also the reason your last event had communication breakdowns. Here's the comparison.

    ← Back to Blog