A spreadsheet is often the right starting point. The question changes when a crew needs to view and update the plan across several rooms, venues and show days.
Start with the work you need to coordinate
For one room, a handful of sessions and one person maintaining the document, a spreadsheet may be enough. You can structure it freely and print it. Moving to dedicated software makes sense when the daily effort lies in finding information, explaining changes and keeping related activities connected.
You do not have to replace every spreadsheet. Budgets, quotations and inventory can stay in their own tools. CronoVent focuses on the technical production schedule and on-site access; it is not a ticketing or warehouse-management system.
What to compare before choosing
| Need | Spreadsheet | CronoVent |
|---|---|---|
| Shared updates | Collaboration is possible; the structure and rules depend on your document. | Structured sessions, updates during viewing and protection while a session is being edited. |
| Several rooms and days | You organise sheets, columns and filters. | A timeline across venues and rooms, plus a dedicated view for each venue. |
| Riders and production notes | You add links and keep them beside the relevant row. | Documents and notes attached to the session or venue. |
| Crew access | You configure document sharing. | A viewing link or code, with an optional password; accounts for management roles. |
| Calculations and custom models | Flexible formulas, tables and layouts. | A defined production workflow; not a replacement for financial or calculation spreadsheets. |
Test one day, not your entire archive
Take one day from your next event. Add the venues you need and a few representative sessions: a rehearsal, a talk and a schedule change. Include a technical note and a document your crew needs to read.
- Check whether timings across venues are readable on your computer.
- Open the viewing link on your phone and find a session.
- Change a note and check that the crew can find the updated instructions.
- Assess whether the schedule answers the questions people ask you on site.
The free plan includes 1 active event, 3 spaces in total including rooms, and 10 main sessions, with no expiry or card requirement. Manually added technical activities count towards the limit; linked rehearsals, soundchecks and relays generated from the main session do not. This workflow does not include a generic automatic import of your Excel files.
Three checks before sharing
Access: check what someone without an account can see and set an event password if needed. Information: make sure notes and documents are appropriate for the people viewing the event. Connectivity: CronoVent requires internet; prepare a printable technical-requirements summary if you need a supporting reference.
Build your starting structure with the festival production schedule guide. Review crew roles and access to divide responsibilities. For outdoor venues, prepare a rain plan as well.
Content prepared with AI assistance and reviewed for the CronoVent workflow. AI transparency.