Most competition-day disasters were decided days earlier, not on the day itself. This is a scannable 20-item competition day checklist — the things an organizer actually forgets, in roughly the order they bite. It applies to any judged event: a school arts fest, a church or club talent test, a sports day. For the full printable station-by-station version with tables, see the arts fest event day checklist; this page is the quick-reference list you can tick off from your phone.
Before the gates open
1. Age groups and event levels are locked
Once candidates are added, levels and age-group cut-offs shouldn’t move. Confirm Age Groups Setup and Event Levels are final before registration closes — a late change here reshuffles every item’s participant list.
2. Every competition item has its criteria and max marks set
A judge who sees the scoring criteria for the first time on stage scores inconsistently. Criteria, weightage and max marks per item need to be set and shared well before judging starts.
3. Registration is actually closed
Every candidate has an assigned age group and unit, every group item has its team roster finalized, and nobody is still “pending approval” from the public registration form the night before.
4. Judges are briefed, not just assigned
Assigning a judge to an item in the system is not the same as the judge knowing the criteria, the deduction rules, or whether scoring is blind by chest number. Brief them the day before, not in the five minutes before the item starts.
5. SubCoordinators, DrawMaster and Projector logins are assigned per venue
A multi-venue event needs someone with the right role and login at each stage — not one coordinator trying to run every venue’s draw and projector from a single phone.
6. Chest numbers / ID cards are generated and printed with spares
Print a few extra blanks. A lost or damaged chest number on the morning of the event shouldn’t mean a candidate can’t compete.
7. The draw has been run and confirmed for every item
Large group items may need the draw run in batches. Confirm the running order is final before call sheets print — a draw re-run after printing means reprinting everything downstream.
8. Call sheets are printed per venue, not per event
The stage manager and the backstage runner each need their own copy. One master list pinned to a notice board is not a call sheet.
9. A tie-break rule is written down in advance
Decide and record the tie-break method (and the appeals window, if any) before the draw — never improvise one after two candidates land on the same score. See how to break a tie in a competition.
10. Spare chairs, props and accompanist instruments are confirmed, not assumed
Confirm the morning before, not when a candidate is already walking on stage without the harmonium they expected to be there.
On the day itself
11. A runner is fetching the next few candidates, not just the one on stage
Backstage delays compound. Someone needs to be two or three candidates ahead of the current item at all times.
12. There’s a clear process for a candidate not on today’s printed list
Don’t turn someone away on a printing error — check the live system first and have a coordinator on call who can approve a correction on the spot.
13. Scores are entered and submitted live, not collected on paper
Paper scoresheets that get typed up afterward are where transcription errors and disputes start. Judges should submit scores through the judging panel as each item finishes.
14. The live results board is actually displaying, and someone owns it
A projector operator role exists for exactly this. Assign a person, not just a login, to keep the live board and token/call-sheet displays current through the day — see event day token and call sheet management.
15. Backstage is told immediately if the running order changes
A withdrawn candidate or a venue delay shifts everyone behind them. Have one quiet channel (not a shouted announcement) for passing order changes backstage.
16. Chest-number anonymity is respected where blind judging applies
If the event scores by chest number rather than name, make sure nobody at the judges’ table is casually using names instead — it defeats the point of blind judging.
After the last item finishes
17. Results go through a review step before publishing
Someone other than the judge who entered scores should sanity-check totals and rankings before results go live — publishing straight from entry skips the one step that catches a typo.
18. Awards are calculated against the final, reviewed results
Run “Calculate Awards” after results are confirmed, not before — a late correction after awards are calculated means recalculating every affected category.
19. Certificates and trophy stickers are generated from the confirmed list
Print champion, rank and participation certificates only after results are final — reprinting a batch of certificates because a result changed afterward is avoidable.
20. Results are published to the right audience, the right way
Decide in advance whether results go online, on a podium announcement, on social, or all three — and who’s authorized to hit publish. A rushed or premature publish is hard to walk back once candidates and parents have seen it.
FAQ
Is this list the same as a printable event-day checklist?
This is the quick-reference, numbered version. For a printable station-by-station version you can hand to each volunteer with tables and tick-boxes, see the arts fest event day checklist.
Does this apply to a single-day sports day as well as a multi-day arts fest?
Yes — the setup, on-the-day and after-the-last-item sections apply whether it’s a single sports day, a one-day school talent test, or a multi-day, multi-venue arts fest. Scale the checklist to the event, not the other way around.
What’s the single most commonly skipped item on this list?
Writing down the tie-break rule in advance (#9). Most organizers only discover they need one after two candidates are already tied on stage.
Run competition day without the gaps
eTalenter covers every item on this list in one system — age groups and levels, criteria and scoring setup, judge assignment, chest numbers and ID cards, the draw, call sheets, live judging and the results board, awards, and certificates. See how it fits a full kalolsavam or arts fest on the kalolsavam management software page, or open a live demo and log in as a demo coordinator or judge — no sign-up needed.
Questions about setting this up for your own event? Message us on WhatsApp or email support@etalenter.com. We can help with the eTalenter software itself — not with managing your event’s entries for you.
