What is a technical control room?

The control room is both a place and a team. It is the area, usually facing the stage, where the desks and computers that run the technical set-up are gathered. It is also the team that operates them throughout the event: nothing the audience sees or hears happens without it.

Depending on the size of the project, it includes several positions:

the sound engineer, at the mixing desk;
the lighting operator, at the lighting desk;
the video operator, who plays the content on the screens;
the stage manager, who coordinates everything and follows the run sheet.

At a small event, one person can combine several roles. At a product launch or a conference, each position has its own specialist.

In every case, sound and lighting control must work like a single brain. That is what gives the audience the feeling of a seamless show.

Where should the control desk go in the room?

The position of the control desk is not a detail. It must offer a direct view of the stage and the screens. The sound engineer must also hear what the audience hears, which is why it is often centred, two thirds of the way back.

You then need to plan the space, the power supply and the cable runs to the stage. In a ballroom, these runs are protected and built into the service routes.

Finally, the control desk must stay discreet. Black dressing or a well-thought-out layout keeps it from spoiling photos or the guests’ view.

At the Paco Rabanne launch, the control desk was set up facing the stage, with a clear view of both LED screens. Before the doors opened, a test pattern on the screens was used to approve geometry and colours. This check is always done from the control desk, since that is where the team will judge the image during the event.

Test pattern displayed on the LED screens, seen from the control desk before the event

Run sheet, tests and coordination

The technical run sheet is the backbone of the control room. It lists every sequence, minute by minute: speeches, videos, music, lighting changes. It is shared with the agency and approved before the event.

Then come the rehearsals. They make it possible to fine-tune transitions, test the speakers’ microphones and check every piece of content on screen. A serious rehearsal prevents most incidents.

During the event, the team communicates constantly. An intercom system links the control desk, the stage and the backstage area, as we explain in our article on event intercom. A simple message is enough to alert a speaker or start a video.

To see a control room in action, read our article on the product launch in Marrakech and the photos of the Paco Rabanne fragrance launch. Our sound system rental in Marrakech service includes the control desk and its technicians. We adapt the size of the team to each event.

Sound and lighting control desk facing the stage and LED screens during a launch

Event Technical Control Room: Role and Setup

What is a technical control room?

Where should the control desk go in the room?

Run sheet, tests and coordination