Event robot venue readiness checklist

An event robot needs a venue-approved route and operating plan before it needs a show script. Delivery doors, lifts, floor transitions, power, backstage space and audience movement can decide whether the planned format is workable. Finding that out on show day is expensive and avoidable.

Use this checklist alongside the UK exhibition robot guide. It helps a venue, organiser, agency and robot operator exchange the right information. It does not replace the venue’s event plan, supplier technical rider or competent safety review.

1. Name the responsible people

Record one contact for each function:

• event organiser or producer;
• venue operations;
• exhibitor or client;
• robot supplier and lead operator;
• production, power and network contacts;
• security, stewarding or crowd management;
• first aid and emergency coordination;
• delivery driver or logistics provider.

Agree who can approve route or schedule changes. The person buying the activation may not control loading access, power or public circulation. Give the robot operator a direct venue contact for both build and live periods.

2. Confirm delivery and unloading

Provide the exact delivery address, gate, booking process, vehicle limits and arrival window. Record whether the driver needs accreditation, PPE, a banksman, lifting assistance or parking after unloading.

Measure the complete route from vehicle to operating position:

• loading-door clear width and height;
• ramp angle, dock leveller and kerbs;
• lift door, car and rated load;
• corridor and turning dimensions;
• thresholds, cables, temporary flooring and changes of level;
• distance and surface between vehicle and building;
• doors or barriers that need venue staff;
• secure waiting place if the space is not ready.

Use dimensions from the exact technical rider. Titan the Robot, for example, is a human-operated entertainment character rather than an autonomous humanoid. A published Titan technical information sheet specifies requirements including a 1.4 m minimum door width, 2.4 m minimum ceiling height, power and a secure preparation area. The final supplier rider and booking agreement control the actual deployment.

Do not assume a machine can be tilted, dismantled or pushed across an unsuitable surface. Ask the operator.

3. Draw three separate routes

Mark the delivery route, the performance or interaction route, and the emergency removal route. They may be different.

For the public route, show:

• start, finish and operator position;
• barriers, stands, furniture and queue lines;
• pinch points, stairs, escalators and lifts;
• fire exits and emergency access;
• expected audience position and movement;
• photography or media areas;
• low ceilings, lighting rigs and overhead signs;
• safe pause and withdrawal points.

The Health and Safety Executive’s event crowd-control guidance distinguishes arrival, onsite circulation and departure. Its inside-venue guidance highlights pedestrian routes, pinch points, barriers, stewarding and communication. Use those principles through the venue’s own planning process rather than adding a robot attraction to an already constrained route.

4. Define the audience format

Choose a format the space can support:

• stage appearance with fixed audience separation;
• staffed stand interaction;
• scheduled meet-and-greet in a controlled area;
• guided walkabout on a fixed route;
• mobile display or delivery on a mapped indoor path.

State expected audience size, age profile, accessibility needs and whether children are likely to approach. Decide how staff will manage queues, touching, photographs and people stepping behind the robot. If the robot moves, identify the operator sightline and how the route is cleared.

Do not use “free roaming” as a plan. Even an autonomous mobile robot needs an approved area, supervision and a recovery path. A human-operated character needs enough space for the operator’s view, balance and withdrawal.

5. Confirm floor and environment

Send recent photographs and disclose temporary changes. Verify surface material, load concerns, slopes, matting, cable ramps, gaps, drains, water, smoke or haze, confetti and expected outdoor exposure.

The product’s marketing images are not permission for rain, rough ground or crowds. Confirm operating temperature and ingress limits from the exact manual. Protect the robot from effects equipment unless the supplier has approved them.

Check the route again after build. Exhibition stands, catering and queue furniture often move after the original plan.

6. Specify power and charging

Record voltage, socket type, circuit location and whether the supply is shared. Identify who provides tested extension leads, cable protection and charging supervision. Confirm whether batteries travel separately and where charging is permitted.

For battery robots, ask for realistic duty-cycle planning rather than using a maximum runtime as show duration. Schedule charging, battery exchange and cool-down around the performance plan. Agree the low-battery fallback and what the audience sees if a session ends early.

7. Test connectivity and content

List every function that needs venue Wi-Fi, wired internet or mobile service. Guest Wi-Fi may use captive portals, client isolation or session timeouts that break robot services. Arrange credentials and security approval before setup.

Ask what continues offline. Script a fallback for cloud conversation, remote control, content management or lead capture failure. Do not make emergency communication depend on the robot network.

Approve dialogue, audio, screen content and branding before arrival. Confirm volume limits, music licensing responsibility and the process for last-minute content changes. Lock unapproved administration functions during the event.

8. Prepare backstage and operator welfare

Provide a private, secure area sized for the robot, cases, batteries, tools and operator preparation. Confirm access control, power, table space, nearby facilities and the route from backstage to the live area.

Keep public cameras away from preparation for human-operated characters. Schedule operator breaks and identify a separate person for crowd interaction where the operator cannot safely perform both roles.

9. Agree stop and fallback cues

Write a short show-control card:

• who gives permission to enter the live area;
• normal start and finish cue;
• immediate stop cue and who may call it;
• lost-network or technical-fault response;
• crowd compression or blocked-route response;
• fire alarm and evacuation action;
• safe parking or backstage withdrawal point;
• public announcement or replacement activity.

Brief venue staff and the robot team together. Test radios or other communication in the actual space. A polished fallback protects the event better than trying to conceal a fault.

10. Complete the pre-open walk-through

Before doors open, the organiser, venue and operator should walk the final route and sign off changes. Test delivery access if breakdown uses a different route. Confirm that exits remain clear, barriers and signs are placed, power and network work, backstage is secure and the live schedule matches the operator call sheet.

Attach the marked route, contacts, technical rider, power and network confirmation, schedule, content approval and fallback card to the event file. Record open actions with an owner and deadline.

For further research, share the venue details and event format. Robotysys can point to relevant planning evidence; only a future authorised supplier route can confirm a model, venue fit, availability and written quote.