Event tabletop exercise template: test decision handoffs

Choose one objective and the current plan

Download the editable event tabletop run card (Markdown, English)

Pick a bounded question, such as who decides whether doors can open when venue power is unavailable. Bring the approved venue incident plan, current contact list, guest-communication process and relevant supplier agreements. Invite the actual decision owner, venue lead, front-of-house, ticketing, communications and an independent note-taker. Do not invent an emergency route or authority during the exercise.[1][2]

Reveal a fictional disruption in stages

A facilitator states the starting situation, then adds only the facts participants would know at each stage. Ask what is confirmed, who verifies the next fact, who has authority to decide, whom they contact and what they tell guests. A power interruption before doors is only an example; use a scenario that fits the approved site plan. Keep real emergency systems untouched and label all exercise messages.[2]

Capture decisions and handoff gaps

Record each proposed action beside its source plan, owner, dependency and communication recipient. Mark missing contact details, unclear approval, contradictory guest information and decisions made with incomplete evidence. The note-taker records what participants said, not a fictional success score. Stop the discussion if a real incident occurs and follow the real plan.[2][1]

Assign fixes and retest the weak link

Close with what worked, what could not be answered and which plan or contact list must change. Give each corrective action an owner, due date and acceptance evidence, then rehearse the disputed handoff again after the update. A discussion alone does not prove that equipment, routes or people will perform in a live incident.[3][2]