13/04/2026
The humble stage clock. Perhaps one of the most unsung heroes of event technology.
It's something the audience never sees, but if it's missing, the whole event can veer off course.
The stage clock helps keep everything to time, which in turn demonstrates respect for the audience, fairness among presenters and protects those important networking and refreshment breaks that are essential to building community.
Hidden from the audience, the stage clock supports hosts and moderators so that they don't have to keep checking their watch or keep track of how much time to give to a panel so there's enough time for questions at the end.
It's the perfect example of a technology that, when done right, simplifies and enables people.
Like any technology though, done badly it can be distracting (crazy flashing countdown anyone?) or confusing.
The stage clock puts people at ease and helps them to know where they are.
At Ofilms we use the powerful ScreenMonkey system. Not only can we easily adjust or customise timers (branded fonts anyone?), it can also be used to send short, clear messages to the stage; helpful for presenters and hosts who would be distracted by someone talking in their ear on IEMs.
