How to set up a stage timer for speakers

What a stage timer is

A stage timer, or speaker timer, is a clock that shows the person on stage how much of their time is left. It usually counts down, changes color near the end, and can show a short message from the organizer. AV teams often call the screen that faces the stage a confidence monitor. It may show the presenter's slides and notes, the timer, or both.

The idea is simple. A speaker who can see the time manages it themselves, and the organizer does not have to signal from the side of the room.

Which screen to use

Any device with a web browser can be the timer screen. What matters is its size and where it stands.

• A TV or monitor facing the stage. The most common choice at conferences. Put it on the floor at the front of the stage, tilted up, or on a stand to one side. The speaker sees it while looking at the audience.
• A tablet or laptop on the lectern. The simplest option for small rooms and for speakers who stay at the lectern. It costs nothing extra, but it is too small for a speaker who walks around the stage.
• A screen at the back of the hall. In a large hall, a screen on the back wall lets the speaker check the time without looking down. Make sure it does not distract the audience.
• The main projector. Showing the timer on the big screen means the audience sees it too. That suits pitch competitions, hackathons and workshops, where everyone knows the limit. During a keynote it is usually a distraction.

Where to put it

Stand where the speaker will stand and look at the audience. The timer should be inside that view, or a quick glance away from it. If the speaker has to turn their head or look behind them, they will stop checking it.

Then walk to the furthest spot the speaker might reach and check that the digits are still easy to read. Bigger is better. A stage timer is read in a fraction of a second, between two sentences.

Setting it up with WrapClock

1. Create the event and add the schedule. Add speakers one by one, or paste the whole schedule from Excel or Word: one line per speaker, with the minutes at the start or the end of the line.
2. Choose the speaker screen settings. The language of the screen, how many minutes before the end it turns amber, and whether it shows who is up next and the time of day.
3. Open the speaker screen on the stage device. Every event has its own screen link. Open it in the browser on the device by the stage, then click the screen or press F for full screen. Nobody has to log in on that device.
4. Run it from your laptop. Space starts and pauses, and the arrow keys move to the next or previous speaker. You can give the current speaker a minute more or less, and send a message to their screen.
5. Do a test run. Add a one minute test item, start it, and watch the screen turn amber and then red. It is the quickest way to check that the screen can be seen from the stage.

Checklist before the doors open

• The stage device is plugged in, not running on battery.
• Sleep mode, the screen saver and notifications are turned off on that device.
• The speaker screen is in full screen, with the brightness turned up.
• The device is connected to the venue Wi-Fi.
• A second device has the screen link ready, in case the first one fails.
• The chair and the speakers know what amber and red mean.

What happens if the internet drops

In WrapClock the countdown runs on the speaker screen itself. If the venue Wi-Fi drops, the screen keeps counting and shows a small notice that it is offline. The control room warns you as well, and your clicks are not sent until the connection is back, so wait for it before you move to the next speaker. If the venue network is unreliable, connect your laptop to a phone hotspot and the controls will keep working.