Load-In

Also: bump-in, set-up

Load-in is the period — from a few hours to several days — during which trucks unload, crew rigs the show, audio and lighting strike configurations, scenic elements assemble, and the event takes physical form in the venue. Load-in windows are negotiated with the venue and constrain everything downstream: rigging access times, freight elevator slots, parking, security clearances. Production managers track load-in against a per-department schedule and against the venue's hard constraints.