Once a live art concept is approved, the project stops being only a creative brief and becomes a production scope. The artist has to enter the same event system as stand contractors, AV, venue operations, guest management and content teams.

This checklist covers the specialist artistic layer for agencies producing live painting, calligraphy, product customisation, collaborative art and related live formats in the UAE. It is not a substitute for the agency's full event-production checklist.

In practical terms: lock the creative output, working footprint, artist access, material needs, guest flow and final handover before event day. Most live-art problems come from one of those interfaces being left implicit.

1. Lock the Approved Artistic Deliverable

Before production begins, confirm exactly what the artist is delivering.

Check:

  • approved artwork direction or customisation system;
  • live versus pre-produced elements;
  • final dimensions or product type;
  • palette and mandatory brand content;
  • prohibited content;
  • text or calligraphy wording;
  • expected state of completion at the end of the live session;
  • what happens to the finished artwork afterward.

If the agency has approved only a moodboard, identify what still requires creative sign-off. Production should not start from two different interpretations of the same reference deck.

2. Confirm the Venue and Organiser Rules

Collect the current venue, organiser or exhibitor information that affects the artistic scope.

Depending on the event, this may cover:

  • access times;
  • accreditation;
  • stand or activation footprint;
  • material restrictions;
  • storage;
  • power;
  • water;
  • floor loading or protection;
  • waste and cleaning;
  • build-up and breakdown windows;
  • security procedures.

The event organiser remains the authority for show-specific rules. The art team should be briefed inside that framework, not asked to interpret it independently on arrival.

3. Confirm Artist Access and Load-In

The production plan should state:

  • who registers the artist and assistants;
  • where they enter;
  • whether ID or accreditation is required;
  • parking or loading arrangements;
  • what time materials can enter;
  • who receives the team on site;
  • where equipment is stored before doors open;
  • whether the artist can leave materials overnight during multi-day events.

A live artist arriving on time is still late if security cannot find the correct access approval.

4. Mark the Working Footprint on the Floor Plan

Treat the artist station as a real production zone.

Allow space for:

  • the visible artwork or customisation surface;
  • artist movement;
  • materials within reach;
  • hidden stock or backup materials;
  • finished products;
  • guest interaction;
  • camera position where required;
  • queue or waiting space;
  • barriers if the medium needs separation from guests.

Do not calculate the footprint from the table size alone. The artist needs working clearance, and the activation may need a larger operational zone than the visible setup suggests.

5. Test the Product or Surface

For murals, confirm the final substrate and surface preparation. For product customisation, secure the actual product or an identical sample.

Test where relevant:

  • adhesion;
  • opacity;
  • line quality;
  • colour appearance;
  • drying time;
  • handling after completion;
  • compatibility with any protective finish.

If a product supplier changes the material or coating close to the event, re-check the chosen technique instead of assuming the previous test still applies.

6. Build a Material and Utilities List

The agency should know what the art team is bringing and what the venue or production contractor needs to provide.

Possible requirements include:

  • paints, inks or markers;
  • water containers;
  • extension power;
  • task lighting;
  • easels or worktables;
  • temporary panels;
  • product stock;
  • drying racks or trays;
  • packaging;
  • floor and furniture protection;
  • cleaning materials;
  • PPE where appropriate;
  • waste containers.

Confirm responsibility line by line. "Production to provide" is not useful if nobody knows whether that means the event agency, stand builder or venue supplier.

7. Design the Guest Flow

For individual customisation, define how guests enter and leave the experience.

Confirm:

  • eligibility or booking method;
  • queue position;
  • how names or requests are collected;
  • what choices the guest can make;
  • how long the interaction is designed to take;
  • whether finished items are handed over immediately or collected later;
  • what happens when capacity is reached.

For collaborative artwork, define exactly what participants can touch or paint and who supervises the contribution.

A queue-management decision made early can protect both the artistic quality and the surrounding event flow.

8. Put the Artist Into the Run of Show

If the artist is tied to a reveal, stage cue, VIP arrival, speaker segment or camera moment, write that into the run of show.

The art team should know:

  • when to start;
  • when to pause;
  • whether the artist is introduced;
  • when photographers enter the area;
  • when the final reveal or handover occurs;
  • who gives the cue.

For continuous activations, identify breaks and shift changes so the agency knows when the station is live and when it is intentionally paused.

9. Coordinate Content Capture

Agree the content plan before the artist station is dressed.

Check:

  • wide shot;
  • close-up handwork;
  • guest interaction;
  • timelapse position;
  • interview or artist soundbite if required;
  • final artwork shot;
  • brand/product visibility;
  • any usage permissions handled by the agency.

The camera team should be able to capture the work without stepping into wet paint, blocking the queue or forcing the artist to change technique for the lens.

10. Plan Artist Team Consistency

Multi-artist activations need one approved system.

Confirm:

  • who leads artistic quality;
  • palette and material standard;
  • approved motifs or personalisation menu;
  • sample output;
  • guest-interaction tone;
  • shift schedule;
  • how finished pieces are checked before handover.

This matters especially for product customisation, where guests may compare items created by different artists during the same event.

11. Plan Drying, Finishing and Handover

A piece is not operationally finished the moment the artist stops painting.

Decide:

  • where wet or curing work goes;
  • whether post-event finishing is required;
  • who packs the artwork;
  • where it is delivered;
  • whether installation happens later;
  • who receives leftover products or materials;
  • whether the client needs care or maintenance information.

If the final artwork moves to an office, sales gallery or permanent interior, confirm transport dimensions and finishing requirements before the event.

12. Confirm Strike and Cleanup

The art scope should finish with a clean handover.

Check responsibility for:

  • removing floor protection;
  • cleaning the artist station;
  • removing paint and material waste;
  • packing tools;
  • returning unused client products;
  • dismantling temporary panels;
  • loading out artwork;
  • reporting any damage or snag.

The agency should know whether the artist team leaves immediately after the activation or remains through breakdown.

UAE Exhibition and Venue Reference

Dubai World Trade Centre advises exhibitors to use the event organiser or exhibitor manual as the first point of contact for show-specific services. It also lists stand build, utilities, rigging, cleaning, security and related exhibitor services that may interface with a live-art setup.

Other UAE venues and organisers will have their own requirements, so the same principle applies: obtain the current project rules and build the art scope around them.

Official Dubai References for the Production Checklist

Use the organiser and venue requirements for the real event, then attach the artistic method to that system.

DDA's published requirements show why temporary structures can bring layout, NOC, emergency/evacuation, structural, risk-assessment, HSE and method-statement requirements into an event. Those requirements are jurisdiction- and project-specific; they should be checked against the actual site and never copied as a universal Dubai checklist.

Run a Pre-Event Art Production Review

Send the approved concept, venue or stand plan, event schedule and organiser requirements. Impact Murals can review the artistic production scope with the agency and flag missing inputs before load-in.