Running the check-in station

The check-in station is the folding table where bands report when they arrive. Its jobs: confirm each band is here, capture their real arrival-vehicle and equipment-shuttle counts, and verify the announcer's script details while a director is standing right there.

Who can run it: the host, a Co-Host, a Registrar, or a Volunteer Coordinator (staff roles). Volunteers sign in with their own accounts on any tablet or laptop.

Announcements appears on the band list and above each band's verification form. Staff and Public messages update without replacing the information you're editing. Messages need a connection and clear if the connection fails or your staff access expires. Use Open announcements for a separate reader tab; this also works without JavaScript.

Check a band in

1. Open the Check-In Station (from the Command Center's Host Actions, or have volunteers bookmark the link). Every band is listed in performance order with its scheduled time. Bands should check in at least 15 minutes before their slot — a band past that deadline shows an amber Check-in overdue warning on its row, so the table knows who to go find (and the host's Schedule tile shows the same slip as a Late start warning).
2. When a band's director walks up, find their row and tap Check In.
3. Walk the form with the director:
   • Logistics → Arrival counts — Buses arrived and Band equipment vehicles arrived (their own trailers, trucks, or semis) pre-fill from the registration, or from the director's self-check-in if they already reported arrival. Confirm or correct them to the real count. Tapping Buses arrived selects its value so you can type over it immediately; focusing alone keeps the saved number, and 0 is a valid count.
   • Host shuttle trailers needed — in the same Logistics section, this pre-fills from the director's registration request. Confirm or override it to reflect what they need today. It records the day-of number without changing the original request or band profile. When shuttle service is off, the field is disabled. Host shuttles are separate from equipment vehicles arriving with the band.
   • Announcer Script — read them their Show Title, Superintendent, Drum Major(s), captains, and Music Selections, and fix anything that's changed. This is exactly what the announcer will read over the PA, so a 30-second read-back here prevents a cringe on the loudspeaker later. Selections edited here reach the announcer's booth immediately — the check-in table is the last-chance capture for "we changed our show." Use Add a selection for a piece they've added and ✕ to drop one. The Music Selections list only appears when the host turned on Announce music selections for this competition; with it off, nothing would be read aloud, so there's nothing to verify. If the band's season profile is already confirmed, submitting re-confirms it; if the form warns that it's not confirmed, your edits still save, but the profile stays unconfirmed — the roster and member count aren't on this form, so the director still needs to review those in their own settings.
   • Confirm Competition Captions — the list of captions this band competes in (Band, Percussion, Color Guard, ...). Read it back to the director and check or uncheck to match what they actually brought today — judges' sheets and the results math follow this list. Submitting the check-in confirms it; if the band's captions were never confirmed before today, this is where that gets settled, before their performance ever reaches the announcer's screen.
   • Verification Checklist — tick Accessibility needs verified and Student leaders verified.
   • Notes — anything the host should know: running late, equipment trouble, accessibility specifics.
4. Tap Confirm & Check In. The row shows a Checked In badge and keeps its shuttle badge visible when host shuttles are needed. The count also appears on the Command Center and announcer's active Schedule & Lineup rows as the band moves through staging and performing. After the performance, the check-in list retains it; the completed lineup summaries focus on score status.

Weak signal at the gate

The worksheet survives a dead zone. If a submit can't reach the server, the form shows "Saved on this device" and posts itself automatically when the connection returns — keep the tab open and keep working. If the server later refuses a saved check-in (say the band already performed before it synced), the banner is replaced with the actual reason instead of the work silently disappearing.

Directors can also self-check-in

Directors have a Complete Check-in button on their own phones that records their buses and band equipment vehicles arriving, plus the two checklist items and caption confirmation. They still need to stop at your table. Open Check In, verify the reported counts, confirm host shuttle needs, and submit Confirm & Check In. This staff confirmation marks the band Checked In and allows the announcer to stage it.

If staff already confirmed the band, its row offers Edit Check-In until the band moves into staging. Use that to correct a count or note.

Check-in gates the show

The announcer cannot stage a band that hasn't been checked in — the press box sees "Waiting on check-in." If a band is on site and warming up but the table missed them, check them in right away.