Event Planning Dictionary
Are you new to the world of event planning and management? Or do you just need a refresher? Don't fear; we've created an overview of all the terms you need to know. Clue up on the events industry jargon right here.
After-work
An informal gathering, where people meet to have drinks after the day's work.
Amenities
Added features that provide comfort or convenience to your attendees during an event or at a hotel.
AR
Augmented reality.
Auditorium
A large room usually located in a public building such as a theatre, used for public gatherings and events.
AV equipment
Audiovisual equipment. Usually refers to videobeams, projectors, screens and sound system.
B&B
A Bed and Breakfast establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast.
Blank canvas venue
A venue that has no decoration or outstanding features, so is completely flexible for an event planner. It can be decorated and transformed in whatever way they choose.
Boardroom capacity
The number of people a venue can fit when the room is arranged with a long table in the centre and all the chairs are set around the table.
Breakout rooms
Adjacent spaces in a venue where small groups meet during an event to carry out a related activity.
Cabaret capacity
The amount of people that a venue can fit when the seating is arranged around small tables, but with one end open so as to face a centre stage.
Capacity
The maximum amount of people that a space can hold.
Chevron capacity
The amount of people that a venue can fit when the seating is arranged in semicircles looking towards the stage. Each row is longer than the one in front.
Classroom capacity
The number of people that a venue can fit when the tables and chairs are aligned in consecutive straight rows facing forward.
Concierge
A hospitality assistant in charge of coordinating reservations, travel plans, and transportation. They can also recommend restaurants, hotels and tourism.
Conference
A formal meeting that takes place over the course of several days and brings together people with a shared interest to discuss a certain topic.
Conference pack
A complete kit of materials related to the conference given to the attendees. It usually contains a programme, an abstract, a name tag, a map of the venue and a map of the city. It can also contain pen and paper, a list of participants, some city guides and a souvenir.
Corkage fee
A fee some venues or restaurants charge when you consume beverages that were not purchased directly from the venue.
Delegate
A person sent to an event in representation of their group or company.
Dining capacity
The number of people a venue can fit when the seats are arranged around big round tables for dining.
Drayage
The process of transporting good over short distances.
Dry hire
Hiring an empty venue with no included add-ons. The venue is not responsible for any of the event planning such as decoration, catering, security, etc. You must hire these extra separately and coordinate yourself.
Fixed seating
These are chairs that cannot be folded or stacked and are fixed to the floor in rows facing the front.
Floor plan
Refers to a scale drawing that shows the rooms, features and spaces from a bird's-eye view. This enables you to visualise how people can interact within a venue.
Hackathon
A competitive event which can take the form of a marathon or sprint. It involves computer programmers, software engineers and related professionals/students collaborating and/or competing on software projects.
Hall
A large public room for meetings, concerts or other events.
Herringbone seating
A seating arrangement where the tables and chairs are aligned in consecutive straight rows, slightly angled inwards.
Hollow square seating
A seating arrangement where the tables and chairs are aligned into 4 straight lines that connect creating a big square.
Hybrid event
An event that includes both live and virtual attendees by integrating the two groups into one single event.
Invoice
A commercial document that itemizes and records a transaction between a buyer and a seller, and specifies an amount and method of payment.
MICE industry
Abbreviation of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions.
Open bar
A bar serving drinks freely to the guests. The cost of the drinks is covered by the host or by the cost of admission.
Own your chair
Keeping your same assigned chair during an event for all activities.
PAX
Refers to each customer or attendee that must be accomodated, entertained, fed or otherwise taken into account when making plans for an event.
Quote
An estimated price of a job or a service.
Reception
A formal social occasion held to celebrate a particular event.
Retractable seating
Also known as telescopic seating. It helps maximise floors space by allowing you to fold away the bottom part of the chairs when not in use. These are usually set in bleacher-style rows facing the front.
Standing capacity
The number of people that a venue can fit when it is set up without seating.
T-shaped seating
Refers to the arrangement of tables and chairs in the shape of the letter "T", with one row of tables intersecting the other and all the chairs facing inwards.
Theatre capacity
The number of people a venue can fit when the seating is arranged with the seats aligned in straight rows facing forward.
U-shape capacity
The number of people that a venue can fit when the tables and chairs are arranged facing inwards with an open end configuration.
Unconference / unmeeting
An informal affair that emphasises the spontaneous exchange of information and ideas, as opposed to the structured format of a conference.
V-shaped seating arrangement
Refers to the arrangement of chairs and/or tables in the shape of the letter V, with the open end facing the stage and the audience facing inwards.
VAT
Value Added Tax.
Vendor
A person or company who offer a product or service that you require for your event.
Venue
The physical space where an event takes place.
VR
Virtual Reality.
