A Complete Guide to Event Planning Terminology

Venue and event management software plays a pivotal role in streamlining operations and ensuring the success of your events and guest satisfaction. With the right software, you can optimize your venue's utilization and minimize double bookings, ensuring a seamless experience for your organization and your attendees. However, venue and event management software terminology can be confusing, even for the seasoned events professional. If you are tasked with narrowing down a venue and event management software for your organization, it’s important that you know what to search for to find a solution that meets your business needs quickly and easily.

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This glossary is a valuable resource for event managers, event organizers, event professionals, venue managers and more to navigate the intricate language and concepts within the field.  Dive in and enrich your understanding of the terminology that shapes the world of event and venue management.  

The Event Planning, Event Management and Venue Management Glossary

This glossary covers event planning terminology related to venue design, operations, logistics, registration, safety, and execution to support clear communication across the industry.

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Event Planning, Roles & Professional Development

• Event Planner / Event Organizer: The combination of project management to the development of small and large-scale gatherings including festivals, conferences, formal parties, concerts, sporting events, conventions, fairs, corporate events and more.
• Event Manager / Venue Manager: Multi-tasking professionals responsible for overseeing all activities, employees and business associated with a venue or event.
• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) / Certified Meeting Planner: An individual who holds an industry-specific accreditation from the Events Industry Council.
• Catering and Sales (C&S): Venue operations specifically designed to manage events with resources that involve meeting rooms, break spaces, meals and more.
• Attendance Guarantee: The final confirmed number of guests provided to vendors or venues before an event, used to determine staffing, catering, and billing.
• Banquet Event Order (BEO): A centralized planning document that outlines event requirements such as room setup, catering details, timing, staffing, and technical needs.
• Attrition: A contract-based measurement of how actual guest rooms or attendance compares to what was originally reserved, which may affect final billing.
• Service Level Agreement (SLA): A formal agreement defining performance standards, response times, and service expectations between event partners.
• Contingency Plan: A predefined strategy outlining how organizers will respond to potential disruptions such as weather, technical failures, or staffing issues.

Event Types, Formats & Business Use Cases

• B2B Event: Any in-person, virtual or hybrid event that brings two or more businesses together.
• Corporate Event: An event sponsored by a company focusing on its employees or clients.
• Trade Show: A large-scale event where businesses in a particular industry promote their products and services.
• Hybrid Event: Any gathering that combines aspects of live events and virtual events.
• Virtual Event: A gathering hosted in a digital format.

Event Operations, Logistics & Documentation

• Banquet Event Order (BEO) / Event Order / Run Sheet: A system-generated document, listing all the requirements and logistics for the complete event, start to finish.
• Big Book: Before the event technology surge, the industry relied on a physical book that served as the master source of all information for an event. The big book contained all holds, function details, catering orders and more, written down in pencil. Sales teams were responsible for ownership of the book, rotating responsibilities for calls, updates and acting as the point person to coordinate "the book."
• Set-Up Time / Load-In / Bump-In: The time required to prepare the room or hall for an event. During this time, no other event can be booked for that space.
• Covers / PAX: The number of attendees at an event.
• Back of House (BOH): Any space that customers/attendees typically do not see at an event, e.g., kitchen, green room, break rooms, office spaces, etc.
• Room Block: A designated number of rooms set aside at a venue, like a hotel, typically at a discount.

Venue Spaces, Layouts & Physical Infrastructure

• Boardroom: A physical meeting space that contains a single large table that is not movable. The boardroom is typically suitable for small and medium-sized meetings.
• Breakout Session / Breakout Rooms: Smaller meeting rooms and event spaces used by attendees for meetings and networking sessions outside main/plenary sessions at conferences and events.
• Room Dividers / Airwalls: The partition system used to split up larger rooms into smaller spaces.
• Room Diagram / Room Layout / Seating Plans: The configuration of the venue's tables and chairs relevant for the event type.
• Corporate Real Estate (CRE): The physical property used by a company for its operational purposes.

Seating & Room Configuration Styles

• Chevron / Theatre Style Seating: Chairs set up in rows facing the stage. The configuration style of chairs and tables for a particular event or function.
• Classroom / Schoolroom Style Seating: Tables and chairs set up in rows facing a particular area in the meeting room. This setup makes it easy for the audience to take notes.
• U-Shape / Horseshoe Style Seating: Tables are set up in a U-shape with chairs on the outside, facing the internal empty space.

Sales, Proposals & Booking Processes

• Request for Proposal (RFP) / Request for Quotation (RFQ) / Request for Information (RFI): A request from a prospect or client outlining the requirements for their event or venue booking, including but not limited to the catering, inventory, audio-visual and other elements needed for their event. In this instance, the venue must reply with a formal proposal/quotation outlining how they can meet the client’s needs.

Event Production & Experience Technology

• Audio Visual (AV): The lighting, screens, speakers and other technical equipment used to support the sound and visual presentations at an event.
• Event Production; The technological and creative execution of an event using sound, lightning, video, design and more to influence attendee atmosphere.
• Live Streaming: Transmitting or receiving live video and audio coverage over the Internet.
• Augmented Reality: The integration of digital information or images with one's real-world environment.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Intelligence exhibited by machines, particularly computer systems. In event and venue management, AI is often used to streamline and predict repetitive tasks

Sustainability, Risk & Responsible Event Management

• Sustainable Event Management / Event Greening: The environmental, economic and social considerations in event management. It entails integrating sustainable development principles throughout event planning, execution, and participation, aiming for responsible hosting.
• Event Incident Management: The process of responding to and resolving an unplanned event or interruption.
• Event Risk Management: Involves recognizing, evaluating and mitigating potential risks that could impact an event's outcome and attendee safety.

Software Architecture & Delivery Models

• Cloud: Cloud computing is a software delivery model in which resources and data can be accessed on-demand via the Internet. The term “cloud” demonstrates that information is readily available anytime and anywhere, and users do not need to be in a specific location to access it.
• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Sometimes referred to as “on-demand,” SaaS is a licensing and delivery model in which software is delivered over the internet on a subscription basis.
• Multi-Tenant: A single instance of the software that supports multiple tenants. All tenants share a single database, but each tenant is isolated, so they are invisible to each other.
• Enterprise-Grade: Software that is scalable and that can support a large number of users.
• Sandbox: Duplicate environment of the software platform for training and testing new functionality.

Systems, Integrations & Technology Infrastructure

• Application Programming Interface (API): An interface that allows you to seamlessly synchronize information across different applications/systems/software that were not explicitly designed to work together.
• Integration: In terms of software, integration is a process of merging two or more systems using a single or bi-directional sync so that data/functionality flows freely between them.
• Technology Ecosystem (Tech Ecosystem): The collection of technologies that a certain company uses to run its business and, more specifically, how these solutions connect with each other.
• Technology Stack (Tech Stack): The collection of technologies that a certain company uses to run its business.

Customer, User & Account Management

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): The process where automated technology manages an organization’s interactions with customers, typically using data analysis to study large amounts of information.
• Tenant: A tenant is a group of users who share common access with specific privileges to the software instance.
• User Interface: The point at which the user and the software/system interact.

Platform Features, Extensions & Adoption

• Add-On Module: Additional functionality that can be added to the core system to expand its capabilities.‍
• Change Management: The process of preparing and supporting individuals, teams and organizations in making organizational or technological changes.

Event, Venue and Software Acronyms  

• Accommodation (ACM)  
• Arrivals and Departures (AAD)  
• Back of House (BOH)  
• Broadcast (BRD)  
• Broadcast Compound (BCC)  
• Bump In Bump Out (BIBO)  
• Catering (CAT)  
• Catering, Cleaning & Waste (CCW)  
  
• Ceremonies & Torch Integration (CER)  
  
• City Steering Group (CSG)  
• Commercial Partner Program (XPP)  
• Communications (COM)  
  
• Community Engagement (CEG)  
  
• Computer Aided Drawing (CAD)  
  
• CRM, Digital & Social (CDS)  
  
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)  
  
• Days To Go (DTG)  
  
• Delegation Registration Meeting (DRM)  
  
• Digital (DIG)  
  
• Event Mapping Tool (EMT)  
  
• Event Services (EVS)  
  
• Functional Areas (FAs)  
  
• Field of Play (FoP)  
  
• Front of House (FOH)  
  
• Furniture, Fittings & Equipment (FFE)  
  
• Green Guide Stipulations (GGS)  
  
• Host Compliance & Operations (HCO)  
  
• Hospitality Operations (HOP)  
  
• International Broadcast Centre (IBC)  
  
• Intelligence (INT)  
  
• Internationally Protected Person (IPP)  
  
• Invitation to Tender (ITT)  
  
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)  
  
• Local Organizing Committee (LOC)  
  
• Logistics (LOG)  
  
• Main Logistics Center (MLC)  
  
• Main Operations Center (MOC)  
  
• Main Press Center (MPC)  
  
• Material Screening Facility (MFS)  
  
• Master Delivery Schedule (MDS)  
  
• Media (MDA)  
  
• Media Hotel (MDH)  
  
• Medical (MED)  
  
• Months To Go (MTG)  
  
• Operational Readiness (ORS)  
  
• Overlay & Utilities (OVL)  
  
• Park & Ride (PAR)  
  
• Park Operations Center (POC)  
  
• Program Management Office (PMO)  
  
• Program / Operational Readiness (POR)  
  
• Program Progress Meetings (PPM)  
  
• Procurement (PRO)  
  
• Protocol (PRT)  
  
• Results Technology Services (RTS)  
  
• Rights Holding Broadcaster (RHB)  
  
• Rights Protection Program (RPP)  
  
• Safety (SAF)  
  
• Security (SEC)  
  
• Spectator Experience (SPS)  
  
• Spectator Services (SPS)  
  
• Spectator Transport Depot (STD)  
  
• Sports Presentation (SPN)  
  
• Sustainability (SUS)  
  
• Team Liaison Officer (TLO)  
  
• Ticketing (TIC)  
  
• Tournament Central Hub (TCH)  
  
• Tournament Information System (TIS)  
  
• Training Venues (TRV)  
  
• Transport (TRA)  
  
• Transport Coordination Center (TCC)  
  
• Travel Demand Management (TDM)  
  
• Uniform (UNI)  
  
• Uniform & Accreditation Center (UAC)  
  
• Venue Accreditation Centre (VAC)  
  
• Venue General Manager (VGM)  
  
• Venue Hire Agreement (VHA)  
  
• Venue Management (VMA)  
  
• Venue Media Center (VMC)  
  
• Venue Media Manager (VMM)  
  
• Venue Operations (VOP)  
  
• Venue Planning Meetings (VPM)  
  
• Venue Planning Process (VPP)  
  
• Venue Security Manager (VSM)  
  
• Venue Technology Services (VTS)  
  
• Venue Usage Agreement (VUA)  
  
• Very Important Person (VIP)  
  
• Volunteers (VOL)  
  
• Work in Progress (WIP)  
  
• Workforce (WKF)  
  
• Zone Operations Centre (ZOC)  

Navigating the Event & Venue Management Industry  

This comprehensive glossary is designed to support professionals navigating event planning terminology across venues, operations, and technology. Clear terminology helps reduce miscommunication and supports more effective planning, coordination, and execution.

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With more than 35 years of experience, Momentus supports venues and event teams with technology designed to simplify complex operations. Contact us today to discover how our event and venue management software can help you deliver exceptional experiences that keep your attendees coming back for more.