“I'm going to integrate rough into our reco, we are 3 agencies on this AO, we have to make them dream! ”

“We start editing around 9 am with the roads, we're doing technical filming in the afternoon and then we're setting up the scenario.”

Did you not understand much of these two sentences, if anything at all? It's normal, we also have a lot of jargon in events that allows us to communicate clearly and quickly. Don't worry, you'll use this vocabulary like a professional once you're familiar with this event glossary!

PMR access

Accessibility for people with reduced mobility.

Activation

Event aimed at developing the reputation of a brand among its public.

Aftermovie

A short video that looks back at the best moments of an event.

Event agency

An agency specialized in the design and organization of events.

Announcer

Refers to the organization or entity benefiting from an event.

Ambulatory animation

A mobile animation, which does not need specific space in the place that hosts the event.

Fixed animation

An animation for which it is necessary to determine a fixed location in the place that hosts the event.

AO

Acronym for “Call for tenders.” This is a procedure by which an advertiser asks several suppliers to make him a commercial proposal, before making his choice.

Brainstorming

Technique for looking for ideas in a team.

Brief

Also called specifications, the brief lists the expectations and needs of the client regarding the event to be organized. This document is intended for the event agency, which can then issue its recommendation.

Are you wondering How to write an event brief ? We share all our tips with you, from the most basic to the most practical!

Catering

In the event lexicon, the anglicism “catering” refers to catering service. In the case of a professional event, it is often the caterer.

Project manager

He or she is the conductor of the events for which he or she is in charge: their role is to be present at each stage of the event (design, search for service providers, production, post-production, etc.) and to supervise the team guaranteeing its smooth running.

To better understand this profession, discover The portrait of event project managers from UNEXPECTED.

Cocktail dinner

Type of reception where the meal is served standing up. It mainly serves a variety of aperitif bites and refreshments.

Colloque

An event during which specialists meet to discuss specific topics.

Concept

During an event, the concept corresponds to the theoretical approach of the event that will be proposed to the announcer. The theme, the place, the scenography or even the meal must fuel this concept.

Driver

The document serving as a guideline for the technical team. All the stages of the event are described there so that everyone knows what action to take when.

Congress

An event during which people come together to discuss a given theme. The conference tends to bring together more people than the colloquium, the latter being more selective and studying a more specific subject.

Convention

An event that is either internal whose objective is similar to that of a work meeting (to reflect, train...) or external with in this case the aim of promotional communication.

DMC

Acronym for “Destination Management Company” used to refer to an agency that shares its knowledge on its local or national market to a foreign organizer.

Duplex

A video streaming technique that connects two different transmissions on a single video access point.

Roadmap

Document describing the course of the event hour by hour, also called a “Roadbook”.

Red thread

The main idea or the central element around which an event will be designed. Its recurrence ensures the coherence of the event.

Spinning

A dress rehearsal, in the venue of the event, with all the speakers. This makes it possible in particular to realize the duration of the interventions and to work on the transitions as well as the technical aspect (sound and light).

Technical spinning

A full-scale rehearsal of an event focused on the technical part.

Gala

In the form of a dinner or an evening, the gala is an event organized for an exceptional celebration (closing of a conference, award ceremony, product launch...).

Grill

A structure used to hang technical equipment (sound and light).

Incentive

Means “motivation” in English. It is used in business to talk about the actions put in place to stimulate and maintain the motivation of teams.

Kick Off

An event marking the launch of something: a service, a product, a product, a strategy, a new work organization... It is both a question of presenting the project in question and of federating the actors around it.

Product launch

An event designed to promote a new product or a new product line.

Dry rental

Rental of a place without any other ancillary services.

MICE

MICE is the English acronym for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions. It refers to business tourism, that is to say the hotel and tourist activity in connection with events in the life of companies (meetings, conferences, etc.).

Montage

The physical set-up of the event: the scenography, the management, the catering, etc. The end of the event is accompanied by dismantling.

ISO 20121 standard

A standard whose objective is to promote good practices in terms of sustainable development and social impact in the event sector.

Catering office

A space equipped with kitchen utensils made available to the caterer.

Privilege offer

An offer that an event provider offers through private sales.

Oriflamme

A customizable advertising flag on a stand and made of fabric.

Outbound & Inbound

Means round trip: Out from the airport of origin and In at the airport of origin.

Pax

If you are asked for the number of “pax”, it is simply the number of participants.

Photobooth

An autonomous photo terminal available to event participants.

UNEXPECTED reveals to you 6 photo animations to change the traditional Photobooth.

Photocall

A space where participants are invited to pose in order to be photographed by a photographer. This is usually done in front of a decor or a video wall (visuals of the company, sponsors...).

Pitch

A short and impacting speech. The aim is usually to convince within a few minutes.

Plenary

A meeting to which all the participants of an event are invited.

POS

Acronym for “Point of Sale Promotion”. Refers to advertising means (display, posters, etc.) deployed to communicate about a product, service or offer in a physical place.

Service provider

Professional who offers a service during the event. This can take many forms: animation, decoration, catering, photographer, valet...

Privatization

Reservation exclusively for your guests of a place on a given date. The privatization of a place can be partial (a room) or total.

Production

All the actions that make an event come to life. Production corresponds to the phase where the teams are in the field to make the event real.

Post-production

Post-event processing to finalize a project: invoices, photo recovery, various exchanges, debrief with the customer, production of an aftermovie...

Recommendations

Following a call for tenders or the receipt of the brief, the event agency formulates a “reco”, i.e. it presents the event project imagined in order to respond to the client's problem.

Theater meeting

Meeting format similar to that of the theater: the speaker is alone in front of the spectators lined up.

U-shaped meeting

In this meeting format, participants are seated around tables that form a “U” shape.

Board meeting

In this meeting format, the speakers are placed all around the table.

Régie

This term refers both to the technical room in which the audio and video equipment for an event is located, as well as to the technicians themselves. These officials, also called “managers”, have access to the orders through which they orchestrate the technical aspect of the event.

Retro-planning

Calendar that details the course of an event and/or its preparation. Managers are assigned for each stage, with a deadline to be met.

Retro-commission

Amount paid by certain event venues to agencies and other business providers for the rental or privatization of one of their spaces.

Rider

Technical reference sheet during a showcase or concert. It contains a lot of information concerning both the off-stage (parking, meals, accommodation, dressing rooms...) and what happens on stage (light, sound, wiring...).

Road

A person responsible for unloading and for the first steps in assembling the infrastructures of an event (audiovisual, air conditioning, decoration, furniture, etc.).

Roadbook

English term meaning “road book” used to refer to the document describing the course of the event hour by hour.

Road show

A series of events taking place in various locations. The idea is to meet participants or prospects to promote a product, a service, or even the image of the company.

For example, the UNEXPECTED agency organized a 19-date roadshow in France for Monoprix to introduce new apprentices to the company's culture.

Rough

An illustration giving the customer a visual overview of the scenographic rendering of their event, in order to realize the space and atmosphere of the place.

Scenography

The art of designing and then staging a space using technical means (sound, light, decor) in order to create an atmosphere, an immersion.

Seminar

An internal event over one or several days that generally oscillates between moments of relaxation and work sessions with the aim of moving forward on a common project.

Residential seminar

The addition of the term “residential” means that the seminar includes accommodation and catering (at least one evening + one morning). This type of seminar therefore takes place over several days.

Semi-residential seminar

While accommodation is always included, the addition of the term “semi” indicates that seminar participants are free to do as they wish during their evenings.

Showroom

A place dedicated to the promotion and sale of a company's products.

Sub-committee

A meeting where participants are organized into small groups.

Spare

Replacement equipment and accessories, available if required.

Streaming

Broadcast of an event live on the Internet or on a private network.

Symposium

Scientific or cultural conference.

Tasting

Tasting workshop to validate the caterer of an event or to select the pieces and dishes that will be served there

Team Building

Internal event designed to strengthen team cohesion, through fun activities.

Team Learning

An animation aimed at both strengthening team cohesion and teaching skills.

Tour Leader

A guide who ensures the smooth running of a tourist program, the reception of participants through the various activities (visits, circuits...) that make up the stay.

TMC

Acronym for “Travel Management Company” used to refer to an agency specialized in business travel.

Venue Finding

Refers to an agency or service provider that focuses its expertise on the selection and recommendation of locations.

Workshop

A collaborative workshop focused on a common problem, defined beforehand.