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| A/V |
Abbreviation for Audio/Visual. |
| ADA |
Abbreviation for Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA Standards are designed to make lodging facilities usable by persons with a wide variety of disabilities. |
| Addendum |
A document or clause added to a contract, usually at the end, to either modify, supplement or change the original contract terms. |
| Airwall |
A temporary and moveable wall that subdivides a meeting room. Airwalls usually slide on tracks in the ceiling and can divide one large room into multiple smaller spaces. Airwalls frequently have doors to connect the subdivided rooms. |
| All Suite |
A style of hotel in which all guest rooms are suites with at least two rooms and a bathroom. The typical arrangement is to have a small sitting room with couch, TV and table, with a separate bedroom and bathroom. |
| Attrition |
A contract clause that guarantees the hotel a minimum amount of revenue regardless of how many rooms are actually reserved by a group. Please see contract clauses. |
| Audio Visual |
1. The general term for any presentation equipment used in the production of a meeting. Common items include microphones, screens, projectors, flipcharts, amplifiers, hi-speed internet connections, and televisions.
2. A department within a hotel, conference center or convention center which works closely with the catering and convention services departments to meet the A/V rental needs of customers. This department is frequently outsourced to a private company or sub-contractor. |
| Average Daily Rate |
The average of all room revenue in a hotel on a given day, divided by the number of rooms in the hotel. It is a figure used by hotels to track historical performance and forecast future revenues. |
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| B&B |
Abbreviation for Bed & Breakfast |
| Banquest Event Order |
A document issued by the convention services department outlining the specific services being provided for a meeting on a given day. BEO's should contain at the very least day, date, time of service, name of meeting room, specific food being served, beverage arrangements, room setup, audio/visual supplies, payment information, group contact person and name of catering manager. BEO's are usually distributed to all departments in a hotel and delegate specific duties to each of those departments. |
| Ballroom |
A large meeting room which is usually the largest meeting room in a given facility. Ballrooms are carpeted and typically decorated with attractive lighting fixtures and wall coverings. They can range from 1,000 - to over 60,000 square feet and usually have a ceiling height of 10' - 40'. |
| Bed and Breakfast |
A small hotel that offers a room for the night and a morning meal at an inclusive price. Bed & Breakfast's are almost exclusively privately owned and the owner/manager usually lives on-site. B&B's normally do not have more than 20 rooms and are located in residential homes rather than commercial buildings contructed to be a hotel. |
| Bed Tax |
A tax issued by local or city government which is added to the nightly rate of a hotel room. This tax is in addition to any state sales tax and is a mandatory tax. Quite often, the revenue from these taxes support the tourism or convention bureau of the city or region. |
| BEO |
Appreviation for Banquet Event Order |
| Boardroom |
Usually a type of meeting room in which a large table is permanently set with chairs all around it, for conference style meetings. Boardrooms are often elaborately decorated and utilize executive style swivel chairs, rather than the typical stackable chair used in most meeting setups. Seating in a boardroom usually ranges from 10 - 20 seats. |
| Booth |
The space assigned to an exhibitor at a trade show. Trade show floors are often subdivided into 8' x 10' booths which exhibitors can buy individually, or combine several to make one very large booth. |
| Boutique Hotel |
A luxury full service hotel that is typically quite small, 20 - 80 rooms. Boutique hotels place a large emphasis on unique and stylish decor and are usually more expensive than their larger mass-marketed competitors. |
| Boxed Lunch |
Pre-prepared lunches which are packaged in a box or bag for meal events which do not have a seating area. Boxed lunches typically consist of a sandwich, piece of fruit, soda or water, chips or crackers and a dessert like a cookie. |
| Break |
1. The designated time during a meeting when the presenter will stop to allow attendees to stretch, use the restroom, get food, or simply take a break.
2. A small catering order which will be ready in or near a meeting room. A break will usually consist of snack type foods which can be consumed quickly or taken back to the meeting room. |
| Breakout |
Breakout rooms or breakout meetings are meetings that take place in addition to a general session. They usually follow a general session and allow a large group to subdivide into smaller groups and focus on a specific topic or issue. Any meeting can have multiple breakouts taking place simultaneously and attendees may rotate through different breakouts to hear different presentations. |
| Buffet |
A catering presentation which places all food and beverage on display for self-service. Buffets typically cost more than a plated meal because the caterer has to provide a greater quantity of each item. |
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| Cancellation |
Please refer to either Group Cancellation or Individual Cancellation |
| Chevron |
A meeting room setup which is similar to classroom, except that tables are all angled to face a central focal point. |
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| CIC |
Abbreviation for Convention Industry Council |
| Classroom |
A meeting room setup in which attendees sit in chairs at rectangular tables and everyone faces the front of the room. Classroom is usually set at 2 people per 6 foot table, 3 people per 6 foot table or 3 people per 8 foot table. Tables usually include standard tablecloth. |
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| CMM |
Abbreviation for Certification in Meeting Management. |
| CMP |
Abbreviation for Certified Meeting Professional |
| Commission |
A fee paid to a third party travel coordinator for booking business with a travel supplier. Hotels and car rental companies frequently pay a commission calculated as a percentage of booked revenue to companies who help to bring them customers. |
| Comp |
Short for complimentary |
| Complimentary |
Free. Suppliers will often give free service to potential customers or as a reward to repeat customers. |
| Complimentary Room Ratio |
A very frequent concession granted by hotels to groups that allows the group to earn 1 complimentary room for every "x" number of rooms they actually use and pay for. The most common ratios are 1 per 50 and 1 per 40, but the ratio can be any number. In most cases, hotels require that the earned comps be applied to specific reservations, and will not simply grant the value of the earned comps to the master bill. This is due to the different profit levels of hotel products. |
| Concession |
A bonus or giveaway granted in a hotel sales contract. Concessions are any item that benefits the group and is outside of the normal operating procedures of the hotel. Examples include an upgrade to a suite for the president of the company holding a meeting, free parking passes for VIP's, and many others. |
| Conference Center |
Can be a stand alone business or attached to a hotel. A facility that provides a dedicated environment for events, especially small events. May be certified by the International Association of Conference Centers (Noted from the Convention Industry Council, APEX Industry
Glossary). |
| Conference Style |
A meeting room setup in which all attendees are seated around the perimeter of one large table. |
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| Continental Breakfast |
Buffet style breakfast consisting of light food items. Typically there are no hot items in a continental breakfast. Common items include danishes, muffins, bagels, donuts, whole fruit, coffee, juice and milk. |
| Contract |
The document which is used to guarantee a piece of business between a meeting supplier and their customer. A contract is the written document which states the dates and prices of an event, the number of rooms to be used, concessions granted and the penalties for non-performance or cancellation. For a more detailed discussion of contracts, please visit Contract Clauses. |
| Convention and Visitors Bureau |
An organization tasked with promoting a city or region to tourists and meeting planners. CVB's are usually funded by taxes levied against hotel guests and airport passengers, operated somewhat by local government and may be associated with the Chamber of Commerce. |
| Convention Center |
A very large meeting facility that can host multiple events simultaneously. Convention centers typically are a separate business entity from hotels, although in many cases, a hotel could be constructed to connect to a convention center. Quite often convention centers are owned and/or managed by the city or state government where they are located. |
| Cut Off Date |
The date on which a hotel will release a group room block back to their general inventory. See Cut off date for more information. |
| CVB |
Abbreviation for Convention and Visitors Bureau. |
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| Diamond Rating |
Hotel rating issued by the American Automobile Association to indicate the services available and overall quality of a specific hotel. AAA uses a scale of 1 - 5 diamonds.
1 Diamond - Clean, comfortable, budget-oriented. Perfect for brief overnight stays and convenient to interstate.
2 Diamond - Modest enhancements to decor and amenities. Suitable for budget-minded families who want key amenities such as pool, and on-site breakfast.
3 Diamond - Upgraded facilities, amenities, level of comfort. Appropriate for travelers who want a full range of amenities as part of destination experience.
4 Diamond - High degree of service, hospitality, and attention to detail. Well-suited to travelers requiring business services, special facilities, and high-quality dining.
5 Diamond - First-class, ultimate in luxury and sophistication, impeccable service. Ideal for travelers who want luxurious surroundings, elegant dining, and a high level of pampering. (Noted from the American Automobile Association) |
| Double Double |
Hotel room containing 2 double beds. |
| Double Occupancy |
The price or rate for accommodating 2 individuals in the same hotel room. |
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| Exhibit |
Display of products or services constructed to fit within the space allowed for a booth. |
| Exhibit Hall |
A large room in which booths and exhibits are set up for trade shows. A true exhibit hall does not normally have the finer architectural elements found in a ballroom and in its raw state looks more like an empty warehouse. It is not uncommon for exhibit halls to have concrete floors without carpeting. |
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| Floor Plan |
1. Diagram showing the layout of rooms in a hotel, conference center or convention center.
2. Diagram showing the way tables and/or chairs will be arranged in a meeting room for a specific event. |
| Fly |
The practice of hanging presentation items from the ceiling. This can be done with screens, speakers, decorations or signs. |
| Food & Beverage Minimum |
Contract clause stating the minimum revenue a supplier expects to gain from a catered function and the penalties involved if the revenue is not high enough. Please see contract clauses. |
| Front Screen |
A screen and projector combination in which the projector is positioned in front of the screen and reflects an image onto the front side of the screen. Front screen often requires that projector be positioned in the audience or behind the audience. |
| Function Space |
Another term for meeting space. |
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| General |
The main presentation of a meeting. Usually all attendees are invited to attend this session and is used to present a wide variety of general information. |
| Gratuity |
Payment made to a service person or department above and beyond the fees agreed upon in the contract. |
| Group Cancellation |
The complete cancellation of an event that has been previously booked and contracted. This type of cancellation means that no part of the event will take place and almost always results in a fee or penalty. |
| Group Rate |
A negotiated hotel room rate that is offered to the guests, attendees and staff of a particular event. Group rates are usually available until a certain date, called a cut-off date. For more information, please see Contract Clauses. |
| Guarantee |
The final and most accurate attendance number given to a caterer prior to a meal function. The guarantee will be the minimum number of attendees the caterer prepares food for and charges for. |
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| Hollow Square |
A meeting room setup in which attendees sit in chairs at rectangle tables arranged in a square or rectangle with an opening in the middle. |
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| Hotel |
The largest of the various types of overnight accommodations businesses. Hotels usually have 50 to over 2,000 rooms. Hotels also provide a wide variety of services to travelers, meeting attendees and local residents. |
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| Incentive |
Trips or rewards aimed at rewarding individuals, departments, or customers for achieving a predetermined goal. |
| Individual Cancellation |
The cancellation of a specific hotel room reservation. Most group hotel contracts allow for cancellation of an individual reservation up 24 hours prior to the arrival date. Individual cancellation is not related to group cancellation. |
| Inn |
A small lodging facility offering rooms for rent and usually some form of food service. Room rates typically do not include meals. |
| Last Room Sold |
Wording that appears often in re-booking and attrition clauses. Please see Contract Clauses. |
| LCD Projector |
A projector that displays an electronic file from a computer onto a large screen. LCD projectors can take inputs from multiple audio, video and digital sources. |
| Load Capacity |
Maximum amount of weight per square foot a floor can support. This is important in exhibit halls where vendors may want to showcase machinery, vehicles or equipment. |
| Loading Dock |
A building entrance designed to accommodate delivery by trucks. An elevated door allows large trucks to back up and have equipment rolled directly off the truck and onto the building floor. In meeting facilities, it is often desirable to have a loading dock that opens directly into the exhibit space. |
| Lodge |
A hotel which closely orients itself with its natural surroundings, meaning that the architexture, design, colors and theme all reflect the local environment whether that be mountains, dessert, beach, etc. |
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| Meeting Planner Points |
A reward system provided by several large hotel companies in which meeting planners or group coordinators can earn points for every reservation or for revenue generated by their groups. Points can usually be redeemed for free nights at other hotels under the same company or brand. |
| Mixer |
A piece of audio/visual equipment used to control the input and output of several audio and video devices at the same time. |
| MPI |
Abbreviation for Meeting Professionals International. |
| Murphy Bed |
A full size bed which is mounted on hinges and can be stored vertically in a wall mounted cabinet. Many hotels use murphy beds to create rooms which can easily be converted from large sleeping rooms to small meeting rooms. |
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| Occupancy |
The number of rooms actually reserved and paid for in a hotel on a given day. Usually indicated by a percentage of the total. Total reserved / Total available = occupancy. |
| Occupancy Tax |
A tax issued by local or city government which is added to the nightly rate of a hotel room. This tax is in addition to any state sales tax and is a mandatory tax. Quite often, the revenue from these taxes support the tourism or convention bureau of the city or region. |
| Office |
A meeting room which is used by the staff of an event. Ideally, an office room should not have any airwalls and be lockable. Meeting planners often use an office to store boxes and materials prior to the event or to conduct registration. |
| Outlet |
1. An electrical access point mounted on a wall, floor or ceiling.
2. A revenue generating facility inside a hotel like a restaurant, room service, gift shop, flower shop, salon, spa, casino or other department not directly related to the lodging operations. |
| Overhead |
A visual presentation device that projects images on a transparency up onto a screen. |
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| Performance |
A contract clause that guarantees the hotel a minimum amount of revenue regardless of how many rooms are actually reserved by a group. Please see contract clauses. |
| Plated |
Meal service in which each guest is served their meal on a plate by a member of the wait staff. |
| Porterage |
Pre-arranged baggage service which provides roundtrip handling of bags and suitcases from the vehicle, to the guestroom and back upon checkout. Porterage is most often used by groups of people arriving all at once, like a motorcoach or large van. |
| Post-Con |
A meeting with key hotel staff following the completion of a meeting, conference or convention to discuss all aspects of service, billing, logistics and suggestions for the future. |
| Pre Function |
An interior event space which is typically an open area near a ballroom or other meeting space. Foyers, hallways and corridors are often considered pre function areas. These areas are commonly utilized for breaks, signage and registration tables. |
| Pre-Con |
A meeting with key hotel staff before the start of a meeting, conference or convention to discuss all aspects of service and goals. It also allows the event staff to meet and be introduced to the hotel operations staff. |
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| Quad Occupancy |
The price or rate for accommodating 4 individuals in the same hotel room. |
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| Rear Screen |
A screen and projector combination in which the projector is positioned behind the screen and reflects a reverse image onto the back side of a somewhat translucent screen. Rear screen projection ensures that the projector will not interfere with the audience, but it often requires that a large space be available behind the screen to achieve the correct projection distance. |
| Rebate |
A fixed dollar amount per reservation or roomnight that is paid to a group, by a supplier in return for gaining their business. Earned rebates are often credited toward the master bill. |
| Reception |
Stand-up social function where beverages and light foods are served. Foods may be presented on small buffet tables or passed by servers. May precede a meal function. (Noted from the Convention Industry Council, APEX Industry
Glossary). |
| Registration |
1. The act of making a reservation to attend a meeting, conference or convention and providing payment, name badge information and details on which parts of an event you plan to attend.
2. The on-site office, desk or table where a meeting attendee checks-in for a program and picks up his or her name badge, materials and schedule. |
| Renovation |
An effort by a hotel, conference or convention center to replace or repair furniture, fixtures, equipment, soft goods or design. Generally, the more recently a hotel has been renovated, the cleaner and fresher it will appear. |
| Resort |
A hotel situated on a larger than average piece of land offering full hotel services inside as well as a wide variety of activities and amenities outside the building. Resort hotels often are located on golf courses, beaches, tennis facilities or lakes. Due to their large size, they are also frequently located away from downtown city centers. |
| Resort Fee |
Mandatory fee added to a room charge that covers several amenities at a resort. |
| Retreat |
A type of meeting that is often small in attendance and focused on achieving a specific goal during the meeting. |
| REVPAR |
Revenue Per Available Room. The average of all room revenue in a hotel on a given day, divided by the number of rooms available for sale (excludes rooms out of service for maintenance, damage, etc). |
| RFP |
Abbreviation for Request for Proposal. RFP's are a common way of obtaining pricing and availability as the planning for a meeting gets underway. |
| RFQ |
Abbreviation for Request for Quote. Same function as an RFP. |
| ROH |
Abbreviation for Run of House. This is a designation on a contract that means a guest in the room block could be assigned to any type of room in the hotel upon check-in. |
| Room Block |
The number of rooms held out of regular inventory for use by a contracted group. Please see Contract Clauses. |
| Room to Space Ratio |
Comparison of the total number of sleeping rooms required by a meeting group against the total square footage required for their meeting functions. Hotels make a higher profit on on sleeping rooms than they do on meetings, so an event requiring a lot of meeting space with a low relative number of sleeping rooms is often undesirable to a hotel. |
| Rooming List |
Reservation method in which all guest reservations are collected at one time. Rooming lists are generally preferred by hotels over individual call in reservations. |
| Run of House |
This is a designation on a contract that means a guest in the room block could be assigned to any type of room in the hotel upon check-in. |
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| Sales Kit |
A package of information and marketing material which focuses on a particular hotel. It is intended to sell the location and features of a specific hotel or resort. |
| Schoolroom |
A meeting room setup in which attendees sit in chairs at rectangular tables and everyone faces the front of the room. Classroom is usually set at 2 people per 6 foot table, 3 people per 6 foot table or 3 people per 8 foot table. Tables usually include standard tablecloth. |
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| Scramble |
A type of golf outing in which players compete as a team. Each golfer on the team hits their ball from the same spot. Then, they decide which ball has hit the best and everyone else moves their ball to that position and they move on to the next stroke. This is a great way to arrange a golf outing for players of different skill levels. |
| Serpentine |
Style of table used for catering or display purposes. The shape of a serpentine table is somewhat curved or crescent shaped so that several tables can be arranged end to end to make a wavy effect. |
| Service Charge |
Percentage added to any item or service price to cover additional fees. Typically, a service charge is distributed to staff as gratuity, but not always. Typical service charges range from 17% - 21%. |
| Set |
1. The arrangement of furniture in a meeting room. Please see setup.
2. An attendance number given prior to an event to set a room for. This is usually the same number as the guarantee, but in some instances they may be different. |
| Setup |
The specific arrangement and layout of furniture and equipment in a meeting room. Options are classroom, theater, conference, U-shape, hollow square and chevron. |
| Shotgun Start |
A type of golf outing where all players begin playing at the same time from different holes. This allows a tournament to end at a fairly predictable time. |
| Simulcast |
Recording and instantly broadcasting a live event over a closed network to viewers in another location. This is useful for meetings where not all attendees will fit in one room, or when a planner wants to broadcast the proceedings of an event to a group of people who might not be able to come to the venue where the meeting is being held. |
| Single Occupancy |
The price or rate for accommodating 1 individual in the same hotel room. |
| Site Inspection |
Visiting a hotel, conference or convention center for a formal tour and visual inspection of the facility prior to contracting a meeting. It is not uncommon to "site" multiple facilities before making a decision on where to hold an event. |
| Site Selection |
The practice of researching destinations and venues as potential locations for a meeting and then obtaining availability and pricing. Site selection involves careful negotiation, research, site inspections and presenting options to all stakeholders to ensure the correct decision is made. |
| Site Visit |
The practice of researching destinations and venues as potential locations for a meeting and then obtaining availability and pricing. Site selection involves careful negotiation, research, site inspections and presenting options to all stakeholders to ensure the correct decision is made. |
| Slippage |
The difference between the number of rooms contracted by a group, and the number of rooms actually utilized. |
| Spa |
A revenue producing outlet that provides personal enrichment services such as massage, baths, hair care, skin care, nail care, dietary assistance and more. |
| Square Foot |
A space which is 1 foot wide and 1 foot long. |
| Square Footage |
The most common size reference for a meeting room. Please refer to the Meeting Space Calculator to determine the correct size for your event. |
| Star Rating |
Hotel rating issued by Mobil Travel Guide to indicate the services available and overall quality of a specific hotel. Mobil uses a scale of 1 - 5 stars.
1 Star - A Mobil One-Star Lodging Establishment is a limited service Hotel/Motel that is considered a clean, comfortable and reliable establishment.
2 Star - A Mobil Two-Star Lodging Establishment is a Hotel/Resort that is considered a clean, comfortable and reliable establishment, but also has expanded amenities, such as a full-service Restaurant on the property.
3 Star - A Mobil Three-Star Lodging Establishment is a Hotel/Resort which is well-appointed, with a full-service Restaurant and expanded amenities, such as, but not limited to: fitness center, golf course, tennis courts, 24-hour room service, and optional turndown service.
4 Star - A Mobil Four-Star Lodging Establishment is a Hotel/Resort/Inn which provides a luxury experience with expanded amenities in a distinctive environment. Services may include, but are not limited to: automatic turndown service, 24 hour room service, and valet parking
5 Star - A Mobil Five-Star Lodging Establishment provides consistently superlative service in an exceptionally distinctive luxury environment with expanded services. Attention to detail is evident throughout the Hotel/Resort/Inn from the bed linens to staff uniforms. |
| Suite |
Combination of rooms in a hotel that create one continuous living space for a guest. Suites can be as simple as a single bedroom with a separate sitting area, or as elaborate as you might imagine with multiple floors, several bedrooms, multiple entrances and dedicated butlers. |
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| Tabletop |
An exhibit style that is meant to be erected on top of a table rather than stand on the floor. The benefit of an exhibit this size is that it is far more portable than a large structure and can usually fit into a single box. |
| Team Building |
Activities which put individuals together in a low stress environment and force them to use the combined strengths or weaknesses to achieve a goal that has no real impact on their business. Activities are usually supplemented with instruction that analyze the performance of each team and the lessons learned in the activity. |
| Theater |
A meeting room setup in which attendees sit in chairs that have no tables and face the front of the room. Chairs may also be slightly angled as in a chevron arrangement. |
| Third Party |
A company that is neither supplier or customer, but acts as an intermediary to help in contract negotiations, provide objective consultation and often to plan all the logistics of an event. VenueQuest is a third party. |
| Tower |
A common term for a section of a hotel that is several floors taller than the rest of the structure. Hotels with meeting space will often house their meeting space in a building only one or two floors high that spans a wide area, and then house the sleeping rooms in a tower that could be from 5 to 70 floors high. |
| Trade Show |
An exhibition of products and/or services held for members of a common or related industry. Not open to the general public. (Noted from the Convention Industry Council, APEX Industry
Glossary). |
| Transfer |
Roundtrip transportation from an airport to a hotel, and then back. Hotels often offer a number of complimentary transfers via limousine or car service to meeting planners as a concession. |
| Triple Occupancy |
The price or rate for accommodating 3 individuals in the same hotel room. |
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| Upgrade |
To provide a higher quality product at the price of a lower quality product. An example is to pay for a standard hotel room, and upon check-in get upgraded at no cost to a suite. |
| U-Shape |
A meeting room setup in which attendees sit in chairs at rectangle tables arranged in the shape of a U so that there is one open side. |
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| Wash |
The difference between the number of rooms contracted by a group, and the number of rooms actually utilized |
| WiFi |
Wireless Fidelity. A term which refers to electronic communication devices operating on an 802.11 network and approved by the Wi-Fi Alliance. |
| Wireless |
Electronic communication, especially internet access, which is provided on an 802.11 network eliminating the need for every computer or device using the network to be connected with a physical wire. |
| Wireless Lavaliere |
A microphone which is very small and clips to a speakers lapel, shirt or tie and does not require a cord or wire to attach it to its amplifier. This enables a speaker to move about a room freely and have use of his or her hands because there is no microphone to hold. |
| Working Lunch |
Meal service which can be plated or buffet, and is served in the same room where a presentation or meeting has already been taking place. Very often, the presentation will continue while the meal is being served and consumed. |
