CHICAGO — The exhibitions and events industry has a plethora of terms, acronyms and lingo that can take some time to learn. Trade Show Executive reached out to show organizers and suppliers to compile a list of some of the industry lingo you need to know.
Here are the “must-knows” from industry professionals and leaders.
Marie Browne, Group Vice President, RX
“EAC: Exhibitor Appointed Contractor
CVB: Convention & Visitors Bureau
NPS: Net Promoter Score (not just specific to trade show industry)
CEM: Certified in Exhibition Management designation
IAEE: The International Association of Exhibitions and Events and our industry association. I am the 2024 Chair, and I still have to think about which E comes first.
SISO: Society of Independent Show Organizer
GSF/NSF: I think those outside of our industry mostly think about square feet when buying a house. Those inside our industry think about how many 10x10s and 10 x 20s they can sell into a space. It’s important for those new to our industry know the difference between gross and net. I usually assume net is ½ of gross because I like simple math. And then you do a show outside the U.S. and you have to think in SQM. I multiply the SQM by 10 to get SQF. It’s 10.76 but again, I like simple math.
Airport codes: I feel like those in our industry use airport codes like airline professionals. I don’t ever talk about flying back to NY but instead I fly to LGA, JFK, HPN and occasionally EWR. And when I go to Washington, DC, I say I am headed to DCA.”
Jonathan Heastie, Portfolio Director – Travel, RX
“Acronyms abound in our industry and impact our customers and industry stakeholders just as much as they do us as organisers. As the travel portfolio director at RX, most of our industry events are known best by their acronyms, including WTM (World Travel Market), ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) and IGTM (International Golf Travel Market). Another, IBTM (Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings) connects the international MICE industry (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions)… acronyms within acronyms!
“Every day, as we plan and deliver the world’s most successful travel events, abbreviations permeate our interactions and operations. For example, we help our customers to secure booths in our events in SQM or SQFT (square meters or square feet) but an FTE (a first-time exhibitor) will also buy VAS (value added services), perhaps onsite at the event with help from a SPOC (a single point of contact).
“These events though are more than just acronyms — they’re essential platforms where industries connect, inspiring innovation, and driving forward-thinking and progress. Whether in long-form or short-form, the value they provide attendees to better build their future success is indispensable so for newcomers to the events industry, or even those joining the industries we serve, quickly understanding this lingo is essential as it’s a gateway to unlocking the full potential of what our events offer.”
Sam Lippman, President and Founder, Lippman Connects
“EAC: Exhibit advisory committee
Special handling: Van, pad wrapped freight
ICW: In conjunction with the main event
Day Zero: This is new to me – the day before the show opens
Peak night: Biggest number of hotel rooms needed
S.T. vs O.T.: Straight vs overtime
Riggers, millwrights: Oh my! Riggers move heavy materials/equipment using rigging gear like cranes and pulleys, and millwrights plan, build, dismantle, install and maintain machinery.
Double decker: Two-story display
Keynote: Presentation or speech that sets the tone/theme for the event
Plenaries: Meeting or session attended by all participants at an event
Concurrent sessions: Session that is happening simultaneously with another session.”
Kendra Counts, Director of Operations, Conferences, Event Performance Group, Questex
“EAC: Exhibitor Appointed Contractor
ROI: Return on Investment
EMS: Event Management Software
I&D: Installation and Dismantle
DMC: Destination Management Company”
Kathryn Holabird, Operations Director, Event Performance Group, Questex
“BEO: Banquet Event order
RFP: Request for proposal
GSC: General Service Contractor
F&B: Food and Beverage
CWT: Calculated per Hundredweight (used to measure material handling)”
Rachel Rodean, Director of Education & Events, ESCA
“RFP (Request for Proposal): A document sent out by organizers to potential suppliers or contractors, detailing the event requirements and inviting them to submit proposals for their services.
BEO (Banquet Event Order): A detailed document that outlines food and beverage requirements, room setup, and audiovisual needs for an event. This is critical for communication between the event organizer and venue staff.
GSC (General Service Contractor): The main contractor responsible for providing various essential services for an event, such as booth setup, drayage, lighting, and overall event logistics.
Drayage: The transportation and handling of exhibit materials from the loading dock to the booth space.”
Anytra Lowe – Executive Vice President, Client Solutions, Freeman
“B2B: Business to Business
B2C: Business to Consumer
MHA: Material Handling Agreement
UOM: Unit of Measure
I&D: Installation and Dismantle”
Paul Fletcher – Chief Operating Officer, Audio Visual & Event Technology, Freeman
“Show Ready: Describes when an area or requirement is completely installed and ready for viewing by attendees
Show Black: All black attire worn by the AV industry workers on show days
Bone Yard: Storage area on or near the show floor / general session area
FOH/BOH: Front of house is the area seen by attendees, back of house is any area accessible to workers (contractor or facility)
Stage Left / Stage Right: The part of a stage from the viewpoint of the one facing the audience”
Kimberly Hardcastle – President & Chief Marketing Strategist, mdg
“Exhibitor-to-Attendee Ratio: A critically important equation that considers how many attendees/ buyers are on the trade show floor compared to the number of exhibiting staff. When this ratio becomes unbalanced (typically because the attendee number is too small), it signals a need to increase the focus on attendee acquisition.
Awareness-to-Conversion Funnel: in event marketing, this is the process that educates a cold lead about your event, generates interest and ultimately sparks registration and attendance.
No Show Rate: this number represents the percentage of attendees who register for your event but don’t attend.”
Jay James – Senior Vice President, Business Development, Sparks
“BOL: Bill of Lading
POC: Point of Contact
EAC: Exhibitor Appointed Contractor
EP: Executive Producer
VOG: Voice of God (announcements during a show)”
Jose Lopez, Vice President Trade Show Division, AFR Furniture Rental
“As a subcontractor some of the terms that come to mind are:
Drayage/Material & Handling: The unloading of your shipment, transporting it to your booth, storing and returning your empty crates and cartons and reloading your shipment at the close of the show.
EAC (Exhibitor Appointed Contractor): Any company other than the designated official contractor the exhibitor hires to do work in the exhibitor’s booth.
BOL (Bill of Lading): Document or form listing goods to be shipped.
Foam Core: Lightweight material with a Styrofoam center used for signs, decorating and exhibit construction.
Bone Yard: Storage area at show site for empty crates and show contractor materials.”
Rich Curran, President and CEO, Expo Convention Contractors, Inc.
“Substrate: Referring to material you are printing on.
- Examples: Foamcore, PVC plastic, Falcon board (sustainable substrate), ultraboard, fabric, SEG (Silicon Edge Graphic)
Rich Curran
Union Jurisdiction: Refers to the scope of authority and responsibilities a labor union holds over certain types of work. Our industry has multiple unions in each city, and they are all different. It’s very important to learn which unions are represented in the city you are producing and learn their jurisdictions.
Preferred Vendors: Preferred Vendors allow for choice and competition, offering flexibility.
- Example: General Service Contractor, Audio Visual, Floral
Exclusive Vendors: The only provider of a specific service consistency and a close partnership with venue.
- Example: Catering, Internet/data networking.
Marshalling yard: Freight check-in area to consolidate inbound/outbound trucks and manage the flow to the loading docks.”
Larry Grossenbacher, President, CSI Worldwide
“CWT: Hundredweight. A weight measurement for exhibit freight, usually 100 pounds.
Extrusion: A trade show exhibit system constructed with aluminum posts as the main structure. Extrusion systems are often infilled with large-format, fabric trade show display graphics.
Lectern vs Podium (this one leans into my inner nerd): A lectern is a stand for holding note; a podium is a raised platform the speaker to stand on.
Egress: An unobstructed path to leave buildings, structures, and spaces. A means of egress is comprised of exit access, exit, and exit discharge.
I&D: Install and Dismantle.
COI: Certificate of Insurance.”
Tom Lorish, Senior Business Development Associate, GES
“My term would be B2B or B2C: Business to Business and Business to Consumer. It is important to understand the audience that the exhibitor is trying to reach so that we can best help their efforts and drive better ROI for their booth spaces.”
Margaret Dewey, Business Development Manager, GES
“The three most used terms, that I did not know before joining this industry are Drayage, NSF (Net Square Footage), and Rigging.”
