By Jody Long
In the process of planning one of my very first meetings, a hotel event manager emailed me and said to sign the BEO and send it back to her. I knew she meant the attachment in the email, but had no clue what BEO stood for. The top of the form said BEO, but nowhere did it indicate the meaning. I reviewed it, sent it back, and quickly Googled what those three letters stood for in the event world. Since that day, the term BEO, or “Banquet Event Order”, has been added to my vocabulary.
If you're new to the event planning world, here's a basic glossary for you as you start planning your first events.
General
RFP: Request for proposal – A written request from the event planner that covers the preliminary details of the event to venue in order to receive pricing information or a proposal
BEO: Banquet event order, also referred to as the Event Order – The document from the venue that outlines all of your event details
CMP: Certified Meeting Planner
Catering
Banquet Captain – The lead person appointed by the venue in charge of food services
Continental Breakfast – A light morning meal that usually includes coffee, tea, juice and breakfast breads
Count – Total number of guests at any point during the planning process
Dressed – When a table is dressed, this refers to the table cloth on top and the skirting attached to the table so you cannot see underneath.
Hotel & Event Sites
Breakout Room – A smaller room used when a large group breaks out into smaller groups
General Session – A session where all attendees are invited, usually the larger of the group meetings
Air walls – moveable walls used to separate large rooms into smaller rooms, usually in a hotel ballroom
Audio Visual
AV: Audio Visual
ISP: Internet Service Provider
Lavaliere – a wireless microphone that is able to be attached to the lapel of a speaker, also known as a lapel microphone
Seating Plans
U-Shape (or Horse Shoe) & V-Shape – ideal for small to medium sized groups where discussion or teaching may take place
Classroom – ideal for a teaching format
Theatre – Can accommodate the most participants in a room, seating without tables, ideal for presentations at the front of the room
Boardroom – Ideal for small groups that will interact in a small setting
Banquet – Ideal for breakout or discussion groups