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