Types of Meetings and Events
What’s the difference between a seminar and a workshop? A trade show and an exhibition ? With all the different meeting terms it can get quite confusing! If you happen to plan meetings it pays to get your terminology right, that’s why we here at eVenues put together this handy list of all the types of meetings and events. If you see a term we missed just email us at team@evenues.com and we'll include it!
Annual General Meetings:
An Annual General Meeting (AGM), or a shareholders meeting, is a large gathering held by publicly traded companies. These meetings are held in order to let shareholders ask the board of directors questions about a company’s health, as well as to elect new members to the board.
Board Meetings:
While the term “Board Meeting” technically means a gathering of a company or organization’s board of directors, to us a board meeting really is a gathering of decision makers. At this gathering, important facts are presented and decisions are made as to the best course of action to take in the coming months.
Further Reading: Effective Board Meetings
Breakout Session:
At a convention or conference, breakout sessions are meetings (workshops, seminars, or presentations) intended for small groups. These meetings can be held in smaller meeting rooms within a convention center or hotel as well as off-site meeting and boardrooms.
Further Reading: What is a Breakout Session
Business Dinners and Banquets:
These are generally formal celebrations organized by a company or organization to celebrate achievements within the organization and to boost employee and member morale. Depending on the size of the organization, these dinners may be a small gathering at a local restaurant or conducted in a large hotel banquet hall or unique event space like an art gallery or museum.
Further Reading: 5 Tips for Business Dinners and Banquets
Conference:
Although “conventions” and “conferences” are terms that are used interchangeably, the meeting industry standard definition of a conference is of a meeting of a shorter duration than a convention and designed to meet a specific objective. See: Convention.
Further Reading: What is a Conference?
Colloquium:
A colloquium can be best described as an “academic networking event.” Participants are often experts in a given field and they meet to informally present and exchange new ideas. Some academic programs require participation in a colloquium in order to complete the program.
Further Reading: What is a Colloquium?
Conclave:
Conclaves are meetings conducted in secret. In general, conclaves are used to describe “closed door” meetings between individuals who have a certain level of power or influence. One of the most famous conclaves is the Papal conclave, where cardinals meet to elect a new pope.
Congress:
While most Americans generally associate the word “Congress” with the legislative branch of government, a congress can also a large group of individuals who meet on a regularly scheduled basis, often to make decisions through a debate and voting process.
Consumer Shows:
A consumer or gate show is a trade show that’s open to the general public. These shows generally have an entrance fee. People interested in learning about the latest products (electronics, automobiles, etc) often go to consumer shows.
Further Reading: What is a Consumer Show?
Conventions:
A convention is an a large gathering of people with a shared interest (usually professional or fandom related). These events are often recurring, and are usually scheduled at a specific time each year. Conventions usually have keynote speakers, as well as presentations that familiarize attendees with advancements or trends within a their particular field of interest. See: Conference.
Further Reading: What is a Convention?
Exhibitions:
An exhibition is a trade show that focuses on B2B businesses.
Expo or Expositions:
An expo is a large scale exhibition or trade show often conducted on an inter