Event Lingo Explained: Part I

When your PCO starts asking you whether you want 24hour rate or DDR? Do you know what they mean or do you start thinking, ‘OMG what have I let myself in for?’!

Here are some of our definitions of the phrases you might encounter when organising an event:

24 Hour Rate:

When you are speaking to the hotel about which delegate packages they offer they will refer to a 24 hour rate. This is a rate that the hotel will charge per delegate per 24 hours and will include: dinner, bed and breakfast, meeting room hire (main room only), a couple of tea and coffee breaks and lunch. If required, you may be able to negotiate the inclusion of other items to include conference equipment such as a podium, projector, or screen. An alternative to 24 Hour Rate is DDR, an explanation of which will be in Part II of “Event Lingo Explained”.

Abstract / Free Papers:

An abstract, or free paper, is a short summary of a larger piece of research someone has undertaken, which is typically 150-400 words in total. You can collect abstracts in a number of ways. The most common ways are by email or online into a bespoke abstract software package, the latter of which Fitwise operates. These abstracts are then judged and if of sufficient quality, the submitter will be asked to present their work at conference as an oral presentation or a poster. Oral presentations and posters are an integral part of most medical conferences, not only will they enhance the personal development of the presenters and contribute to the success of the conference, but they will also help to share best practise.

AV:

An important part of any conference is the Audio Visual, especially as speakers and presentation methods are becoming more sophisticated. Venues sometimes have an AV technician included within the conference package, or you can look to bring an external supplier in. Fitwise generally use ESW Solution Ltd for their conferences, for more details see: www.eswav.com.

Back / Rear Projection:

If you have the space in the conference room you can look to utilise rear projection for the session slides. This means that all the cables and projection equipment are hidden away behind the screen which can make everything look neater and more professional.

Break-out Sessions:

In addition to the main conference programme, which you will expect all the delegates to attend, you can also look to offer a number of parallel sessions which would generally be on more specialised topics and would be designed for a smaller number of delegates. If you are considering having breakout sessions you need to ensure that the venue can accommodate your room requirements and that you provide adequate signage on the day so that delegates know where they are going.

Keep an eye out for Part II-IV coming soon!

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