A glossary, reviewed on 12 November 2026
The words you will hear at business events
27 terms, from black tie to visitor day, each in a sentence or two. Every term has its own link, so you can send one to someone.
- Awards night
- An evening where businesses are recognised in categories, usually with a dinner. Often black tie; the listing says.Awards nights →
- Black tie
- A dress code: a dinner suit or an evening dress. Used for awards nights and some dinners.
- Breakfast
- A networking event before work, usually from about seven and over by nine.What happens at a business breakfast →
- Chamber of commerce
- A membership body for the businesses of a place. It runs events, speaks up for local firms and, at some, helps with export paperwork.What does a chamber of commerce do →
- Chapter
- One local group of a larger referral network, meeting at the same time every week. Many take one person from each line of work.How a networking chapter works →
- Delegate
- Someone attending a conference. Speakers and exhibitors are usually counted apart.
- Elevator pitch
- A few sentences on what you do, short enough for a ride in a lift. At most events one line is enough: what you do and who you would like to meet.Sixty seconds →
- Expo
- An exhibition with stands, where businesses show what they do and visitors walk round.Expos →
- Growth hub
- A publicly funded service that helps businesses find the right support. Check what yours offers with them.Business support in Hampshire →
- Guest
- Someone who comes to a members-only event once, by invitation or with the organiser’s say-so.
- Hearing loop
- A system that sends sound from a microphone straight to hearing aids switched to the loop setting. Ask the organiser whether the room has one.Going to events with access needs →
- Icebreaker
- A short activity at the start to get people talking, such as a question to answer at your table.
- Invite only
- On a listing: only people the organiser invites can come.
- Keynote
- The main talk at a conference, often first thing.
- Members only
- On a listing: for members of the group. Many let you come once as a guest; ask the organiser how.
- Netwalk
- Networking on a walk: a group walks a set route and talks on the way.What is netwalking →
- One-to-one
- Two people meeting between group meetings to learn about each other’s work, so each can recommend the other. Sometimes written 1-2-1.
- Open networking
- The open time at the start or end of an event, when people talk to whoever they like.
- Open to all
- On a listing: anyone can book.
- Quiet room
- A room away from the noise where you can take a break. Listings show one only when the organiser says there is one.
- Referral
- Passing someone’s name to a person who needs what they do. The point of a referral group.
- Sixty seconds
- A round where each person stands and says what they do and who they would like to meet, in about a minute.Elevator pitch →
- Speed networking
- Short timed conversations, a few minutes each, before everyone moves on to the next person.
- Step-free
- You can get from the street to the room without steps, by level ground, a ramp or a lift.Going to events with access needs →
- Substitute
- Someone a member sends in their place when they cannot attend a weekly group.
- Visitor day
- A meeting where a group invites people to come and see how it works, with no need to join.Choosing a networking group →
- Webinar
- A talk online that you watch from your desk, usually with questions at the end.
The guides behind the words
Each one a plain answer, with events of that kind coming up.
The week ahead, every Monday.
Every event in the county for the next seven days, posted first thing on Monday on LinkedIn and Facebook.