Malaysian business events glossary

People and organisations

• PCO (professional congress organiser): A company that runs conferences, especially association congresses, from programme support and registration to delegate services. See who does what.
• DMC (destination management company): A professional services company in the host destination that provides local expertise and resources such as transport, tours and gala dinners.
• Event management company: A company that plans and runs events end to end across corporate and public event types.
• Venue in-house team: The venue's own events and catering staff who run its halls, standard equipment and on-site venue operations.
• Organising committee: The volunteers or members who own the event's decisions for the organiser, often supported by a secretariat.
• Secretariat: The administrative office of an association or committee that handles registrations, communications and records.
• Convention bureau: A destination body that promotes a city or state for business events and may offer bid support and introductions. See working with a state convention bureau.
• MyCEB: The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, which publishes support programmes for business events. See MyCEB support.
• Industry Partner Programme: MyCEB's partner listing for venues, bureaus, event companies and suppliers, with eligibility set by MyCEB.

Planning documents and event-day terms

• Event brief: A short document stating the event's purpose, audience, dates, location and scope, used to brief suppliers and decision makers. Build one with the event brief builder.
• RFP (request for proposal): A structured document that asks suppliers to propose and price against the same requirements. Build one with the event RFP builder.
• Event Blueprint: A planning pack covering scope, brief, timeline, responsibilities, supplier requirements and handover documents. See Event Blueprint.
• Run sheet (run of show): A minute-by-minute schedule of who does what during the event. See event master run-of-show.
• BEO (banquet event order) or function order: The venue's written order for a function, listing room set-up, timings, menu and services. See function order review.
• Rider: A list of technical or hospitality requirements from a speaker, performer or supplier, such as equipment, seating or refreshments.
• Floor plan: A scaled drawing of the room layout that the venue and organiser sign off. See floorplan sign-off.
• Site inspection: A visit, in person or remote, to check a venue against your requirements. See venue site inspection checklist.
• Load-in: The scheduled window when equipment, staging and materials enter the venue for set-up. See loading schedule.
• Risk register: A list of what could go wrong, how likely it is, who owns it and what you will do. See risk register design.

Money, tax and funding

• SST (Sales and Service Tax): MySST states the service tax rate is 8% from 1 March 2024, with food and beverage services at 6%. See SST and service charge.
• Service charge: A percentage a supplier adds to a bill. MySST's FAQs describe how service tax applies to it differently for food and beverage and for accommodation.
• ++ (plus plus): A mark beside a price meaning service charge and tax are added on top. Ask for the full amount in writing.
• F&B minimum: The minimum food and beverage spend a venue requires for a booking. Ask how it is counted and whether tax and service charge are included.
• Room block: A set of hotel rooms held for your delegates at an agreed rate. See hotel room block questions.
• Attrition: The share of a room block or guaranteed number that you can release without charge before the cut-off date. Confirm the terms with the hotel.
• Subvention: Financial support offered to attract a business event to a destination. MyCEB lists Subvention Support for qualifying conventions and exhibitions. See MyCEB support.
• HRD Corp: Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad, which administers the levy-funded training scheme for registered employers. See HRD Corp and claimable events.
• Levy: The contribution registered employers pay to HRD Corp. HRD Corp's guidebook says course fees under its claimable courses scheme are debited from the accumulated levy.
• Allowable Cost Matrix (ACM): HRD Corp's guidebook setting out what costs can be claimed for each type of training, including seminars and conferences.

Authorities and permits

• PDRM: Polis Diraja Malaysia, the Royal Malaysian Police. Organisers of assemblies in public places notify the Officer in Charge of the Police District. See permits and approvals.
• PBT (local authority): Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan, the city, municipal or district council that issues permits and licences for activities in its area.
• DBKL: Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, or Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the local authority for Kuala Lumpur. It lists a temporary road closure permit for closures not exceeding 3 days.
• Bomba (JBPM): Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia, the Fire and Rescue Department. Ask your venue and council which fire arrangements apply to your layout.
• PUSPAL: The application centre under the Ministry of Communications for foreign artiste performances and foreign film shoots. Its approval comes before the professional visit pass from Immigration.
• Peaceful Assembly Act 2012: Act 736, the law on assemblies in public places. It requires the organiser to notify police five days before an assembly (section 9(1)), with listed exceptions.
• PDPA: Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act 2010, which affects how you collect and use delegate data. See personal data inventory.

Event formats and terms

• MICE: Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, a common label for business events.
• Business events: Meetings, conferences, exhibitions and incentive programmes held for professional or commercial purposes.
• Delegate: A person who attends a conference or congress, usually registered.
• Plenary: A session attended by all delegates together, usually in the main hall.
• Breakout: A smaller parallel session held in a separate room.
• Theatre, banquet and classroom layouts: Room set-ups with rows of chairs, round tables, or desks and chairs. Capacity differs for each, so ask for the figure for your layout. See stated capacity and approved layout.
• Pax: Short for passengers, used by venues to mean persons or seats. Confirm which unit a venue's figure uses.
• Hybrid event: An event with a physical audience and a remote audience together. See hybrid professional seminar planning.
• CPD (continuing professional development): Learning that members of a profession complete to keep their skills current. See CPD and professional learning events.
• Abstract: A short summary of a paper or presentation submitted for a conference programme. See abstract submission workflow.
• Seminar and conference (HRD Corp meaning): HRD Corp describes a seminar as an educational event focused on interaction, and a conference as keynote presentations to all attendees with concurrent sessions.
• ICCA: The International Congress and Convention Association. MyCEB's Subvention Support page refers to ICCA-listed conferences.
• Familiarisation (fam) trip: A hosted visit that lets planners see a destination and its venues before booking.

Confirm before you rely on a term

Terms can mean slightly different things between suppliers. When a quote, contract or approval depends on a term, ask the other party to define it in writing, and confirm legal or tax points with the relevant authority or your adviser.