AT A BUSINESS CONFERENCE

A conference is the ideal place to show off your business vocabulary…

Conversation at a conference

Andy: Well that was a great breakfast! This hotel’s much better than the place they took us to for last year’s conference. There wasn’t even a gym, and the trouser press in my room didn’t work!

Charlotte: Apparently there’s a pool, a sauna, and even a flotation tank.

Andy: Cool. Now where’s registration? We’ll need to pick up our information packs and find out what the programme is.

Charlotte: I think we’re in the business annexe for the plenary session with the keynote speaker and the seminars, and then in the Tudor Suite for tonight’s gala dinner. This is all a bit of a novelty for me - I’ve never been a delegate before! Will we have to wear name badges?

Andy: Afraid so! But I don’t think there’s a seating plan for dinner so you can make sure you don’t end up sitting next to anyone dull from the accounts department!

Charlotte: Will we have time to get changed?

Andy: Yes, and we can visit the exhibition centre before we have a drink at the bar at 7pm. I’ll certainly need a drink by then.

Charlotte: Oh yes - your presentation, I’d forgotten about that. Are you nervous?

Andy: Well as long as PowerPoint doesn’t crash on me and everyone laughs in the right places I think it will be OK. The worst bit is always walking up to the podium at the front of the auditorium. And waiting for the speaker before you to finish - everyone always runs over their allocated time.

Charlotte: Have you decided which discussion groups you’re going to?

Andy: No, I think we have to sign ourselves up on that flipchart in the corner. But we can do that later, let’s go and get a coffee.

Charlotte: But we’ve just had breakfast.

Andy: Trust me. We’ll need something to keep us awake during the chairman’s words of welcome!

Conversation vocabulary and phrases

conference = congrès

gym = gymnase

trouser press = presse-pantalons

health club = club de mise en forme

flotation tank = caisson d’isolation

registration = inscription

business annexe = centre d’affaires

plenary session = séance plénière

keynote speaker = orateur principal

suite = ici, salle

delegate = délégué(e)

exhibition centre = centre d’expositions

crash = ici, planter

auditorium = salle

run over = ici, dépasser

sign up = s’inscrire

flipchart = tableau de conférence

chairman’s words of welcome = paroles d’accueil du président

More business vocabulary and phrases

audiovisual aids = supports audiovisuels

conference centre = palais des congrès, centre de conférences

conference room = salle de conférences

corporate hospitality = soirées aux frais d’une entreprise

discussion paper = avant-projet

keynote speech = discours-programme

microphone = micro

overhead projector = retroprojecteur

Here are some more phrases you might need of a conference

When do we break for coffee? = Quand allons-nous prendre une pause ?

Do we have to pay our own minibar bills? = Devons-nous payer nos propres factures de minibar?

Will we have time to take a sauna before dinner? = Aurons-nous le temps d'aller au sauna avant le dîner?

Who’s the after-dinner speaker? = Qui est l'intervenant après le dîner?

Where can I get an information pack? = Où puis-je obtenir un dossier d'information?

Can I book a taxi for the railway station for 7pm? = Puis-je réserver un taxi pour la gare pour 19 heures?

Is there a shuttle taking delegates to the airport? = Y at-il un service de navette pour ammener les délégués à l'aéroport?