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, sallesalle
delegate = délégué(e)
exhibition centre = centre d’expositions
crash = ici, planterplanter
auditorium = salle
run over = ici, dépasserdépasser
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?
Do we have to pay our own minibar bills?
Will we have time to take a sauna before dinner?
Who’s the after-dinner speaker?
Where can I get an information pack?
Can I book a taxi for the railway station for 7pm?
Is there a shuttle taking delegates to the airport?