August 12, 2020
By Madison Howard

An event program requires resources and support to be effective. While the planning or marketing team is in charge of running most event programs, there are other departments involved in determining whether your event program will be successful. But not all departments speak the same language. We all have different terms and shorthand when discussing the ins and outs of our jobs. As a planner, there is a benefit to understanding the language of various departments and mastering cross-departmental communication.

Understanding the priorities and goals of each department

Different departments have different values. At times, it can feel like you’re fighting to get the resources and information you need, going head-to-head with other departments that have competing priorities. The best offense is the best defense, and by learning the goals of each department, you can tailor the language you use to address other department needs and get them on the same page.

The language of marketers

Marketers are all about the data and leads. They speak in click-through rates, demand generation, and sales pipeline.

The language of procurement

Procurement is interested in business operations, legal, and how much it all costs. They keep the organization running and speak in budget, spend and workflow, and sourcing.


The language of event planners

Event planners care about event experience, attendees, and event ROI. Though event planners use their own glossary of terms, goals can be translated to procurement and marketer so that they speak on common, easily understood language.  

10 common organizational goals and how to use impactful language

We’ve come up with 10 common organizational goals and how you can use impactful language to speak about your events to procurement, marketing, and event planning teams. By addressing the priorities and pain points that are most important to these departmental stakeholders, you’ll be sure to capture their attention and gain their buy-in.

In Event Program Translation File: Your Guide to Mastering Cross-Departmental Communication, uncover your team’s mutual targets and joint objectives so that you can take your event program to the next level.

Madison Layman

Madison Howard

A graduate of the College of William and Mary, my passion for writing began before I could read, with a nightly verbal diary dictation transcribed by my obliging parents.

When I'm not writing, you can find me binge-watching TV shows, baking elaborate desserts, and memorizing pop culture facts.

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