ILEA Vocabulary

Terms & Definitions

ASE Awards ~ Austin Special Event Awards. Awards given to ILEA Austin members for outstanding contribution at Chapter Meetings. Awards are presented at our June gala at the end of the ILEA Year. To qualify for consideration you must sponsor at least 1 ILEA Austin Chapter Meeting during the ILEA Year. Surveys are sent to Chapter Meeting attendees following each meeting asking to rate each sponsors. Nominations for ASE Awards are given to the sponsors in each category who satisfactorily complete their sponsorship and receive the highest ratings from attendees. The sponsor with the highest rating wins the ASE Award. ASE Awards given in the categories of Rising Star, Spirit of ILEA, Hall of Fame, and Best Happy Hour are chosen by the ILEA Austin Board.

Board ~ The volunteer leadship positions of the Chapter. The Board consists of approximately 12 members and includes three President positions (President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past President), three Vice Presidents in each of the 3 committees (Communications, Programs, and Membership), several Directors, and a Secretary/Treasurer. More info.

Board Meeting ~ A meeting of the ILEA Austin Board. Takes place approximately once per month. Meetings are used to discuss the Chapter budget, upcoming programs, education, events, Headquarters initiatives, membership, communications, etc.

Board Nominations ~ A process by which the Chapter selects the board for the next ILEA Year. Call for nominations typically occur in January and are due sometime in February. An ad hoc Nomination Committee is formed to review the nominations and make selections. Nominations are only open to members in good standing. One may nominate oneself.

Chapter ~ A group of localized ILEA Members run by a Board. There are over 50 Chapters all over the world.

Chapter Meeting ~ Monthly meeting of the Chapter. Open to members and future members. Usually contains an educational element, tickets include a meal, and lasts about 2 hours long.

Committee ~ Volunteers consisting of ILEA Austin members in good standing who wish to get involved in and support the operations of the Chapter. The three primary committees are Communications, Programs, and Membership. Ad hoc committees may also be formed for special circumstances such as Board Nominations and special events.

Communications ~ Also known as MarComm for Marketing and Communications or just "Comm." The volunteer team in charge of Chapter emailing, website, social media, and ticketing.

Communication Request Form ~ A form available for ILEA Austin members to leverage the Chapter's communications platforms. ILEA Austin will shout out members' new products, achievements, job openings, etc.

Community Forums ~ An online forum for ILEA Members to exchange ideas and ask for help and recommendations. Maintained by Headquarters.

Corporate Additional ~ An ILEA Membership type. If your company already has a current Corporate Primary ILEA membership, you can add to the company membership at a discounted rate.

Corporate Primary ~ An ILEA Membership type. Apply for this membership type if you are maintaining the membership for your company. Any additional members from your company then become eligible for the discounted Corporate Additional membership rate.

CSEP ~ Certified Special Event Professional. The CSEP designation recognizes event professionals who have successfully demonstrated the knowledge, skills and ability essential to perform all components of a special event. ILEA endorses and manages the voluntary CSEP program for those who meet established standards. Testing takes place every quarter and is open to all event professionals with at least 3 years of professional event experience.

Director ~ A Chapter Board position below the Vice Presidents and typically serving 2 years. Directors are assigned to one of the three committees to serve (Communications, Programs, and Membership).

Dues ~ Amount paid to ILEA Headquarters to be a member of ILEA. Amounts vary depending on membership type. Chapters receive a fraction of the Dues paid by members. The majority of the funds assist the operation of Headquarters.

Emerging Event Professional ~ An ILEA Membership type. Also known as "EEP." Recent graduates from a two or four-year accredited college or university, or those with less than five years of experience, are eligible for this discounted membership type. EEP membership is valid for three years. Applicants for the Emerging Event Professional Membership may be required to verify employment dates and/or graduation dates for eligibility purposes.

Esprit Awards ~ Established in 1995, the Esprit Awards have become a symbol of industry excellence and evolved into one of the most respected awards competitions in the industry. The awards competition was conceptualized as a means to increase industry awareness, elevate professionalism, and inspire growth in an emerging profession. Today, the Esprit Awards honor ILEA members' best, most creative and innovative contributions to the industry.

Experience ~ Also known as ILEA Experience. Published as an online content portal open to everyone, Experience is the ultimate information source for the global community of creative live event professionals whose skills, expertise and experience power some of the most influential live events around the world.

Happy Hour ~ A typically monthly event sponsored by ILEA Austin where there is no charge to attend but ticket registration is requested. Committee meetings happen from 5PM-6PM and networking from 6PM - 8PM. Meals are typically not offered but drinks and hors d'heurves may be offered. Open to members and future members.

Headquarters (HQ) ~ The international base of operations for ILEA. HQ has an international volunteer board, committees and paid management team (currently Smith Bucklin). They oversea the ILEA regions, all Chapters, and overall operations, budget, and vision for ILEA.

ILEA ~ International Live Event Association. ILEA is pronounced "eye-LEE-uh." The principal association representing the creative events professional, globally.

ILEA Austin ~ The Austin Chapter of ILEA.

ILEA Austin Gala ~ An annual event in June to celebrate the close and start of another ILEA Year. Money is raised for the Chapter, previous year ASE Awards are presented, the new board is sworn in, and a party ensues! It is ILEA Austin's biggest event of the year. Open to members, members' guests, and future members.

ILEA Austin Gives Back ~ #ILEAAustinGivesBack. A series of charity events sponsored by ILEA Austin.

ILEA Live ~ Also referred to as "Live." ILEA Headquarters annual, multi-day educational, networking and entertainment event. Typically in August and lasting 3-4 days. Includes daytime meetings, educational seminars, and evening parties. Takes place in different cities every year.

ILEA Year ~ July 1 - June 30 every year. Membership dues last through June and the Board changes over on July 1 each year.

Individual Membership ~ An ILEA Membership type. This is a personal membership. Your company name and information will be listed, however, the membership is not transferable to other employees within the company. Recommended for those submitting the membership payment from a personal account or for a single proprietor.

Leadership Summit ~ Formerly "Roadshow." Leadship training offered by Headquarters to ILEA Members. Takes place in the spring at 2 - 3 locations. Chapter Boards often send their next ILEA Year's leaders to be trained, learn about Headquarters, and get to know other Chapter leaders.

Master’s Series ~ Monthly education events where a topic is chosen and discussed in a small intimate setting lead by a master in an event field. Master's Series are free and open to member's only. About 1.5 hours long.

Membership ~ 1) All that entails being an ILEA member. 2) The volunteer team in charge of recruiting, maintaining, and assisting ILEA members.

Membership Drive ~ 1) Week to month long period to encourage new members and renewal of membership. Drives happen twice a year - December and May. December is the 1/2 year drive and May allows new members to join and receive 14 months for the price of 12. Discount codes are often offered during these times for waiver of application fees. 2) An event that supports the Membership Drive period.

Nominations Committee ~ An ad hoc committee that evaluates board nominations and choose the board slate for the following ILEA Year.

Power Hour ~ Monthly education events where a topic is chosen and discussed in a small intimate setting. Power hours are free for members and $10 for future members unless the Power Hour is a Master's Series. Master's Series are a subset of Power Hours. About 1.5 hours long.

President ~ The highest leadership position in the Chapter. The president works on the budget, overseas the direction of the Chapter, and informs all operations.

Programs ~ Also known as Programs and Education or P&E. The volunteer team in charge of ILEA events, deciding on educational topics, finding speakers and procuring sponsors for events.

Scholarship ~ Monetary reimbursement offered for qualifying applicants. ILEA Austin has in the past offered scholarships to ILEA Live, TSE, ILEA Gala, and other events. Applications are often point based, benefitting those who have been most active in the Chapter.

Spirit of Excellence Awards ~ Also known as SOE Awards. ILEA’s annual Spirit of Excellence awards recognize ILEA Chapters which excel in Chapter communications, administration, membership retention and growth programs. Awards are given at ILEA Live each year.

Sponsorship ~ 1) A donation of service or product for an ILEA event. Offering sponsorship for a Chapter Meeting is the only way to be considered for an ASE award. 2) A longer term monetary or other support to ILEA Austin.

Student Membership ~ An ILEA Membership type. Student members are required to provide proof as a full or part-time student at a two or four-year College/University program with an unofficial transcript or signed Statement by Program Coordinator / Instructor. This membership type is limited.

Texas Star Awards ~ The Texas Star Awards is a globally recognized awards competition designed to and honor the exceptional professional achievements of individuals and organizations from the events industry in Texas. Awards will honor work done in the special event's industry for events produced between November 1 and October 31 each year. The awards program is produced by the Texas Chapters of ILEA. The Dallas Chapter of ILEA manages the process of the award submissions and judging, The Awards Gala travels from Chapter to Chapter each year.

TSE ~ The Special Event. An annual education and networking event/conference similar to ILEA Live. Typically in January.

Vice President (VP) ~ A Chapter Board position below the Presidents and typically serving 1 year. ILEA Austin has 3 VPs, one for each of the three committees (Communications, Programs, and Membership).


Special thank you to Jeff Hudson, CSEP with Spacecraft Entertainment for creating this vocabulary list.