Vocabulary: Business Meetings & Conferences

Welcome to the exhaustive guide to corporate English! In this interactive vocabulary lesson, we will cover the essential words you need to navigate meetings and conferences.

We will explore key action verbs, important meeting documents, professional roles, and how native speakers use business idioms to sound natural in the boardroom. Read through the vocabulary, test your knowledge in the quizzes, and complete today's missions below.

Actions List:

Schedule - To arrange for an event to take place at a specific time.
Postpone - To delay an event to a later time.
Cancel - To decide that an organized event will not happen.
Attend - To be present at an event or meeting.
Host - To organize and direct an event.
Chair - To act as the person in charge of a meeting.
Adjourn - To break off a meeting with the intention of resuming later or ending it entirely.
Brainstorm - To produce an idea or way of solving a problem by holding a spontaneous group discussion.
Collaborate - To work jointly on an activity or project.
Implement - To put a decision, plan, or agreement into effect.
Wrap up - To bring an activity or meeting to an end.
Follow up - To pursue or check on something that was discussed earlier.
Clarify - To make a statement less confusing and more comprehensible.
Discuss - To talk about something with another person.
Participate - To take part in an action or endeavor.
Present - To show or offer something for others to consider.

Materials List:

Agenda - A list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting.
Minutes - The official written record of what was said in a meeting.
Memo - A short written report or message sent within a company.
Report - An account given of a particular matter.
Presentation - A speech or talk in which a new product, idea, or piece of work is shown.
Slides - Single pages of a presentation created with software.
Handout - A piece of printed information provided free of charge, especially to accompany a lecture.
Proposal - A plan or suggestion put forward for consideration.
Itinerary - A planned route or journey for a conference or trip.
Roster - A list or plan showing turns of duty or leave.
Whiteboard - A wipeable board with a white surface used for teaching or presentations.
Projector - An object that is used to project rays of light or images onto a screen.
Brochure - A small book or magazine containing pictures and information.
Badge - A small piece of metal, plastic, or cloth bearing a design or words, worn to identify a person.

Roles List:

Chairperson - The person in charge of a meeting or organization.
Facilitator - Someone who helps a group of people understand their common objectives and assists them to plan.
Attendee - A person who attends a conference or other gathering.
Participant - A person who takes part in something.
Keynote speaker - The principal speaker at a conference.
Stakeholder - A person with an interest or concern in something, especially a business.
Colleague - A person with whom one works in a profession or business.
Delegate - A person sent or authorized to represent others.
Committee - A group of people appointed for a specific function.
Board of directors - A group of individuals elected to represent shareholders.
Coordinator - A person whose job is to organize events or activities.
Sponsor - A person or organization that pays for or contributes to the costs involved in staging an event.

Expressions List:

Get down to business - To start talking about the subject to be discussed.
Touch base - To briefly make contact with someone to update them.
On the same page - To have the same understanding or knowledge about a situation.
Keep in the loop - To keep someone informed about a situation.
Think outside the box - To think creatively or in an unconventional way.
Bring to the table - To provide something that will be a benefit.
Call it a day - To stop working on something.
Game plan - A strategy worked out in advance.
Win-win situation - A result that is good for everyone involved.
Rule of thumb - A broadly accurate guide or principle.
Give the green light - To give permission to proceed with a project.
Red tape - Excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules.
Back to the drawing board - Used to indicate that an idea has been unsuccessful and a new one must be devised.
See eye to eye - To be in full agreement.

Please enable JavaScript to view the interactive flashcards, take the quiz, and download the audio resources.

menu_book 1. Interactive Vocabulary

Filter the words below and click on any card to reveal its definition, audio pronunciation, and a sentence-building mini-game.

bolt 2. Knowledge Check

Test your understanding of corporate vocabulary and idioms.

visibility Definition Match

What do we call the list of topics to be discussed in a meeting?

forum Verb Match

To officially end or close a meeting is to...

warning LITERAL TRAP

If the boss asks for the "Minutes" of the meeting, what do they want?

psychology Idiom Meaning

If we are "on the same page", we...

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Quiz Complete!

target 3. Action Missions

Complete these real-world tasks to lock the vocabulary into your memory.

Set the Agenda 📋 Write a quick three-point agenda for a mock team meeting about improving customer service.

Idiom Practice 🎤 Record a voice note of yourself saying: "Let's touch base next week so I can keep you in the loop." Try to sound professional!

cloud_download 4. Study Resources

Lesson Summary & Review

Let's review the key concepts covered in the interactive module above to ensure you are ready to communicate in a professional corporate environment.

Meetings and Materials

Agenda vs. Minutes: Always set an agenda (the plan) before the meeting begins. During the meeting, someone should take the minutes (the written record of what happened).
Postpone vs. Cancel: If you postpone a meeting, you are moving it to a later date. If you cancel it, it is not happening at all.

Business Idioms

Native speakers rely heavily on idioms in the office to sound polite and collaborative. Remember not to translate them literally!

Get down to business: To stop making small talk and start the official meeting.
Touch base: To briefly contact someone for an update.
On the same page: To ensure everyone understands and agrees on the plan.
Red tape: Annoying or excessive rules and paperwork that slow down progress.

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Vocabulary: Business Meetings & Conferences

menu_book 1. Interactive Vocabulary

bolt 2. Knowledge Check

Quiz Complete!

target 3. Action Missions

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Lesson Summary & Review

Meetings and Materials

Business Idioms

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