Reference

Glossary

Industry terms and definitions for Las Vegas event logistics, trade shows, and experiential production.

How to Use This Glossary

Access Window#: The fixed period when a venue allows crews, equipment, or vendors access to a space. Missed access windows compress schedules, force workarounds, and increase downstream risk across the entire show day.

Decision Authority#: The clearly designated individual or role responsible for making final calls when tradeoffs arise. When decision authority is unclear or fragmented, execution slows and small issues escalate unnecessarily.
Dependency#: A task, vendor, or condition that must be completed or satisfied before another action can proceed. Untracked dependencies are a primary cause of delays, rework, and last-minute escalation.

Escalation Chain#: The predefined path for raising issues when they exceed the authority or capacity of the current owner. A clear escalation chain prevents bottlenecks and avoids emotional or political decision-making under pressure.

Load-In#: The process of delivering, staging, and installing all equipment, scenic elements, and materials before an event goes live. Load-in is where most execution risk is either resolved or created.

Operational Readiness#: The state in which plans, people, assets, and contingencies are aligned well enough to execute without improvisation. Operational readiness is not optimism - it is verified preparedness.

Scope Creep#: The gradual expansion of requirements or expectations without corresponding changes to time, budget, or resources. On show day, scope creep usually appears as 'small asks' that carry outsized operational impact.
Show-Day Execution#: The real-time coordination of people, assets, timing, and decisions once an event goes live. This is where plans meet reality - and where structural weaknesses become visible.
Strike#: The controlled teardown and removal of all event elements after the show concludes. Poorly planned strikes create safety risks, venue penalties, and unnecessary labor costs.

Timing Window#: A narrow, often immovable period in which a task must be completed to avoid cascading delays. Timing windows differ from access windows in that they are driven by sequence, not permission.