Reference chart
Event production acronym decoder
Live production speaks in acronyms: A1, V1, ROS, Q2Q, IMAG. This decoder table expands the ones you will actually hear on a show call, grouped by what they describe, with live-event meanings (several differ from their film-set cousins).
Crew roles
| Acronym | Stands for | On a show |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Audio 1 | Head audio engineer; mixes the show. |
| A2 | Audio 2 | Deck audio: mics talent, wrangles RF, patches the stage. |
| V1 | Video 1 | Head video engineer; runs the switch or the video system. |
| V2 | Video 2 | Video assist: cameras, records, playback support. |
| L1 / L2 | Lighting 1 / 2 | Lighting lead and assistant (corporate AV usage). |
| LD | Lighting designer / director | Designs the rig or runs lighting on the road. |
| TD | Technical director | Corporate/theatre: technical lead. Broadcast: switches the show. |
| PM | Production manager | Owns budget, crew, logistics, and the schedule. |
| SM / ASM | Stage manager / assistant | Runs the deck and (in theatre) calls the show. |
| DSM | Deputy stage manager | UK theatre: the one on the book, calling cues. |
| ME | Master electrician | Head of the lighting crew; owns power and the hang. |
| TM | Tour manager | Runs the artist’s life on the road; money, travel, day sheet. |
Documents & workflow
| Acronym | Stands for | On a show |
|---|---|---|
| ROS | Run of show | The minute-by-minute show timeline. |
| Q2Q | Cue to cue | Tech rehearsal skipping between cues. |
| ESU / ESD | Equipment setup / breakdown | Corporate AV schedule shorthand for in/out. |
| SOW | Scope of work | What the contract actually covers. |
| RFP | Request for proposal | The bid invitation that starts it all. |
| BEO | Banquet event order | The hotel’s master doc for a corporate event. |
| COI | Certificate of insurance | Proof of coverage venues demand before load-in. |
| TBD / TBC | To be determined / confirmed | The most common words in any advance. |
Technical
| Acronym | Stands for | On a show |
|---|---|---|
| FOH | Front of house | The mix position; the audience side of the room. |
| MON | Monitors | Monitor world, the stage mix position. |
| IEM | In-ear monitor | Wireless earpiece mixes for performers. |
| IMAG | Image magnification | Live camera feed of the stage on big screens. |
| PA | Public address | The sound system (also: production assistant). |
| DSP | Digital signal processing | The brains inside modern audio systems. |
| DCA / VCA | Digitally / voltage controlled amplifier | Console fader groups. |
| RF | Radio frequency | Wireless mics, IEMs, comms; the invisible department. |
| DMX | Digital multiplex (DMX512) | The lighting control protocol. |
| sACN | Streaming ACN | DMX over the network, per ANSI E1.31. |
| GFCI | Ground fault circuit interrupter | Shock protection on wet/outdoor power. |
| SPL | Sound pressure level | How loud, in dB. |
| PTZ | Pan-tilt-zoom | Remote-controlled cameras. |
| NDI | Network device interface | Video over the network. |
| VOG | Voice of god | The announce mic from nowhere. |
Organizations & venues
| Acronym | Stands for | On a show |
|---|---|---|
| IATSE | International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees | The stagehands’ union in the US and Canada. |
| AV | Audiovisual | The whole technical trade, in corporate dialect. |
| AVL | Audio, video, lighting | The three departments in one word. |
| BOH / FOH | Back of house / front of house | Staff-only vs audience areas (venue usage). |
| ETCP | Entertainment Technician Certification Program | Rigging and electrics certifications. |
| OSHA | Occupational Safety and Health Administration | The reason the safety meeting happens. |
Frequently asked questions
What does A1 mean in event production?
The lead audio engineer on a show: the person mixing and responsible for the audio system. The A2 supports from the stage with microphones, RF, and patching.
What is the difference between FOH and BOH?
In venue language, front of house is everywhere the audience goes and back of house is staff-only. In production language, FOH almost always means the mix position out in the audience.