ISO 25639-1-2025 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 25639-1:2025 — Exhibitions and events — Part 1: Vocabulary. A second-edition international standard that defines and harmonizes terms and definitions used across the exhibitions and events sector to support clear communication, contracting, reporting and data exchange between organisers, venues, service providers and software systems.

Abstract

This document specifies terms and definitions commonly used in the exhibitions and events industry. Terms are grouped into five categories: (1) individual and entity (types of people and organisations involved); (2) types of event (including physical, hybrid and online events); (3) related activities (services and processes associated with events); (4) physical items (stand/space composition, facilities and printed materials); and (5) other general terms. The edition replaces the earlier 2008 version to reflect developments in hybrid and online events and evolving industry practice.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: April 2025 (catalogues list the publication date as 3 April 2025).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 01.040.03, 03.100.01 (terminology; exhibitions and events).
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2025).
• Number of pages: 14 pages (typical PDF/print length reported by ISO and reseller catalogs).

Scope

ISO 25639-1:2025 provides a standardized vocabulary for the exhibitions and events sector to be used by organisers, venues, national bodies and technology providers. It covers term definitions for people and organisations, event types (physical, hybrid and online), on-site and off-site activities and services, physical items and documentation associated with exhibitions and events, and other related terminology required for consistent reporting, statistics and contracts. The standard is intended to be used together with measurement/indicator documents in the 25639 series.

Key topics and requirements

• Harmonized definitions of roles and entities in the exhibitions/events ecosystem (exhibitor, organiser, visitor, contractor, etc.).
• Classification and clear wording for event types including physical, hybrid and online events.
• Terminology for related activities and services (logistics, registration, marketing, accreditation, on-site services).
• Definitions for physical items and layouts (stand types, booth composition, facilities, printed collateral).
• Facilitates consistent measurement, reporting and statistical procedures when used alongside Part 2 (measurement indicators/procedures).

Typical use and users

Event organisers, venue operators, trade associations, exhibition service providers, event-management and registration software vendors, statisticians, researchers, national standards bodies and procurement/legal teams use this vocabulary standard to ensure consistent terminology in contracts, reports, statistics, industry surveys and IT systems. It is also referenced by national adoptions and sector guidelines.

Related standards

ISO 25639-2 (Measurement indicators / procedures for exhibitions) is published in the same series and is under revision/development to align measurement methods with the vocabulary in Part 1; national adoptions (e.g., BS ISO 25639-1:2025, DS/ISO identical adoptions) exist. Users should consider both Part 1 and Part 2 together for terminology plus metrics and reporting.

Keywords

exhibitions, events, vocabulary, terminology, hybrid events, online events, trade fairs, ISO/TC 228, measurement indicators, event statistics

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 25639-1:2025 is an international standard that defines a harmonized vocabulary for the exhibitions and events sector (second edition published in 2025).

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers terms and definitions for people and organisations, event types (physical, hybrid, online), related activities and services, physical items and other general terminology used in exhibitions and events. It is intended to be used with measurement/indicator documents in the ISO 25639 series.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Event organisers, venues, service providers, software vendors, statisticians, trade associations, legal/procurement teams and national standards bodies use the standard to ensure consistent language across contracts, reports, surveys and IT systems.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 25639-1:2025 is the current (published) edition and replaces the withdrawn ISO 25639-1:2008. Organisations using the older edition should migrate to the 2025 vocabulary to reflect updated terms for hybrid and online events.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Part 1 of the ISO 25639 series. Part 2 (measurement indicators/procedures for exhibitions) exists as a separate document under development/revision to align with Part 1. Users implementing reporting or statistics should consult both parts.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: exhibitions, events, vocabulary, terminology, hybrid events, online events, trade fairs, measurement, ISO/TC 228.