Two vocabularies collide in a Fiji event contract: global meetings-industry jargon and Fijian words that a quote will use without explaining. This glossary defines both in one line each, with the Fiji-specific meaning where it differs from the international one.
Contract and commercial terms
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Attrition | The penalty for not filling a contracted room block. Usually expressed as a percentage you must achieve before a shortfall is charged. |
| Cut-off date | The date unsold rooms in your block return to the hotel's general inventory. Miss it and your delegates pay rack rate. |
| DDR | Day delegate rate. A per-person, per-day price bundling room hire, two breaks, lunch and basic AV. Rarely published in Fiji - ask for it by name. |
| CMP | Complete meeting package. A DDR extended to include accommodation and dinner. |
| Force majeure | The clause releasing both parties when something outside their control makes the event impossible. In Fiji, read it for the cyclone definition specifically - see what happens to a conference if there is a cyclone. |
| Minimum spend | A food and beverage floor attached to a function space. Below it you pay the shortfall, a venue fee, or both. |
| Rack rate | The published, undiscounted room rate. Your negotiated rate is measured against it. |
| Release date | See cut-off date. Fiji contracts use both terms interchangeably. |
| Run of house | Rooms allocated by the hotel from whatever category is available, rather than a guaranteed type. |
| Subvention | Financial or in-kind support from a destination to win an event. Fiji's position on this is covered in what a Fiji conference costs. |
Tax and money terms
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| VAT | Value added tax, 12.5% in Fiji effective 1 August 2025, on most goods and services. |
| TST | Tourism Services Tax. A 5% turnover-based tax effective 1 September 2026, applying to tourism operators with annual turnover above FJD 2 million. The Ministry of Finance has described it as temporary, for 12 months. |
| ECAL | Environment and Climate Adaptation Levy. The previous tourism turnover charge, cited by government at 10% alongside a 6% STT in the regime the TST is compared against. |
| STT | Service Turnover Tax, the other half of that previous 16% combined tourism load. |
| FJD / F$ | The Fiji dollar. All contracts should be in FJD; convert once in your budget, not line by line. |
| Indicative rate | The Reserve Bank of Fiji's published daily exchange rate. On 9 October 2026, FJ$1 = NZ$0.7881, A$0.6346, US$0.4416. Your bank's rate will differ. |
Tax rates are guideline only - confirm the current position with the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service before contracting. Last reviewed 10 October 2026. The full line-by-line treatment is in the Fiji event budget template.
Fijian words you will meet in a quote
These appear in resort proposals and run sheets, usually without a definition. They are not decoration: each describes something real that someone is paid to provide.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bula | Hello, and more broadly life or health. A bula welcome is a greeting line at arrival, often with song. |
| Bure | A traditional Fijian house, and the standard word for a free-standing guest unit at a resort. A ten-bure resort has ten rooms. |
| Kava / yaqona | The ceremonial drink prepared from the root of the yaqona plant, central to formal welcome. |
| Lovo | A feast cooked in an earth oven. A lovo night is a catering format, and it needs lead time and a pit - caterers such as Chefs Catering Fiji and Bulaccino Catering quote it as a format in its own right. |
| Masi / tapa | Cloth made from paper mulberry bark, used in ceremony, as decor and as gifts. Made by named artisans who should be credited and paid. |
| Meke | Traditional dance and song telling a story. A meke group is a professional engagement - budget a fee, transport and a meal per performer. |
| Salusalu | A garland worn around the neck, presented at welcome or as a gift. |
| Sevusevu | The formal presentation of yaqona to a host or chief, asking permission and acknowledging place. Required when a group visits a village. |
| Talanoa | Open, inclusive discussion. Increasingly used in Pacific conference design as a session format in its own right. |
| Vinaka | Thank you. Vinaka vakalevu is thank you very much. |
Handled properly, these are the strongest part of a Fiji programme. Handled as backdrop, they are the fastest way to lose a room. VOU Fiji and Kulawai Productions are both bookable directly for performance, and the cultural background is in Fijian culture and custom.
Geography and transport terms
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| NAN | Nadi International Airport, Fiji's main international gateway on the west of Viti Levu. |
| SUV | Nausori International Airport, serving Suva. Covered in can you fly directly into Suva. |
| Viti Levu | Fiji's main island, holding Nadi, Denarau, Lautoka, the Coral Coast, Pacific Harbour and Suva. |
| Vanua Levu | The second-largest island, with Savusavu and Labasa. Reached by domestic flight. |
| Denarau | A resort and marina precinct on a causeway-linked island near Nadi, roughly ten kilometres from NAN. Always ON Denarau Island. |
| Port Denarau | The marina from which Mamanuca and Yasawa boat transfers depart - operators including Captain Cook Cruises Fiji and Blue Lagoon Cruises sail from here. |
| Mamanucas | The island group closest to Nadi, reached by boat or seaplane. Always IN the Mamanucas. |
| Yasawas | The chain north of the Mamanucas - more remote, longer transfers. Always IN the Yasawas. |
| Coral Coast | The southern shore of Viti Levu between Nadi and Pacific Harbour. Always ON the Coral Coast. |
| Leg | One supplier movement. Nadi airport to a Mamanuca resort is two legs: a coach and a boat. Price per leg. |
| Transfer window | The time between a flight landing and a boat departing. Miss it and the next service may be the following day. |
Production terms
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bump in / bump out | Load-in and load-out. Each is usually a chargeable venue day in its own right. |
| Carnet | A customs document allowing temporary import of equipment without paying duty. Relevant if you fly kit in - see can you bring AV equipment into Fiji. |
| Fly-in kit | Equipment imported for an event because it is not available in-country. Carries freight, clearance, crew travel and crew accommodation on top of hire. Local alternatives include Encore Event Technologies Fiji. |
| Pillar-free | A function room with no internal columns, so every seat has a sightline. Worth asking about specifically. |
| Theatre / banquet / cocktail | The three capacity formats. A room's theatre number is always the largest and its banquet number the most useful. |
Next step
Keep this open alongside a venue response. If a quote uses a word that is not here, that is the question to ask first. From here, go to the Fiji event budget template, the Fiji venue comparison matrix, or the Fiji business events guide for the full planner's route.