**関係者**  – _kankeisha_. A broad term whose meaning varies wildly depending on context but for events, it usually refers to **honored guests** — Family, friends, loved ones, press, industry VIPs, collaborators that are not staff and are not part of the general audience. They are usually assigned a block of seats that aren’t always exclusive to them as unclaimed seats might get sold off or raffled away to fill them especially for smaller venues.