Project Proposal for East-WestElectron.com Conference
Introduction
The East-WestElectron.com Company is a multi-billion dollar company, making business on chips and microchips that may be used in a wide range of modern electronic devices. With its objective to further develop and improve, it aims to gather its employees and partners for a conference. The conference that will be held is in response to its intention to expand the company’s business both in the Western and Eastern hemispheres for the next five years. In line with this, this paper will discuss the proposal for its 4-day conference, to be held in one of the islands in the South Pacific. This proposal will suggest specific considerations for the event, such as the facilities, legal and risk issues, and other important considerations.
Types of Facilities
Facilities are important aspects for the accommodation of the delegates in the beach resort. Given the attendants of the conference to be the employees of the company with their partners, and the top company executives, it is essential to prepare and plan the appropriate facilities for the rooms and conference areas of the delegates. However, the facilities to accommodate the employees and top company objectives must not be similar, for the needs of the top company executives are much different from the company employees. In coordination with the conference center staff in the hotel or beach resort of Sausmaree Island, here is the list of the facilities of each of the employee rooms and top company executive rooms, including the equipments to be used for the conference.
Facilities and Amenities
Employee Rooms
Top Company Executive Rooms
Conference Equipments
Air-conditioned rooms
Tea and coffee facilities
Speakerphone with voice mail
Same day International newspaper in any language
Colored cable TV, radio, and clock
Mobile telephone rental
Laundry and dry-cleaning facilities
Tour desk
Private bathroom
Mini bar and refrigerator
Room service
Complementary breakfast, coffee, tea and refreshments
Shuttle bus service to major shopping centers
Pool access
Air-conditioned rooms
Tea and coffee facilities
Speakerphone with voice mail
Same day International newspaper in any language
Colored cable TV, radio, and clock
Mobile telephone rental
Laundry and dry-cleaning facilities
Tour desk
Private bathroom with Jacuzzi
Mini bar and refrigerator
Room service
Laptop computers
24-hr high-speed Internet access
Limousine rental
Complementary breakfast, coffee, tea and refreshments
Pool access
Overhead projectors
Laser projectors
White boards
Speakers or sound systems
Laptops or PCs
Laser pointers
Boardrooms, conference rooms or audio-visual rooms
White board markers
Erasers
These facilities will be used by the delegates and employees, for the 4-day conference, including the access or use of resort facilities such as cottages and washrooms. In addition, features of the conference include a complementary lunch and dinner for the delegates during the conference itself. The complementary lunch and dinner includes a full meal and their choice of refreshments. Some equipment can be used upon the request of the delegates, such as a fax machine or printer. As presented, basic needs will be provided for the delegates of the event, to make room for other needs in the presentation of this proposal. Moreover, some equipment can be brought inside the building, but must be checked first by a certified person prior the event, for safety reasons ( 2006).
Role and Responsibilities of Specialists
Planners or specialists have long known the value of engaging the best available talent and the widest range of constructive views possible to tackle the variety of planning problems ( 1997). With the importance of planning for this event, it is best to evaluate and determine the individuals and their roles in the operation of the event. The event coordinator or officer will be the one responsible for organizing committees that will be in-charge with different activities, such as the food to be served, the equipments to be used, the legal papers for the event, and other important details. The committees will have a corresponding head, which will be responsible for the activities of each team, and will then be presented to the event coordinator. Approval follows the presentation. Aside from the event coordinator or planner who constitutes the executive committee, the board of directors are also needed in the planning of the event. The members of the board of directors will be from the different branches of the company from different countries, to ensure the collaboration of ideas from different cultures and races. Their primary duty is to evaluate the responsibilities of the event planner or conference organizer. They will not be involved in the conceptualization and materialization of the event or conference, but they are mainly involved in terms of legal and professional consultations. They can also be involved in the operations by giving out and sharing their ideas regarding the conference. In addition, the committees for the event that will be in charge to each category are the immediate helpers of the event planner. They will be responsible for the planning, researching, collecting, trouble-shooting and documenting the potential materials to be used and needed for the event. They will also be controlling mechanism for the event, being able to decide what to cover and what not to cover, for these committees have their own set of manpower.
Moreover, the finance and marketing department is also present, which will be responsible for the financial resources of the conference. The advertising department will also be participating in the event, which will be responsible for the dissemination of the information regarding the conference. The advertising department will collaborate with the finance and marketing departments in relation to the sponsoring individuals and groups. The security and safety commission will also be present, being responsible for the peace and order of the 4-day conference. Logistics is also maintained, for necessary equipments for the conference are associated with them. However, the plans and actions of the committees are subject to the scrutiny and approval of the event planner. Furthermore, employee volunteers will also be entertained by the committees and the event planner or specialist, given the fact that they are duly constituted and able to be involved in the preparation of the conference. Mainly, these volunteers must be recommended by their department heads. They will be comprising the miscellaneous team, who will be accommodating tasks from other committees. Most importantly, sponsors will play a major role in the operation of the conference. They are exclusively separated from the main planning of the conference, but hold a relatively significant position, being linked with the overall business organization.
Considerations of the Conference Organizer
Pre-Conference
During this period, the pre-conference, the conference organizer will be considering the major aspects involved in the event planning. In the pre-conference period, the conceptualizing, planning, organizing, and distribution of materials and other needs for the event are being accomplished, in accordance to the objectives of the conference. Most of the planning and organizing happens, including the consideration of the venue of the event, transportation, the schedule of activities, the equipments, the allocation of resources, and the staffing of the conference. In addition, in the pre-conference, the organizer must be able to anticipate changes and problems during the conference, so he or she must already have proposed solutions at hand.
During the Conference
During the conference, the goal of the conference organizer is to make sure that the conference is running smoothly. The conference organizer is expected to know the order and the details of the event, must be able to answer questions, to monitor the conference, and assist in any problems arising in communication, schedule, and other aspects in the conference. During this period, the organizer should expect a great volume of inquiries and concerns regarding the conference, so he or she must be knowledgeable and skilled in facing the difficulties. In addition, the conference organizer must make sure that all his or her committees are doing their jobs for the event, for a more effective division of labor.
Post-Conference
After the conference, the conference organizer must have a way to evaluate the whole event. He or she can organize a small group, including the department and committee heads and the board of directors, to assess if the objectives of the conference have been attained. The evaluation of the conference will become the basis of the conference organizer and the company itself for future conferences. In this period, the strengths and weaknesses of the event will be assessed.
Legal and Risk Issues
In this event, risk management and legal issues are relevant, for this conference is mainly exposing the assets of the company, including its top executives and manpower. It has been reported that risk management is the formal process of assessing exposure to risk and taking whatever action is necessary to minimize its impact (1993). With this definition, it is important to identify and assess the risks to be considered for the event. First risk is property exposure, which includes loss or damage to facilities, equipment, and equipment of others that might be on loan, leased, or stored on the premises of the company. To identify these, it is essential to make a list of all property on the premises. Second risk is public liability, such as the acts of the company’s employees, malpractice, and intentional remarks like libel, slander and false arrest, assault, invasion of privacy and violation of liquor laws ( 1993). The second risk is relevant for the employees will be staying in the resort for 4 days, so it is better to have safety precautions regarding the matter. The third risk is public liability, so it is best to examine the program or venue, to assess what types of exposures exist to determine the likelihood and the seriousness of the bodily injuries that might occur in supervised services and unsupervised services. The conference organizer must consider the number and training of the personnel involved, the maintenance status of the facilities, and the number of participants or facility users. Lastly, business operations of the company must be considered, by evaluating the potential financial loss that could result from the disruption of its various aspects of operation. This include personnel-related factors, such as employee dishonesty, health of key personnel and errors by officers, and non-personnel-related, which includes natural elements, health or political reasons and vehicle coverage (1993).
With the identification of these risks, the company and the executive committee of the conference will be providing each employee, delegate and participant with the Legal and Risk Management Policy Guidelines to guide them accordingly. (See Appendix)
Situational Analysis
The 4-day conference will be held on Sausmaree Island in the South Pacific. The South Pacific islands are regarded as wedding and honeymoon destinations due to its romantic and blissful scenery. However, this time, the islands will be adding its market value through the accommodation of business conferences. Sausmaree is an area of outstanding natural beauty, being inhabited by poor local peoples who rely on fishing as their main source of income. Being not so famous in terms of tourism, the company can become successful in their aim for secrecy and security. In addition, because the inhabitants of the island are not yet in-touched with technology and modernization, the company can avoid publicity and media exposure. Some external organizations that might be interested with the visit of the company, include the local fishermen, bar and restaurant entrepreneurs, and storeowners. With the visit of the company, they can increase their sales and introduce their products and crafts to the visitors. This would advantage the local economy and even give them the chance to introduce their products to the Western market through the company. The visit would also give the local peoples and the visitors the chance to interact with each other, and become exposed with other cultures. This would add to the learning of the visitors, as the company is also comprised of multi-cultural individuals, and promote cultural relativity. However, the visit can also bring disadvantages to both parties, as some visitors might not be as cultural sensitive as others, and may lead to incidences of racial and cultural discrimination. The visit might also bring “culture shock” to both parties, as each will be exposed to many different practices and behavior. In addition, language barrier can also create a problem, for not all peoples in the island can speak English. This might show the superiority of the visitors, and the discrimination of the locals.
During vacant periods, the visitors can become busy with fishing, or even snorkeling or scuba diving, as a form of the visitors’ relaxation and at the same time, promoting the tourism of the island. The visitors can also become occupied with shopping items or souvenirs endemic in the island, to also support the products and crafts of the locals. The interaction with the locals will enhance the public relations of the visitors, and their exposure to other cultures. In addition, the delegates or participants can also interact with their colleagues from other branches of the company, and talk about the differences or similarities in their management. This interaction would develop and improve the communication of employees with one another, for an even better conference discussion and participation.
Quality Benchmarks
In relation to the quality benchmarks or standards of the conference, it will seek to drive on its impact on the community or the organization as a whole. First, the conference has an impact on knowledge and learning, with its aim of the proliferation of the value, appreciation and continuous improvement in terms of work and employee development. The conference shall contribute to the additional knowledge and information of the employees regarding the operations of the company. Second is the socio-cultural aspect of the conference, which promotes awareness among the participants of the conference, the importance of cultural relativism as opposed to racial discrimination. This conference will also open doors for the delegates or participants to become exposed to new cultures and practices different from their own. Third is the promotion of the tourism of the area or the Sausmaree Island, which will help the local government to raise funds. Lastly, the conference will open wider horizons for the employees and participants’ appreciation and given importance for their work attitudes and ethics. It will serve as a melting pot to unite people and to make use of the creativity, skills and talents of the employees of the company.
Quality can be achieved through the conference by the efficient and effective coordination of the committees, departments and board of directors of the event. If they will not be collaborating properly and effectively, then they will not be exchanging and brainstorming on genuine and original ideas for the conference. The collaboration and coordination of the different committees will make it possible for the conference to achieve its proposed objectives. Moreover, quality can also be achieved through the help of the participants and sponsors of the event. With their participation, the discussion of the conference will be interactive and lively. With the continuous support of the sponsors, the conference will have less problems regarding its finances and marketing. This is in relation to the understanding of a quality event, which represents a conference or event that meets or surpasses the standards of the participants in terms of various aspects, such as facilities, objectives, and flow of discussion. If the different aspects and factors in planning and organizing of the conference or event has met the standards of the all the participants and delegates of the company, then this conference is considered to be a quality event.
Cultural Differences
The fact that East-WestElectron.com Company is a multinational company, having factories located in different countries, the problem of cultural differences is impossible to encounter. With this difference, delegates in the conference may find it difficult to interact with one another. With this problem, the conference organizer must make sure that the delegates will interact with each other through icebreakers or games during the conference. The games must involve the grouping of the delegates in a way that they will be interacting with other delegates from other countries. Another strategy is to assign them rooms in the resort or hotel having new roommates. This would increase their chances of knowing each other, resulting to inclusivity. In addition, the seats in the conference room itself must be arranged in such a way that the delegates will interact with each other effectively. This would somehow help remove barriers from one another help get to know each other. Moreover, the conference planner can organize a “bonding session” in the four consecutive evenings in the resort or hotel to increase the incidence of informal interaction. These interactions disregard culture differences and eliminate ethnocentrism.
Conclusion
With the discussed needs and requirements for the conference, it is essential to assess first the needs of the delegates or participants of the conference. For the conference to be successful in the accomplishment of its aims, the company must be effective and efficient in assigning the tasks and responsibilities to the right individuals. The most crucial responsibility is on the hands of the conference organizer, who is responsible for the structure and flow of the whole event.
Recommendations
The organizers and committees for the conference must be able to assess the venue of the event, and make sure that it will be utilized effectively in accordance to their aims and objectives. The organizer must also present this proposal to the company to make sure that all the facilities and needs assumed by the conference organizer will be evaluated. This would ensure the needs and preferences of the delegates, making room for additional needs. Moreover, several events and activities must be planned and organized to ensure interaction among delegates and participants of the conference, in accordance to the aim of the conference to eradicate cultural differences.
Appendix
Legal and Risk Management Policy Guidelines
v The Executive Committee appoints the head of the Security and Safety Committee to be the overall controlling mechanism and responsible in risk management of the conference.
v At events and other activities, the Security and Safety Officer and the on-duty staff has the authority to make decisions in matters of public order and safety.
v Inspection is always a round-the-clock procedure. Risky areas must be given special kind of attention.
v Volunteers and participating personnel must be properly oriented before doing relevant duties.
v All participants must understand immediate safety procedures.
v Records must be made and documented.
v Most importantly, list of emergency service contact numbers must be readily available in all vital locations and close individuals.
v First aid station and complete materials must be present in special parts of the venue. Roving volunteers may be situated in some areas.
v All participants must sign a waiver/form beforehand.
v At the venue, safety materials and requirements must be complete.
v The divisions/partitions of the venue are clearly defined and use proper surrounds. A site plan or map is a great help.
v Entry and exit point are strictly defined.
List of Emergency Contact
AMBULANCE:
HOSPITALS:
FIRE STATION:
POLICE STATION:
MISCELLANEOUS:
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