Time management has been a big issue in this group project, it took along time to get us organised as a group, I personally found it very hard to be available at the start of the project and to be available when other group members were due to my job being time demanding and other group work for different subjects that I’m involved in taking up my time. This meant I missed a lot and found it difficult to understand what was going on. Due to finding it hard as the project progressed, my time management skills developed and I have been able to balance my job with my university work and my other groups work with this project. This has been very rewarding for me as I feel that it helped us all as a group, other members have also improved greatly their time management skills.
The only other problems we came across were listening to each other and being able to help each other. This was very difficult because everyone in the group is very opinionated and it sometimes made decisions difficult to be made. As the time progressed everyone became more open to suggestions and we all listened to each other and as a group made decisions.
I have benefited a great deal from this project, my time management skills have improved, my problem solving skills have developed and I have improved greatly on my communication skills, being able to communicate both inside my own culture and with different cultures. I feel that this group project has been a great challenge that has prepared me more for a management career in the tourism and hospitality industry.
As an organiser of a conference trying to organise a conference for 200 delegates from different countries around the world found the process to be difficult. There are many factors to consider from the tiniest detail to the largest, which are all as important as each other.
There are many destinations and facilities in Greece with the capacity to cater for a three-day conference. Making a final decision was dependent on many factors, for example if they had enough rooms both single and double, if they had the facility to hold a conference, if breakfast was included, entertainment facilities available, things that made the facility stand out from the rest of the many in Greece, if the facility would appeal to 200 delegates and finally if the price was negotiable to a reasonable rate.
There were many problems with being able to communicate with different conference facilities, and trying to negotiate a price and package. Many of them wouldn’t communicate on phone due to difference in language and of us being unable to understand each other and communicate our purpose of calling. When a facility had been decided on to hold the conference all communication was dealt with through email. Which was challenging because it made the process long and hard to get moving. Many emails were sent back and fourth just discussing and negotiating coffee prices and whether they would include that in the room price which was time consuming.
A problem arose when the destination that had been decided on and that the conference was being developed around wasn’t replying to emails that were being sent and the process was driven to a halt due to lack of important information being received. In this situation a second choice which had already been decided on came into use. This second choice was very quick at communicating and very helpful. The conference had to be rearranged around the new facility.
When organising such a conference I have learnt from this experience that it is always beneficial and helpful to have a contingency plan. So in the event something goes wrong with the facility holding your conference, as an organiser you always have a way of dealing and coping with a problem or crisis as quickly as possible, causing little inconvenience to your customers and keeping them happy and satisfied, which is important for your business.
There are other things when organising a conference that are needed to be taken into account and that also need to have contingency plans/backups. For example flights, it is very difficult when there are different delegates from different countries flying in on different plans and at different times. Flights may be delayed or certain delegates may miss their plane, in this situation other flights need to be arranged and you have to make sure that there are flights available if people do miss their planes. Once of the planes transport from the airport to the hotel has to be arranged for each delegate and a contingency plan of a taxi etc if the desired transport doesn’t turn up. Little factors such as if a delegate arrives too late for dinner if room service will be opened need to be found out. The facility needs to be aware of the fact that during the conference event there are many languages that need to be interpreted, especially when key note speakers are talking. Translator equipment needs to be in place if not already done so, and if it doesn’t work a plan for a representative of each country to translate needs to be arranged. Food is important, all delegates of course need to be feed, menus need to be negotiated and whether they eat in the restaurant or a buffet is provided in the conference hall. If a buffet is provided, arrangements need to be made for the hotel to provide this and have the staff to manage it. There is also the entertainment and partner programme that need to be arranged, and whether food, lights, music, flowers etc are included in events such as a Greek night.
In conclusion I have found that from organising a conference event for 200 people there is a lot of factors to take into account and a lot of different things to be arranged, these range from the coffee provided for coffee breaks to the rooms and flights available at certain times to certain destinations. The most important aspect to take into account is problems that may arise and how to deal with them practically and quickly without causing disturbance to delegates. It is important; I feel to always have a backup plan, a contingency plan for everything that you have to deal with. For example anything from flights being delayed, loosing passangers, loosing delegates, transport breaking down, transport not turning up, delegates canceling, food not being prepared on time, equipment breaking to illness can be dealt with. If any possible situation that occurs has a contingency plan you will be able to deal with it effectively. Organising any business event is challenging because there is so much involved, however I feel it is easily handled if every aspect is broken down and thought about in a organised process. It is very rewarding when every factor from budgets to hotel rooms falls into place, every possible problem is evaluated and the event comes together for the organiser.
