Garner Strategy Institute (GSI) presents executive-level training seminars nationally. Eastern University (EU) has approached GSI to present 40 one-week seminars during 2010. This activity level represents the maximum number of seminars that GSI is capable of presenting annually. GSI staff would present the week-long seminars in various cities throughout the United States and Canada. Terry Garner, GSI's president, is evaluating three financial options for the revenues from Eastern: accept a flat fee for each seminar, receive a percentage of Eastern's profit before tax from the seminars, and form a joint venture to share costs and profits.
Estimated costs for the 2010 seminar schedule follow.

EU plans to charge $1,200 per participant for each one-week seminar. It will pay all variable marketing, site costs, and materials costs.

Required
1. Assume that the seminars are handled as a joint venture by GSI and EU to pool costs and revenues.
a. Determine the total number of seminar participants needed to break even on the total costs for this joint venture. Show supporting computations.
b. Assume that the joint venture has an effective income tax rate of 30 percent. How many seminar participants must the joint venture enroll to earn a net income of $169,400? Show supporting computations.
2. Assume that GSI and EU do not form a joint venture, but that GSI is an independent contractor for EU.
EU offers two payment options to GSI: a flat fee of $9,500 for each seminar, or a fee of 40 percent of EU's profit before tax from the seminars. Compute the minimum number of participants needed for GSI to prefer the 40 percent fee option over the flat fee. Show supporting computations.
3. What are the strategic and implementation issues for GSI to consider in deciding whether to enter into the joint venture? ForEastern?

Garner Strategy Institute Eastern University Fixed costs N/A* N/A* $210,000 N/A $210,000 Per Participant SA7 18 35 Salaries and benefits Facilities Travel and hotel Other S200,000 48,000 70,000 S318,000 Total fixed costs Variable costs Supplies and materials Marketing Other site costs