Write a synopsis on the case study. Hospitality class.

CASE STUDY The Big Day Picture this: The sun rises above the horizon, releasing rays of evening reception, and, before the day is done. 1,900 guests blue and pink light that whisk across the ocean and spill onto and hundreds of vendors will have descended on this resort the beautifully manicured greens of the resort hotel's champion- hotel. Since there were growing concerns about the image ship golf course. Against the backdrop of the crashing surf and conveyed by using apparently glitzy venues, the venue elim- pless of hungry gulls, you can also hear the sounds of morning inated the word resort from its name. This was done after stirring at the resort hotel. Car doors slamming, muffled voices the contract was signed sharing greetings and farewells, china and silver clashing, and Todd Cliver, Convention Services Manager for the hotel the squeaking wheels of fully laden carts, each heading off to convenes a last-minute meeting for the hotel's team han its appointed area under the guiding hand of one of many hotel dling the Annual Congress. Todd has worked tirelessly for staff who have arrived before most guests are awake, nearly nine months, when the account was turned over Today is a big day. The Association of Amalgamated Pro from the Sales and Marketing Department of the hotel. fessionals (AAP) will open its 35th Annual Congress with an coordinating all of the plans, wants, and needs of his client Continued 18 Part 1 Introduction in the hotel's destination city, Kathy Sykes, the Ownet the association's Senior Meeting Manager, Barbara Tain. Today represents the culmination of hundreds of emails, and President of Skylark Destination Management Com phone calls, videoconferences and personal meetings pany (DMC), is already at her office reviewing final arrange- between Todd and Barbara Todd interacted with every ments for ground transportation for VIPs and off-site events, department in the hotel. Barbara worked closely with event theme preparations, and entertainment for the AAP AAP staff and volunteers, worked with other vendors, and meeting, Kathy has already received two complaints from supervised AAP support staff for the AAP's 35th Annual the manager of the headliner rock star booked for tonight's Congress reception: The entertainer wants only chilled glasses for his Donna Miller, Director of Sales and Marketing, whose orange juice, which he expects to be freshly squeezed in department was responsible for contracting this--the larghis suite, and can only get dressed if he is provided with est meeting the hotel will have ever managed reports on navy blue towels for his after shower rubdown Kathy of her client's last-minute changes and concerns, all meticu- course, will ensure compliance with these requests, she lously logged since her client, Barbara Tain, arrived two days wants to avoid any problems before tonight's event. ago David Stern Front Desk Manager recaps the latest With a thunderstorm threatening for tomorrow after report on expected room occupancy and on the timing and noon, Kathy's mind is also already racing about alternatives numbers of anticipated arrivals. Throughout the day, he will for the golf tournament. She knows the golfers can play in continue to check with his staff to ensure that there will be the rain, but a thunderstorm would endanger their safety adequate and contracted numbers of front desk clerks to Jack Ardulosky, a Senior Technical Engineer for an support the check-in flow, bell staff to manage the deluge audiovisual company, pulls into the hotel's delivery area of luggage and golf clubs, and door staff, valet parkers, con while completing his mental checklist for final site review, cierge and guest services soft and housekeeping services Satellite link integrity, picture clarity, and sound quality David Fenner, Director of Catering, provides his With three global broadcasts and webcasts, he will have final status report, commenting on the readiness of the little room for error. He sees the florist unloading the last kitchen and banquet staff to serve the equivalent of almost of the fresh floral arrangements and makes a note to him 12.000 meals and untold gallons of juice, milk, coffee, tea. self that leaves and petals can cause just as much of a sodo, and alcoholic beverages over the next three days viewing obstruction as meeting room columns. He scans In addition, the hotel's outlets restaurants and lounges) the area around him for a parking spot since not much is expect a much higher than average volume and have available with all the trucks and vans unloading the trade planned for Supplies and personnel accordingly, show booths. Jack notices the rising ambient temperature Other hotel staff members report to the Director of and expects a long, hot day. He will feel better if he can Sales and the Convention Services Manager. These include find parking in the shade, even if he must walk a greater those involved with recreation golf, tennis, health club, and distance poon, maintenance, security, and accounting Even the an Barbara Tain, the Senior Meeting Manager for the asso mal handlors, who work with the parrots, an attraction for ciation, wipes the beginning of fatigue from her eyes--she quests as they enter the property, want to ensure there are has already been on site for two days, and her constant only healthy, well-behaved birds to greet the guests checking of details has not allowed her to sleep as well as This one convention has already impacted, and will she would have liked and continues her walk-through of impact, every area of the hotel's operations. Armed with the registration area, information center, and cyber cafe, all this information. Todd looves for his final preconference en route to a meeting with Todd Cliver and David Fenner. meeting pre-cond with Barbara Tain ensuring the meeting space will be appropriately set for Monnwhile, on the other side of the country Jane delivery of the education critical to the meetings objec- Lever steps onto Concourse of the Ph.adelphia Interna: tives. Having eaten just a few bites of her breakfast during tional Airport, har biline-boarding pass, e-ticket receipt with a meeting with association executives and key committee its special meeting discount price, and a US government is members, she will still be late to her meeting with Cliver sued photo ID firmly in her grasp. She has checked her lug. and Fenner because of last-minuto details and concerns gage, making sure it is locked with only the TSA approved from the meeting with association staff and volunteers locks for a possible security search. She scans the bank of Only half glancing at the space around her, she again monitors for her flight information. Before her day ends reviews her lengthy checklist speaker and trainer arrivals she will have touched down at two other airports, eaten and needs, banquet event orders (BEOs), transportation one airline snack, grabbed a candy bar on her way through schedules, badges, staffing centerpiece design and deliv a change of planes at another airport, mado numerous cellery, phone and data lines, computers and printers, WiFi phone calls, bought a newspaper and a few magazines, and bandwidth, exhibitor booth setup, VIP procedures. concams paid for a tax to the hotel Around the country, 1.899 other about tomorrow's weather, special check-in processes. professionals, just like Jane, will do the same thing and audiovisual equipment opening production rehearsal times travel to the same place for the same purpose--a meeting and needs, Power Point files, handouts, arrangements a for participants with disabilities including those who have She will also check the weather many times on her smart specified food allergies, and amenities for VIPs-her mind phone, television, radio, and if there is one, the newspaper. is crowded with details. Barbara will have eaten on the run, tried to find a few min- With all this and more going through her mind, her utes to check office voice mail and email, and through it all, most dominant thought is. "What could go wrong over the kept a smile on her face, even while her feet hurt. next three days: weather: delayed arrivals: delayed depar At the end of the day, she will review her notes and tures, the illness, or worse, death of a participant, vendor. check room sets for the next morning's sessions and crawl or speaker; or a natural disaster like an earthquake? How into bed for a few hours of sleep before it all begins again prepared am I? Is the hotel, our vendors, and off-site ven- When the final curtain closes on the AAP's 35th Annual ues ready to respond quickly and effectively?" The fact is. Congress, Barbara Tain will be one of the last to leave the although it is almost never apparent to a meeting participant hotel. Before leaving for the airport to fly home, she will some things may not proceed as planned. The meeting plan review all the master account charges, conduct a post-con- ner and CSM are never more important than at that moment vention (post-con) meeting with the property staff and her when a crisis must be anticipated and then averted vendors, and make notes for next year's meeting. Once It is Opening Day at Last, and Everything back in the office, she'll work with the vendor companies Is in Motion that conducted the evaluations, review all the bills, and ensure timely payment, and write thank you notes It is the end of the first day of the AAP's 35th Annual Con- Face-to-face meetings will continue because there is a gress, which Barbara Tain refers to as the Annual or Annual need for human interaction. These meetings and events will Meeting, and so far all has gone well. succeed because they are enhanced by virtual audiences Barbara will have had formal, prescheduled meetings who add to the energy and diversity prior to during, and with Todd Clive. Barbara will also have spoken with Todd and after the meeting or event. (Think Twitter and the hashtags many others who work for the hotel via radio (walkie-talkie) being used now for meetings, and envision even greater and/or mobile device, as well as by chance and sched- involvement in the future.) uled meetings. These talks include a review of banquet You've thus far decided to read this text and to learn checks with various departments, one of which will include about this dynamic industry. You are the future, you bring accounting. Barbara will have talked with those on the AAP to it your experiences and insights. Observe, learn, and take staff and in volunteer leadership, and with outside vendors. action to keep MEEC moving forward