Changes in Network Structure and Ownership of US Broadcast Television - Case Study Example

1920's Themed Wedding Module 7th June 2007 Table of Content Introduction 2. Brief of the event 3. Venue selection process 4. Evaluationof cost 5. Site visit 6. Contractual obligations 7. Insurance requirements 8. Production on the day 9. Conclusion 10. Bibliography 1. Introduction The objective of this report is to describe how venues are selected, booked and managed for an event. This report shows the importance of In order to manage an event, special attention has to be paid on budget, suitability and availability of the venue with regard to the expected attendees. Taking a 1920's themed wedding into consideration, this report describes the importance of selecting the perfect venue for a specific wedding and managing it perfectly so the participants of cross-cultures may enjoy and celebrate this ceremony. The site inspection conducted on 3 selected venues at London Hilton, the London Park Lane and the International Continental Hotel, Park Lane and the key issues involved in hiring a particular venue are elaborated. Further, these 3 venues are compared and analysed for the suitability of choosing a specific venue to stage the event. 2. Brief of the event The wedding day is one the most memorable moment in a girl's life. Therefore, it is the aspiration of every girl to celebrate it in a unique, memorable and fascinating way. The bride and the group want to celebrate this wedding in a secular way as none of them has any religious background. After discussing various ideas as to how this event should be celebrated, it is decided to do a 1920's themed wedding so as to impress the attendees with a different and unique experience in which the food, the d'cor, the flower arrangements and the dress have typical elements to mark it an 'poque. They want to celebrate their commitment and share this beautiful day with their friends and family. The attendees being in the range of 30-70 of age are encouraged to be highly appreciated for their formal dress according to the occasion. The style of the themed wedding is formal and emphasis is laid on elegance, sophistication and grandeur of the 1920's. The attendees coming from abroad are accommodated in a 5 star hotel. . 3. Venue selection process Over the past 10 years the demand from the private and public sector to hold the sports and festival events has been increased. Consequently, the venues have to be selected according to the demand and nature of the festival to accommodate and entertain the attendees. Monroe (2006) describes two types of venue verities available; the standard type venues like hotels, conference centres and restaurants, and the non-standard venues, built for other purpose than staging events, like museums, stadiums and parks. There are also unique venues like airports, hangers and historical sites etc. He further highlights the advantages of the purpose-built venues as they are cost-effective and usually provide most of the standard requirements, while the non-standard venues have limited services to offer to their customers, hence, the manager of the event has to work around with what is available (Monroe, 2006). Finding a suitable cost-effective venue is a constant challenge for the event organizer (Confex 2007). London Launch reveals there are more and more venues that see potential to increase their revenue by hiring buildings out for special events. In London alone, there are more than thousand of venues available to cater for all types of events. Yeoman et at (2006) is of the view that the venue selection process is one the most important element for staging an event as the success or failure depends solely on its right selection. Therefore, the following aspects should be given due consideration before selecting a venue. Does the venue match with the selected theme' What is the capacity of the venue' Is the venue accessible' What facilities does the venue offer' What is the price and what is included' What is the availability perspective' What is the venue's reputation' Monroe (2006) argues that from the venue selection, the event design will be determined; therefore it should be done earlier to ascertain its availability before the deadline. Another aspect that should be kept in mind is that there are not always ideal venues available, e.g., the best location may not be cost-effective, and a perfect venue like Freemason Hall, Covent Garden, an art-deco building may not accommodate 400 people in banquet style and does not have adequate car parking. Keeping in view all these elements and the requirements for the unique 1920's wedding, the following websites are consulted for find a suitable venue: www.londonlaunch.com www.eventwise.co.uk www.weddingvenues.com www.hitched.co.uk To determine the suitability of the venue, the following factors are taken into consideration: Location (Access & Suitability) Function and form compatibility (Suitability & Logistics) Special or all inclusive Services (Customer services) Tables, chairs, linens, etc. (Rentals) Space and Size (Accommodations & Suitability) Architecture (Ambiance and/or feel, soft, warm, cold, hot) Policies, procedures, and restrictions of operations (Function, Hospitality) Parking and Handicap and special needs access and services (Function, Hospitality) Extra or Hidden costs (Full discloser of costs and fees) Properly trained, experienced and adequate staff (Function,' Proper Staffing) Catering, Food and menu choices (Food Services) Bar and Beverages (Beverage Services) i. Physical requirements: The venue should hold up to 400 people dinner- dance with a complete band and a dance floor. The venue should also allow entertainment and decoration according to the 1920's theme. Black and white decoration, card tables, cocktail bar, old fashioned photo booth and availability to project silent films onto the walls or ceiling during the reception etc. ii. Budgetary requirements The direct and indirect costs imply the hiring of the venue, catering and the service offered by the venue. The indirect costs are fees that need to be paid for audio-visuals, dance floor hire, use of equipments such as tables, stage, lighting and decoration. A detailed breakdown of these costs is enumerated in the following section. iii. Aesthetic requirements For this specific event the client suggested a luxurious venue that would reflect the lavish lifestyle of the roaring 1920's. In order to meet their requirements, a research is conducted and the following three venues are selected which are discussed and analysed below: 1. The London Hilton 2. The Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane 3. The London Park Lane Hotel London Hilton London Hilton can accommodate private and corporate events for up to 1250 guests in the Grand Ballroom, the Wellington Ballroom and 12 other rooms, all having natural daylight and limited access. Situated in the heart of Mayfair and overlooking Hyde Park, this hotel has a health club and treatment Rooms. Guests enjoy free entry to the 'LivingWell Express Health Club' at the hotel. It also offers the medical services of cardiovascular equipment, weights and a separate stretching and personal training room. Its experience and expertise in event management is superb which recommends it as the first choice for the most high-profile events to the more intimate ones. The Hilton on Park lane Hotel has 450 traditionally furnished and spacious guest rooms having an en suit marble bathroom each. 2. The Intercontinental Park Lane Located at Park Lane, recently refurbished, London's finest hotel offers an elegant and contemporary event space comprising modern meeting rooms with state-of-the-art facilities and stylish function suits overlooking the Royal Parks and a stunning Grand Ballroom with its own exclusive street entrance and spectacular staircase. The hotel has elegant new guest rooms and spectacular suites, including the split level loft style London Suite and a stunning Club. There are also two exciting new restaurants, Theo Randall at The InterContinental featuring Theo Randall, the former head chef of Michelin star River Caf' and the Cookbook Caf'. Its blank canvas can be transformed into anything from extraordinary themed dinners to gala events and elegant weddings The warm contemporary event space has a magnificent ballroom for up to 750 guests and 12 meeting rooms all with wonderful views of The Royal Parks. 3. The London Park Lane Hotel This hotel embodies modernity and comfort combined with luxury and refinement, surrenders to the luxury of the 1920's and it is truly elegant hotel in the grandest of the traditions. Many of the rooms feature stunning views over Green Park and retain many original features such as fireplaces and marble bathrooms. This art-deco (design style prevalent during the 1920s and 1930s, characterized by a sleek use of straight lines and slender forms) style hotel offers 11,000-square foot ballroom complex that can cater up to 1,200 people. 4. Evaluation of cost Facility London Hilton Park Lane Intercontinental Hotel London Park Lane Hotel Room Hire 18.500 12,500 15,500 4 course menu p/p 75 73 65 Wine 27.50 29 22,50 Champagne 55 59 62 Decoration 15,000 12,000 25,000 Deposit 50% 20% 20% In house flowers 5,150 4,500 4,500 In house production Company 4,500 6,000 5,300 Public liability insurance 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,0000 Security per 150 people 155 140 140 Hiring chairs/tables 4,150 3,800.00 3,500 Linen 5,400 6,350 5,800 Accommodation 245 225 210 Hiring of dressing room 315 450.00 380 Pre-dinner reception p/p 25 23 27 Note: For organizing this wedding the best suppliers were used as this event did not have a specific budget 5. Site visit The objective of the site inspection is to assess all of the technical, operational and aesthetical information needed to arrange and produce a special event. For this purpose, the event manger has to visit the venues personally and discuss with the venue manager to ascertain availability of the venue at specific time, quality of catering service and accessibility of the venue for the attendees coming from abroad. He should also check the performance of the venue staff and see if the venue serves the purpose of staging a particular event. As 1920's themed wedding demands a classical looks and style, the venues are visited and analysed keeping in view the clients particular requirements. Site visit of these venues is analysis as follows: 1. S.W.O.T-analysis of Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane Strength Newly refurbished hotel Elegant and sophisticated Own entrance for the ballroom Good support of event managers Central located/ easy to access Sophisticated suites for the newly wed Spacious double rooms Parking available 10 spaces and Valet Parking at '40.00 (GBP) The hotel has 8 floors, 447 Guest Rooms and 60 suits which can easily accomodate this wedding. The rooms are supplied with Cofee Maker, Mini bar and Tea Maker It has 35mm Slide Projector, overhead projector and stage lights to facilitate the wedding cermony. Has 16 Meeting Rooms and 1300.27 m'/ 13995.65 ft' of Meeting Space Good value for money In house production company Excellent wedding packages Creative menus Weakness New staff members A little expensive Room service slow in responding 2. S.W.O.T-analysis of London Hilton Strength Spacious Lobby and grand ballroom with 1200 capacity Offers French cuisine in Galvin and cocktails in POP Bar LivingWell Express Health Club Excellent food quality Efficient, profession and friendly staff Audio-video available Spacious rooms with marbled bathroom Weakness New Staff Members Rather expensive Miserable internet connection Safety and risk management not specified Rather inattentive room service 3. S.W.O.T-analysis of The London Park Lane Hotel Strength Excellent room quality with 22m2 spaced rooms with city and high speed internet access Luxurious, elegant and very English Handicap Accessible Covered Parking Facilities Smoke Detector Currency Exchange 24-Hours Security 305 guest rooms with Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed, maid service, Direct Dialling, Cable Channels, Rollaway Beds and Mini Bar 70-years old, 11,000 square foot ballroom 302 Guest Rooms and 11 meeting rooms Video conferencing Service Has a Palm Court which acts as thoroughfare between rear and front reception area Impressive d'cor and opulence of the public rooms. Park Easy access to the venue Excellent services of the support staff Fully air-conditioned rooms LivingWell Express Health Club Multi-lingual staff TV/DVD and reading materials supplied in the room Hotel has its own parking available Have its own restaurant and bar Cost effective Weakness Cleanliness and food service is tolerable VENUE SELECTION / RECOMMENDATION: Of the three venues analysed above, the London Park Lane Hotel seems reasonably suitable for this 1920's themed wedding due to being physically perfect, economically cost effective and aesthetically attractive. Its rooms are spacious (25m2 executive rooms and 42m2 luxury suits), its own restaurant and bars with a Palm Court. It is economically as compared in the Cost Evaluation (sec. 4) and it has the elegance and majestic grandeur which recommends it for this particular wedding which demands a venue of classical looks and services. It also provides local attractions to the attendees coming from abroad to visit Buckingham Palace (0.5 miles), enjoy a night at the Royal Albert Hall (0.5 miles), Shop in Knightsbridge and Harrods (0.5 miles) and Visit the Victoria & Albert Museum (1 mile). Finally, it can accommodate the 400 attendees with its capacity of 1250 guests. This venue also promises security and special packages for children accompanying their parents. It has security cameras operating in all public areas, including guest floors. Security personnel and qualified first-aiders are on duty 24 hours a day. An automatic fire detection system is in use throughout the hotel with fire exit door alarms. These aspects of a highly suitable and perfect venue recommend the London Park Lane Hotel to stage a 1920' themed wedding which may satisfy the bride and the clients requiring the wedding services. 6 Contractual obligations "Contract is an agreement between two or more parties that sets out their obligation and is enforceable by law" (Bowdin et at 2006). It is an agreement between the venue operator and the event manager for this particular event. After the venue has been selected and approved by the stakeholders, the next step is to put all contractual agreements in writing. This contract will set up all the obligations that are involved when staging the event. Goldblatt (2005) suggests that the content of a contract should cover the following aspects: Names, details and trading name of both parties Duration of agreement Entertainers, caterers and other suppliers Specifications of the services that are offered by the venue Terms of conditions Cancellation clauses Force Majeure clause Billing Insurance Hold harmless and indemnification Signature of both parties stating that they have understood and agreed with the stated terms and conditions For this wedding, the following contractual obligations are to be undertaken: The contractual obligation includes agreement between both parties, Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane and Carolina Bugue'o Aguilera ("The Hirer") To undertake the obligation to pay for the minimum numbers of attendees specified in the agreement Confirmation of attendees to the operational manager of the venue 2 days prior the function Confirmed booking means the binding agreement confirmed once the Event Organiser and the venue has signed the Contract and/or paid the deposit as specifies deadlines for the delivery Cancellation cause states the right of the venue to cancel the event with no liability if the event imposes damages or reputation of the hotel or in case of cause beyond the control of the hotel In case the hirer cancels the event, the hirer shall pay the penalties at the rate of 90% of the charges if he cancels the event less than a month, 50% for 1 to 3 months, 35% for 3 to 6 months, 20% for 6 to 12 months and there is no charges if the cancellation order is made before 12 months. Compliance with the hotel's rules and regulations Insure that all the staff and the attendees are familiar with health and safety regulations Agreement in obtaining and keeping full force at all time a policy of insurance covering public liability towards people and property in respect of the hirer's use and possession of the ballroom. The Hotel shall receive a copy of the insurance policies taken by the event organiser. Disclaimer in case of lost and damage of found items, indemnification to the hotel in case of breaching the contract and damages to the property of the hotel The contract should be signed plenty of time before by both the parties to meet the deadlines. 7 Insurance The insurance responsibilities lie with the hotel which organizes this event. The hotel has to insure its entire luggage, baggage, venue and whatever deems fit for insurance. In this regard, the hotel has to insure any possibilities of fire and likely damages to the life and property of the attendees . 8. Production on the day Katleen Statler and Mark Lilius 1920's wedding party. Saturday, 05 April 2008 Time Funciton Set Up Attendees Room Hire 09:00 - 17:00 Ballroom Set Up 09:00 - 17:00 Roman to Grays Set Up 19:00 - 19:45 Roman to Grays Reception 20:00 - 22:00 Ballroom Dinner Dance Banquest Style 400 22:00 - 02:00 Petticoat to Leadenhall Post Dinner Bar 09:00 Set up Roman to Grays 20:00 Dinner Dance Ballroom Baked Filllet of Sea Trout, Puree of Pea, adn Saffron Potatoes with a Dill Oil dressing '19.50 p/p Seared Fillet of Shetland Salmon, Spring Onion Potato Cake & Red Pepper Pesto '18 p/p Lamb Two Way; (Roast & Confit) @ ' 22.500 p/p Grilled Rib Steak, Pont Neuf Potatoes and Garden Salad with Sauce B'arnaise '18.00 p/p Steamed Fillet of Halibut with a Crab & Lemon Risotto & a Red Wine Jus '22.50 Beverage Requirements 19:00 Reception Roman to Grays One glass of Hillsview Sparkling Wine, fresh orange juice or mineral water '10.50pp One Glass of Vida Organica Sparkling Wine, fresh orange juice or mineral water '11.50pp One glass of Michel Baujean Champagne, fresh orange juice or mineral water '13.50pp Limit of 2 glasses per person 20:00 Dinner Dance Ballroom Chablis Simonnet-Febvre Louis Latour Burgundy, France 2004/5 @ '33.00 per bottle Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 'Cerulli' Abruzzo, Italy 2004/5 @ '26.00 per bottle Speyside Glenlivet Sparkling Mineral Water @ '5.00 per bottle Speyside Glenlivet Still Mineral Water @ '5.00 per bottle Limit of half a bottle of wine and water p/person (please note special wine prices) VEGETARIAN OPTION Tomato & Goats Cheese Galette, Rocket Pesto & Baby Spinach Salad (V) @ '6.00 Carpaccio of Pineapple, Mesclun of Melon & A Coriander & Lime Dressing (V) '6.00 Soup Selector Traditional Cullen Skink Parsnip, Carrot and Ginger (V) Homemade Lentil (V) Cream of Woodland Mushroom (V) Plain rice, boiled or grilled chicken, plain vegetables - Carrots Broccoli @ '2.00 pp Audio Visual Time Funciton Set Up Attendees Room Hire 09:00 Set up Roman to Grays 19:00 Reception Roman to Grays Light background music required for the reception Setup 09:00 Set Up Ballroom BALLROOM staging to be tiered to the rear Allow 2ft either side of the stage for speakers 1 x maximum size dancefloor placed in the middle of the room 1 table for the wedding cake placed in front of the stage 09:00 Set up Roman to Grays PARK LANE SUITES 5 Poseur tables, 1 to be placed under each chandelier in the Park Lane Suites. RVH will be organising 6 occasional tables to be placed in the Park Lane Suites We to provide 3 side tables along the wooden side of the room. BALLROOM FOYER 3 registration tables required to for placecards JM to arrange 22:00 Post Dinner Bar ticoat to Leadenhall LEADENHALL - PETTICOAT 1 Bar placed along the length of the Marylebone (windowside) Tables & chairs (theos if poss) placed around the room, with sofas for a seating area. Florist will supply 2 arrangements for the buffet and 2 arrangements for all the above to be placed once guests are seated in the Ballroom Miscellaneous 19.45 Guests invited to sit down 20.10 - 20.15 Bride and Groom arrive in the Ballroom STARTERS TO BE PLACED ON TABLES BEFORE GUESTS ENTER THE ROOM 20.35 Clear starter plates 20.45 Fathers speeches 20.55 Main course served 21.35 Clear main course plates 21.45 Speeches 22.00 First dance 22.15 Dessert and coffee/tea served 23.00 Cake cutting 23.50 - 12.00 Cake and coffee/tea/served 02.00 Music stops and bar closes 02.30 Carriages 19:00 Reception Roman to Grays There will be 2 bands playing during the wedding 1 band to use the Covent Garden as an outmess area 1 band to use 2 of the Piccadilly suites for a changing area between sets 20:00 Dinner Dance Ballroom * NO SMOKING IN THE BALLROOM, SMOKING ONLY ALLOWED IN THE PARK LANE SWEETS * PLEASE PROVIDE 8/9 PIECES OF WEDDING CAKE PER TABLE. * WINE WAITERS MUST BE ATTENTIVE THROUGHOUT THE EVENT 9. Conclusion For managing a successful wedding event, the event manager has to select, first of all, a suitable and cost effective venue which should serve the specific purposes as laid down by the client. An ideal venue is that to which the attendees have easy access, is available at the deadline and provides excellent catering services. Such venue should give complete protection and security cover of any likely dangers and also have the aesthetic satisfaction of the client and the attendees. After having researched selected the venue, the event manger should visit the site to see if there are the things perfectly available as described or desired. For 1920's themed wedding, it has to be checked if the venue is capable of providing and creating atmosphere of that particular time with relevance to the customs and tradition. There are also steps involved like managing the budget, seeing what items are produced and how many attendees would participate and how many the venue can accommodate. And the last step is an important one i.e. signing the contract with the venue manager which should be concise, authentic and comprehensive to avoid any misunderstandings. For success of 1920's wedding event, the event manger should utilise all available resources of internet for searching the available venues and physical resources by visiting personally the sites and ascertain the suitability and availability of all the resources required. Doing all these things, the London Park Lane Hotel seems reasonably well as compared to the other venues visited and analysed. It is cost effective, have the aesthetic values and spacious enough to accommodate 400 attendees. It has also ballroom and Palm Court to hold the wedding ceremony. 10. Bibliography Books 1. James C. Monroe, (2006). Art of the Event: Complete Guide to Designing and Decorating Special Events. 2. Glenn Bowdin (2006). Events Management Internet 3. Confex International UK leading event exhibition: http://www.international-confex.com/ Last accessed June 8th 2007 Venues websites 4. Park Lane Hotel London website: www.Sheraton.com/London' ' '. Last accessed June 8th 2007 5. InterContinental Hotel website: www.intercontinental.com. ' Last accessed June 8th 2007 6. London Hilton Park Lane Hotel website http://www.Hilton.co.uk/. Last accessed June 8th 2007 Helping websites for venues and marriage tips 7. Marriage guide website www.hitched.co.uk/ Last accessed June 8th 2007 8. Perfect wedding location website www.weddingvenues.com/ Last accessed June 8th 2007 9. Event Organizer website www.eventwise.co.uk/ Last accessed June 8th 2007 10. Event Management Resource: www.londonlaunch.com/ Last accessed June 8th 2007 Read More