Social Table - Research Paper Example

Social Table Contents Contents 2 Introduction 3 1 Background 3 2 Purpose 4 3 Definitions 5 4 Brief methodology 5 5Acknowledgements 6 1.6 Limitations 6 2. Problem Definition and Objectives 6 2.1 Problem Definition and Objectives 6 Problem definition 6 Objectives 6 2.2 Review of Prior Research 7 5. Complete Methodology 8 5.1 Problem Definition 8 5.2 Target Population 9 Sampling Units 9 Sampling method: 9 5.3 Sample Sizes 10 5.4 Pilot Survey 12 Recommendations 15 References 16 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Setting up Social Table programs is a multifaceted activity that deserves the advice of experienced professionals. The purpose of the research study is to survey and bring out the best of any activity that concerns hotel management together with management of the facilities that are used to host different events within a single place. For instance, a hotel can be used to feature and bring out different modes and levels of satisfaction amongst the people. What is key is to make sure that every planning activity takes place in accordance to the available avenues of work together with the values and value systems of the business. Carrying out a pilot survey enables the research process to be done in a concise and methodological manner. There is no need to have a number of events or functions without monitoring the need for quality and satisfaction among the clients (European Conference of Ministers of Transport, 2011). Social Table provides the immediate venues for many events. The planning and proper management of the available materials and equipment within a hotel can be converted to a Social Table in order to be used to meet the needs and demands of a social event. Hospitality industry can make equitable use of any material or feature that serves to better the terms of service delivery together with management of the available resources to the best of delivery as possible. For instance, Social tables can make use of cloud-based software in order to reach and exchange its ideas with clients in the market. Cloud-based computing offers the best and globalized approach in dealing with service and information delivery to clients. For instance, many global organizations and hospitality industries make equitable use of the available internet-based marketing in order to access customers. Cloud computing will serve as one of the best avenues of relaying the best options towards maintaining and increasing production and satisfaction of clients in social tables (Wood & Brotherton, 2008). Event diagramming, seating arrangements and check-in products are some of the other features that try to bring climax production and equitable service delivery to the people. Diagramming an event is one of the ways of ensuring that clients need to operate within the required standards. Being in an event-characterized planning makes everything to be under plan and probably on times. It is easy to have a genuine avenue of relaying the best planning practices. Nonetheless, diagramming an event makes the planning process equitable and tangible. Seating and check-in products are a requirement when doing event diagramming. Check-in products are part of the necessary avenues that can be used to feature the best approaches or enabling the entire Social Table programming to become a possibility. 1.2 Purpose The purpose of the research is to help social tables better understand the difference between meeting planners and hotels. The objective is to be achieved by targeting event planners in the United States of America. Moreover, the purpose of the research study is to feature out the recommendable measures that are supposed to be taken in order to improve on service delivery within the Social tables. The objective of the study research is to assist a client who is looking for a more general idea about what the customer wants, instead of a survey of their awareness or willingness to use Social Tables. Furthermore, Social Table wants to survey their current customers. Instead, they want to develop a survey that will help them better understand the difference between meeting planners and hotels. They want us to focus on asking meeting planners what they feel needs to be improved at hotels where events are held. They also do not want us to use ‘Social Tables’ in the survey. They are looking for a more general idea about what customer want, not a survey of their awareness or willingness to use Social Tables. 1.3 Definitions Social Tables-is a business-based corporation. 1.4 Brief methodology The methodological approaches that led to the establishment of the research-included census, survey, issuance of questionnaires, among other methods. Survey was one of the comprehensive methodologies that enabled the research to be conducted within the required limits and specifications as stated in the project objectives and aims. The survey process ensured an establishment of the following approaches of feedback from the field. The survey process ensured bridging the gap between meeting planners and hotels by urging Social Tables to: Evaluate the satisfaction of event planners in the following event planning processes: Request For Proposal Communication Room Set Up Using the survey techniques, the research project was able to investigate the reasons for dissatisfaction of meeting planners at hotels. Dissatisfaction is like an ailment to any business. When the products do not satisfy clients and services offered by a business, it becomes a risk that could lead to destruction of the existence and continuity of the project. Therefore, it is important to make sure that every product and service they access from the business satisfies clients. 1.5 Acknowledgements The acknowledgements are directed towards all the people who were involved in the research process, the interviewees, respondents, and the Social Tables Corporation together with the hotels involved. 1.6 Limitations A common limitation for the project was failure to live within the expected avenues of ensuring equitable management within the hotels. It is not possible to be a massive business corporation without having to experience challenges. Moreover, the research process cannot be accurate and innate due to challenges and shortcomings of the research process. 2. Problem Definition and Objectives 2.1 Problem Definition and Objectives Problem definition There is a great difference between meeting planners and hotels. Everything in life involves planning for something. No one plans for a failure or a misunderstanding. The main problem within the research is on the fact that there is a difficulty in telling between meeting the planners and hotels within Social Tables. Objectives The project’s objectives are to help social tables better understand the difference between meeting planners and hotels. There is a big difference between these two terms, and with the differences come knowledge of how to handle the differences between these two sectors of business. The planners have to be sentimental of what is to be done, and what needs to be improved in every chapter of working within a hotel. Meeting planners have to be sentimental, great thinkers, and sustainable-minded. Our focus is to asking meeting planners what they feel needs to be improved at hotels where events are held. Our client is looking for a more general idea about what the customer want, instead of a survey of their awareness or willingness to use Social Tables. Apart from striking an agreement on what needs to be done, it is also the pleasure of the research to objectively analyze the need to have improvements within the hotel in order to serve its purpose with a continued measure. 2.2 Review of Prior Research The research has been done under an equitable preparation from the concerned parties. For instance, a meeting was established between the researchers and Social Table. What transpired was sentimental towards meeting the requirements of the project. The following information was obtained, that led to a good study research: Social Tables has 30 employees and 3 interns currently They have customers in almost every US states, as well as a few foreign clients Their typical hotel/event space client has at least 10,000+ sqft of event space Their typical meeting/event client hold events for 20-1000 people They mostly work with special events currently, but are looking to break into the meeting market very soon They have about 1500 customers The split between hotels and meeting planners is about 40/60 Their (very ambitious) goal is to have 30% of the event market by the end of 2014 Their main competitor is Meeting Matrix, a company that has been around since the 1980s. A large corporation recently bought them. Social Tables differs from Meeting Matrix because ST is web based and they do not charge for customer success. Social Tables offers monthly plans starting at $50/mo. They also have Enterprise packages that average about $2500/year. Agreements with large companies with multiple properties (e.g. Hyatt) receive a group rate Social Tables is looking to expand their global market. They are working on integrating metric into their program now, and translating into other languages as needed. They are relying on large companies (e.g. Hyatt) to expand their customer base in other countries. They are also working on partnerships with reselllers who would market their product abroad. Social Tables will be launching a new product- meeting registration/check in- scheduled for Q2 of 2014. The mechanistic plans that Social Tables has put in place were enormous for the project to be conducted and completed. In fact, the project took a huge step towards the desires and needs of the project. This was because of the fact that there is a need to put in place measures that have not been accrued towards the objectives and aims of Social Tables. What was necessary before the start of the project was to ensure that everything that was done within the comparative law could be managed within the set period of the project. With the plans that Social Tables has in place, everything seemed possible for the research process to be conducted, and concluded with a resounding end. 5. Complete Methodology 5.1 Problem Definition The main problem with Social Tables is the strategy to define every activity so that the programs therein cannot be overlapped or misunderstood without meeting the immediate needs and objectives. 5.2 Target Population The target population is all meeting planners in the USA（94，200 from bureau of labor) statistics. Sampling Units The sample units studied were discovered from surveys, census, and literature study. The samples studied were not many but within a manageable number. Sampling method: Census Timeline: the pilot survey was conducted from March 7 to 14th. The Social Table gave out a list of 20 local PCMA members, who are the current customer of Social Table. We will email these 20 members firstly. After that, the questionnaire was adjusted based on the pilot survey results from March 14-16. After this, the survey was conducted from March 17 to March 30. During this period, the questionnaires were resend between March 24 and March 30 to enhance the response procedures. From March 31 to April 6, the research team will focus on data analysis (Wood & Brotherton, 2008). Questionnaire process Questionnaire: Question 1 is to make sure that all respondents have the qualification of taking the survey. Since this survey mainly focus on event planners that have planned events and meetings at hotels. Question 2 is to know the location of the event planners. Because we believe that geography can be an issue that influences the relationship between event planners and hotels. For example, most of hotels in DC have event and meeting spaces and they have to fight for event planners. While in other small city, there are only 2-3 hotels that have meeting spaces, then event planners need to fight for the hotels. Question 3 is to identify different types of event held in hotels. Questions 4-6 are designed to find out how satisfied the event planners are with the current RFP process they are using, and to find out the problems, which they are not satisfied with. Question 7-9 are designed to evaluate the communication process between hotels and event planners. Question 10-13 are about the satisfaction with room setups offered by hotels. The last one is an open-ended question, to gather information about what we have not listed above. Sampling Frame We are going to choose the list of PCMA members from regional chapters as the sampling frame. PCMA has 14 chapters in the USA as New York Area Chapter is with 356 members and Capital Chapter serves 1500 members from Maryland, Virginia, and DC. We calculated the total amount of the members is 5446. 5.3 Sample Sizes The study involved entry into a number of regions that provided a great avenue for determining the sample size. The sample size that was of greater importance was that involving all the clients who have made access to Social Table’s products, together with other potential clients, young and old alike. The population that was studied was as shown below: Key Top five cities in US Washington DC: 28 Chicago: 17 Orlando: 16 Las Vegas 14 San Francisco: 10 All across US: 89 North America: nine Worldwide: 17 5.4 Pilot Survey Pilot survey was also conducted in order to access feedback that would allow a comprehensive completion of the research. The pilot project involved activities as follows: Created questionnaire in SurveyMonkey Selected 10 local meeting planners to survey Conducted pilot survey by email Analyzed data and assessed issues Changed questionnaire based on pilot survey The pilot survey process of study enabled a quick and comprehensive determination of what was likely to be taking place within the entire research process. The entire survey process involved the following activities or led to the following activities being done. From the target population, some of the steps led to immediate realization of results (Shock & Stefanelli, 2009). Target Population: 92,400 US Meeting Planners Sampling Frame: 2013 PCMA contact list (2713 people) Sampling selection: census Data collection method: emailed questionnaire Survey timing: March 28- April 10 (2 weeks) Initial emails sent: March 28 Questionnaire resent: April 3 Total responses: 279 or 10.28% Valid responses: 172 or 7.915% Through these modes of communication with Social Tables, it was evident that everything was supposedly possible to be completed within the set period of study. With the sampling selection being a census, many people, most of which were clients, were reached. The need for their satisfaction was stressed while they gave opinions on what best should be done in order to avoid dissatisfaction of them. In order to come out with satisfactory elevations of the research, all the events that happen in the hotel were studied as follows: Several events are held on the hotel. This gives the research a better chance to be able to access the basic tenets to trying to bring change within the hotel services and products. Planning and hotel management involves a number of steps that need t be considered in order to pave a better way of bringing improvement and change (Reid & Bojanic, 2009). Some often distractions involved in the hotel are as follows: Frequency % 60 65.22 6 6.52 5 5.43 3 3.26 4 4.35 10 10.87 4 4.35 Apart from major types of dissatisfactions in the hotels, it was also possible to note the major items that need to be improved in order to better services delivery and management. In order to improve on every sector of the hotel, the following values and virtues were stressed: Creativity and Flexibility Honesty about room capacities Food & Beverage options and cost Wi-Fi accessibility and cost Customer Service Recommendations After carrying out the research, the following recommendations were provided to Social Tables: Social Tables should continue improving and marketing their room set up software to meet the room set up needs of planners. Social Tables could create RFP software for meeting planners and hotels, focusing on shortening response time and increasing hotel awareness of meeting planner needs. Offer more creative options for meetings Help hotels understand capacity and design options of their event space References European Conference of Ministers of Transport. (2011). Social Service Transport: Transport for Elderly and Handicapped Persons: Report of the Fifty-First Round Table on Transport Economics held in Paris on 20-21 March 1980. Paris: OECD Publishing. Reid, R. D., & Bojanic, D. C. (2009). Hospitality marketing management. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. Shock, P. J., & Stefanelli, J. M. (2009). A meeting planners guide to catered events. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. Wood, R. C., & Brotherton, B. (2008). The SAGE handbook of hospitality management. London: SAGE Publications. Read More