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A SYSTEM FOR MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY

IN HOTEL GROUP SALES AND CONFERENCE

By

Masabumi Tanabe

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

School of Hbte13Restaurant and Institutional Management

1962

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ABSTRACT

In our modern society, the industrial, social, and political
activities are carried on by the mass of numerously divided functions.
Each function is connected with others and interacts in various ways
but in organic relations. In order to achieve its ultimate goals
Of activities, the functional unit in various levels of organizations or,
more precisely, the people concerned with the function, vitally
necessitate, frequent meetings with other functions. Many Of them--
businessmen, county agents, housewives, traders and dealers, and
educators--periodically pack suitcases and brief cases and take Off
for conferences and conventions. There, they discuss the issues, gain
understanding and agreement on the situations and proposals, motivate
and educate each other, or coordinate on some special project.

The preparation, participation and conducting of such gatherings
generate a tremendous amount of direct and indirect expenditure, and
create favorable business Opportunities with a considerable stream of
expected income to hotel concerns. However, to accommodate and to
accept such mass flows of guests and money, the hotel management has
to have a well organized and efficient system within their physical
accommodations. It requires intensive and continuous scheduling of
business to get a large share of the group business. The system as
a whole must develop an acceptable, and purposeful conference climate
and guarantee efficient, cohesive, and flexible services. unscheduled
operation, unsystematized efforts, and unorganized service forces
could easily cause soaring Operational expenses, wastes of the occupancy,
forfeited Opportunities, and unfavorable impressions on the guests

ii

by the establishment.

Skills and knowledge for building and administrating such
systems are extremely necessary for handling group sales and confer-
ences. Through the system, techniques of planning and scheduling
group business will be develOped. This thesis was written from the
definite point of the managerial view. All details are medias to
arrive at the fundamental concepts of the managerial skills. The
contents Of this thesis may seem rather empirical, however, the ultimate
intention of the author is targeted towards the application of the
scientific control concepts which are developing in the industrial
business. In this sense, this is the foundation of future research.

In the initial chapter, an approach from the economic stand-
point is taken to understand hctel business as the supplying side, in
relation to the conventions and group meetings as the demanding side.
The basic principle of business activity, that is, the pursuit of the
greater profit, requires the hotel operation to put more emphasis on
the scheduling and the advance selling. The greater feasibility of
the group business pushes the sales department into the central
function of the hotel Operation and increases the coordinating role
Of the department within the Operation.

In chapters two and three, descriptions are given of the actual
Operations of the group business in two different types of convention
hotels; an example of a commercial convention hotel in chapter two, and
of an education conference center in chapter three. The information was
collected mainly through interviews with persons who were engaged in
the conference and the convention business. Conversations concerning
the prearranged questionnaire had been recorded by a tape recorder

iii

and summarized later. The main focus is on the function Of the
sales representative and the coordinator in relation to the entire
organization. The reader will be interested in the cyclical nature
Of their business.

Chapter four is designated to discuss the studies Of the conference
programming which have been deveIOped and are being successfully
used in adult education. It is an organized application of educational
techniques, methods Of curriculum construction, and studies of group
sociology such as group dynamics. The knowledge and techniques of
the conference programming have been increasing its pOpularity among
business concerns and institutions; therefore, it deserves to keep the
attention of the hotel concern in this area.

Some essence of managerial concepts extracted from the successful
Operations is discussed in chapter five. The concept of the control
cycle of the business management conforms to the activities d;ne by the
coordinator and by the sales representative, although the sc0pes of
these two activities are different. S les meetings could be instru-
mental for the management to develop and administrate the sales
activities as well as significant for conducting the entire system. The
balance Of flexibility on the sales activities and the pertinence of
management control will be one Of the key problems in the commercial
convention hotels.

In the final chapter, the characteristics and situations of the
group activities in Japan are explained against the sociological,
traditional, and economic background. The general image of the peOple
Of the hotel does not favor for the extension of group business. Inter-
national conferences, business seminars, in addition to capitalizing

iv

the cultural drive of the middle status group, will be the prime
prospects which the Japanese hotels will be able to tackle. Although
the situation of their group activities and conferences is entirely
different from that of the Uhited States, knowledge and techniques

of conference programming will have value in the near future.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In spite Of its significance Of the managerial efficiency and
the systematization in handling the group business and the conference,
there are almost no publications that give a comprehensive eXplanation
Of the concepts and techniques of this area. At the preparation of
this study, therefore, I installed sets of questionnaires asking
general and detailed information concerning the scheduling of the
group business. Discussions about these questionnaires were recorded
by a transistorized tape-recorder and the contents were condensed
in this thesis. For collecting the details of well developed
methods and techniques, I am indebted to many specialists and experts
in this field.

My special appreciation goes to the following persons who
willingly gave of their time and knowledge for many hours of discussions,
provided illustrative materials, and showed the actual Operations:

Mr. Clayton Wells of the Continuing Education Service, Mr. Iloyd K.
Stalcup and Mr. Jerome F. Winter Of the Detroit Statler Hilton
Hotel, Mr. Robert J. Emerson and Mrs. Ellen I. Petermann of the
Kellogg Center.

I am grateful to Professor Bernard R. Proulx for his suggestions
concerning materials and arrangements of the opportunities for
visiting and interviewing Hilton Hotel's staffs.

To Dr. Robert W. McIntosh and Dr. Tunis H. Dekker, I also
owe a debt of gratitude for their recommendations and suggestions on

this study.

Vi

I am particularly indebted to Dr. Joseph W. Thompson, my
academic advisor, who always encouraged and motivated me at strategic
times and gave me new perspectives. Without his guidance, this
study would not have been successful.

I would like to eXpress my appreciation to the Hilton Hotels
Corporation for providing materials that helped amalgamate Obser-
vations of managerial concepts in the hotel business.

Finally, I would like to send my personal thanks to Mrs. Carol

Boyd who consulted on my general writings.

Masabumi Tanabe

East Iansing, 1962

vi i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

TABLE OF APPENDICES

CHAPTER ONE: THE RELATION BETWEEN HOTEI.AND CONVENTION BUSINESS

The Nature of Merchandise that a Hotel Can Sell .
The Trends Of Convention Business Flow. .
Characteristics of Convention Business Handling .
Importance of scheduling Business . . . .

New Sales-Operating Department Relations

Source Of Convention Business . . .

O\\n-F"u)l\)l-'

CHAPTER TWO: EXAMPLE OF A COMMERCIAL CONVENTION HOTEL--
DETROIT STATLER HILTON HOTEL. . . . . . .
1. Outline Of Establishment . . . . . .
2. Sales Department . . . . . . . . . .
3. The Cycle of Convention Business Operation . .

CHAPTER THREE: EXAMPLE OF AN EDUCATION CONFERENCE CENTER--
KELLOGG CENTER, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
1. Outline of Establishment. . . . .
2. Brief Explanation of Business Flow--CoOrdinator' 8
Activity Cycle. . . . . . .
3. Kellogg Center Management Activities

CHAPTER FOUR: ADULT GROUP AND LEARNING PROCESS

Conference Goal and Educational EXperience

Group Activities and Individual Behavior. . . .

Steps to Activate the Group Ibward a Planned Change

Some Principles of Organizing learning Experience .

Evaluation of the Effectiveness Of Learning
Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

\n-P-‘LAJMI—J

CHAPTER FIVE: SOME MANAGERIAL CONCEPTS FOR EFFICIENT
OPERATION OF GROUP AND CONFERENCE BUSINESS

Management Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sales Meeting . . . . .

Flexibility Principle . . . .

. New HOrizon of the Group Business . . . . .

FUJIUH

CHAPTER SIX: THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JAPANESE HOTEL MARKET
AND THE PROSPECTIVE FUTURE CONFERENCE AND GROUP
SALES. . . . . .
l. The Inn- -keeping Industry in the Present Business
Structure of Japan . . . . . . . . . . . .
The HOtel Image and the Ryokan Image .
The Sociological Aspects Of Japanese PeOple in
Group Activities . . . . . . . .
A. The Economic and Custom.Aspects Of Conventions and
Group Activities . . . . . . . . . . . .

LORD

viii

76

76
80

82
86

5. The Prospects of Future Group Business and The
Contribution That Should be Made by the HOtel
Industry in Developing Such Prospects .

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCE MATERIALS .
Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reports . . . . . . . . .
Articles and Periodicals

APPENDICES .

Page

88
92
92
93
9h

95

10.

ll.

12.

TABLE OF APPENDICES

S.C.O.R.R. (Scientific Control of Rooms and
Reservations) of the Hilton Hotels

The Method Of Menu Selection for a Conference Group
at the Kellogg Center . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Food Serving Method Applying at the Kellogg Center
Meal Guarantee method Of the Kellogg Center .
Function Information Form (Hilton Hotels) . . . . . .
Event Order Form (Hilton Hotels) . . . . . . . . .

A Hypothetical Chart of Conference Cycle of Adult
Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

University Conference Request Form (Continuing Education
Service of Michigan State University . . . . .

Conference Facilities Reservation Form . . . . . .

Conference Facilities Reservation Daily Master Control
Sheet (Continuing Education Service) . . . . . .

Worksheet for Budgeting (Continuing Education Service)

Conference Room Data (Continuing Education Service) . . .

Page
95

- 95
96
96
97
98

.99

. lOO

. lOl

. l02
. 103

. 10h

CHAPTER I

THE RELATION BETWEEN HOTEL AND CONVENTION BUSINESS

1. The Nature of Merchandise that a hotel can sell
At the outset, it is extremely important to consider the
merchandise that a hotel can sell. We will look at it as a commodity,
Just as we Observe a commercial merchandise on the shelves of a store
in an inventory.
We find our merchandise is a combination of three basic
components:
1. Available accommodations clearly marked off by time
dimension.
2. AVailable foods and beverages produced and arranged to
serve.
3. Available service facilitating use of the above mentioned
elements and all attached services to give the user
(guest) comfort.
One thing we have to keep in mind at this point is the fact

that we are handling merchandise which is defined by time and space.

 

Dr. Howard B. Meek once pointed out in his price theory that a hotel
room is the most perishable item of all commodities. When we examine
this fact of the hotel sales, we might draw an amazing conclusion
which is completely rational in the sense. That is, every unoccupied
guest room on a particular night or any unused function noom at a

l

2
certain time of a day, at noon, afternoon or evening, not only
indicates unrealized profits, but also perishes the second componen --
available direct and indirect service possibilities. We never have
a chance to recover this lost merchandise since we cannot go back
in time.

In this sense, hotel products are entirely different from
those of manufacturing industries and other service industries. A
hotel is a combination of two resources, manpower and physical settings,
at a definite time and there is no salvage value on the unused
merchandise.

This becomes clearer when the merchandise is analyzed by its
cost. First, the biggest item is the cost of human labors poured
into the entire Operation of a hotel. This is usually calculated by
multiplying the time spent by the quality of the skill or the degree
of complication of handling the Job and other elements attached to
it (such as fringe benefits and all consumable benefits). The hotel
has to pay this cost for both the direct service and production, and
all other functional departments which execute the entire range of
business activities.

The second group of costs is material costs. This group
includes all physical materials and utilities that are consumed in
food production and in upkeep Of the accommodations.

The costs of the two above groups are adjustable or con-
trollable to a certain extent by the management. HOwever, in the

third group, a large segment of the cost incurred from the expense

3
for the fixed assets, including all kinds of prOperty, and the
expense of capital invested is almost uncontrollable because of
the flow of time. These expenses are expressed as depreciation
expense, interest eXpense, and dividends; they are a return on invest—
ment and might be accumulative for payment.
At this point, we have a clear picture of the necessity of

prOper scheduling and advance selling in the hotel business.

2. The trends of convention business flow

Several factors are important in understanding the trends of
convention business flow in the United States in this decade.

The rapid improvement of transportation systems after WOrld
War II has promoted a mass flow of traveling peOple throughout the
world. Advanced communication systems, including mass media such as
television networks, have given the salesmen favorable weapons for
expanding their market and have built up nationally recognized brands
of the merchandise. Decentralized population has spread out to the
edge of the city limits and has gradually enlarged the residential
areas, creating enormous suburban zones around old metropolitan
(titles. The projected pOpulation trend indicates the formation of
egreater suburban areas between the east coast and the midwest,
:Ln.the south, and along the Pacific Coast in near future.

A movement of population to the Pacific Coast States
€tnd.the Southwest is inducing new industries which consume raw

nuaterials and industrial goods produced in the midwestern and eastern

States .

2.

This overall changing picture of the entire economy on
geographical dimension naturally creates cultural byproducts--the
necessity of the conflux of businessmen, political and other cultural
gatherings of people, and traveling salesmen. Whether a meeting is
called locally, nationally, or internationally, and whether such
meeting is attended by large groups of visitors in a city or a local
trading group,such meetings provide hotels with favourable chances
for selling both rooms and functions.

The policy of allowing such conventional expense as deduction
from taxable corporate income is further pushing forward this trend.

Another factor boosting the convention flow can be found in
the operator of downtown hotels. This new frontier can be a potential
income source, following the unfavorable competition of the growing
motel business. With the improvement of highway systems and the
construction of interstate superhighways, the number of travelers
driving their own automobiles has been increasing year by year.
In addition to this shift in the primary means of transportation from
the railroad to the automobile, the public acceptance of the motel was
enhanced by its new concept of operation, stressing informality,
accessability, and convenience. Motorists were becoming increasingly
inconvenienced by heavy traffic, stOplights, and other congestions in the
city, and the main cross-state thoroughfares were rerouted to bypass
the city, so that it became a positive nuisance to come into the city
to find a place to spend the night. This situation was common
nationally in the medium sized cities and even in relatively large

cities. The highway motel has siphoned off virtually all of the

5
tourist business. Hotel occupancies showed a drOp year by year
against those of the motels.

Because of these unfavorable conditions, some capable hotel
Operators gradually realized that there was a type of business which
the highway motels could seldom compete with. In favor of locational
advantage, situated closely to the business center and various city

attractions, group business using hotel function rooms could be
expanded in proportion to the efforts the prOprietors made for
accommodations and promotions. The president of the Hotel Roosevelt

Corporation commented in an article in The Hotel Monthly that

 

Such activities as conventions, sales meetings, and

displays are not only valuablein themselves but generally

produce guest room revenue as well, along with other

incomes of minor department. When these functions are held

late in the week, it is particularly efficacious in solving our

peak and valley problems.1

In the meantime, general movement of the urban renewal and
slum clearance projects in large cities is creating new civic centers,
including large convention halls, office buildings and enormous
parking space. This functional city center is beginning to exert a
new magnetic power of inducing the convention inflow.

The hotels which saw the economic feasibility of convention
business renovated their facilities, especially creating modern

function rooms, equipped with up-to—date catering facilities and

parking lots. In order to sell and accommodate the convention

 

lThe HDtel Monthly, September, 1959, "Tap the Full Potential
of Group Business," Hotel Roosevelt Corporation, Cedar R pids,
Iowa.

 

6

guests, however, improvements had to be made in the functional and
organizational aspects of the hotel operation as well. In the next
section, we will discuss the nature of group business, especially

of convention business.

3. Characteristics of convention business handling

The operation structure of hotel business has inherent
unique characteristics. Uhder one roof, there are completely diversified,
yet coordinated businesses operating simultaneously. This might be
compared with the various functions of the human body. Each organ
of the body is closely related to every other one so that the entire
body functions smoothly. Since we are so accustomed to the entire
mechanical operation of our body, we react almost unconsciously to
the action and coordination of each organism. However, once something
hinders the Operation in a certain part of the body, the entire
activity of our body is affected, both physically and psychologicalLy.
Even a small restraint such as a splinter in a finger restricts the
operation of a hand, and mentally we feel uncomfortable.

Practically the same functional relationship can be observed
in a hotel Operation. Any kind of service offered to a guest requires
the joint efforts of two or more departments. The difference is
in the degree of complexity of inter-relation. The key objective in
the hotel business is a smooth and timely coordination to assure
successful and satisfactory service for the individual guest. As in
the illustration of the human body, often a small accident or un-

conscious rudeness on the part of any one employee or department can

detract from all the other efforts which the management has carefully

7
planned, built up, and executed. The dissatisfied guest with his
unfavorable impression naturally affects future business.

With convention business, it is extremely necessary to have
COOperation. The complexity of handling business increases, since
we serve a mass of human beings with various inter—relations between
each persons attending a conference. To use the example of the body,
we face the full swing Operation of physical activities, just as a
football player faces an Opposing team in a stadium. Every part of
the body should be well coordinated with every other part through the
nerve system, the oxygen supply, the blood circulation system, and
each should be ready to supply energy to any other part of the body.
Furthermore, it is important that the sensitivity of the body for
expedient action, whether it be by swift communication through the
brain or by the stimulus-action relation, should quickly adjust to the
changing situation. This vital factor often brought into play is
not the result of makeshift activity but of careful planning and
training. In serving a convention, the success or failure depends
largely on intensive teamwork by all staffs and all departments of
the hotel. The degree of communication and adjustability--which is
built through careful layout and training--is the decisive factor in

better coordination. Every staff of each department from the bell-

 

man to the manager should know all necessary information about a
particular convention along with the detailed information in his own
area of Operation. For instance, a bellman should know what is the

peak checking-in time; he should also know the location of the functions

so that he might direct guests dashing in at the last moment. A

8

-telephone operator can give the Opening and estimated closing time
of a particular banquet, but she should also know who is the key
person for official communication.

All supervisory groups must have definite information on
each program of a conference 30 that advanced schedules and arrange-
ments can be made. In addition, he should be ready to adjust the
Operation timetable either by communication between sales repre-
sentatives, or informally by his own judgement.

Mbst convention hotels naturally build up the efficient
methods of communication and quick treatment of unexpected situations

through experience.

h. Importance of scheduling business

In the first section of this chapter, we concluded with the
emphasis on the necessity of prOper scheduling and advance selling of
hotel business. We saw in the previous section that a high degree of
coordination was indispensable in carrying out successful convention
business. When these two concepts are combined profitably, one can
easily see that the objectives of scheduling are to maximize the sales
and minimize the expense because of fluctuations. It is these funda-
mental objectives which any kind of business aims to achieve.

Let us take up one of these objectives of scheduling--
maximizing of sales. In the hotel business, as Opposed to industrial
or merchandizing business, we have a definite maximum point of sales
'beyond which we can sell little or nothing. That point is the full

(accupancy in guest room and function room business and full capacity

9
in catering facilities. Our objective of the maximizing of sales is
naturally to be directed toward the extent to whi h we can fill our
capacity with prospective business. From the strategic view point
of business, this sales effort is aimed at how efficiently we can
fill our capacity.

The Old established concept Of inn keeping emphasized the
individual returned guest. These clients still should be the most
important source of business for a hotel. However, as far as conference
hotels are conCerned, the trends are toward more emphasis on advance
selling of convention and group business, or the acceptance of advance
reservations. In general, the independent across-the—counter business
is becoming secondary, not through negligence but in the methods;
hotel managers simply put aside a certain percentage of capacity in
advance according to the rate Of past business.

There is, of course, a tendency within the activities of
sales department to adjust or to level off the volume of convention
business with individual guests. Both businesses have different
peaks and valleys in volume, depending on the location of the premises,
Climatic conditions, special events, etc. These conditions fluctuate

Weekly, monthly, and seasonally.

Ideally, for the hotel, a convention should come during a

slack period in business, but of course not all business

executives desire to hold their conventions at times that

are the most suitable for hotels. The sales manager must

attempt to sell dates that are the most beneficial to his

hotel, but in certain cases he will be forced to choose
between losing a convention or booking it for a period when
the hotel will be relatively busy with regular business.

This is not an easy choice to make. A convention means good

revenue, but if booking it means turning down regular customers,

the possible loss of their future business must be considered.

2
G. W. Iattin, Mbdern Hotel Management, W. H. Freeman & Co.,

San Francisco, 1958, p. 128.

 

10

With the aid of modern forecasting methods, the tendency is
more to avoid the suspended condition of business, minimizing
this expectation volume by increased accuracy of forecasting, and
booking up all possible rooms in advance. Above all, great emphasis
is placed on careful examination of convention potentials of the
prospective revenue in the entire hotel Operations, magnitude Of
future business, and relations with overall sales activities.

Another problem of this particular segment is the matching
of these two businesses~—convention guests and individual guests--
because both types of guests have certain characteristics incompatible
with each other. For instance, the gay atmosphere of a social function
such as informal party might enchant all convention guests, but, on
the contrary, it might sound like a chaotic noise to the individual
guests.

While nonconvention guests appreciate calm and uninterrupted
mornings, conferees are rushing to the dining room early to be on
tinmrfor their morning session. This becomes a serious problem,
especially in a resort hotel. In most resort hotels, the management
Ines a policy of separating the Seasons of both businesses. They
taken all accommodations to their patrons at the best resort seasons.
Still” overlap is unavoidable. Distinct separation of both businesses
by haying a certain type of a hotel for each may be a future trend.
Ikuzpe that these two businesses can be separated within the hotel
Vith the aid of improved physical accommodations allowing certain
flexitdlity and privacy. Iottin raised an example of this point with

a resort Operator's remark:

11

Our regular guests resent the conventions and look upon

the delegates as intruders, but they should realize that

without the conventions there probably would be no resort to

come back to every year.

let us look at the second Objective of scheduling--minimizing
eXpenses. This action has two implications. One is to get maximum
effect from a certain expense, and another is by scheduling properly

to prevent excessive expense. We might say the first point is

prOper timing, All sales and promotional activities should be care-

 

fully arranged to synchronize, giving a clear path for the prospects
which create definite desire with action. Unsystematized sales
activities not only lose a big chunk of potential profit to competing
hotels, but also interrupt interrelated campaigns by frequent re-
adjustment of the function business schedule. The management is also
required to train a flexible, yet systematic, Operation team ready

to host convention guests and to meet the various requirements for
arrangements.

In the convention business, it is almost impossible to eXpect
rigidity in Operating expenses, since we have to handle a large
number of guests at the same time. Nevertheless, as far as we are
engaging in a profit-making business, effort should be made continuously,
by forecasting, scheduling, and adjusting, to minimize unnecessary
idle manpower and materials. The more we schedule properly, the more

we can get efficient use of the resources, resulting in sound operation.

5. New sales-Operating department relations
In this section, we will discuss the problem of cohesion. At

a relatively large convention hotel, the flow of function business

 

3Modern Hotel Management, p. 129.

 

12
continue throughout the year. Since each of these conventions or
meetings requires different detailed arrangements according to previous
experiences or to certain policies of the groups concerned, it is
imperative to have some liaison to coordinate the activities of the
entire function from the beginning to the end, including all sorts of
follow-up business. In a small hotel, this job is performed by the
manager who also acts as sales manager. He supervises sales work
and passes on the actual jobs to be done by the people of each depart-
ment. This situation is ideal, from the point of cohesion, since all
contacting, selling, and administrating is done by one person.

In the large hotel, all sales and marketing activities, from
direct contact for soliciting conventions to promotional campaigns,
become scattered among several departments or sections, and the sales
manager can no longer follow individual functions in detail. There-
fore, each sales representative follows all the aspects of a certain
convention, making a cyclical contact with convention representatives;
that is, selling, planning, coordinating, following-up, and selling.
This job is held by a conference coordinator in the case of an
educational conference hotel such as the Kellogg Center at Nfichigan
State University.

In general, as the volume of business increases, lack of
coordination in operation will be visible unless careful consideration
iSIgiven to the areas of organizational structure, pr0per installation
of JaLaison meetings, and sc0pe of flexible activities of sales

representatives or coordinators.

13

The most crucial points of convention business are: (1)
Proper delegation of authority should be made to avoid poor coordination
between departments as, for example, between the manager and the
convention manager or between the publicity office and the front
office. (2) Various situations of sales conditions and other occasions
of judgment should be examined to gain better business decisions.

Proper installation of liaison meeting requires thoughtful
consideration on both an inter-departmental and an inner-departmental
basis since there is not enough time in day—to-day Operations to
exchange complete information and creative ideas. Since the entire
convention business is initiated, oriented, and directed by the sales
department, namely, by a sales representative, or a coordinator, the
sc0pe of authority and delegation should be as flexible as possible
to allow for the maximum amount of activities in a limited amount
of time. Yet these activities are still in the functional structure
of the hotel operation as long as the sales representative is a staff
member of the hotel.-

He acts as a medium in creating the best possible business
climate in all elements involved in convention business including
convention guests, representatives of convention bureaus, and all

internal staffs of the hotel.

The degree of cohesion or consistency is a key problem that
every sales representative should master since he has to carry much
convention business scheduling in different planning stages at the

same time.

lh

6. Source of convention business

The hotels stressing group business and conventions have
instituted various types of active sales and promotional campaigns.
Direct approach by sales representatives result from accumulated
business history, local and national files, and analysis. Intensive
efforts of solicitation or invitation for banquets are aimed con-
tinuously at prospects. The importance of a close relationship
with local business bodies including chamber of commerce convention
bureaus, city clubs, and over all community organizations cannot be
overemphasized. It is commonly noted that, without the support and
' co-operation of the local community, it is almost impossible for the
most hotels to pay off their investments. This, in turn, means that
effort should be made by the hotel to create a favorable business
climate by extending full COOperation to these organizations through
the closest possible communications of detailed up-to-date information.

These efforts ultimately are directed to sell an entire
city, including the hotel, for a convention site, because it is the
individual enterprises themselves who directly and indirectly benefit
through the expenditures of conferees at various functions. Again
‘we draw on the speech of the President of the Hotel Roosevelt
Corporation at the Open house of the Cedar Rapid premises after the
ten year rebuilding and expansion program. Before 1800 guests, he
commented:

We feel that it will occur to you that a hotel of this size

and quality is a community asset and is worthy of your support.

Our yearly gross sales are more than a million dollars, 75%

of which is pumped into this community from as many as 106,000
out-Of-town guests in one year. Ninety-five per cent of our

p.

15

revenues stay right here in Cedar R pids and Marion. We

employ 180 persons. We buy all of our insurance locally.

We employ Cedar Rapids accountants. Our advertising is planned
and placed here in town. We did our financing here. This

year we expect to pay over $A7,000 in property taxes for the
support of our schools, city and county governments. About

the only money we spend out of town is for income taxes, and
last year they sent some of it back.

It is not as a civic asset that we beg your indulgence,
but rather it is the quality and price of our facilities and
services that should attract an hold the convention business
upon which our venture depends.

Carl Smith, general maniger of the Hotel Iouis Joliet, Joliet,

Illinois, after the successful transition to a convention hotel,

explained:

2C).

Conventions require certain facilities. If you've got the
facilities and the service that goes with them, and if you
sell constantly, with all the local support you can muster,
you'll get the business.5

1“Tap the Full Potential of Group Business," p. 22.

5The Hotel Monthly, July, 1959, "You've Got to Keep Selling',‘

CHAPTER II

EXAMPLE OF A COMMERCIAL CONVENTION HOTEL
--STATLER HILTON HOTEL, DETROIT
1. Outline of establishment

The hotel is located in the center of the Detroit city core,.
facing Grand Circus Park. The triangle formed by three avenues,
Woodward, Michigan and washington, along which this hotel is situated,
is the busiest shOpping center in the city. A business office area,
two train stations, and a newly—built city convention hall are within
a h,000 foot radius Of the hotel. As to the air-transportation, the
hotel received incoming guests at its entrance from busses from the
city airports.

The main competitor of the hotel is the Sheraton—Cadillac
Hotel having 1,200 rooms and being located on the other side of
Washington Avenue at the corner of Michigan. Both hotels are
regarded as the largest high-class hotels in the city. The Statler
Hilton HOtel contains 1,000 guest rooms, twelve meeting and banquet
rooms (see attached ballroom floor plan), four restaurants, and bars.
The function rooms can accommodate a total of 2,620 peOple in the
usual meeting set-up and 1,765 peOple for a banquet set-up.

The hOtel is one of the twenty six domestic hotel chains under
the management of the Hilton Hotels Corporation. Nine of them
located in seven cities of the midwest are grouped together under the
central division Of the corporation. It has a divisional sales

office located in the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago. The corporation

16

17
also has a national and international sales office in the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel in New York.

According to the policy of the corporation, managerial function
is decentralized, giving power for the most part to the general
manager of an individual hotel. The head office and divisional
Offices carry only the functions of basic Operating budget control,
and capital budgeting, such as new aquisition and remodeling of hotels.
Divisional and national sales offices have more or less the role of
the agency and the information center. These offices are responsible
for Obtaining convention business nationally by acting as the media
of exchange, furnishing up-to-date information to each of the hotel's
sales forces, and contacting directly the large potential clients.

The sales manager is directly responsible to the resident

 

manager, the catering manager, the front Office manager, the banquet o
manager, and other operating departments' managers. His office is
situated on the mezzaine floor terrace; from there he can look down
at the front office area on the ground floor. On the other side of
this mezzaine terrace is the catering manager's Office; the general
manager's and resident manager's offices are also on the same floor.
This location set-up seems to facilitate better communication among
three functions of the hotel. The Ballroom floor entirely devoted to
the group and function business is just one floor above this mezzanine.
The Banquet kitchen is located in the center of this floor and serves
these rooms exclusively. All function room Operation is under the
control of the banquet manager.

According to the sales manual of the Hotel Sales Management

Association, a hotel should

l8

Arrange the sales office as near to the lobby as possible,
so that it may be accessible to prospects.

Sales and Catering should be located side by side with a
common receptionist.

2. 84163 Department

According to the description in the Sales Manual, "The minimum

 

number of staff for an 800 room c<>nvention hotel should be six persons."

They are:
l - Sales representative
1 - Secretary
1 - Stenographer
l - Combination typist and file girl
1 - Receptionist who can assist with typing.

In the Statler Hilton Hotel, ten staff members work for the
department including the sales manager himself. The organization of
their staff is somewhat different from that noted above. They have:

1 - Sales manager

1 — Convention manager

3 - Sales representatives
Each of these main sales staff members is assisted by one secretary,
who performs all the functions of the last four persons in the model
listed above. All five sales staff members are essentially involved
in the group business, ranging from a luncheon for ten persons to a
large convention, although a few banquets are carried by the catering
department.

An important point is the role of the sales manager. He is
not only the superior of the department who has to supervise, adminis-

trate, advise, and coordinate the sales activities; he is also an

active salesman to contact leading business prospects and exchange

 

l
leonard Hicks (ed.), Hotel Sales Management Association
Sales Manual (1952), p. 217.

 

 

19
national file information of prospects among hotels of the corporation.
The team of one sales staff member and one secretary enables
the salesman to provide his customers with continuous and thorough
service, gives him a more flexible schedule and allows efficient
communication both with his customers and with the staff of other
departments in the hotel. Each sales staff member uses a dictaphone
for preparing most of the written communication.
With this organization set-up, the sales department conducts
all group business, from an individual party to corporation parties
held in the ballroom. Each sales staff member is responsible for
contacts, booking, getting details, following through and following
up a function through the entire circle. The follow up procedure
includes seeking information about next convention of the same party
and related business.
A sales representative disseminates all information regarding
the convention to various involved departments, and coordinates
activities including changes and special requirements. This
procedure involves:
Front office: checking and reserving the number of rooms
that will be needed, giving all information
of the convention, as to rate, date, and
time schedules, special room assignment, adjust-
ing conceivable unoccupied rooms, etc.

Catering Department: reserving the space of function rooms,
advising the number of guests expected, type of
room, headquarters and press room, function time

schedules, etc.

Accounting Department: sending information concerning
charge accounts, etc.

20

All other departments: sending general information which
contains key facts on those departmentsinvolved.

we will observe these operations more closely in the next

section.

3. The cycle of convention business

As we noted in the previous section, to insure the efficient
operation of convention business, it is necessary to follow certain
steps in sales activities:

Keep an up-to-date filing system

. Contact prospects at the right time and with apprOpriate
information

. Control booking and use standardized communications

Adjust situations and use sales meetings

Conduct pre-convention meetings with the prepresentatives

of the customer, if necessary

Coordinate each function and make eXpedient adjustment

. Conduct follow up procedures.

[DH

<10 \J‘l-F-‘LM

Area 2£_Filing_and Contacting

 

In his book entitled Profits Through Promotion, C. Dewitt

 

Coffman makes the following observation:

Maintenance of accurate and up-to-date file systems is the

single, most important mechanical operation of any sales

department. Without minutely accgrate file records, the sales
department is without ammunition.

In the hotel, all files are classified into two groups: local
potentials and national potentials. The hotel naturally has to have
closer contact with local potentials since their business is larger
both in total quantity and in frequency.

Accordingly, the file is not only arranged by single entity

units, but is also sub-divided into a number of units, each concerned

 

2
C. Dewitt Coffman, Profits Through_Promotion.

 

21
with the convention activities of a section or a department of single
entities. Each file contains the information referring to the entities,
the histories of past conventions, communication history (a step-by-
step story of all of the sales efforts taken on this particular
account), important letters from the person in charge, special
arrangement required, and so on.

In national file, the nature of business is in less frequency,
and extends over a large number of potentials. However, the situation
always requires quick action of sales department, the result of which
tends to assure a considerable profit. Therefore, the hotel boils
down key information of certain potentials into a minimum number of
words and classifies this in a form of cardex.

Detailed information is kept in both regional and national
sales offices of the corporation and is treated as national accounts.
Since each hotel of the corporation has teletype communication,
copies of the detailed information are available at any time from
these central libraries. This communication system also works if
a hotel requires information on some other hotel's local patrons.

HOwever, though hotels have.such an efficient filing system,
it is meaningless unless the information is kept up every day. All
secretaries are in a position to perform this task since they know
the details of the business.

Another significant point in this area is "a process for
bringing files to the attention of the salesman at the logical time for

a follow-up contact," according to the Profit Through Promotion.3

 

 

31bid.

22

With the cardex system, the card corresponding to each local
file number, and the national file card are arranged according to
the date on which this group used to hold its function or convention.
Every day fifty files are pulled out and receive a close check by
sales staffs. They go over this checking process approximately six
months before the months of past convention date. waever, in many
instances the sales staff goes over the advance business more than six
months in advance--up to five or six years in the future.

After the precise examination of each file, the sales staff
begins contacts by making calls and writing letters individually to
the representatives who are in charge of handling conventions for their
companies.

In this particular hotel, (the Statler Hilton) the salesmen
sell their own function first, but also recommend other hotels of the
same concern, assisted by a close communication network. They forward
business to these hotels in case the potential shows some interest.

By doing so they can get wider information of the group business
concerning the hotels in the area and receive the forwarded business
in turn. The recommendation of the resort hotels is also included
in these sellings.

The national sales office has some staff members looking for
the meeting business and information is sent to the related hotels.

The sales representatives should have the correct information
regarding their merchandise to be sold. Printed materials are
prepared for this purpose, and they are a great help in getting the

business when the prospect indicates his preliminary intention of

23
holding a convention in the future. Written materials include various
kinds of suggested menus with definite prices for breakfast, luncheon,
dinner, and a special assortment for buffet banquets on different
ceremonial occasions; the floor plan of function rooms, with dimensions;
a list of available equipment such as a public address system, movie

projectors; a calendar covering several future years.

Agga_g£ Booking

The master control of the hotel guest room sales is in the
hands of the Front Office Manager, and the control of function
rooms is handled by the Catering Manager. However, the sales depart-
ment has a right to reserve a certain number of rooms in advance,
provided the allowance of rooms for the non-convention guests is set
aside previously. This allowance is relatively small in convention
months and high in other months. The exact number of rooms required
for these non—convention guests at a certain date of a month is
forecast by the method called S.C.O.R.R. which was develOped in the
Statler Hotels. (See Appendices)

When the formal reservation is accepted by the sales depart-
ment, both departments are notified to block a particular number of
rooms of certain types and required function rooms by that date.

The function rooms are booked by the particular hour of the date
desired. Sometimes this procedure is conducted by means of tentative
bookings, and afterward definite bookings. This depends on the
particular situation, such as the volume of business in a certain

month, the customer's condition of decision making, the size of the

convention, expected volume of sales in hotel departments, repetition

at
of business, and so forth.

The available or saleable capacity of accommodations is
projected by each month of the year at the front office, and the day-
to-day reservations, individual guests, and convention guests are
added on a control board, and in a control book in the case of function
rooms. The handling of the booking is like the filling of a bottle
by water, little by little. When the entire capacity is filled
except the across-the-counter business alloWance, managers of both
departments notify the sales department and the reservation office.

When the hotel is very critically booked, it is extremely
important not to reserve more rooms than the number which will actually
be required for the convention. To maximize the room sales, a
negotiation is conducted by the sales representative in charge to
get the permission of customer to cut off these blocked rooms.

The suspended decision of a group which has tentatively booked
in previous dates is also negotiated by the sales representative,
who asks their decision when other business prospects show an in-
dication of holding a meeting at the same time. This is done
"in the most cordial manner," Mr. Winter, a sales representative of this

hotel remarked.

Area 2f Communication

 

In an organization conducting some business, the degree of
standardization of administrative communication has a considerable
effect on the efficiency of its Operation. Generally speaking, the
greater the human element involved in an operation, the more standard-

ized the method of communication required. In the convention business,

25

this point is vital for efficiency. All personnel of each department

involved must be notified and must understand the information necessary

to their position, concerning the particular meeting or convention,
both in general and in detail. This is crucial because flexibility

is also required for handling different needs of different groups

that must be considered individually.

The Statler Hilton Hotel uses the following method:

I. RESUME': The most comprehensive key information is compiled in
this resume' by the sales department and sent to all
departments shortly before the date of the convention.
The contents cover such information as:

a. Convention Title, Dates, File number

b. Hotel headquarters, Room commitment, Room reserved,
Number of registered guests, Date of arriVal,
Date of departure, last major function

c. Person in charge

d. Charge instructions

e. Complimentary accommodations: Name of the guest,
Room number, Arrival date

f. Special reservation: Name of the guest, Room number,
Room rate, Date of arrival

g. Attention and special instruction for room setup
(Non-banquet rooms)

h. Pre-convention Meetings: Time and date, Place,

Expected attendants from each department

26
i. Program: D.te, Name of functions, Name of rooms
to be held, Time, Number of peOple, Type of room
setup
When the number of attendants expected is not clear, it is
estimated on the basis of previous convention reports, and the number

of registrants at that time.

II. FUNCTION INFORMATION & DIRECT CONTACT: Thisinformation is
prepared by the sales department, normally at the earliest
time after the particular convention was booked. A duplicate
on a yellow form is sent to the banquet department for entry in
the Diary, then to the Function Files. The original white cOpy
remains in the sales department and is used as a source of the
RESUME’. Although this form lists detailed descriptions for
preparing functions, such as equipment required, special service
or entertainment to be held, along with persons requesting
further information, in many cases these detailed plans for
setup are discussed by the guest representatives and the Maitre
d'hotel. Details concerned with food preparation are arranged
by the guests and the catering manager, which eliminates mis-
communication within the hotel. Brief information should be
sent to the sales department to notify the sales representatives

in charge.

III. EVENT ORDER: In the office of the catering department, an
EVENT ORDER Is issued to each section of the department and
related offices of the hotel. It contains all administrative

orders or agreements, whether verbally or in writing. In case

27
a banquet is sold on a guarantee basis, the catering department
has a certain adjustable allowance above the number of covers
guaranteed. Such allowance usually runs 7% or less, and on
occasion 8% to 10% This figure is calculated by the hotel
occupancy and the date of convention schedule.

IV. WEEKIX SALES MEETING: The weekly sales meeting has at least two
objectives: (1) To activate and to coordinate sales campaigns,
and (2) To amalgamate and to adjust administrative problems of
certain conventions. Through this process, the management can
be sure that every key staff member of the hotel understands
what is required to handle each particular situation, and
it can also develop cohesive work which is difficult to
attain by one-way communication. This meeting is attended by
all staff members from the sales department, the general
manager, the resident manager, the assistant managers, the
front office manager, the catering manager and the Maitre d'
hotel.

The discussion agenda covers all problems in sales and adminis-
tration which have come up to this time. Such an agenda includes
a report on room blocks at future dates, a report on function
business for coming conventions, and a general exchange of
information. From the communication viewpoint, all problems
which interrupt the efficient Operation between departments
should be fully discussed at this time.

V. PRE-CONVENTION MEETINGS: On an occasion of a large scale convention,

which occupies large capacity of guest rooms and function rooms

28
during a certain number of days, a pre-convention meeting
is called for this single convention. The activity chairman or
the physical arrangements committee member of the visiting
association attends this meeting to pre-arrange the program
with hotel sales staff, the banquet manager, the headhouse,
the electrician, and the housekeeping houseman. Those who
attend may differ on occasion.

VI. OTHER COMMUNICATIONS: All other day to day communications

between the sales department and other departments is done
through telephone calls, memoranda, and discussion. Significant
administrative problems that arise in discussion are confirmed
by a memorandum, a copy of which is kept by the issuing department.
Every evening, a Bulletin of Events of the following day is
distributed to all departments. The content is listed on the

schedule board late in the evening.

Follow-through_Periods

 

A convention is an activity conducted by a large grOUp of
individual participants. Even all preparations are set well in
advance by both hotel staffs, and the association's activity chairman,
changes will occur in some areas. The only thing that the hotel can
do is to be expedient in helping the activity chairman and other
conferees in the situation.

FOr these occasions, this hotel establishes a policy that any
changes or adjustments required, for which preper steps can be taken
within the department, are committed to each department head for

handling. By doing this, the hotel can reduce the burden on the

29
sales representatives. Otherwise, they will always be tied up with
miscellaneous matters about the particular convention during the
entire session. To facilitate this method, the sales representative
must introduce key persons from each department in charge of the
convention to the members of activity committee prior to the opening
of the first meeting of the association.

It is also important, when this activity chairman and his
committee members arrive, that the sales representative meet them,
show them the rooms for functions and offices, and recheck any last
minute details in order to assure them that everything possible has
been done. All equipment should be ready to use and all staff
members ready to serve. The success of this business depends on how
well the previous promises of the sales representative are carried
out.

After all detailed adjustments are properly committed
to department heads or supervisors, the sales representative should
still be available to both the activity chairman and the staffs of
the Operating departments for the duration of convention because
he is in a position to coordinate all departments, judge the situ-
ation more properly, and talk over the matter with representatives more
carefully. However, this policy is not always consistent. He should
be ready to act at any time, while he is engaging in other sales
activities.

For example, suppose a conferee protests, upon checking out,
that his bill is to be treated as a charge account for the convention.

When the front office cashier can not find information to identify

30
this bill, she may call the sales representative to get the approval of
the budgeting chairman of the convention. The sales representative

should be aVailable to conduct these communications.

Area of Follow—up Procedures

 

The follow-up procedure is actually a part of the filing
and contacting area. Any minor problem which has arisen and remained
unsolved during the convention must be ironed out after the convention
by the sales representative with the assistance of other staff members
of all departments, even while he is handling the next convention and
looking for future business.

After all the programs of the convention or function have
been completed, the sales representative contacts the convention chairman
or the host of the function to find out if the client was pleased with
the results and to ask if he would like to reserve a future date
for a subsequent function or convention. At this point the new business

cycle starts with selling further business.

CHAPTER III

EXAMPLE OF EDUCATION CONFERENCE CENTER - KELLOG CENTER,
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
1. Outline of the establishment

The Kellogg Center is one of the unique educational conference
centers in the United States, specially planned for continuing edu—
cation through programmed educatianal conferences. The building is
not only to facilitate these conferences, but also to accommodate
the school of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management for their
class work, laboratories and practical training, to host the official
guests and visiting guests to the university, and to contain the
offices of the Institute for Community DevelOpment.

The underlying concept of the educational conference has
been developed in accordance with the University's conference
philes°phy. This is a remark in the booklet of the university
Conference.

It makes possible the advancement and dissemination of

knowledge by bringing to bear the thinking of interested

groups, the educational resources of the University and
other scholars and workers in varied fields, coordinated by
the skilled planning and assistance of Continuing Education
conference specialists.

By applying the principle of effective program design and
administration for adult education, each conference is carefully
planned to help the participant, who has clear, definable educational
needs, gain the maximum learning of his problems in a residential
living situation.

31

32

Since these educational conferences are a part of the
University's activity, the contents and Operations of a program are
definitely shaped in accordance with the eligibility requirements
and conference policies. For instance the program must be sponsored
by a university college, and an apprOpriate part of the program must
be conducted by faculty members Of the University. However, this is
a broad area, covering such fields as business education, public
administration, home economics, agriculture, engineering, and liberal
arts. The policies are maintained to eschew commercialism, intoxicants,
as well as restrictive conferences, secret or closed meetings, and
annual or general business meetings.

The number of conferences exceed hOO annually, and more
than 60,000 persons visit to attend these conferences. The size
of meetings ranges from a few participants to several hundred, and
the methods include lecturers, demonstrations, discussions, workshops,
and many other procedures. Some examples of the subjects discussed
indicates the wide range of interest: law enforcement, poultry raising,
supervisory training. The specialist called a conference consultant
works to build the entire program, helping the conferees, interested
adults, and peOple from the academic departments to achieve a worth-
while learning eXperience.

In order to administrate this multi-purpose establishment,
the organizational structure is divided into two parts: Continuing
Education Service and the Kellogg Center management. The Continuing
Education service conducts all phases concerned with programming,

budgeting, coordinating, and evaluating all conferences. The Director

33
of the Continuing Education Service is responsible to the provost
of the entire Operation of university Conferences along with the
University Extension and the Institute for Community Development.

The Kellogg Center management is an operating unit within
the department of Dormitories and Food Services. This division is
responsible to the Vice President Of Business and Finance and
Treasurer. The main duties of the management are to Operate the
complete facilities of the conference hotel, to arrange non-conference
meetings related to the University, and to host visiting university
guests. The Operation is closely coordinated with the activities of
the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management. Since
the establishment is designed to be self-supporting, the Operation
is administrated as a general business system, except that it must
follow the general principles of the University. The Center is not
a profit-making establishment.

The building has 193 hotel-type guest rooms, an auditorium
with seating capacity Of 500, 20 completely equipped conference
rooms Of varying sizes, a library, two large banquet rooms, six
smaller dining rooms, and a cafeteria. The total dining capacity
at one time is about l,hOO. The floors from second to seventh are
exclusively for guest rooms except for one meeting room on the second
floor. All guest rooms in the Center are twin bed rooms except for
two living room suites on each floor. One of the two suites on each
six guest-room floors can be divided into two twin bed rooms. Each
room has a single bed and a studio bed, with a private bath room,

four channel radio, and a telephone. All guest rooms and function

31+
rooms are air-conditioned or air-cooled.

The front office and the conference registration office
are located in the center of the first floor with close access to the
Office Of the Director of the Continuing Education Service, Manager‘s
office, and reservation cffice. The right wing Of the first floor
contains meeting rooms, with checkrooms, wash-rooms, and a library.
The left wing contains dining rooms and a central kitchen. The base
floor is occupied by the school facilities of the Hotel, Restaurant,
and Institutional Management EePartment, including class rooms,
laboratories, an eXperimental kitchen, a library, office rooms, and
a Cafeteria. The base floor also contains all the Offices of the
Continuing Education Service, and maintenance shops, mechanical rooms,
and storage spaces.

The Center has parking space for #00 cars adjoining the
building, and is located in a quiet atmosphere near the Red Cedar
River and Jenison Field House, in the northwest section of the
Michigan State University campus. The Student union Building, University
library, sports centers, and museum are within walking distance.
Michigan Avenue runs to the State Capital of Michigan, and the
Civic Center Of lensing is two miles west. Bus Service connects
downtown Iansing, and the Detroit MetrOpolitan Airport. The Capital
City airport, and two railroad stations are in a three-mile radius of

Lansing.

2. Brief explanation of business flow
The entire sc0pe of an educational conference in the Kellogg

Center is divided into two phases. In regard to content, the operations

35
are conducted by a conference consultant of the Continuing Education
Center. The cycle includes programming, budgeting, facilitating,
promoting, conducting, and evaluating. This cycle covers more
than the entire area Of the function Of both the convention planning
committee Of an association or a business concern and the hotel sales
department, if we compare it with the previously discussed convention
in the commercial hotel.

The other phase is the physical arranging and scheduling of
facilities and service to accommodate the attendants. A part of this
scheduling is performed by the consultant of the individual conference
and the Kellogg Center management who help with the actual Operation
with the assistance and the coordination of the consultant. As
previously noted the philOSOphy Of university conference emphasizes
that "Its participants live tOgether in a residential situation.”
Therefore, the function has also some importance, like both wheels
of a cart. The conference consultant is normally called a
"Coordinator" in the establishment; therefore, we will also use this
familiar term since it seems to indicate his function a little more
clearly. In the next section, we will discuss the cycle briefly to

Observe how an educational conference proceeds.

Coordinator's activity cycle

Initiating

 

A group or organization which is interested in holding an
educational conference notifies the university Conference staff.

Occasionally, the request is channeled through a faculty member who is

related to the group, or concerned with an academic department, which

36
is interested in sponsoring the conference. A coordinator concerned
with the particular academic area obtains from the group representative
detailed information regarding the Occupational characteristics of
the group, its conference history, and its geographic SCOpe in the
form of a UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE REQUEST. The coordinator helps
formulate the statement of the goals and objectives of the prOposed
conference. He determines whether the goals and objectives meet with
the characteristics and eligibility requirements of a University
Conference. This information along with a CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIP
REQUEST is forwarded to the college of the University which is related
in subject matter to the group. In actual practice, two-thirds Of
the educational conference to be held in the Kellogg Center have a
previous conference history in this Center, so that this step is

shortened in these cases.

Planning

Soon after the CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIP REQUEST has been approved
by a university College, the consultant starts to help in processing,
planning, and directing the conference. He helps form a planning
committee which includes as members one or more representatives from
both the group being served and the sponsoring college. In the
initial meeting thus arranged, they try to define the following
matters concerning the proposed conference:

1. General purpose of the conference.

2. Specific needs of those who will attend.

3. Specific Objectives or goals.

 

37

A. Type of program that will accomplish these objectives.

5. length and time of the conference.

6. Outline of day-to-day schedule.

7. Principal speakers and program personnel to be contacted.

The consultant may call subsequent meetings to deveIOp
these further. He finalizes the details of program, speakers and
moderators, budget, promotion, facilities and other matters vital to
the conference success. A FACULTY PARTICIPATION REQUEST is forwarded
to the Sponsoring college. In this planning stage, the coordinator
works as a liaison person and a conference architect, between the
interested group and the sponsoring college. He has the general
administrative responsibility of organizing the various elements of

the conference into the most effective educational experience.

Budgeting

The Center‘s building was a gift to the University, and
its continuous Operation has largely been the result of gifts and its
own earnings. Consequently, conferences are expected to be self-
supporting. A budget is developed by the consultant of each conference
on a WORKSHEET FOR BUDGETING.

The budget includes all the anticipated direct costs which
may occur for the particular conference, such as honoraria, travel
eXpenses for speaker, printing and mailing charges, promotional
materials, oratorical expenses, communication expense, audio-visual,
recording expenses, books and other supplies, and similar conference
expenses which are "direct” in nature. It also includes a portion

of the indirect costs borne by the University in providing its

38
services and facilities. The total estimated conference cost is
divided by the anticipated number of registrants, to arrive at the
amount of the conference cost that should be shared by each conferee.
In some cases, a part or all of this cost is paid by the group or the
association. A significant point is that the amount is for the
conference registration fee, and is not the same as those package plans
of the commercial hotels. Individual hotel expenses, and dining and
banquet eXpenses are calculated and paid separately.

Since this procedure requires all accurate information
on anticipated expenses, and estimated number of attendants, budgeting
is usually done when the program is fairly well constructed. However,
promoting is followed after this procedure, and prOper timing is
necessary in some cases, because a certain amount of time is required
for the individual conferees to be selected from various organizations
related to the association.

Once the budget has been firmly established and the con-
ference registration fee is determined, the University assumes all
risk for financial profit and loss on the conference.

Registration fees are collected through the registration office
and purchase orders are diSpatched via the coordinator, or other
committee members.- All bills concerning the conference budget are
collected on a IEDGER SHEET in the accounting office and checked by

the coordinator before the actual payment is made.

Promoting

The promotion of an educational conference might be conducted

by either the participating group, the sponsoring college, or the

1+0
consultant. Sometimes it is assumed by the co-Operation of all
three groups. In any event, the coordinator is responsible for seeing
that an effective promotional job is performed, and that there is
prOper preparation and distribution of the material of billing conform—
ing to University standards. The Continuing Education Service has
facilities for preparation and distribution of this promotional

material including its artwork and supervision of printing.

Facilitating

 

This is the area of reservation, booking, and communication

for the physical arrangements in the case of commercial hotel.

Housing

‘As soon as the CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIP REQUEST has been approved
by a University College, the coordinator reserves housing facilities,
the approximate number of rooms required from estimated attendance.
The reservation is made on a daily_master control sheet, which is kept
in the file of the Assistant Director of the University Conference.

The reservation is not on the master control book of the
Kellogg Center Management at this state because, the Continuing
Education Service has priority use on 173 out of the 193 guest rooms
of the center, provided the reservation is made more than thirty

days in advance. The daily master control sheets are prepared in the

 

file up to three years in advance, and a tentative reservation can be
handled fairly well in advance, while certain changes might occur
at a later date if such an arrangement is possible. At the tOp of the

sheet, a simple scale is provided and the amount of rooms already

Al
reserved is to be blocked on this scale to avoid overbooking.

When the expected number of attendants becomes fairly fixed,
and prior to thirty days before the conference, the coordinator files
a CONFERENCE FACILITIES RESERVATION in triplicate, and one copy is
forwarded to the Kellogg Center management (we will call it simply
"hotel manager" from now on) through the hotel reservation office.

Hotel master control board is blocked at this time. This procedure

 

may be called formal booking.

Completed application forms which were sent to the prospective
conferee along with promotional materials are returned to the
conference registration office and accumulated in the order of arrival.
The hotel reservation office is informed by the registration office
of the number of applications received to date, so that they can adjust
blocked rooms by formal booking to a certain extent prior to the
convention date. Confirmation is sent to the conferee individually
from the hotel reservation office.

Single occupancy is discouraged because as many prospective
conferees as possible must be accommodated and because living together

is an effective educational eXperience.

Dining room and meals

like housing, dining rooms are reserved on the daily master

 

control sheet in the Assistant Director's office. At a certain date,

 

at leastthirty days prior to the conference, the consultant files
a MEETING AND DINING ROOM RESERVATION in triplicate. Along with
brief information on meeting rooms required, it contains dining room

information such as Date and Day, Room, Function-price, Starting Time,

ha
Adjourning time, approximate number of peOple to be served and type of
people. The first copy is sent to the hotel manager, the second c0py
is forwarded to the hotel director of food service, and the last
copy is reserved by the coordinator for the signature of the hotel
manager.

Concerning meals, more technical arrangements are necessary
to minimize the serving loss, which might occur because of increasing
material and labor cost in the hotel operation. Proper timing and
punctuality is indispensable to avoid dining room congestion and
interference in conducting scheduled programs.

For these various reasons, the Center established policies
and methods to facilitate efficient Operations. (See appendices.)

The application form for a conference has a column for the
conferee to designate the meals which he wishes to attend. Calculating
the number of prospective attendants of each meal from this infor-
mation, the registration office prepares a certain number of tickets
for individual meals, and they are sold during the registration of
the conference.

A regular meeting is called every Tuesday morning for the
Coordinator, Food Service Director and Reservation Office Manager to
discuss the detailed arrangement of meals and changes of the dining
room service during the coming week, especially checking the time
schedule, number of people to be served, and type of people. This
information is obtained through applications received to date.
However, at this stage, all details are still an estimate.

Actual guarantees for all meals must be made by two o'clock
on the day before except for those on weekends and Monday, which

must be guaranteed by Friday. This guarantee is done either by the

l+3
representative of the participants or by the coordinator, if the
University Conference is assuming the financial responsibility. The
number thus guaranteed should be billed, regardless of the number
of the tickets sold. To absorb the last minute fluctuation, the hotel
prepares a certain allowance above the number of covers guaranteed.
(See appendices.) If the hotel can not absorb the overflow within
'this allowance, they coordinate with the hotel dining-room to serve

those guests.

Meeting rooms

Initial reservation is made in the same way as for dining
rooms and meals. However, only the information concerning to the date,
day, room, and time is indicated on the MEETING AND DINING ROOM
RESERVATION at this time. At a later date, possibly a few days prior
to the conference, a c0py of this same form is forwarded to the
assistant manager of the hotel, who is responsible for the job of
night custodian. At this time, the MEETING AND DINING ROOM RESER-
VATION form contains the information concerning the Number of Attendants,
Conference style, Speakers Table, P.A. System, and other miscellaneous
information.

To avoid any conflicts, delays, and changes in those arrange-
ments, the consultant communicates frequently before and during the
conference with the hotel departments concerned and registration
office for preparation and coordination of the meetings and functions.
On every Tuesday evening, the information is furnished to the consultant
from the registration office regarding the various requests of appli-
cants, number of applications and registrants, and other infor-

mation on the particular conferences, although he can check on this

nu

whenever he needs the data.

Other Arrangements

 

The consultant also assumes the responsibility of preparing
and procuring other necessary physical equipment such as audio—
visual aids, photography, text books and supplies, certificates, and
the like in accordance with the programs and requests of the planning
committee. The careful selection of this equipment and materials is
a part of the planning stage, and is essential for a fruitful edu-
cational eXperience. For instance, to have an attractive speech
during the banquet, the setup of speaker's table in relation to the
size of group and the degree of formality of the speech must be
considered. Normally, the space allocated to the Speaker's table
is not to exceed 10% of the table space required for the attendants.
As the group size increases, the percentage decreases. In another
example, the selection of the public address system, namely the kind
of microphone, is vital for effective discussion. Several different
kinds of micrOphones have different usages for lecture, forum,
symposium panel, committee discussion, and group interviewing. It is
commonly noticed that a careless arrangement of the P.A. system can
easily destroy the effect of a good speech in any kind of group

meeting.

Conducting

 

While the conference is in progress, the coordinator assists
in hosting the function, namely, speakers, moderator, or demonstration

people, to insure the proper performance and to see that all prOgram

AS
personnel and special guests are ideally introduced to the group. His
coordinating function should be exerted fully at this stage with the
active help from other members of the conference planning committee,
so that all pre-conference plans work toward the enrichment

of the conference.

Evaluating

 

As with the follow-up procedure of the commercial convention
hotel, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational
conference and to use the information thus obtained for future
planning. The goal of the evaluation is to define the effectiveness
of the program in achieving objectives, the advantages and limitations
of the conference pattern, and the degree of reactions of conferees.
The method differs in each situation; however, a minimum evaluation
can be obtained by a canvass of the members of the planning committee
concerning their reactions to the conference. The coordinators
conduct this canvass, using a standard questionnaire. Returns are
analyzed and the information is placed in a permanent file for reference.

The educational purpose of the conference is the planned
change of the individual's behavior. Therefore, the focal point of
this evaluation is to see to what extent this planned change occurs,
and to what extent the motivated interest is obtained through the
educational eXperience, and carried over to the future experiments of
each individual in his own field.

All operational data is forwarded to the consultant from
the hotel and accounting office concerning the particular conference.

The information helps the coordinator make estimates in planning

#6

future conferences.

3. Kellogg Center management activities

The managerial activities in the Kellogg Center differ
considerably from those of commercial convention hotels. First, the
living accommodations for the conference are a part of the means of
building upon effective educational experience. For example, in the
commercial hotel, single occupancy may be encouraged if there are ample
guest rooms available. In the Center, two gentlemen who are going to
attend a same educational conference are encouraged to share a room,
Whether or not additional rooms are aVailable.

Second, the hotel facilities are so planned to provide the
training of the hotel students. The management is continuously
coordinated with the hotel school to achieve this purpose without
sacrificing the efficiency of the business activities as entities.

So far as the operation of the educational conference is
concerned, the management mainly accommodates and serves the conference,
in accordance with the frame work already laid out by a coordinator.
Both the management and the coordinator are required to assist each
other to make the conference a success. Those who attend are a group
of individuals, who have different personal tastes, desires, and other
psychological factors different from each other except the common
interest in the conference objectives. Even a minor physical disturbance
can tend to reduce the effect of carefully planned educational
experiences. To provide the ideal atmosphere for education is the

goal of the management of the Kellogg Center.

1+7

The hotel also handles non-conference meetings and individual
guests visiting the University campus. This segment of the business
is conducted entirely by the management from the initial contact and
reservations through all necessary set-up of the meetings. However,
one basic difference from the operation of the commercial hotels is
that they are more rigidly directed by the operation policies than
Kellogg Center and thus less flexible.

Non-conference guests who can use the Kellogg Center are
of four types: 1) Guests to University approved or sponsored functions.
2) Guests in connection with University programs or functions. 3)
Parents and relatives who are visiting students or faculty members.

A) Some traditional groups.

Under the first three categories there are such groups as
department meetings, luncheons, and dinners; invited groups such as
the Michigan Florist Association; East Iansing organizations of
community service nature; Lansing school groups; placement interviewers;
Alumni groups; and State of Michigan Departmental functions.

The last category includes such groups as Career Carnival,
Commencement weekends, Parents weekends, High school Basket—ball
tournaments, Michigan Press Association Annual Conference, Farmer's
Week, Governor of Michigan Staff dinner and monthly meetings.

Because of the adjustment between the Continuing Education groups,
all reservations of these groups are not confirmed until thirty days
prior to the date of the function.

Repeated notations are made in the previous section about

the self-support management of this center. In spite of the rigidity

#8

Of the policy on conducting their Operations, the Kellogg Center
management must be active and business-minded to make the accommo-
dation break even. Naturally, emphasis is placed on the better
control of expenses according to the volume of business: namely,
housing, catering, and servicing the function rooms.

The control Of expenses is another reason for prOper
scheduling of human resources and other materials. let us take a
look how this scheduling is performed in the reservation Office -
housekeeping departments. The number of rooms reserved for a certain

conference is blockedin color classification on the hotel master

 

control board, which is hung over the wall of the reservation office.

 

This master control board is a kind of a pin-board, with a number of
pin holes in horizontal lines. Each hole identifies single occupancy
a day, and each horizontal line contains 193 holes, the total number
of guest rooms. All holes on two horizontal lines identify a day

Of the month in maximum double occupancy. As soon as a completed
application is received from a prospective conferee, a pin is put in
one hole on the horizontal line of the day, and a confirmation card
is sent to the conferee. The board covers six months' time. On

the board, the number of expected guests for all conferences Of a
particular date is counted from the left edge to the right up to
where the pin is planted. The number of non-conference guests

starts from the right edge tO the left up to the different

colored pins. The string along the upper left of the board identifies

the number of guests who wish to stay over to the next day.

1+9
Every first Tuesday Of the month, a forecast is made from
this board and forwarded to the housekeeping office. The housekeeping
Office then schedules the shift Of housemaids, housemen, and other
temporary helper, in relation to the weekly and monthly schedule
of housekeeping routine.

The reservation Office also keeps a daily master control book

 

for all functions to be held in the center. Space to fill in the
name of the association, kind of functions, scheduled time and number
of guests eXpected is provided for each function room by date. This
information is transferred from the MEETING AND DINING ROOM RESERVATION
of the Continuing Education Service and the ROOM RESERVATION APPLICATION
Of non-conference group meetings which is filed at the reservation
Office.

In the regular meeting every Thesday, the food director
can obtain almost enough information to call extra help needed in the
kitchen, and schedule the dining room staffs for a certain time of
a day for the coming week. The reservation Office also furnishes a
form on which the details of arrangements for the non-conference
meeting are described tO help the food director order the exact

amount of various ingredients needed for the function.

CHAPTER FOUR

ADULT GROUPS AND THE LEARNING PROCESS

In this chapter, I would like to go a little further into the
concepts Of adult group activities, especially those related to the
educational conference. It is by means Of these concepts that the
conference program is developed in the Kellogg Center. The Objective
Of this chapter is tO rec0gnize how proficiency in conference design
can be developed in the educational conference, by applying the basic
principle Of curriculum develOpment and the methods of group activities.
These concepts and techniques make the learning process effective in any
kind Of meeting--educational, governmental, welfare, health, farm,
religious, industrial, community or whatever the group may be. By
using these techniques prOperly, a hotel concern may step forward tO
selling and facilitating convention business.

Let us look first at the objectives of business conferences
in general.

1. To promote comprehension of projected plans and activities

2. TO reach some agreement on past, present, and future

activities
3. TO make decisions on proposed plans and activities
A. TO adjust the situation which the organization is facing
5. TO train or to educate people

6. TO exchange and to create ideas in and around the particular

field or problems

50

51

7. To establish a good relation with the public or peOple

concerned

8. To promote understanding within a group on a particular

subject.

In any of these goals or combination of them, the group aims
not only to get the job done but also to affect the attendants with
outer stimulus, such as giving them new perceptions. In some cases,
the conference is a kind of planned change of individual participants
behavior towards certain objectives.

As far as the educational conference is concerned, it is
clear that the goal is to bring a planned change in individual behavior
to meet the need of attendants to learn specific topics. Education
is a process of changing behavior patterns of peOple. HOwever, in
adult education, this process is more complex than in a regular school,
since each student is an adult who has a certain degree of balanced
maturity, preoccupied ideas through individuals' past education and
experiences, a wider but certain degree of formalized social contacts,
plus the limitation of time that can be allocated for this conference.
Thus, to get acquainted with this field, we must know the group
activities of adults as well as the general principles of the learning
process. A program carefully organized by a specialist who is
skilled in the area is vital for the successful educational conference,
and this specialist is the conference consultant, simply called the
coordinator in the example of the KBllOgg Center.

In pamphlet issued by the Continuing Education Center, six

steps are listed as essential in designing an effective conference.

52
1. Determine who will attend, and obtain information to answer
allied questions about the level of eXperience of the
probable participants and about previous meetings.

2. Review the long-range purposes of the groups and determine
the specific goals of the conference.

3- Determine the subject—matter content and learning eXperi-
ences needed to accomplish the preposed goals and to
resolve problems.

h. Select resource peOple to serve as speakers, discussion
leaders, panel members or in other ways to implement
the learning experience.

5. Select facilities, promotional and other service required.
Plan a budget for the conference and determine method of
financing.

6. Assignment of definite reSponsibilities to specific
individuals with a time table for completion.

1. Conference Goal and Educational Experience

Most peOple in the day to day Operation of their businesses
are required to have a variety of assumptions and ideas or beliefs.
They hold these concepts as being the only true measurement. There-
fore, if any new thinking were to occur or any new understanding were
to come upon them, it would have to be caused by some strong motivation
from outside which would stimulate them into raising such questions as,
"What do others believe?", "Why do they think as they do?“, or "What
is the relationship of this idea to that fact?" Raising this kind of
question gives him a chance to reconsider old information and preoccupied

ideas. Furthermore, he may put them into new or different kinds of

relationship from which more satisfactory conclusions can be drawn.1

 

¥Adult Education Assoc. of the U S.A., Planninquetter

Progzams, 1955, p. 12.

 

53

This is a typical process of learning for adults. In scheduling
an educational conference, we have to expect and plan that this kind
of transition must occur through the designed prOgram. At least part
of this changing behavior is planned to occur through the selected
educational experiences so that the participants return with a rec0g-
nition of the problem and the relationship of the information.
Ideally, the goal is to have some new understanding develOp and some
action take place. When the conference is over, a well planned
program does not end; rather it sets the beginning of a new surge of
activity. The value of a conference is the extent to which it stimulates
individuals to do more things better than before.

The programmer or conference consultant's job is then to
select those educational experiences which are likely to be useful
and to result in the planned change of behavior in the conferee.
The term "educational experience' is referred to as "the interaction
between the learner and external conditions in the environment to which
he can react."2 Learning will process through the active behavior of
the conferee.. The important thing is that the programmer must have
some understanding of the kind of interest and background the conferees
have so that he can make some prediction as to what action by the
conferees should follow from the given eXperience.

Some general principles in selecting educational experiences
are as follows:

1. To give some opportunity for the learner to practice the

kind of behavior implied by the educational experience.

 

2Ralph W Tyler, Basic Principle of Curriculum and Instruction,
The university of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1961, p. hl.

5h

2. TD make the learner obtain satisfaction from carrying on
the kind of behavior implied by the objectives. Although
this sounds ideal, if it is unsatisfying or distasteful,
the designed learning is not likely to take place.

3. To be sure that reactions desired in the experience are
within the range of possibility of the learner.

h. To be careful of the fact that the most experience is
likely to bring about some sub-products reaction more
than the desired objectives.

5. Tb realize that there are many particular experiences

that can be used to achieve the same learning objectives.3

2. Group Activities and Individual Behavior

When we participate in group life, our individual behavior is
affected by some forces which often suggest that we change our behavior,
ideas, attitudes, or even beliefs. we, as individual participants,
may affect others through these forces. As a whole, a group is
always moving, doing something, changing, interacting and reacting,
although the group has static aspects such as its name, constitutional
structure, ultimate purpose and other fixed characteristics. The
nature and direction of these dynamic aspects is determined by forces
being exerted on it from within the group itself and from outside.
This phenomenon, the interaction of these forces and their resultant
effect, is commonly called "group dynamics." To consider the

effectiveness of changing the behavior of individuals through conference,

 

3Ibid., 42-uu.

55
it is extremely necessary to understand this force that causes
individuals to behave the way they do in groups. Therefore in this
section I would like to collect some basic concepts relating to
this force.

In their publication of the Introduction tg_Group»Qynamicsh

 

 

Malcolm and Hulda Knowles noted the possessions of a group distinguish-
ing its identity from a mere collection of individuals as:

l. A definable membership--a collection of two or more
peOple identifiable by name or type.

2. Group consciousness--the members think of themselves as
a group, have a (collective perception of unity), a
conscious identification with each other.

3. A sense of shared purpose--the members have the same
(object model) or goals or ideals.

h. Interdependence in satisfaction of needs--the member needs
the help of one another to accomplish the purposes for
which they joined the group.

5. Interaction--the members communicate with one another,
influence one another, react one another.

6. Ability to act in a unitary manner--the group can behave
as a single organismt 5

They also pointed out that group activities are affected by
its own characteristics, such as group's historical background, parti-
cipation pattern, communication, cohesiveness, atmoSphere, standards,
sociometric pattern, structure and organization, procedure and goals.
These characteristics are, in turn, some source of the strong impact

which a group has upon its members. Some groups are appealing or

 

hMalcolm S. Knowles & Hulda F. Knowles, Introduction 33

Group Dynamics, Association Press N.Y., p. 39.

 

 

5Jane warters, Group Guidance, Principles and Practices,
McGraw-Hill Book Co., N.Y., p. 11.

 

 

56
irritating to their members which depends largely on the contents of
the characters the group carries.

An analytical study of sociometrics revealed another aspect
of character and direction of group activities in relation to the
individual‘s desires.6 According to this study, the group's need are
directed in two different dimensions: psyche and socio. A group like
the bridge circle which is highly informal with no definite goal,
with few rules and procedure, is called a psyche gaggp, Individuals
join to the party for the emotional satisfactions they get from
belonging. Since such groups as committees, boards, and discussion
groups have defined goals, they have some procedures and rules. The
group exists to accomplish some task, such as work, education, or
some volunteer service. Members are sometimes brought together out of
compulsion or a sense of duty more than out of free choice. This kind
of group is said to be directed towards the sggig_dimension.. However,
there is no extreme group in either of these dimensions. Rather,
most groups require both dimensions in their activities. They need
Ithe psyche dimension to have emotional involvement, morale, interest
and loyality. The socio dimension provides stability, direction, and
a sense of accomplishment. The group member may become dissatisfied
and feel guilty without the former dimension. He may feel that the
group is cold, unfriendly, and not pleasant to be with, if the group

lacks the latter dimension.

 

 

 

6Knowles, Introduction tg_Group Dynamics.

57

The member's individual behavior is affected by the group
forces, implicitly as well as explicitly. The implicit psychological
pressure may never be consciously recognized, nevertheless if we
belong to a certain group, we may find ourselves beginning to behave
according to the group image. However, the important point is that
changes on the part of individuals do not always accord with the desire
of the group. Thus, people can join the same group for different
reasons, and these reasons may not coincide with those of the group.
If a member is only slightly interested in the group's activities, he
is not likely to be affected by the efforts by which the group tries to
achieve their common goal. Also the group climate or atmosphere, which
comes from the characteristics of the group, may produce counter
currents in an individual's feeling and prevent or distort the
direction of the force for change, even if he has considerable interest
in the activities and the goals. The leadership function has an
important task in diagnosing these problems and advancing the group
operation. we might even say that when leadership changes, the whole
pattern of a group can change, although the degree and direction of
reactions may differ individually.

There are two basic issues in the area of leadership function.
One is the contents of leadership functions and the other is the
distribution of leadership. The leadership functions are classified
tmo two parts, according to Kenneth Benne and Paul Sheets:7

IGroup-building and maintenance roles

such as, encouraging, mediating, gate keeping, following,

relieving tension, initiating, information seeking, information

7Knowles quoted, in Introduction £9_Group Dynamics, pp. 52-55.

 

 

58

giving, opinion giving, clarifying, elaborating, co-ordin-

ating, testing, summarizing.

Maintaining the group against blocking, aggression, seeking

rec0gnition, special pleading, withdrawing, dominating.

Group task roles-—those which help the group do its work.

In a group, there must be both leadership and fellowship. The
distribution of leadership varies in each group, and even within the
same group. Confusion always tends to arise when the extent of
leadership activity in any one position is not clear to the group
members. Once the distribution is settled, all members should have
common expectations as to what kind of leadership behavior is expected
from.whom.and under what conditions. If there is no clear-cut agree-
ment on certain leadership positions each person reacts to the matter
in his own way and the same thing will have a different meaning for
each person.‘ In this situation the group loses the teamwork and
cohesiveness in its activities.

The comparison of three types of leadership behavior in
different degrees of distribution was explained in the classic experi-

8
ment of Ralph'White and Ronald Iippitt.

a. Authoriatian-led group: (policy determined by the leader)
produced a greater quantity of work over a short period of
time, but experienced more hostility, competition, and
aggression-~especially scapegoating, more discontent
beneath the surface, more dependence, and less originality.

b. Democraticallyeled groups: (all policies a matter of
group discussion and decision; encouraged and assisted
by the leader) slower, in getting into production, were
more strongly motivated, became increasingly productive
with time and learning, experienced more friendliness
and teamwork, praised one another more friendliness and
teamwork, praised one another more frequently, and eXpressed

greater satisfaction.

c. Iaissez-faire groups: (complete freedom for group or

 

8Knowles mentioned in Introduction 32 Group Dynamics, pp.57-58.

 

 

59
individual decision, with a minimum of leader partici-
pation) did less work and poorer work than either of the
others, spent more time in horseplay, talked more about
what they should be doing, experienced more aggression
than the democratic groups but less than the authoritarian,
and expressed a preference for democratic leadership.
3. Steps to Activate the Group TOwards a Planned Change
In the previous section, we were concerned mainly with the
general characteristics of interaction between individual behavior and
group activity. In this section, we will focus on the socio dimension
to see what sort of techniques are applied by leaders to activate
the members, and to let them take part in a situation that will achieve
the planned change.
The initial job starts before the first meeting. This is
done by sending out questionnaires to get information on the
members' interests, real problems they are faced with, questions on
their minds. It is also done by asking some members to serve on a
planning committee to work out the programs. This step of getting
members to participate before the first meeting is valuable both for
self-directing the coming meeting and motivating the members.
Selection of resources and patterns should be carefully
carried on to build the preper educational eXperiences, in reference
to the previous metting history of the group. The method of pre-
sentation of materials, speakers, various mechanical aids, material
contents, and field trips, and the mixing of these resources with

physical resource arrangements affects greatly the involvement of the

participants.

60

In a meeting, several steps are considered as key points to
be developed for the successful planned change. These are briefly
divided into four segments.

1) launching out a meeting and setting attendants

2) stimulating the attendants

3) giving support

h) consolidating and reinforcing the experience.

launching_out the meeting and setting attendants. As it
is vital to set a rocket in its prOper orbit, this first step of
setting the participants on the road in a common direction and acti-
vating them to the same situation is very vital. When this job is
properly done, contagion feeling works almost simultaneously among the
audience. At the first few moments of the meeting, the leader may i
need to get all members' attention focused on him. Then, he must
start setting an atmosphere or mood in which the meeting can go
forward. Since the leader is in a central position, his attitude,
voice, tone, the particular words he expresses, will quickly affect
the mood of the meeting just as well as all the physical arrangements
do. Because the initial mood or atmosphere is developed gradually in
the emotional climate over the entire meeting time, it is the
leader's significant responsibility to direct the group towards a
psychologically suitable atmosphere for the purpose of the meeting.
{This importance of emotional climate should be emphasized for learning
groups, since the individuals are easily affected with the climate
of the situation when they learn. For instance, in a discussion

group, they must feel that it is psychologically safe for them to

6i
express their own attitudes, values and concepts. They must be
in such an atmosphere that they are not hesitant to express Opposition
to new ideas or to discuss their doubts of certain problems. In the
learning situation, the climate should be accepting, permissive,
and non-evaluative.

As the meeting progresses, the individual participant tends
to raise questions about the brief outline of the destination, the
process, his tasks and required behavior. Uhless he is given some
answers to these questions, he can not relax. The leader should give
the guide line for this purpose, and let the group have some rec0gnition
of where they are at the moment.

Stimulating the attendants. let us take an example of a

 

discussion group. To carry the discussion in the most effective
way, the group must eventually be self-directing and self-governing.
The leader's effort should continuously be directed towards this.
The problem is, however, that the peOple are so used to a leader's
assuming responsibility for locomoting the group, that they will
resent any attempt by the leader who tries letting the group take
full responsibility for itself from the beginning. Some authorities
suggest that the leader gradually transfer this responsibility as the
group becomes more mature. Another approach emphasizes giving the
group some assignment for hastening members' participation. Some
techniques are indicated for carrying out this method.9
a. Providing an initial problem for discussion, breaking up

into small groups to consider different aspects of the
problem and reporting conclusions to the total group.

 

9Adult Education Association of the U.S.A., How E9. Lead
Discussions, leadership pamphlet No. l, 1960, p. 18.

 

62

b. Presenting a film, a case study, a provocative problem,
a radical prOpOsition, and so on.

c. Asking members to contribute something from their own
experience.

d. Role-playing some pertinent situation that has experimental
meaning for the group.

Giving support. An individual's participation in an edu-

 

cational program is inclined to be intensified at the point where he
discovers the personal meaning in the program. It is the role of
leadership to arrange the program that will remind him of his own job
or home problems so that he will discover some personal identification
with this educational experience.

A phenomenon concerned with the change Of personal behavior
was revealed in some sociological studies.10 A changed person is more
likely to stay changed if he can recognize that his associates are
changed tOO. People feel at ease in holding new attitudes, when
they feel that other people whom they like and respect also hold the
same point of view or behavior. This is a kind of rationalization
of the new attitude inside the individual. The program is more
effective if it gives the peOple an Opportunity to see the other
people's agreement with the new behavior.

Consolidatipg the experience and reinforcing the new behavior.
When attendants have a clear feeling of the success or achievement Of
the prOgram, it gives them satisfaction and they are inclined to think
the experience deserved their time and expense. Therefore, making this

kind Of recognition in the program and defining the amount that the group

 

lOAdult Education Association of the U.S.A., Planninngetter

Proggams, leadership pamphlet No. 2, 1955, p. 13.

63
accomplished towards the goal is worthwhile to the participants.
Finally, this is done by summarizing the experience or the change
they have achieved. This summary also helps in clarifying the resultant
knowledge and information which is related to the following actions
or changes to be developed. This reinforcing procedure is worked out
in testimonial fashion, rephrasing, charting, and the like by each
member or the leader. The final atmosphere of the meeting would be
ideal if the individual felt the achievement Of common goal.with all
fellow participants. This feeling of brotherhood among the members
helps impress the new behavior firmly within the individual and

assures the feeling of the success of the meeting.

A. Some Principles for Organizing the learning EXperience

Changes in human behavior, such as in the way Of thinking,
fundamental habits, major Operating concepts, attitude and the like
are developed slowly through various learning eXperiences. Organi-
zation Of these learning experiences therefore has prime importance
in curriculum development. The prOgram--blueprinting Of an educational
conference is a vital part of the entire process of the planned change.
It not only influences the efficiency Of conducting the process, but
also affects the degree of learning. The following are some basic
principles of curriculum construction applicable to programmed
educational conferences. When the entire meeting and other programs
are to be unified, there is the relationship among selected educational
experiences over time from one area to another. Three criteria

for effective organization in this respect are:11

 

llBasic Principle 9: Curriculum and Instruction, pp. Sit-55.

 

on
i. Continuity In the educational experience to improve or
develOp scientific knowledge, it is important
to deal with one concept again and again so
that a person can make use Of the knowledge
whenever it is necessary.

ii. Sequence While each successive experience builds upon
the preceding one, the content must go more
broadly and deeply into the matters involved.
In other words, each successive eXperience
should have greater breadth and depth.

iii. Integration The whole prOgram is so organized to help the
learner increasingly get a unified view and to
unify his behavior in relation to the element
dealth with. This is to expand the learner's
total capacity applicable to the various
situations.

When a school builds curriculum, it is necessary to identify

'the elements Of that curriculum.which serve as organizational threads in
a certain subject. Concepts, skills, and values are examples Of the
'thread in the subject of mathematics in the formal school. Although
'the degree is different, all educational eXperiences Of a conference
should be inter-related to each other with this kind of thread, which
(lirects the group towards the ultimate goal of the conference or
sometimes to the long-range purpose Of the group.

There are some selective organizational principles that can

serve as a basis for planning in each situation. The most commonly

used principles are:

a.

b.

65
l2
chronological organization
increasing breadth Of application
increasing range of activities included
use of description followed by analysis
development of specific illustrations followed by broader

and broader principles, to explain the illustration."

As a whole, the organization procedure will include the

following steps, when these above mentioned concepts are taken into

consideration, and each step deserves attention for efficient pro-

gramming.

Deciding on a general scheme of organization, whether
specific subjects, broad fields, or core programs are

to be used.

Deciding on an organization principle, it is especially
indispensable in building long range programs.

Breaking Objectives into program units; deciding whether
to use some theme or independent units; grOuping Objectives
that can be handled in a meeting.

Determining priorities and sequences among prOgram units;
organizing relationship between each meeting, prOper order
to increase interest and decrease the fatigue of
participants; meeting sequence and integration appropriate
to the process Of active thinking of participants.
Determining prOgram style and methods; various methods

produce varying patterns Of participation among members.

 

12Basic Principles gf_Curriculum and Instruction

 

 

66
The method should be related to the objectives it is to
serve. It is worthwhile to use a combination of several
patterns and methods tO achieve single objectives.

6. Selecting and preparing resource people and other materials.
All kinds of resources should be aids to the group in
an educational experience.

7. Rehearsing each meeting, if necessary, especially if the
group is going to use a panel, symposium, dramatization

or the like.

5. Evaluation of the Effectiveness Of the learning Experience

The evaluation process has two important tasks, measurement
and feedback. It is the process of finding to what extent the learning
experiences which were develOped and organized are actually producing
the planned change. The extent is not only measured by the degree or
depth of the change, but also by the direction and the contents of the
change against the originally targetted goals. From this measurement,
we can identify the strength and weakness of the entire prOgram as
'well as of the details. This is the check Of the validity Of the basic
hypotheses upon which the entire program has been built and developed.
It is also the check Of effectiveness Of the particular patterns
and methods that have been used in relation to the specific educational
Objectives. However, the same educational experience does not always
bring a single outcome; rather it is likely to bring about several
(outcomes as subproducts. Some of them might be undesirable for the
(averall change of behavior. FOr this reason, the attendants' reactions

:should be carefully traced through the evaluation process.

67

Three methods are commonly used for the evaluation.13 One of
them is the questionnaire sheet or card which is distributed to each
participant at the end of the meeting. Questionnaires contain columns
to evaluate the methods, patterns, content, sequence, and degree of
participation of individuals at each meeting and activity. They also
ask the group to fill in one's interests, suggestions, and other feelings.
The questionnaires are collected and analyzed by the programmer in
the form of a report. Ideally it is a better indication to the members
Of the range of reactions of the previous meeting and how these
reactions should be taken into account in planning the following
meeting.

Another method of evaluation is interviewing some participants
after the meeting. Interviews may be arranged in groups so as to
facilitate free Opinions and suggestions on the previous meeting. The
same kind of questions should be asked if the interview is arranged on
an individual basis so as to get comparable information. The result
might be treated in the same way as that of the questionnaire.

The third method is the evaluation by a small group discussion.
Participants in a conference are divided into informal buzz groups at
the last pasrt of the program; they discuss the contents of programs and
methods to produce evaluation. The more participants that are involved
in the program, the better evaluations and constructive suggestions can
be collected by this method.

Evaluation is the process by which the group can improve their
methods of Operation through the actual result. Therefore, this process

should be built right into the program.

 

13Adult Education Assoc. of the U.S.A., Planning Better Programs

CHAPTER 5

SOME MANAGERIAL CONCEPTS FOR EFFICIENT OPERATION
OF GROUP AND CONFERENCE BUSINESS
Through the close Observation of efficient systems which are

employed in two different entities, one may realize that there are some
strategic concepts which make successful operation of those managements
possible. waever, we must not generalize these Observations as a
model of the best system or of a typical system Of efficient operation,
applicable to any situation, since both Operations are in unique
surroundings. Our Objective of this chapter is to extract some essence
that might be useable for management as concepts for carrying efficient

group business.

1. management Cycle

Studies of the management principle in general business Often
indicate five major functions attributable to the management. A
business is conducted prOperly when these five functions are duly
performed by the management. These functions are planning, organizing,
directing or communicating, controlling or supervising, and coordin-
ating. When a firm embarks a new venture, it plans carefully the
Objective to be achieved. The plan is developed to organize functional
systems, select human resources and those physical facilities
necessary for the operation, and set policies. The financial and
Operational budgets are drawn up and then the Operation set out.

£3ince the actual operation seldom follows the projected details Of the

68

69
original plan, the management is required to control the Operation
through the functional system with various hstrumental methods and
built-in mechanisms. In many cases the Operation causes the situation
to deviate from the planned contents, which necessitates prOper adjust-
ment by the management; thus the coordinating function is requested to
set the adjusted Operation. Planning for the next steps is considered
through these activities. All in all, these five functions working in
rotation throughout the activities Of business are commonly called a
management cycle, or a controlling cycle.

When we review and evaluate those two hotel examples, it
becomes clear that their Operations are prOperly implemented with
these functions to facilitate the business that was sold or programmed
far in advance. A worked out format of advance scheduling helps
reduce the eXpense Of deviating as much as possible. The prOper
delegation and concentration Of authority smooths the directing and
controlling functions. The sales representative or the conference
coordinator is in the position Of the management. In the planning
stage, he carefully plans and examines the customers requests towards
their Objectives of the proposed conference or convention, with the
assistance of customer's representatives or some members of conference
group. According to the planned chart, the resume or prOgram, all
human resources or forces are scheduled and organized. Physical
facilities are arranged. Various meetings and communications provide
necessary instructions to each department to insure cohesiveness.
ApprOpriate control and supervision of each department expediently

adjusts the situation with the coordination of the sales representative

flitlr'fHL lu'.... “j

70
or the consultant. The concept of the management cycle thus furnishes

the base upon which the efficient system can be developed.

2. Sales Meeting

In the example of the commercial convention hotel, we observed
the tasks of the weekly sales meeting. Although it was discussed
there as a step in coordinating and communicating in cyclical activity,
the prime importance Of the meeting naturally is in motivating and
coordinating sales activities.

Through the meeting, management can indicate the sales
representatives the situation of advance selling Of a certain future
period, such as the amount they have sold up to that date and the
available capacity that can be sold. In the case of the Palmer House,
Chicago, they determine the par that the sales department would have
to achieve in order to make their contribution to the 80% occupancy of
the hotel, for instance. This goal implies selling 313,000 room-days
for a month, or h0% of the over all occupancy at the hotel.1 The
number of rooms booked for the future months is always compared with
figures Of the same month of the previous two years.

The management can diagnose overall sales situations and
individual group selling through this meeting. One Of the crucial
points of advance selling is to make the tentative booking into a
formal booking. As the market Of the area is more competitive,
and other hotels have so much extra capacity this job becomes more

difficult to handle at an early date. The undecided capacity

 

1
Harvard Business School, Hilton Hotels Corporation (K-7)
BP 599, Po 2“: 1958.

71
tentatively booked must be set aside until the potential makes a
decision. In some case, a political approach by the management may
push forward this situation. In other cases, a complimental plan may
stretch out the situation.

Management may mediate the exchange of information and stimu-
late ideas. Although each individual selling situation is different,
better solutions can usually be worked out during the discussion of
the particular situation among all representatives. Sometimes they
. may discover that one potential is closely related tO another group
they have handled.

Management can expose a new perspective and thus let the sales
representatives work toward new goals. As we noticed in the first
chapter, hotel sales have an almost definite maximum limit in
capacity in the time and Space dimension. The sales goal, therefore,
should be oriented by this maximum capacity rather than by previous
sales records, when the business trend is on the upswing. A good
example of this situation is shown inthe following sales meeting
record excerpt of the Palmer House.2

DelComa: (Resident Manager) The next item on the Agenda is the

Private Dining Room occupancy for November. Bob
(Robert George, Assistant to the General Manager),
will you handle that?

*George: Yes, sir. I

Our report for the month Of November is ready. (1956)
As you know, this report is broken down into three
periods. Our report is based on the occupancy

during a 2h hour period; then, the 9 AM to 9 PM
period; and finally, just the evening period.

 

2Hilton Hotels Corporation (K-T) BP 599, p. 10.

72

You will notice ‘in studying the section devoted to the
2h hour period, that all of our private dining rooms
were vacant 18% of the time. During the 9 to 5 PM
period, our space was vacant 28% of the time; in

the evening periods, that is, after 5 O'clock, all

of the space was vacant h6% of the time; i.e.

almost every other evening.

.But let us examine the number of times each of
the individual rooms were vacant--take the Grand
Ballroom, for instance. There were three 2h hour
periods when the room was dark during the month.
During 9 to 5 period, there were 13 times--13
days--during the month when there was nothing in
the room. For the evening period, there were 8
times-~8 nights--when the room was empty. Referring
to the smaller rooms, we find that almost half of
the time these rooms were sitting vacant for the
evening periods. Even though we did average hl
functions per room, you can see how far we are from
reachirg our potential, that which might be achieved
if we were to sell these rooms prOperly.
Sales staffs must always be alert to the business climate.

They should be eXpedient to adjust situations and decide quickly what

they can Offer in the situation. Through the sales meeting, manage-

ment may equip them with the latest information for this purpose.

Available rooms for a certain period, complimentary room allowance,

available extra services and special arrangements, and general sales

forecasts are some of these examples.

From all Of these managerial purposes, frequent sales meetings

would be ideal to exert coherence in sales activities. However,

we have to keep in mind that the sales forces should not be unnecessar-

ily tied up with meetings. The amount of clerical work will also

increase, if the frequency of the meetings increase. Sales meetings

must be timely in this respect.

73
3. Flexibility Principle

The sales department of a hotel is becoming the mobility
center of the total hotel business activity. The more weight placed
on the activity of the department, the more the other departments
become dependent on the leadership of the department, and their
responsibility of directing mayincrease. This tendency often causes
slowing down of the sales activity, unless the management resorts to
some means to satisfy sales and other departmental requirements.

The introduction of efficient communication methods is one way
to ease this problem. The sales representative of the Detroit
Statler Hilton Hotel, which I mentioned before, said:

"Strangely enough sales representatives are tied down in

their Offices more than they would like because Of the large

amount Of communication. All information must go out to each
department and customers of different committees of a con-
vention and all want different hospitality."
Improvements in the mechanics of communication such as the dictaphone,
telephone recorder, teletype, personal call system, trace and COpy
machines and the like will aid them a considerable extent. In the
future, closed circuit TV and vidio tape will possibly be introduced.

PrOper delegation of authority and coordination should be
worked out to share the burden Of the sales forces.

Above all, the degree of flexibility in the sales represen-
tatives' activity is the key problem in the commercial convention
hotels. The general rules, procedures and framework of the activity

should be there, yet a certain range of allowance for flexibility

7h
should also be provided on all rules and procedures. In actual
practice, though it might be more subjective, they are depending upon
personal judgement to a greater extent. The sales representative
above mentioned explained this in the following way,

"In a larger Operation, the only thing consistent or definite

about hotel work is that it is inconsistent. To be consistent

to the convention business, we should be flexible. Everyday you
are dealing with so many individuals, so many different

groups that if you are going to remain inflexible, then you

are due for a breakdown. Flexibility is the whole key to the

successful Operation of convention business."

Management has to have some means of controlling their
activity from the viewpoint of staff~management relation on one hand,
but it should also provide them enough room for flexible activities
on the other hand. The personnel management of this area might be

one of the focal points of future studies of this field.

A. New Horizons of the Group Business

Under the title of The Next Decade igManagement,3 Peter F.

 

 

Drucker noted the personnel management problem as an important change
for business patterns in the coming decade:

"Managerial, professional, and technical peOple are by now the
largest single group in the American labor force, far out-
numbering the hourly paid machine operators. They are also
the fastest-growing group and may well double in number
within the next decade. By the end of the 1960's, they will
account for the bulk of American business' wage and salary

bill ...... The manager faces equally difficult and even more

 

3Dun's Review and Modern Industry, LXXIV, 6, (1959), pp. 52-53,
57-59-

"("5

subtle problems in respect to treatment, pay, and promotional

Opportunities for the knowledge worker. Most Of them are

specialists concerned with a single field Of knowledge. Yet,

they must direct their work toward the common end Of business

performance and business result. They have tO work as

individuals; yet they must work together as a team. To

be effective, they need a manager, just as the manager needs

their knowledge and dedication to be effective in his work.
This forecast of future management problems is enough to remind us Of
the greater need of highly skilled peOple in the field Of group
activities, conferences, and adult education. Various methods and
techniques develOped by the conference architect will help solve a
large amount of these management problems. While with this kind of
Operation it is possible to exert the real force of planned change, this
happens only when the prOper combination of human resources and
physical facilities are available.

The convention business of the hotel will be able to find new

horizons in this field, if they properly institute this new function

into their facilities.

CHAPTER SIX

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JAPANESE HOTEI.MARKET.AND THE
PROSPECTIVE FUTURE CONFERENCE AND GROUP SALES
In considering the possible application of the system.and
concepts of group business management to the situation of the Japanese
hotel industry, at least the following five steps must be taken into
consideration.
1. The inn-keeping industry in the present business structure
of Japan.
2. The hotel image and Ryokan (Japanese inn) image.
3. The sociological aspects Of Japanese peOple in group
activities.
h. The economic and custom aspects Of convention and group
activities.
5. The prospects of future group businesses and the
contribution that should be made by the hotel industry in

developing such prospects.

l. The Inn-Keeping Industry In the Present Business Structure of Japan
The tourist industry in Japan has a dual structure. Since the

habits, customs of life, patterns of leisure pursuit, recreational

motives, and the general behavior of social contacts Of Japanese

peOple differ greatly from those of visitors from foreign countries,

the industry has to accommodate and serve to international visitors and

native people in different ways. Another reason which makes this

76

77
classification necessary is the national economy. Business serving
international tourism is regarded as a contributing industry which
brings dollars into the national economy, while domestic tourism
is viewed as a business to stimulate money circulation among the
various local communities which are attractive to tourists.

The international tourist business has been ranked as the seventh
largest industry in Japan.1 Both the number of international travellers
and their expenditures are increasing at an annual rate of l5 to 20
per cent. In 1958, 152,000 people visited Japan from overseas including
90,000 tourists.2 The total expenditures of all visitors amounted to
$76 million. Tourists were estimated to have spent $61 to 67 million

3

and business travellers spent $16 million. Fifty-seven per cent of
the total visitors were U.S. citizens, and American businessmen
consisted of 61 per cent of the total business travellers, being
followed by those from Britain, 7 per cent. The total average stay
is 15 days; businessmen stayed #5 days, and tourists stayed 7 days.
Tourists allocated h days out of 7 to seeing Tokyo and spent 70 per
cent Of their total expenditure around this world's largest city.
However, the net contribution of this industry to the national income

was less than one percent on a per capita basis in 1958, briefly

amounted to $195 to $21k million.“

 

lFumikai Irisawa & Masanobu Hats, Thurist Industry (in Japanese)
1960 pp. 9-10.

2U.S. Dept. of Commerce, The Future g£_TOurism in_the Pacific
and Far East, 1961, pp. 261-262.

 

 

 

3Ibid., p. 262.

hThe Future of Tourism in_the Pacific and Far East, pp. 262-265.

 

78

The domestic tourism is eXpanding at a revolutionary high
rate. Although no detailed data are available in recent years, the
amount Of expenditure for tourism was estimated at roughly $180
million in 1957.5 Tourism has been promoted by the increased
disposable income of the average Japanese families, the improvement of
transportation systems, especially with the striking pOpularity of
the chartered bus services, the economic stability of middle income
peOple, and the national drive towards recreational pursuit.

The inn—keeping business or the lodging facilities for tourism
in Japan can be divided into several categories, generally classified
into four groups: hotel, ryokan (Japanese inn), national vacation
lodge, and youth hostel.6 The national vacation lodges and youth
hostels are promoted and developed mostly by the government agencies
and local public bodies for the public welfare. They provide
ineXpensive lodging accommodations and service for small and inter-
mediate enterprise workers, agricultural and fishery peOple and young
people. The prime forces of the Japanese inn-keeping business are
hotels and Japanese inns. By January 1962, 118 hotels have 11,225
rooms and a total capacity of 20,598 people overnight.7. The hotel
business is in the process of eXpansion towards 196k, the year of the
Olympic Games, and by that time, they will have an additional 7,500
rooms with a total capacity of 13,200 guests.

In spite of such expansion, the financial and operational

picture; of the hotel business is not so bright. Almost 80 per cent

 

5Tourist Industry, pp. 51-52.
6Ihid., pp. 123-136.

‘deashi Otsubo, Hotel Management and Service (Japanese), 1962,

79

Of their total business comes from international tourists that have
high seasonal fluctuation. The seasonal ups and downs of occupancy
are the main handicap to the stability of hotel Operation in Japan.
In the spring anf fall seasons, the international tourists overflow
the existing capacity, and in other seasons, the occupancy rate drOps
tremendously. High construction costs and high interest rates put
'further burden on their Operation. Since the capital investment for
new construction and expansion of hotels is highly dependent on
borrowed funds, interest payments are Of considerable importance.
Such hotel financing costs 8 to 9 per cent annually, but is compounded
every other month. A typical example showed that a hotel acquired
one-third of its construction funds from the Japan Development Bank
at the interest rate Of 9 per cent for 5 to 9 years, one-third
from commercial banks, and the remaining came from private sources.
This is the basic reason for high room rates of hotels in comparison
with other market commodity prices. Hotel concerns are strongly
requesting possible financial assistance with long term loans at low
rates of interest, and other protections of waiving prOperty tax and
real estate tax. The present registration provides only a limited
amount of tax relief at the local level for a hotel which meets the
minimum standards of the hotel code as an international tourist hotel.
Eyokan or a Japanese inn is a peculiar tourist accommodation
seen only in Japan. Approximately 50,000 ryokans have been regis-
tered in the operation Of lodging facilities, and about 8,000 Of

them have more than 7 to 10 guest rooms and prOper facilities Of kitchen

80

and bathrooms. The registration code of theinternational tourist inn
requires an applying {yokan to have minimum European style accommo—
dations such as bathroom and toilet so that the ryokan can accept
international tourists. The registered inn will be benefitted by
getting special industrial loans for such remodelings and additions.

Several peculiar features of the ryokan are:

l. The overall size Of accommodation is relatively small in

comparison with that of the hotel.

to

The capacity of a room is more flexible than a hotel room,

since it is not limited by the number of beds in a room.

This is important for accommodating student excursion

groups, ladies' groups, and gentlemen's groups.

3. More family-type personal service is Offered to the guests
than in a hotel.

A. Most of the guest rooms are in pure Japanese style and
constructed with expensive materials.

5. Meals are served in the individual guest rooms, unless the
guest requests tO attend a banquet party.

6. A small garden attached to a guest room is an important

attraction to a guest.

2. The Hotel Image and the Ryokan Image

There is a distinct difference (existing among Japanese
peOple) between the image of the hotel and the {yokan. The hotel
business in Japan was started as the accommodation where the people
hosted visitors from foreign countries. A historical record marked

that in 1688, Genemon Nagasaki-ya furnished western furniture in his

81

inn located in Edo (present site of Tokyo) to provide room for
merchants from Holland. After the opening of international trade
between the United States by Commodore Perry in 1866, the shtgunate
government felt the necessity of having a western hotel for the
increasing number of visiting merchants. They built the Hotel-Kan
(namely hotel house) in Edo at government expense. The building

was constructed by an engineer, called J. B. Brigens, and had 102
guest rooms, billiard room, and banquet room. The construction cost
was reported as 10,000 dollars and the rOcm rate was 3 dollars a

day with meals.8 For many years, in fact, up around to 1938,

the hotel in general had been regarded as a sort of house of
distinction. This concept made peOple imagine the hotel as the place
where a strict formality of behavior and special western manners were
required. Even in the present day, many peOple feel some kind Of
hesitation abOut this kind of formality or simply about presentiment,
when they plan to stay in a hotel or dine in a hotel restaurant.
Another reason which made Japanese people isolated from the hotels
was the relatively eXpensive rates of room and meals in comparison
with those Of ryokans.

The traditional ryokan is considered to have develOped from
travelers' inns and pilgrims' inns more than 1,000 years ago. It
also has its origin due to the self-service spa houses in the country-
sides. As a byproduct of volcanic action, there are 1,330 natural
hot springs throughout Japan at the present time. Some Of them were
recorded to have been found more than 1,300 years ago. The natural

hotsprings have been utilized by patients and by farmers in their slack

 

8
Hotel Management and Service, pp. 18-19.

 

82
seasons, and used to be a self-service resort for farmers. For that
reason, the present accommodation of hotspring resort {yokans possess
the strong appeal of a recreational place, as well as travelers'
lodging facilities. Mbst Japanese people feel and expect an informal
and relaxed atmosphere when they stay in a {yokan. In addition, the
pure Japanese surroundings create an image in the {yokan Opposite to
that of the hotel. Banquet parties held in hotels, such as buffet,
cocktail, and garden parties are still considered formal in some ways,
and the attendants do not feel as relaxed in this atmosphere as that
found in a Japanese style dining room. The difference of image between
the hotel and the Eygkan is an important problem to be worked out in

the future by the peOple concerned.with the hotel business.

3. The sociological aspects of Japanese people in group activities.

In talking over the characteristics of a nationality, we must
avoid drawing any generalizations as much as possible. However, here
we need some explanations of the characteristics of the Japanese,
in respect to their pattern of social contacts, for the purpose of
finding the possible applications of modern concepts and techniques
of the conference and group meetings. Tb avoid any sport of mis-
conceptions, I must clarify that this is my personal observation on
the emergent pattern of the huge iceberg of a nationality, and by no
means the generalized pattern of their customs or the characteristics
of their social behavior.

In my observation, the characteristics of social contact of
the Japanese people differ somewhat by social status, sex, and
generation. Since the end of the second.wor1d'war, the Japanese

have had no social classifications in their lives as they had before.

83

Yet the economic conditions, the traditions of a family, the edu—
cational background, and other cultural factors helped individuals
create a social status, and they tend to behave with the status
conforming to their social contacts. The income levels are almost
parallel with this sort of social status. The trend is toward a
spreading middle income group more extensively year by year. One
of the interesting findings about the middle income people,
especially about those in the upper middle group is a prominent incli-
nation and enthusiasm toward hobbies and cultural practices which
not only nourish the taste of life, but also might lead one into a
higher social status group. PeOples of this caliber have relatively
high morality and self consciousness compared with that of upper class
people. Those who are in a comparatively low status group often
create a more friendly atmosphere in informal contacts with their own
group than with any other groups, yet they show peculiar Japanese
characteristics when they attend to a rather formal place and have
formal contacts. In a discussion group, they strongly hesitate to
speak up in front of the audience, because they are simply afraid
of the reactions of other people or they estimate and weigh the small
impact they might create by expressing their opinion and give up
before they have actually done so. One might say that this is the
result of an inferiority complex, but another might deny such an
observation.

The women are generally more conservative in expressing
their own ideas and Opinions, especially in a mixed group of social

contacts. This is mainly because of the long traditional custom. Women

8h
used to be given educations to behave in that way so that they would
be regarded as more feminine. They usually possess a sensitive
perception in judging the surrounding atmosphere. They are delicate
in the reaction Of other peOple to their attitude, when they try to
eXpress opinions.

The young generation which has grown up in the post war years
seems to be headed toward diluting and wiping out those distinctions Of
social behavior among elder generations. The young peOple were given
more unrestricted Opportunities to eXpress their own ideas and Opinions
through their school lives. The large circulation Of mass medias
help provide the chance. A significant change shown in the post
war years is the develOpment Of the climate to accept free expression
Of individuals' ideas on any kind Of use in public place. Young
peOple are accustomed to discussing a matter without hesitation
as Older generations use to have; however, in my Opinion the change
is still not great enough tO accept the basis Of the democratic and
constructive group activities in many cases, such as in club activities.
we Often Observe the failure Of parliamentary procedure in such
voluntary group activities and even in formally organized group
activities. For instance, in my personal Observation, discussions Of
a volunteer group could generate lots Of critical Opinions by the
participants, but Often failed tO extract a constructive conclusion
and develop a feeling Of achievement at the end Of the meetings.
Besides, inactive participants tended to depend on the leader's view
or on some active member's suggestion without much consideration. In

other group meetings, an assembly for discussion was for no more than

85
getting a stereotyped consent of the participants on a planned
agenda. The group members simply believed in the meeting as a kind
of a procedure they had to take in order tO arrivefdemocratic
decision making. It was the place for submitting their final consider-
ation on a specific issue, or the place simply for voting. In some
groups, two or more conflicting Opinions never reached a compromised
plan for a decision until the end of the meeting, when the participant
simply agreed on the postponement Of the agendas to the next meeting.
The training and the education of leadership and fellowship in group
activities are extremely necessary in present day Japan, particularly
to help young people develOp sound techniques and morals. The
direction of such an education will be accorded with the ultimate
goal of democracy and the democratic method of social activities.

As an additional point, we Often reCOgnize in group activities
the lack of intelligent humor which is effective in easing the formal
atmosphere in a group meeting and other social contacts. This might
be the most difficult point for the Japanese to become accustomed
to in such situations as group discussions, even though they realize
and agree on its necessity.

The methods and techniques Of adult education and its overall
concepts seem too advanced to apply directly to the present situation
of Japan and may be useful only on limited occasions. Nevertheless,
we can consider the great usage of these methods in the near future,
when the young generation becomes the adults with the proper education
and the training in democracy. By that time, these concepts will be

increasingly important in their social contacts.

86
h. The Economic and Custom Aspects Of Conventions and Group Activities

Because Of the geOgraphical size of the country, conventions on
the national and regional level Of Japanese domestic business are
not numerous like those Of the United States. Rather, they have been
restricted by a counter trend Of the centralization Of the brain
function Of industries, politics, and cultural activities into the
metrOpolitan TOkyO. Traders associations and other non-profit associ-
ations are not in as large networks as those Of the United States, and
naturally, are not financially strong enough to hold regular meetings
frequently even on the local basis. FOr promotional campaigns,
industries are likely tO emphasize entertainment and service to their
dealers and retailers for fastening the ties, rather than holding
exhibitions Of selling products. It is favorable to the host to hold
such group meetings in a {22533 rather than in a hotel, since the
banquet in a {yokan has a strong attraction to most Of the customers.

The geographical size also make the conference situation
different from that Of the United States. Except for large conferences
held in Tbkyo and in a few other big cities, the local conference does
not require the lodging facilities, because the attendants live around
the city in which the conference is taking place.

The dining with the group members Often is not directly
related to the formal part Of a meeting as it is with many luncheon
parties and speeches in the united States. Dining is generally
regarded as an entertainment function.which follows the formal
meetings, rather than an occasion Of social contacts. HOwever, we

can not define this point strictly, since even during such entertainment

87
functions social contacts may be made.

A significant difference in the economic situation Of the
conference between Japan and the United States comes from.the
government consideration Of the corporate tax. In the United States,
the government assesses 52 per cent Of the net income Of a concern
as the corporate tax, while on the other hand, they are allowed to
account for such expenses they have spent for conventions as a
deduction from taxable income. However, in Japan, such expenses are
not allowed to be included into the deductable exPense.

As a custom Of the united States, a man.who attends a convention
is accompanied by his wife as a matter of course. It is customary
for the ladies to have an important role in social contacts. In
Japan, the majority Of business functions and gatherings do not
require their participants to be accompanied by their wives. It is
a traditional custom, therefore, that even if the conferees could bring
their wives many Of them might not if the conference is for business
purposes. In case such a function is an entirely recreational or
personal gathering, chances are more men may bring their wives. The
role Of the Geisha, who customarily attends as a hostess at such
banquets for business people, therefore, is to mediate peOple and to
cheer up the atmosphere Of the function. A group Of Geisha greet
people, help create a flowery atmosphere, ani entertain with dance
and music in behalf Of the host Of the function.

The patterns of gathering and socializing are changing year

by year with the introduction Of western methods through international

conferences and conventions, and through a new domestic trend of group

88

travel. The number of international conferences is increasing

every year, and most of the functions are usually carried on in the

western manner. Since attendants from foreign countries attend with

their wives, the Japanese peOple have to follow suit to be in accord
with their guests. The cocktail party, buffet party and garden
party-type of functions are becoming pOpular in these days even in
domestic group meetings. The group traveling by a chartered bus is
strikingly pOpular among ladies groups, Community groups, religious
groups, and farmers and workers groups. The main attraction of this
traveling pattern is its mobility as a group; it also creates a large
volume Of banquet business. From the nature of the banquet, these
groups tend to be the guests Of the ryokan because they prefer the
informal atmosphere.

5. The prospects of Future Group Businesses and the Contributions
that Should be made by The Hotel Industry in Developing Such
Prospects

Three points can be raised as significant prospects in future
group business for the hotel industries. The first is the favorable
location of Japan as an international convention and conference
center. In Japan, there is every necessary facility and surrounding
for conferences in Asia, with high cultural and exotic attractions,
safety for traveling around, and a number of interested Japanese who
are associated with such conferences. Mbst business and academic
conferences will be held in Japan on an international basis, especially
as business ties with other countries, particularly with the United

States and southeast Asian countries, are intensified in the near

future. The construction of the National Convention Hall was started

89
early this year in Kyoto by the funds of the government. In other
major cities, convention halls may be constructed with the hotel
projects and the Office building projects. A new technique of
simultaneous translation Of one languige into another language
through transisterized earphone systems resolved the basic problem Of
international conventions.

The second point is the expanding enthusiasm of people on the
business seminars and improvement programs. Management develOpment
prOgrams held in various places Of the country were always filled
with enthusiastic audiences. In most cases, the participants are top
and middle class businessmen attending either individually or through
some sort of management association. These programs presently held
generally aim to provide participants with new ideas and techniques
to satisfy their needs of keeping up with the new knowledge. Although,
from the quantitative point of view, the number Of the seminars
is only a small segment Of group business, practical application Of
the concepts and techniques Of the adult education will be useful to
test in such programs. In the near future, the demands of such
programs will increase considerably. The organization Of conference
consultants, management consultants and educational resources are
the immediate requirement tO initiate such programs.

The last point that we may possibly mention in group business
is the prominent inclination Of peOple toward cultural improvement.
Wives of upper middle income group families are gaining more free time
by the introduction of various electric household equipment, ranging

from rice cookers to washing machines. Their daughters no more need to

90
work in stores and offices merely for the income to buy cosmetics and
dresses. The drive to nourish their high cultural taste in the middle
social status group is exceedingly great. Some Of this is shown by
the popularity Of the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, calligraphy,
classic single dancing, 233i (classic chanting of nOh drama), musical
instruments, and.§§2. The hotel could offer Opportunities related to
some of these grOup activities by arranging facilities and human
resources.

For the introduction and the develOpment of this new group
business, the hotel industry must make an effort at public relations
and orientation. Such efforts must be directed to this goal along
the following lines:

1. Building a new image of hotel business as an informal

place of social contact and as a center for activity.

2. Developing methods and techniques of meaningful conference
conduction. Organizing business seminars to provide
skills, knowledge, and philOSOphy to businessmen and making
the program worthwhile for the expenditure Of business
concerns.

3. Promoting a time-conscious and time-minded atmosphere Of
conducting such programs and all other functions. This
helps build the feeling of maturity in the program among
attendants. Furthermore, this will have significant effect
on the volume of future business by increasing the turnover
of facilities, measuring the cost of physical labors, and
allocating the eXpense Of accommodations and equipment

used in a particular conference. The time-conscious

91
thinking of the guests help make long-range planning of
hotel business possible. In the United States, time
consumed for certain activities can be rigidly measured
by a monetary standard. In Japan, it is still not so

rigid because of the low labor cost pressure.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCE MATERIALS

Books

Brodner, Joseph, Howard M. Carlson, Henry T. Maschal (ed.). Profitable
Food and Beverage Qperation, New York: Ahrens Publishing Co.,
1959, pp- 301-316.

 

 

Coffman, C. Dewitt, Profits Through Promotion, New York: Ahrens
Publishing Co., 1956.

 

Knowles, Malcolm and Hulda, Introduction Eg_Group Dynamics. New York:
Association Press, 1959.

 

 

Lattin, GGrald N., Midern Hotel Management. San Francisco: W. H.
Freeman and Co., 1958, pp. 14-26, 123-136.

 

IriSawa, Fumiaki, and Masanobu Hata. Kanko Jigyo (The Tourist Industry)*
TUkyO: The Uhhikaku Company. 1960.

 

Newman, Bill N., Handbook gf_Successful Sales Meetings, New York:
Prentice Hall, Inc. 1960, pp. 185-196T

 

Ohotsubo, Tadashi, Heteru-pngeiei pg Sahbisu (Hotel Management and
Service)*, Tokyo: Diayamondo-sha. 1962.

Spalding, Willard B. (ed.). The Dynamics gf_P1anned Change. New York:
Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1958.

 

Tyler, Ralph W., Basic Principles gf_Curriculum and Instruction,
Syllabus for Education 305. Chicago: The University of Chicago
Press. 1961.

 

Warters, Jane, Group Guidance, Principles and Practice. New York:
McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1960.

*English translation

92

93
Reoorts
Adult Education Association of the U.S.A. How to lead Discussions,

leadership Pamphlet No. 1., Chicago: By—t'he Adult Education
Association.

 

Adult Education Association of the U S.A. P1anning_Better Programs.
Leadership Pamphlet No. 2., Chicago: By the Adult Education
Association.

 

Adult Education Association of the U.S.A. ererstanding How Groups
Work. Leadership Pamphlet No. A., Chicago; By the Adult
Education Association.

 

 

Convention Liaison Committee. Convention Liaison Manual, Responsi-
bilities Check Lists, Forms. A working guide for Successful
Conventions for Organizations, Hotels, and Convention Bureaus.
National Publishing Co. Wishington, D.c. 1961.

 

 

Harry G. Clement. The Future of Tourism in the Pacific and Far East,
A Report prepared by Checchi and Company under Contract with
the United States Dept. of Commerce and Co-Sponsored by the
Pacific Area Travel Association. W shington: By Bureau of
Foreign Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce.

 

 

Harvard Business School. Hilton Hotels Corporation (K-Y), Case
material of the HarVard Graduate School of Business Adminis-
tration. 1958.

Harvard Business School. Hilton Hotels Corporation (B). Case material
of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. 1956.

 

Hotel Sales Management Association. HSMA Group Sales Manual. A
Report edited by Leonard Hicks, Jr. in the occasion of 25th
Anniversary of the Association, 1952. pp. 39-75, 215-2h3.

 

Unpublished Material

 

Continuing Education Service, Michigan State university, "University
Conferences, PhilosOphy, Procedure, Policy" (Pamphlet)

Hilton Hotels Corporation. "The Hilton Hotels Organization.” New
Hork, 1962 (Mimeographed)

Kellogg Center, Michigan State university, "Kellogg Center Policy Book,"
1956 (mimeographed)

9h

Articles and Periodicals

 

H II

"Inn Communitronics, Pocket Paging,“ The American Innkeeper,

February, 1962.

 

George A. W. Boehm. "Helping the Executive to Make up His Mind,‘l
Fortune, Vol. va, April, 1962.

Enkai, Party wa Koushite Unei o (How to Manage the Banquet and Group
Business)*, Gekkan Shodudo (Restaurant Monthly, Vol. 1,
February, 1962. T kyo.

 

Robert W. Miller. How to Plan and Control with PERT," Harvard
Business Review, V01. #0, No. 2, March-April, 1962.

 

"Understanding and Forecasting Market Behavior,“ The Hatel Monthly,
VOl- 67, January) 1959'

 

"You've Got to Keep Selling," The Hotel Monthly, Vol. 68, July, 1959.

 

"Tap the Full Potential of Group Business," Hotel Roosevelt Corporation,
Cedar Rapid, Iowa," The Hotel Monthly, Vol. 68, September 1959.

 

"Bahamian Resort Beckons Tourist and Group Business," The Hotel
Monthly Vol. 69, April, 1961.

"Private Paging System Reaches Guests,” The HOtel Monthly, Vol. 69,
December, 1961.

"How to Build Convention Business," Institutions, Vol. #7, January

1960.

Ryokan Keiei (Ryokan Management)*, Vol. 2, No. 1, June, 1961.
Issued by Hotel Ryokan Management Consultant Association,
TOkyo.

 

David B. Cowles. "How to Get and Handle Group Business," The Tourist
Court JOurnal, V01. 2h, September 1961.

 

"Competition for the Convention Dollar," Institutions, Vol. #8,
April, 1961.

*English translation

|l\‘ull||

95
APPElmICEs

1. S.C.O.R.R. (Scientific Control of Rooms and Reservations) of the
Hilton Hotels.

This method of forecasting formula was worked up by Mr. Armani of

the Statler Hotels and it has been used in the Hilton Hotels. It

is based on the theory that for any given per cent of occupancy they

will have a per cent of supposed check-outs that will not leave

and that for a given percent of reservations they will have so many

1

of "no shows.‘ These percentages vary with each day of the week and
with the per cent of occupancy of the individual hotel. So with the
use of historical data based on the number of peOple who make_
reservations and do not show, and the per cent who are slated to
check out and did not, a manager can tell how many reservations he
will be able to accept the next day, based on his occupancy for the

current day.

Source: Harvard Business School. Hilton Hotels Corporation (B),

 

2. The Method of Menu Selection For a Conference Group at the Kellogg
Center.

If a group wishes to discuss menu detail at the time of menu selection,

the coordinator who is in charge of the group arranges for them to

meet with the Director of Food Service of the Center. This should be

done at least three weeks prior to the meal date. If the group does

not wish to select a menu, the Kellogg Center Food Service will plan

a suitable menu. All conferees are served the same menu except on

Friday and other days of religious observance. A suitable fish or

96

other apprOpriate choice of entree is provided.

3. A Food Serving Method Applying at the Kellogg Center.

In a full served meal the conferee is seated and the waiter serves each

 

course. For groups able to guarantee 100 covers or more, a modified

served meal is available. In the method, the conferee goes through a

 

serving line and receives a plate with entree and vegetable. He
carries these to the table. The salad and dessert are on the table,
and the waiter pours coffee. For large groups of 300 or more the
modified service is faster. It is possible for 500 conferees to pass
through the serving line in about 15 minutes. To maintain high quality
foods, it is important for served and modified meals to start at the
scheduled serving time, and conferees will be served for thirty minutes
after start of the serving time. Those who arrived later will be
asked to dine in the State Room (the main dining room of the Kellogg

Center) or Cafe.

9. Meal Guarantee Method of the Kellogg Center.

Guarantees for the number of all served and modified meals must be
made by 2:00 p.m. on the prior day except guarantees for weekend and
Monday meals which are submitted on Friday. Guarantees for meals
following a holiday are made on the last working day prior to the meal.
The Kellogg Center will set for and be prepared to serve a certain
percentage above the number of meals guaranteed. This percentage
varies with the number of people and with first and second meals and

may be determined by the chart on the following page.

\C)
\3

 

 

 

Number Guaranteed First Meal Second and Subseguent Meals
less than 75 20% 15%
75-200 , 15% 10%
over 200 12% 7%

The conference group is responsible for the number guaranteed though
fewer tickets may be sold. If the University Conferences assume
financial responsibility, the coordinator in charge must determine
the guarantee number.

Source of appendices 2, 3, and A: A manuscript of Continuing Education
Service of the Kellogg Center

IIIIICTIOII INFORMATION

RIB-23 PM)“

 

 

om:
67ml lnqeky 0 Telephone Inquiry D Delnite Booking D Tenhtive Booking El lnIornetlon lnqeity Only
To ................................................................ file No. . ..................................
ur no mu: an em urn-Luann. HAIR me.
fine .............................................................. Booked By .................................
NAME OF ASSOCIATION .....................................................................................................
Faction ............................................................................. Dete. .....................................
loo- ......... . ..................................................................... The .......... Adjournment ................
Penon in Chan ...................................................................... Telephone ..................................
Adieu. ............................................................................ Price I339”. ............................
so... ............................................................................... Nuance: Penone. .........................
"MR“ Registration Deel: ..............
Telephone Sewiee .............
. BIeclcboeuIe ...................
Eeeele .......................
Screen .......................
Prolecio: ......................
Operetot .....................
Speaker: Pletlom .............
Lectetn and Light .............
Microphone: .................
Ber Set Up ...................
Cigen. .......................
Cigarettes. ....................
Floweu ......................
Orcheetn ....................
Photogrephet .................

*
Entered In Dlery by ...........

Yellow Copy to Bouquet Deport-

InentforEntry In Diety. . . then to

Function File. White Copy to
97 Sela Department.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E‘IEIIT ORDER To Be Used Io: Every Event Agreement Whether Verbei or Otherwise Pb“ This D I 41 1 1 8
In.“ rmm neveu 2N T _ SERIAL NO. I
HO‘EL — -~ -—--e~— — —---~-—----- on oil event Ordem *4
PREPARE SUFFICIENT COPIES SO DISTRIBUTION CAN BE MADE TO DEPARTMENTS INDICATED Food Checker :
Meiie I] Auditov iii Behery i: Heed \Weitev CI Pentry L71 . Wine R00. L;
Chef L3 Meneget IL 3 Petty L} Benq. Ceptein L ' Food Controiier [:5 M“ a" E
Strand :i SCI“ ICC (I... E] Bonq. Stewerd I _ , ~ ____~[ j Exec. (”hue i.
Individuel 0!
FOR Organization DATE
Cheilmn
DESCRIPTION OF EVENT of Function
Biiiing
ROOM Addveee
DAY, DATE end TIME
HANDLE PROMPTLY List ALL details eveiiebie. See that information Is complete. CHECK EACH ITEM
Attendence Expected M E N U

No. oi Coven Guerenteed

Price per Cover

Amount a! Food

Rate at Room

Detentions

 

 

 

 

 

98

CONFERENCE CYCLE 0F ADULT EDUCATION (KELLOGG CENTER)

determine the basic characteristics
of student group.

determine educational objects
by exploring problems and
needs of student group.

evaluate

 

  
  

select content and
f”,,/”1earning experiences

to accomplish
objectives and
fulfill need.

coordinate matters
during presentation
of subject matter

faculty
rep.

Adult
group

 
   
  
  

 

select staff
and organize
learning
experiences for
effective
instruction.

  

 

C. E.
consultant

  

Promote

‘ establish registration fee
request facilities

99

“‘1".

r_'

3.2

Michigan State University, Continuing Education Service

a? UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE REQUEST

 

(date of request)

 

@ (program number & conference title)

Check one: Previously held at MSU New conference.
(year)

Purpose and objectives of the conference (be specific as possible):

Department or college expected to sponsor the conference - (if none, explain relationship of conference to MSU):

Kinds of people expected to attend the conference (positions held, areas represented, sex, etc.):

Number of people expected to attend:

 

Desired Schedule:

 

 

(starting date) (starting time)

 

 

(ending date) (ending time)

Representative of group:

 

Affiliation:

 

Address:

 

 

Telephone:

 

Name of Group:

 

(57.2)

100

Michigan State University, Continuing Education Service

CONFERENCE FACILITIES RESERVATION

 

(Rte reservation made) (Comrence Consultant or Coordinator)

 

(program number 8 conference title)

 

(date of conference)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Housing: Kellogg Dormitory Off-Campus
Day of Conf. rPrior I I I I I I
Day of Week I l l I l
Day of Month l l l l l l
Overnight Rooms i L I l l l l l
Qi'fiilufii' °l I l I l I I I I

 

Meeting Rooms

Auditorium - 355
Lincoln A - I75
Lincoln B - I75

 

I06 - I25
>. IOI - I00
5 no - 60
g 107 - 55
(5 Vista- 50
210 - 50
I02 - 50
I03A- 50
103B - 50
I04A- 50
I048 - 50
IOSA- 50
I058 - 50
Heritage - 28
I08 - 20
I09 - 20
Elev. Land. - I2
Dining Rooms
Big Ten - 645
Centennial - 240
E Red Cedar A- 76
3 Red Cedar B- I08
% Galaxy - 30
U

Michigami - I4
Voyageur - I2

 

(This form should accompany a University Conference Request)

 

M
NOTE: The Continuing Education Service reserves the right to change room assignments to make maximum use of

facilities.
(57-3)

'ON
'801d

1 0
'PJOOO

'ON PUGIIV 'SUOO

143'!

Aud.-355
Lin. A-175
Lin. B-175
106 - 125
101 - 100
110 - 60
107 - 55
Vista - 50
210 - 50 _
102 - 50
103 A- 50
1038- 50
104 A-50
104 B-50
105 A-50
105 B-50
Heritage- 28
108-20
109-20
E.L.(6)- 12
Big 10-645
Cent. -240
RCA - 76
RCB - 108
Gal. - 30
Mich. - 14
Voy. - 12

99

SWOOH ONIlBHW

SWOOH ONINIU

 

0‘3 Ut
q wow

09

06 09

DUI
133K

Oil

all oil 0
also» 30 Kep

091

0‘)!

£51

:51

 

 

 

 

 

 

'WORKSHEET FOR BUDGETING

 

 

Exact Name and Date of Conference

 

 

Program No.

 

 

I. Honoraria —Speaker, Instructor, Consultant,

amount

 

Entertainer

 

a.

 

b.

 

C.

 

2. Travel — Transportation of Item #1

 

a.

 

b.

 

C.

 

3. Comp. Meals 8: Housing

 

a. planning

 

b.houflng

 

c. lunches

 

d. dinners

 

4. Refreshments — Coflee. Punch

 

a.

 

b.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LII

Printing

 

 

a.

 

 

b.

 

6. Mimeographing

 

 

 

a.

 

b.

 

 

Postage

\'
-

 

a.

 

b.

 

8. Clerical — Mailings, Programs

 

a.

 

b.

 

9. Mailing list

 

l0. Buses and (Luidcs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a.

 

l).

 

ll. Flowers. Decorations

 

 

 

 

a.

 

 

I) .

 

I2. Tclephrmeil‘elcgraph

 

a.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I).

 

 

 

l3. Rhotography

 

 

a. publicity

 

 

 

 

I). personal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

amount
I4. Audio-Visual, Recording
a.
b.
15. Supplies — notebooks,
a.
l).
l6. Signs
3.
17. BI“), Radio Shop. P.A.
a.
b.
l8. Miscellaneous
a.
b
c.
d
19. Resource Reserve
20. Overhead charges
per person per day
21. Registration Costs
_____._._.__.per person
TOTAL EXPENSES
REEF-6151i?) itx m N( :r.
SHIV—HfTF1?)-SH.\T{I"T(ZONFFRFNtiE Lxrrxsrs I
NOTES
(Iii/ling Information. etc.)
Coordinator

 

 

.ALA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFERENCE ROOM DATA - THE KELLOGGTCENTER roe CONTINUING EIUCATION

Name Approx. size in Feet Style of Set-up 8: Capacity A TYPO

Nin‘itrber Length Width Ceiling onference {Theater Workshop I 02:1:
Auditorium 60 60 20 um 3S5 --- Theater
Heritage ho 20 9.5 28 --- --- Leather Seat 8: Arms
Lincoln A a B' 56 56 12 30 350 160 Leather Seat
Lincoln A 56 28 12 30 160 80 Leather Seat.
Lincoln B 56 28 12 30 160 80 Leather Seat
,Vista 28‘ 16 9,5 28 50 30 Leather Seat 8: Arms
101 35 30 9.5 --- +3.00 --- Leather Seat &’Arms
102 28 22 9.5 28 so , 30' Leather Seat & Anus f
103 A & B 28 1.0 9.5 be 100 60 Leather Seat & Arms 3
103 A 28 20 9.5 26 SO 30 Leather Seat & Arms :
103 B 28 20 9.5 26 SO 30 Leather Seat. & Arms
101: A 8: B 28 to 9.5 A6 L 100 60 Leather Seat. 5. Arms
10h A 23 22 9.5 .26 so 30 Leather Seat at Arms
.10" B 28 18 9.5 '26 SO 30 Leather Seat 8r. Anne
105 A 8: B 28 1.0 9.5 he i 100 . 60 Leather Seat & Anna
105 A 28 22 9.5 26 so : 30 Leather Seat 8. Anna
105 B 28 18 9.5 26 so 30 Leather Seat & Arms .
106 37 26 9.5 36 100 I 60 Leather Seat & Arms
107 28 16 9.5 28 1 SO - --- Leather Seat &- Arms ’
108 16 12 9.5 12 i 20 --- :Leather Seat & Arms
109 16 12 9.5 12 2o --- lLeather Seat & Arms
110 3O 16 9 .5 28 55 32 iLeather Seat 8: Arms
210 3).; 18 8 36 i I45 30 rLeather ‘Seat

Note: Conference Set-up Theater Set-11p Workshop Set-up

All rooms, other than
Auditorium & Heritage,
have blackboards.

Rooms 106, 107, 110 & 210
have projection screens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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