Ski for Light Event Planning Manual

June 2011

13. Hotel Function Coordinator

The Hotel Function Coordinator has the demanding task of determining and arranging for all meeting and function room needs, determining and arranging for all audiovisual equipment needs, and confirming set-ups. Deliberate prior planning is essential for proper management of all hotel function issues. This requires contact and cooperation with the Guide Training Coordinators, Evening Program Coordinator, Mobility-Impaired Program Coordinator, Registration and Housing Coordinator, Special-interest Session Coordinator, Sales Room Coordinator, Silent Auction Coordinator and Information Room Coordinator.

Pre-Event

September 1

• Make initial contact with the liaison person at the hotel. Obtain a copy of the hotel's meeting planners packet if one is available.
• Obtain from SFL President or Event Chair a copy of the hotel contract and the dates and meeting schedule for a planning meeting in September or October.
• Check with Event Chair to determine who will reserve meeting room for planning meeting. If needed, reserve meeting rooms-usually Saturday: 1 room, conference style, all day, 20-25 people. Possibly, Sunday: 1 room, morning only, 7-10 people. Arrange water and coffee according to group needs.

Planning Meeting

• Depending on travel distance, time and budget constraints, you may be asked to attend the planning meeting. If you do not attend, please ensure your responsibilities are carried out by someone who does.
• Meet with hotel liaison and discuss the following items:
  · Identify number of meeting and function rooms available, type of room, type of set-ups available for each room, and number of persons accommodated by each set-up.
  · Obtain floor plans and hotel lay-out.
  
• Determine what additional costs will be incurred for any facility/equipment, such as audiovisual equipment, etc., not covered in hotel contract and alert Event Chair.
• Meet with hotel staff and Event Vice-Chair to review safety concerns.
• Seek input from Coordinators and Event Chair about rooms needed.
• Identify all program activity room needs, including pre-event room needs (Board of Directors, guide training, etc.).
• During the Planning Meeting week-end identify specific locations for:
  
  • Guide Dog Relief Area: Designated outside area for dogs to relieve themselves. Equipped with garbage can. Must be fairly near building.
  • Board of Directors Meeting Room: Seat 30, should be spacious, have good ventilation and windows. Hollow square set-up.
  • Guide Trainers Meeting Room: Seat 20-25.
  • Morning "sunrise" meetings: Table seating for 15. Equip with water and coffee (coordinate with Meals Coordinator). Begins Saturday.
  • Registration Area: Large clear area to accommodate 3 six-foot tables, 6-8 chairs, and a group of approximately 50 people, consider flow-through access. Luggage should be offloaded from buses elsewhere if possible.
  • Information Room: Room size at least 20'x30', phone, bulletin board, four six-foot tables, storage area, wall space for announcements.
  • Sales Room: Room size at least 20'x30', electrical outlets, phone, 6-8 -foot tables, and storage area. Must be lockable.
  • Hospitality Room: Large room close to arrival door and registration, waiting area for new arrivals off of the buses, beverage and snack available (coordinate with Meals Coordinator), 50 chairs, and 2-3 eight-foot tables, needed Sunday during main registration only.
  • Dining Room: Seat 300 at tables which seat 8-10, with ample aisle space (36 inches) for wheelchairs.
  • Exercise Room: Stand-up stretch space for 50-75 with carpeted floor. Need large room.
  • Mobility-Impaired Equipment Storage Room: Room for MIP equipment assembly and storage.
  • First-time Participants Meeting Room: seating for 25.
  • Welcome Reception Area: Stand-up mingling space for 250, preferably adjacent to dining room.
  • Ski Storage Room: Assuming we can ski from the hotel, need ski storage with racks. Approximately 225-250 pairs of skis and poles. If skiers must be transported to ski area, there must be an on-site storage facility for equipment.
  • Dance Space: Spacious room to accommodate dance. Check for large, portable dance floor.
  • Participant Meeting Room: Seat 100, tables (8-10/table), microphone.
  • Instructor/Guide Training Room: Space flexible for seating 100 at round tables or open floor space.
  • Special-interest Session Rooms: Need three to four rooms of varying size seating from 12 to 30 people. Consider space for dancing or exercise.
  • Board of Directors Reception Room: Scheduled latter part of week for 50-75, stand-up group with 2-3 six-foot tables for alcohol/soft drinks/snacks.
  • Luggage Staging area: Area close to bus departure door for participant drop-off/storage of luggage. Needed final Saturday night only. Must be lockable.
• During the Planning Meeting week-end identify availability of or sources for needed equipment:
  
  • Lectern, portable microphone, and wireless microphone
  • Tuned piano
  • DVD player (to be used only for guide training purposes, not as part of evening Program); may also be needed for showing descriptive videos
  • Phone lines
  • Large dance floor
  • 3-6 luggage carts

December 1

• Discuss with Guide Training, Evening Programs, and Special-interest Coordinators any audiovisual or special equipment needs for their programs.
• Verify time and dates of Board meetings, Guide Trainer meetings, and special-interest sessions for room scheduling.
• Send event room assignments to Event Chair to be used in the Program Journal.
• Contact VIP Coordinator to determine how many hearing-impaired participants will need the use of a assistive listening system for meals and evening programs. Arrange for the rental of assistive listening equipment and enough receivers and neck loops for the number of participants. In the past, we have obtained these from Connections Unlimited (see Appendix C).

January 1

• Prepare the complete schedule of activities for the entire ten-day event including meals and all event functions that will take place in the hotel. For each function, list the following:
  · Day, Beginning and ending time of activity
  · Activity name
  · Location
  · Number of persons
  · Set-up (type of seating/space)
  · Audiovisual equipment needs
  
• View or download the Hotel Function Schedule from a recent event.
• Inform the hotel that additional keys will be needed for the Sales Room, Information Room, and Waxing Room with appropriate numbers and names for each.
• Coordinate with Meals Coordinator for the food/beverage requirements for the hospitality area on Sunday.
• Inform Guide Training, Evening Programs, and Special-interest Coordinators of their program room assignments.
• Coordinate with Hotel Staff Orientation Coordinator any issues that need to be addressed at pre-event hotel staff orientation.

International Week

Pre-event Days (Thursday-Saturday)

• Attend all morning "sunrise" meetings.
• Review event function sheets with hotel to verify information.
• Verify that the assistive listening equipment has arrived and identify someone who can set it up and maintain it throughout the week.

Sunday

• Coordinate with Event Vice-Chair for banners and country flags to be hung Sunday prior to dinner in dining room for entire event. Some may be taken down for the race at ski area on Saturday and put back up for evening banquet.
• Ensure that hospitality area has been set up and that hotel is attentive to food/beverage replenishment.

Throughout the Week

• Review meeting and function room requirements and audiovisual equipment needs on a daily basis.
• When possible, verify room and audiovisual equipment setup prior to activity.
• Resolve any meeting or function room concerns as they arise.
• Cash bar: To be available each evening when a program is being held in the hotel.
• Audiovisual Equipment: At various times during the week, there will be a need for DVD player, microphones, etc. During participant introductions on Sunday night, a cordless microphone is a must. Monday night guide introductions are usually done using the lectern microphone. See description of talent show space for microphone needs. At the banquet, a small stage and 2 microphones are needed (lectern microphone and an additional portable microphone).

Post-Event

• Review master bill with Event Chair.
• Attend wrap-up meeting (if requested).