Executive Summary



Event Planning Writing Formal Report2013 ReportPrepared by Amy LindenfelzerCommunication Management and Design at Ithaca CollegeReport Distributed April 19, 2013Prepared forSpring 2013 Writing in the Workplace ClassTable of Contents TOC \o "1-3" Executive Summary PAGEREF _Toc229196298 \h 3Introduction PAGEREF _Toc229196299 \h 4Rhetorical Analysis PAGEREF _Toc229196300 \h 4Writing in Corporate Event Planning PAGEREF _Toc229196301 \h 4What is the Context for Communication? PAGEREF _Toc229196302 \h 4Who is the Audience? PAGEREF _Toc229196303 \h 5What is the Author’s Stance? PAGEREF _Toc229196304 \h 5What is the Author’s Purpose? PAGEREF _Toc229196305 \h 6What is the Genre? PAGEREF _Toc229196306 \h 6What are the Medium and Design of Corporate Event Planning? PAGEREF _Toc229196307 \h 7Interview Report PAGEREF _Toc229196308 \h 7Genre PAGEREF _Toc229196309 \h 7Purpose PAGEREF _Toc229196310 \h 8Audience PAGEREF _Toc229196311 \h 8Context PAGEREF _Toc229196312 \h 8Medium/Design PAGEREF _Toc229196313 \h 9Philosophy Statements PAGEREF _Toc229196314 \h 9Millennial PAGEREF _Toc229196315 \h 9Social Media PAGEREF _Toc229196316 \h 10Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc229196317 \h 11References PAGEREF _Toc229196318 \h 13List of Figures TOC \t "Caption" \c Figure 1. Formal Dinner Invitation………… PAGEREF _Toc227638461 \h 5Figure 2. Verizon Company Outing Invitation PAGEREF _Toc227638461 \h 5Figure 3. Screenshot of Event Planning Contract PAGEREF _Toc227638462 \h 6Executive SummaryThis report provides a report of the different types of writing in the event planning discipline. It includes a rhetorical discourse analysis of writing in event planning. This section analyzed the context for communication, the audience, the author’s stance and purpose, and the genres of writing and medium and design within corporate event planning. The report also includes an interview with Event Coordinator, Joey Hollister, and his examination of his writing in Campus Center Event Services. Finally, the document will include two philosophy statements, including beliefs, values and attitudes about Millennials and Social Media. This report is organized as follows:Rhetorical Discourse Analysis: Corporate event planning is a growing industry because major companies are at their largest. Corporate event planning consists of meetings, Christmas parties, conferences, and destination trips. In event planning the predominant genres written include emails, budget outlines, websites, invitations, and contracts. Emails and contracts are high stakes writing used by the event-planning firm for clients and vendors to document plans, and transactions made for the event. Website and invitations are created for the client’s guests to stay connected with the event. Budget outlines are for the event planners personal use to organize financial transactions for the event. Each is used in different contexts for different audiences. To keep writing professional and consistent, it is always done through programs like Microsoft’s Excel, Word, Photoshop, Dreamweaver or Notepad on a laptop or Ipad. This section also includes an interview with an Ithaca College event planner, Joey Hollister, about his experience with writing in event planning at Campus Center and Event Services. Millennial Philosophy Statement: While the Baby Boomers have negative stereotypes about Millennials in the workplace, this modern generation has a lot to offer. They bring new creative ideas along with their hard working attitude. The best work structure would include Baby Boomers as upper management and Millennials as lower management. Social Media Philosophy Statement: Social media being a new trending technology that is filtering into the workplace. However, it is causing problems in the workplace with privacy, freedom of speech, and right to complain. There are certain laws protecting these rights but some businesses see them as more of a “grey area.” I think that unless employee’s social media is public, then employers should not be allowed to demand access, bypassing laws. As a Communication Management and Design major, I enjoy leading a team where we can brainstorm and bounce ideas off of eachother to create innovative, ideal events. Strong communication and leadership skills combined with creativity allow me to affectively bring the company’s event vision to life. Organization, responsibility, and leadership establish reassurance to the client that everything is taken care of. Event planning is all about contacts through word of mouth. My goal is for guests of my event to hire me to plan their corporate events.IntroductionIn five years, I see myself working on a corporate event-planning firm in Boston, Massachusetts. I have always had an interest in event planning. I have worked on many events and as an event planner one needs to be creative and organized. There is no better feeling than having a client walk in amazed that their fantasy event come to life. After all the hard work, as an event planner, the actual event is such a satisfying reward. Based on research of theoccupation, I will be writing emails, budget outlines, websites, and invitations. The emails will be for typical communication within the organization and to clients. Budget outlines will be made and edited all the time for each event I plan. I could possibly be writing for the firms website or I could be blogging for my clients event. Most events have invitations that need to be sent to guests. So I will have to be able to create a concise and precise invitation that is effective. I have always had an interest in event planning. I have worked on many events. As an event planner you need to be precise and organized with all aspects of the job, including writing. Below I have conducted an indepth rhetorical analysis of such types of righting conducted in the event planning. Rhetorical AnalysisWhat is the Context for Communication?In corporate event planning, the workplace is either in the office at the firm, or onsite at a facility. Typically, corporate event planning firms work with businesses like computer software sales to host Christmas parties or destination meetings. This field is comprised of very specific contexts for communication to keep constancy from client to client. An event planner will use emails daily to communicate with the clients and vendors. The original email will be from the business client addressed to my firm, requesting event-planning assistance. The emails serve as a log for proof of communication. For example, in the following email conversation Joey Hollister notifies Ithaca College Campus Center Events Services to solidify a facility.Joey Hollister: HiFashion Studios (HFS) would like to request a reservation date for Emerson Suites, Clark Lounge, Kling Lounge, and McDonald Lounge for November 1st, 2013. HFS has put on a fashion show, once a semester, using these four facilities because they accommodate all our needs. HFS loves the facility and would like to continue working with CCES to make the runway shows happen. We look forward to hearing from you. Ithaca College CCES: HiFashion Studios has successfully reserved Emerson Suites, Clark Lounge, Kling Lounge and McDonald Lounge for November 1st, 2013.The email exchange between Joey Hollister and Ithaca College CCES can be done within the office. When writing emails, it has to be professional, clear, concise, and mistake-free. All writing will be done within the business and corresponding facilities, such as hotels, halls, and business centers. Who is the Audience?To address the issue of audience for invitations, event planners need to communicate to a specific audience, such as company employees for a Christmas party. Invitations that are supposed to be generic actually need to be formal and personal. All invitations have to include the 5 W’s (who is invited, what will the event be, when is the event, where is the event, and why is this event occuring). Guests use invitations as reminders of the date and/or tickets into the event. However, invitations differ between clients, depending on their discipline (i.e. invitations to accountants will be plainer than invitatons to an advertising agency). ?All invitations will use phrases such as “You are cordially invited.” However, in Figure 1. the invitations is more elegant and “pretty.” This is a formal invitation whose event includes a formal seated dinner. The audience consists of employees and their spouses for a night of dinner and dancing. It is a black-tie event for adults to get dressed up and have fun without thinking about work. ?However, Figure 2. is for Verizon, a Fortune 500 company. It is plainer, with an easy-read font because it is a working event. It only contains the Verizon logo. The intended audience is employees. The function is hosted by the Verizon President and is a networking night. The event has the focus of business and, therefore, includes the company logo. Every piece of writing in event planning has to have an intended audience. Figure 1. Formal Dinner InvitationFigure 2. Verizon Company Outing InvitationWhat is the Author’s Stance?To address stance, I would talk about the position I take on a particular topic using ethos, pathos and logos. Ethos is the writers attempt to establish credibility and trust. In all forms of writing I would establish credibility and trust to my audience by being professional and not allowing any room for error. The primary way event planners establish ethos is through word of mouth. Everything will be thought out and presented with perfection. After landing one corporate event job, that company will continue with the event-planning firm. Attendees of the event will be impressed by the well thought out event and request to use the event planning firm for their companies next event, and so on. Pathos is the writer’s attempt to appeal to people’s emotions and imagination. To do this we convey to the client that we are always one step ahead of the game to reassure them that we have it all covered. This can take many forms such as reassuring them through email that everything has been taken care of. Clients tend to get worried and stressed out about the event. We, as event planners, are there to make sure that everything runs smoothly. We constantly contact our vendors to make sure shipments are on their way and that deadlines will be met. We relay this information to our nervous client’s with proof of shipment confirmation emails and schedules or deadline dates.What is the Author’s Purpose?The primary purpose of a budget outline for a corporate event planner is to be organized about an upcoming event. After receiving the budget, it is the event planner's job to correctly delegate certain amounts into categories of expenses. The budget outline will be organized and clean to read. It will be broken down into categories such as facility, food, decorations, AV expenses, etc. Each category will later be broken down into each individual item needed for the event. All budget outlines will be done on Microsoft’s Excel. The budget outline is strictly for the event planner, however, if the client wants to be involved in the financial aspect of the event, then the Excel spreadsheet will make the budget easy to read and understand. It will include all costs; both fixed and variable costs. This is used as a reference and financial statement of the event.What is the Genre?One significant piece of genre for a corporate event-planning firm is a contract between the client and the firm, as well as, the facility and the firm. The event planner will take note of anything else the client needs, such as power strips, projectors, food and coffee. The client then signs a brief contract with the firm stating that the business hands over its money to have the event include the items stated above. This is a legal obligation for the event planner to complete that task on paper with the given amount of money. The more extensive contracts involve the facility. After the facility has been chosen, the event planner clarifies all that needs to be done by the venue, such as setting up tables and chairs. The contract will be negotiated and signed within the facility. Contracts for an event usually range from three to six pages. They include laws that the event needs to abide by, risk management forms, and services the facility will provide. Below is a screenshot of the first page of an event contract for a facility (See Figure 3.).Figure 3. Screenshot of Event Planning ContractWhat are the Medium and Design of Corporate Event Planning?The mediums I will use will be Microsoft’s Excel, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Notepad and my company email on a laptop or Ipad. Photoshop will be used when creating the invitations. Dreamweaver is a website making software. I will be able to create and edit the company website on Dreamweaver. The website will be a typical event planning website that has to include past client events, pictures, contact information, and information about the company. Clients will search the website to decide whether to use our business or not. When doing blog websites, the clients guests will use the website to stay posted and up-to-date. When creating blogs I will go through the website of the clients choice so that it is easily accessible to their guests. The notepad application on an Ipad will make taking notes easy and effective. My company email will be the only medium I use when sending out emails involving my job. I have to make sure everything is done professionally (instead of giving my personal email) and that it is all recorded in one place for legal reasons. Having a laptop and an Ipad will be necessary. The laptop will be needed for Excel spreadsheets, Photoshop and Dreamweaver creations. The Ipad will be needed for notes in meets, emails to vendors, and quick simple communication needed instantly. Interview ReportJoey Hollister is an Event and Marketing Coordinator at Ithaca College Campus Center and Event Services (CCES). He is currently a junior at Ithaca College and has been working for CCES for over two years. The following sections are summaries of Hollister’s responses that have been categorized into genre, purpose, audience, context, and medium/design sections.GenreAt CCES writing takes form in event summaries, emails, quotes/estimates, and personal notes. The event summary is the main source of writing. ?It is an essential element to every event because within the event summary it includes specific set-up, audio/visual, and catering details. The detailed summary has exactly what is needed and used for the event. It includes location, quantity, and set-up times for all items used during the event. On a daily basis Hollister writes emails to clients to initially start the conversation in regards to planning the event or asking questions to the client clarifying information about event. The emails can contain quotes and estimates for the clients. These are considered high stakes writing because they have the final say to the client. Low stakes writing for Hollister includes his personal revisied notes because only he and his supervisor see it. It includes notes of the event and ideas that the client talks about. It can be full of mistakes because it is a brain dump of knowledge that Hollister uses as a reference to sort out.PurposeThe main reason different types of writing are produced in CCES is because there are so many different people and different types of events all the time. There is a standardized form for the writing. However, the content within the form is varies. When communicating with a new client or one with?a high position at IC, language and tone have to be different from when emailing back and forth with a regular client. Every event is different and the writing style needs to cater to it. ???????AudienceEvent summaries are distributed to every full-time staff in CCES, the student event planner working the event, catering (if applicable), facilities, the client, and Public Safety. Public Safety uses the event summary for records. Everyone else receives the event summary to make sure everyone is on the same page and understands the event completely.Hollister works immediately with his supervisor to rework revisions of event summaries. Hollister and his supervisor create the final event summary to send out to everyone else, including the client. The audience of full-time staff can make changes at anytime to the summary with Hollister’s knowledge and agreement. The client has until one week before the event to request changes to the summary. Event planners try to have as much input to the event summary as possible. However, they have to be attentive to the clients needs and interpret their wants. The event summary does not allow for much freedom because it is the same summary for every audience.ContextThe client asks to make reservations with CCES. Then the supervisor gives the reservation to Hollister in a face-to-face meeting. The reservation consists of a “held date” in the facility. From there, Hollister is the event planner and has control over what goes into the event summary. It is his responsibility to contact the client and vendors. This communication needs to continue through the entirety of the planning process. The communication, for the most part, is through emails. The emails also serve as a log.When asked in what ways is CCES utilizing the strengths of this Millennial generation, Hollisterclarified that student workers (Millennials) are solely in charge of all social media and marketing for CCES. They are also assigned to be managers of the Campus Center building and in charge of the safety of the inhabitants of the building. While they do have a lot of authority, they are only allowed to work with student organizations and not given any administrative events to plan. They also get blamed for things that go wrong in the office. However, the typical attitudes and assumptions about dress code and instant gratification given by Baby Boomers about the millennial generation are not seen in the CCES.Medium/DesignEvent summaries are different at every firm but there has to be a clear language that can be communicated to all jobs within the field. For example, at CCES they have a specific language that they speak and write. When describing set-up for an event, CCES uses the North, South, East, and West (N, S, E, W). Instead of left and right to distinguish location in a room, Hollisterwill say, “Please place the microphone and stand along the north wall of Klingenstein Lounge.”They also use “Roomviewer” which is a room reservation system on the computer to view available spaces on campus. R25 is a program to create diagrams of the room as a visual for set-ES also uses Mentor, which creates a digital copy of event summaries. Besides that, emails are communicated on the Ithaca College server. Event summaries and other important documents are all sent through email.Philosophy StatementsMillennialTwo different generations, in the near future, will have to cohabitate in the same workplace. Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, have dominated the workplace. They are known for having started working from the bottom to diligently work their way to the top. Baby Boomers are known for being focused, goal-oriented, and confident in tasks. They had to deal with hard, low paying jobs. To be CEOs, COOs, and CFOs, they “started from the bottom” as assistants, waiters, and clerks. Millennials, born from 1989 to 1999, are graduating college and breaking into the “real” world. They are known for wanting to start as CEOs, COO, and CFOs. They were raised in an era of technology to never settle and to always strive for their dream job by their parents.Millennials have been stereotyped as needing instant gratification, technology, and constant “coaching.” People feel that Millennials think they will start working at the top. They also want to abolish dress codes, be heard by their bosses, and get paid for hardly working. Baby Boomers see them as ungrateful, lazy, and disrespectful to the workplace that the Baby Boomers worked so hard to build.I agree that Millennials grew up in an age of technology, so did Baby Boomers. They had radios, phones and television sets. Technology is not a bad thing. It is a sign of growth. While I disagree with the Millennial stereotype, I will also defend the fact that this generation’s skills are much more useful in the workplace than the stereotypes lead. Millennials are growing up to be hard workers that take work home with them and work around the clock. The Millennial skills include software programs to improve performance and organize work. This creates a more productive work atmosphere. When asked to do something, they will produce work above and beyond what is asked because they have technology and skill set that allows them to do so. Most Baby Boomers do not have the sharp technological skills that Millennails have. This may intimidate Baby Boomers.However, there is a solution. Baby Boomers are the parents to most Millennials that molded and created who Millennials are today. Apply the same parent-child relationship to the workplace. Upper management should continue to have the Baby Boomer generation’s values and beliefs of professionalism, power, and leadership. They are the “parents” of the company that are structured, organized, and very wise about business because they have started from the bottom. Upper management sets the example like parents set examples for their children. Lower management should want to strive to be upper management that same way a child strives to be like their parents. Lower management should be the Millennials. They can start at different positions and different levels within lower management. Like a child shouldn’t be born expecting to be an adult, Millennials should enter the workforce expecting to be upper managment. While they often have great ideas that need to be heard, they still need to be put in their professional place. Upper management should guide the Millennials in a sense that they steer their thinking in the right direction. However, they should never stop them from thinking. Millennials should also not go to upper management and share their ideas all the time. That is unprofessional and disrespectful to the leaders that worked so hard to get into that position. Clearly they must know what they are doing if they are the chiefs in charge: “they weren’t born yesterday.” ?With Baby Boomers values and beliefs running and outlining the business, and the Millennials eager work ethic, the business will have a structure that is efficient, effective, and innovative.I do anticipate that this will take time to get used to, because both generations have such different work ethics. They need to realize and accept that if both generations works the way they prefer with a little help from the other generation then the business will excel. Social MediaSocial media use has become a standard in the workplace, which has introduced several legal issues. Under the National Labor Relations Acts and freedom of speech, employees are allowed to state concerns and complaints about the working environment, including hours, work structure, payment, etc. With employees being able to complain, in all but six states, employers are allowed to request employee’s passwords for social networking sites to monitor appropriate activity. However, California, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, and New Jersey all oppose this law. Additional legal issues in the workplace deal with issues of privacy, freedom of speech, and employee’s right to complain.Over the years it feels as though privacy is dwindling. People can get a hold of anyone at anytime with a click of a button. When it comes to public social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, it is hard to have privacy. ?When employees do set their settings to “private,” then employers should not be able to hack through the settings in order to get to an employee’s information. People should be able to have private lives outside of work. They should not have to always be under the pressure of performing professionally for work. Having said that, if employees make it obvious and want the public to know of their values and beliefs then an employer can know too. Before entering the workforce, I think it is appropriate for graduates to filter down friend’s lists to people they trust and who won't post inappropriate things on their social media. This can include family members, friends, and other people that are just acquaintances. People should keep friends that understand social media needs to be appropriate. With employees’ privacy, they also have freedom of speech. Freedom of speech means that anyone has the right to voice his or her own opinion. Employers should not be able to take that right away. Before social media, people could stand around the water cooler and not get fired for discussing whom they support in upcoming elections. Equate the water cooler to Twitter. If employees’ tweets they support Romney over Obama, there is no reason that they should be fired. This tweet is equivalent to two employees talking about their Presidential vote around the water cooler. An employer who may support Obama cannot treat the Romney voter any differently.Along with having a freedom of speech, people, under the National Labor Relations Act, have the right to complain about the workplace. If companies were smart and employee’s social media was public (no privacy settings), then companies should take note of the complaints and work towards creating a better working environment. By law, employers cannot fire employees for complaining on social media. On the other hand, it is inappropriate, though legal, for employees to talk poorly about one’s place of work. Employees that complain over social media that their boss is a ‘jerk’ have the right to complain, but complaining makes that employee seem disrespectful. While the employer cannot fire the angered employee, the employee runs the risk of being blackballed or alientated. Another legal way companies retaliate is through negative social reprocutions. While it is illegal to give a “bad” recommendation to an employee, it is legal to just state, “...has worked here form May 2013 to June 2013.” However, if a complaint is made, companies need to be proactive and fix the problem, instead of being reactive and fire an employee.Stating anything someone wants should still be respectful. The level of respect has nothing to do with the workplace and getting fired. Instead, it is respect for oneself. Being rude and inappropriate over social media for no reason just makes the user have a poor and disrespectful attitude. Social media is a privileged and a technological advancement. If people disrespect it and don’t treat it as if it were face-to-face communication, then laws are going to get passed slowly taking all rights away. Ultimately, the privacy, freedom of speech, and right to complain make us civilized humans. If we abuse theses rights they will be removed.ConclusionUltimately, there are a lot of different types of writing within corporate event planning. It can present itself in many different forms from emails to budget outlines and contracts. As the interview concluded a main source of writing is the event summary. It gets sent to a wide audience and includes ample information for the event. CCES is majority student based so it relies on communication to be through emails. The different types of writing done in my discipline are all organized, professional, precise and concise. I enjoy every aspect of event planning, even the writing. I am organized and thorough in all working aspects. All of my work will be completed for deadlines and I will always do what is expected of me. As stated in the interview, I will make sure I am procifient in the technology used by my firm. I have a lot to offer as an event planner with my innovative and structured ideas. I will never let my employer or client down. ReferencesDunn, C. (2012). More employers creating social media policies for the workplace. Corporate Counsel. Retrieved from , J. (2013). Personal Interview. Campus Center Event ServicesFederman, E. (2013). Recouping $650 billion in workplace social media costs. Huffinton Post Retrieved from , S. (2013). Even if it enrages you boss, social net speech is protected. The New York Times. Retreived from , T. (2012). Gimme, gimme, gimee-- Millennials in the workplace. Forbes. Retrieved from , E. (2012) How those spoiled millennials will make the workplace better for everyone. OPINIONS. Retreieved from , N. (2012). Turing on the “no collar” workforce. Media Daily News. Retrieved from ................
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