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<img src = "Ozzipalooza/Ozzi-logo.png" width=100% style="max-width=1544px;">Welcome to Ozzipalooza, a management simulation game.
Ozzipalooza follows the story of Alex, a recent graduate of Swinburne University and Events Manager at ABC Events. Alex faces the most daunting professional challenge of her career: she has been put in charge of organising Ozzipalooza, a major music festival.
Along the way, you will be asked to make decisions to help Alex achieve her goal of making the festival a big success. These decisions will draw on your knowledge of management concepts.
You will be working with three members of Alex's team: (1) Marco, an events officer responsible for organising a venue, (2) Mei Ling, a marketing and communications specialist, and (3) John, a talent coordinator with many contacts in the music industry. Alex reports to Ali, the owner and managing director of ABC events.
At the end of the game, you will receive feedback on your ability to plan, organise, lead and control.
Good luck!
[[Next->Prologue, part 2]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Started the game" "Logged in normally">><img alt="ABC event management office" src="Ozzipalooza/Office.jpg" width=100% style="box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px 5px #FFFFFF; padding:5px; margin:10px;"><div></div>ABC Events Management is a private company that organises large scale events. Its headquarters are in Melbourne, although smaller offices exist in Sydney and Brisbane. Some of the events they have previously organised have included festivals, conferences, product launches, and gala dinners.
<img alt="Alex" src="Ozzipalooza/alex1.jpg" width=50% style="box-shadow: 3px 3px 6px 6px #CCCCCC; float: right; max-width:167px; margin:10px;">Alex was in the third month of her employment with ABC Events Management Incorporated. A recent graduate of Swinburne University, she considered herself quite lucky to have landed this role, particularly in the current weak economy. She reflected that many of her friends were unemployed, or at least had not yet made the transition to full-time work.
Alex was originally employed as an Events Administrator, a relatively junior yet important role. In practice, she worked as the assistant to her manager, Elke, the senior Events Manager. Her fixed-term contract was for a year, with the possibility for renewal if she did a good job and the business could afford it.
In her first months, Alex mainly assisted with smaller projects, such as organising fundraiser dinners for not-for-profit organisations as well as a number of product launches.
These events had mostly been successful, and Alex’s confidence in her work was growing. She had quickly learned the basics of her job, and had received good feedback from her clients. Elke had largely been complimentary of her work, but acknowledged that Alex still had much to learn.
This situation changed very rapidly, however. ABC Events had won a major contract to organise the music festival, Ozzipalooza. Alex and Elke found themselves working exclusively on this project.
[[Next|Prologue, part 3]]<img alt="ozzi" width=100% src="Ozzipalooza/ozzi.jpg" style="max-width:780px;">
Ozzipalooza was a large annual music festival, which was held in three cities (Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane) across Australia.
The festival has begun its life as a showcase for local musicians, but in recent years, had also incorporated headline international acts. These acts were major drawcards for local audiences, especially if the organisers selected the international bands that were locally popular.
Elke and the other senior managers had worked incredibly hard to secure the rights to the festival. It was a major coup for ABC Events Management. However, this festival would be larger and more complicated than any event they had ever delivered before.
The team had been thrilled with the outcome, but they also felt a great deal of trepidation. They had only twelve months to organise the entire thing. Fortunately, they had a highly experienced Events Manager in Elke.
[[Next->Prologue, part 4]]One morning, Alex's reflections were interrupted by a light tap on the shoulder. Elke stood at her desk with a somewhat serious look on her face. Alex looked up at Elke and said, “I thought we weren’t meeting for another half an hour”.
Elke motioned for Alex to join her in the meeting room. Alex started to feel uneasy – Elke was never this serious and she never closed the door.
Alex didn’t have to wait long as Elke launched into speech, “I wanted to tell you as soon as possible, I have been offered a job at Events Galore. It’s another Events Manager position but it’s an ongoing position that pays a bit more than what I get here. Events Galore is the market leader in this industry and there are a lot of opportunities to work on international events - which means travel, and I have always wanted to travel.”
Alex was stunned. She didn’t know what to say. “Congratulations Elke that sounds like a terrific opportunity for you. ...B … b… but what will we do without you.” Alex stammered out.
[[Next->Prologue, part 5]]"Well, that’s what I’m here to discuss with you. You haven't been with ABC Events very long, but you've been doing an amazing job so far. I have every confidence that you will be able to be able to step up to the task, which is why I recommended to Ali that you be given my role."
Alex didn’t know what to feel – part of her felt thrilled that she had been offered this chance, the other was terrified. "But I’ve never done anything like this before. Surely there are some more experienced employees who would be better for the job?"
"Ali and I considered a few. I don't know whether you know him, but we talked about John as a possible replacement. However, his role in the Summer Festivals project is crucial. Ali really wants to keep him on both projects, but he won't have time to manage both. It's too much for one person."
"But what if I stuff it up completely?"
"I’m sure you’ll be fine and I’ll only be a phone call away. Whenever I’m back in Melbourne we can catch up for coffee. I’m not leaving for a day or two so we can discuss the plans needed to organise the next part of the project. We will need to talk to HR to get your new contract sorted out, but for now we better get to that 9:30am meeting!"
[[Next->Prologue, part 6]]Elke's imminent departure was met with shock from the rest of the team. Her new role required her to begin almost immediately, so there was little time for a succession plan.
Later that week, Alex and Ali (the owner of ABC Events) sat down for their first planning meeting.
Ali was an old hand at the events management business. He was the owner of ABC Events Management, which had been in business for the last ten years. He had organised everything from school formals to elaborate state dinners. Even he seemed a little intimidated by the scope of the project.
He began: “With Elke's departure, the first order of business is to put together a strong team. We should be able to get some of our existing staff on board. However, we will need to think more broadly about how we will run this event across Australia.”
[[Next->Prologue, part 7]] <<set $discuss_functional = 0; $discuss_divisional=0; $discuss_hybrid=0>>Ali continued, “In particular, we need to work out a management structure for the Ozzipalooza project. I think there are two possibilities.”
“One possibility is to keep our existing structure. That is, we have an Events team that handles the logistics of the organising, a Marketing team that handles promotions and sponsorship, and a Finance team that handles the money side of things.”
“So, run everything out of head office?” inquired Alex.
“There’s another option. We could have state-based teams: one for Melbourne, one for Sydney and another one for Brisbane. Each team would have its own logistics, marketing and finance people. What do you think?”
[[“What are the advantages and disadvantages of the first option?”->Discussion, re: functional]]
[[“What are the advantages and disadvantages of the second option?”-->Discussion, re: divisional]]
[[“I think we are ready to make our decision.”]]<<set $discuss_functional = 1>>“What are the advantages of running everything from the Melbourne office?” inquired Alex.
“Good question,” replied Ali. “Basically, it will save us money because it avoids double-ups. For example, we can get the accounting people to budget for the entire festival, and the marketing people to come up with a national advertising campaign. This is what we call a functional structure. In total, the administrative costs should be around $<<print $price_ds_centraladmin + $price_tmteam + $price_logteam + $price_smteam>>.”
“Another advantage is that if all of the specialists are together, they can usually do a better job,” said Ali. “For example, if we have all of the web designers and advertisers working under the one roof, they should be able to come up with a more coordinated marketing campaign.”
“On the other hand,” he added, “sometimes completely separate teams don’t communicate very well. They can become very focused on their own jobs, and not see the bigger picture. If we chose this structure, we would have to ensure that each team was well managed.”
<object type="image/svg+xml" style="width:100%;" data="Ozzipalooza/Functional.svg"> Your browser does not support SVG</object>
[[“What about the second option?”->Discussion, re: divisional]]<<if $discuss_functional == 1 and $discuss_divisional == 1>>
[[“Could we use a hybrid model?”->Discussion, re: matrix]]<<endif>>
[[“I think we are ready to make our decision.”]]<<set $discuss_divisional = 1>>“How about the second option?” inquired Alex. “What are the advantages of dividing up the team that way?”
“If the teams are state-based, then they potentially could bring in a lot of local knowledge,” explained Ali. “In particular, they could be helpful to us in identifying venues and recruiting local contractors. They would also be in a better position to find up-and-coming local bands that haven’t yet hit the big time. If we went this way, we would make you the team leader for Victoria, and find some additional people to run New South Wales and Queensland.”
“Another advantage is better communication,” he added. “We have all of the events people, marketers and accountants working on the same team. It should help them to work together more effectively.”
“But, it would be a more expensive option, right?” Alex queried. “For example, if every state does its own bookkeeping, this would cost more than having a shared accountant who would oversee the entire project. If we chose this model, we would also have to ensure that there is consistency between the states in terms of their advertising and service offerings.”
"Correct," said Ali. "I estimate it will cost around $<<print $price_ds_centraladmin + $price_nswdiv +
$price_qlddiv + $price_vicdiv>>.”
<object type="image/svg+xml" style="width:100%;" data="Ozzipalooza/Divisional.svg"> Your browser does not support SVG</object>
[[“What about the first option?”->Discussion, re: functional]]<<if $discuss_functional == 1 and $discuss_divisional == 1>>
[[“Could we use a hybrid model?”->Discussion, re: matrix]]<<endif>>
[[“I think we are ready to make our decision.”]]“Well, what do you think?” asked Ali.
“Any advice?” replied Alex. “I can see the pros and cons of each approach.”
“I’m on the fence as well,” said Ali. “I think each approach could work, although obviously each will have to be carefully managed.”
Alex thought carefully, and then responded:
[[“I think we should run it all out of the Melbourne office.” (Functional Structure)]]
[[“I think we should have state-based teams.” (Divisional Structure)]]<<if $discuss_hybrid == 1>>
[[“Let's go with a hybrid structure.” (Matrix Structure)]]<</if>> <<set $discuss_hybrid=1>>“Could we have a management structure that is a cross between the two?” asked Alex.
Ali stroked his chin. “That’s certainly a possibility. One way to set it up would be to have a local events team in each state. The team would also include a logistics and marketing person from national. Each specialist would be a state team member, but also a member of a national team of other specialists. For example, you could have the marketing people having teleconferences with their counterparts from other states.”
He continued, “That structure could work very well. We would have to be careful that employees weren’t getting mixed messages from their two managers. Also, we have to make sure that the people with different expertise work together constructively. However, it could be a good way of leveraging the advantages of both approaches.”
“How would it work in practice?” asked Alex.
“You'd be the Victorian team leader, and the other team leaders would also report to you,” said Ali. “We would also set John, Mei Ling and Marco up as the team leaders for Talent, Marketing, and Logistics.”
Ali scribbled some rough calculations on a piece of paper in front of her. “We've never used this type of structure before, but I estimate it will cost $<<print $price_ms_centraladmin + $price_nswdiv + $price_qlddiv + $price_vicdiv>>.”
<object type="image/svg+xml" style="width:100%;" data="Ozzipalooza/Matrix.svg">Your browser does not support SVG</object>
[[“What about the first option?”->Discussion, re: functional]]
[[“What about the second option?”->Discussion, re: divisional]]
[[“I think we are ready to make our decision.”]]The team assembled in the meeting room. Ali had sourced three of his top performers to work on the Ozzipalooza project.
Alex looked eagerly across the glass meeting table at her three new teammates.
One guy sat by himself at the furthest end of the table from the door. He was smartly dressed, and was intently looking at his phone. He looked somewhat familiar and Alex thought she might have been introduced to him when she started as an administrative assistant on another team. Ali introduced him as John, the talent coordinator.
The two other people, a girl and a guy, were sitting next to each other and chatting. The girl, wearing a really cool dress and jacket and some killer shoes, smiled up at Alex, cheerfully introducing herself, “Hi, I’m Mei Ling from Marketing.”
Mei Ling nudged the guy sitting next to her, a young guy in black jeans and a t-shirt with a logo reading ‘Red Dwarf’. He clutched a can of caffeinated soft drink, which he plonked on to the table. He shook Alex's hand and introduced himself as Marco, the event officer responsible for the venue.
[[Next->Meet the team, 2]]Ali chaired the meeting.
“Before we get down to a discussion about the Ozzipalooza event. I will quickly mention our broader team. You guys are the core of this team and will be critical to the success of this project. Of course there are others across your $structure team structure that will also be important in delivering this project on time. Alex will be the one responsible for liaising with the rest of the team.”
<<if $structure == "functional">>“With our functional structure we have three key teams to help organise this event, who will provide us with ongoing information tracking how we are going with the event. The three main functions that will be working with us are our talent management team, our logistics team, and our marketing team.”<<elseif $structure == "divisional">>“With our divisional structure we have three key teams to help organise this event. We have the Melbourne team (that’s us), we have the Sydney team and we have the Brisbane team. Each of these teams will be helping to provide a real local orientation to the event.”<<elseif $structure == "matrix">>“With our matrix structure we have some team members across different functions that will provide us with ongoing information tracking how we are going with the event. The three main functions that will be working with us are our marketing team, our finance team and human resources. We also have team members in each of three states, that will be responsible for providing local orientation. We are the Victorian team but there are also teams in Sydney and Brisbane.”<</if>>
As Alex looked from person to person, Mei Ling was listening intently, leaning slightly towards Ali as he spoke. Marco was fiddling with a pen and every now and then glanced up to show that he was listening. John had put his phone away and was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed across his chest. As Alex glanced at him, John he turned an intense gaze on to her and frowned. Alex felt a little uncomfortable with his scrutiny.
[[Next->The master plan]]<<nobr>>
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<</if>>
<</if>>Elke dropped by the office one more time to pick up the rest of her stuff. Alex helped her to pack it into a box.
As they packed up her things, Elke smiled at Alex. "I heard you did really well at the Board meeting. You must be very excited about your new role."
"To be honest, I'm absolutely terrified," said Alex. "I have no idea where to start."
"I brought you a little parting gift," said Elke, as she handed Alex a printout. "This is a Gannt chart."
It was a list of all of the tasks that needed to be accomplished to organise a large music festival. The chart mapped out the 20 weeks and what needed to be done (<a href="Ozzipalooza/Gannt.pdf" target="_blank">open in new window</a>).
"Wow, thanks!" said Alex. And then her heart sank. "There is so much to do, Elke. And I don't understand what some of these things are. For instance, what's public liability insurance?"
"These are my best estimates," said Elke. "You won't be able to follow this plan to the letter, as unexpected things always crop up. Talk with John, Marco and Mei Ling about each of these tasks. Work out which of these are <i>must have</i> rather than <i>nice-to-have</i>. And then work out a sensible order to do them in."
Alex thought it was good advice.
"And lastly," said Elke as she walked towards the door, "Good luck with it all. Not that you'll need it."
[[Next->Decision Point]]<<triggerevent "End of turn, week 1" 1>><<triggerevent "An update to Ali" 8>><<triggerevent "Beginning week 11" 11>>As Alex sat absorbed in her planning, Ali approached her desk with a young man by his side.
“Hi Alex, my Acting Events Manager. I'm glad that you're still here! Anyway, I wanted to introduce you your new team member, Dougal. He’s here to replace you ... ha ha ha...”
Ali laughed heartily at his own joke. No one else joined in.
“No he’s here to fill your old position, he’ll be your assistant for this event. He’s been an assistant on one of the other projects for a few months but I feel that your project could really use the extra manpower so I’ve shifted him here.”
“Oh thanks Ali,” Alex said politely.
“Well I’ll leave you two to get acquainted.” With that statement Ali strode out of the room leaving Dougal standing on his own looking a little forlorn.
Alex looked at Dougal. Her first impression of him was not very favourable. He was dressed very casually in beach shorts and a t-shirt that had seen better days - the faded band logo on the shirt was barely legible - Alex thought it might read “Grinderman” but she wasn’t sure. There was a small tear in the side of his t-shirt and he was even wearing thongs (flip flops) on his feet.
After exchanging pleasantries, Alex went home. She tried to enjoy the weekend as much as she could, but knew that next week would be the start of a very busy period of her life.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>Before going to see Marco, Alex sat in her office looking through the project master plan and mulling over all of the decisions that had to be made.
Choosing a suitable venue was a key decision, but Alex knew that it couldn't be that simple.
She felt a little overwhelmed by the amount to be done and the short amount of time to do everything. As she sat wondering where to start and trying to think of the best way to decide what to do her phone rang...
“Hello, Alex, Events Manager, ABC Events speaking. How may I help you?”
An enthusiastic greeting from the other end heralded Elke.
“Hello Alex Events Manager! Listen to you all official and formal! I’m back in town for a few days and I thought I’d check in with you”
“Your timing couldn’t be better Elke! How’s the new job going?”
[[Next->Conversation with Elke about venue, part 2]]“Oh Alex, it’s terrific. We just went out to Japan to check on a venue for an upcoming tour and it was amazing! The trains are so good there and I just lived on Sushi from the convenience store next to my hotel for two days. I only wish we were there a bit longer so I could see some more of the place. Still we will be heading back soon. But enough about me. How are you going with the big event?”
"Elke, there is so much to do! I'm meeting with Marco later this afternoon to discuss the venue, but there seems like there's so much to organise. Any advice?"
Elke thought for a moment.
"First off the bat, the right choice of venue is critical. It's got to be big enough for a large audience. You should get Marco's advice, because this is more his area than mine."
"OK, I'll definitely ask him..."
"My second suggestion is to make sure you book the venue sooner rather than later. The popular ones tend to book out quickly, so you may not get your preferred one if you leave it too late."
[[Next->Conversation with Elke about venue, part 3]]"What else do I need to know, Elke?"
"Well, essentially it boils down to three things. First of all, you're going to need some helpers for the event: ticket collectors, vendors, stage hands. So you're going to need to get Marco to organise a temporary workforce."
"OK, makes sense."
"Secondly, there's quite a few logistical things you'll need to work out. There's transport to and from the venue, lighting and stage equipment, toilet facilities, a waste management plan."
"My God, that sounds complicated."
"Don't worry, I'll send you a list from one of our previous events. You and Marco can go through it together."
"What's the third thing?"
"Risk management," said Elke. "Things can and will go wrong, so you have to be prepared. For example, you have to make sure that first aid is available, and that you've organised proper security. It might also be worth organising a wet weather contingency plan."
"This is all on your list, isn't it?"
"It sure is," said Elke. Alex didn't sound all that reassured.
"There's one other thing," said Elke. "Depending on the venue you choose, you probably won't have to do all of these things. For example, some venues already come with toilet facilities, so you won't have to organise them yourself."
"That's good to know," said Alex. She didn't know if this conversation had made her feel better or worse than before.
Armed with Elke's list, she walked towards Marco's desk...
[[Next->Planning the venue]]<<set $firstvisit_marco = "True">><<if ndef $venue_list>>"Wait, before you hold this meeting, I will need to come up with a list of venues," said Marco. "Do you want me to start preparing the list, or should I focus on something else?"
[[Let's talk about preparing a list.->List of venues]]
[[Can we talk about something else?->Planning the venue]]
<<else>>As Alex prepared for the team meeting, she recalled the telephone conversation she'd had with Elke.
An authoritative approach, in which she made the decision herself, would be the fastest approach. However, it might not sit well with some of the team members, especially if they disagreed with the decision.
A consultative approach would still involve making the decision herself, but she would ask the team members for their input. It would take a bit longer, but it would likely go over a bit better with the team. They might also provide her with some information that she hadn't thought of.
A group-decision making approach would involve making the decision as a team. It would give everyone an opportunity to be involved, and would hopefully result in a decision that all team members would be happy with. However, disagreements might take a long time to resolve.
At that point, Alex decided she would
[[Take an authoritative approach.|Planning the venue, description][$approach = "authoritative"]]
[[Take a consultative approach.|Planning the venue, description][$approach = "consultative"]]
[[Take a group-decision making approach.|Planning the venue, description][$approach = "group"]]<</if>><<nobr>>
<<if $turns eq 0>><<goto "The Epic Epilogue">><</if>>
<<if $dp_firstvisit neq "True">><<set $dp_firstvisit = "True">>
<<if $turn eq 2>><<display "Beginning week 2">>
<<elseif $turn eq 3>><<goto [[Beginning week 3]]>>
<<elseif $turn eq 4>><<goto [[Presenting to the OF1]]>>
<<elseif $turn eq 4>><<display "Beginning week 5">>
<<elseif $turn gte 5 and (ndef $venue or $venue eq "shortlist") and ndef $booked_out>><<goto [[We forgot to book the venue]]>>
<<elseif $turn eq 5>><<display "Beginning week 6">>
<<elseif $turn eq 7>><<display "Beginning week 7">>
<<elseif $turn eq 9>><<display "Beginning week 9">>
<<elseif $turn gte 12 and (ndef $venue or $venue eq "shortlist")>><<goto [[Venue still not booked]]>>
<<elseif $turn eq 13>><<display "Beginning week 13">>
<<elseif $turn eq 17 and $band_booked.count(1) > 0 and def $promotions_quality and ndef $approach_conflict>><<goto "Band Conflict 1">>
<<elseif $turn eq 21>><<goto "The Epic Epilogue">>
<<else>><<if $turns > 1>>There were $turns weeks<<else>>There was only one more week<</if>> before Ozzipalooza.
<</if>><</if>><</nobr>>Alex thought about what she would do next.
[[Talk with John about the bands.->Planning the bands]]
[[Talk with Marco about the venue.->Planning the venue]]
[[Talk with Mei Ling about sponsorship and marketing.->Planning the marketing and sponsorship]]
[[Inspect the budget->Budget]]
[[Go to the next turn->Next turn]]<<if ndef $firstvisit_marco>><<goto "Conversation with Elke about venue, part 1">><</if>><<if $busyturns_marco > 0>>$busymessage_marco
[[Sorry to bother you, Marco.->Decision Point]]
<<else>>Alex turned to Marco. <<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>"Let's talk about how things are going with the Rod Laver Arena."<<elseif $venue eq "Burnley Park">>Let's talk about how things are going with Burnley Park.<<elseif $venue eq "Lexton Park">>Let's talk about how things are going with Lexton Park.
<</if>><<if ndef $venue>>"Let's talk about how things are going with the venue."<</if>>
"Sure," said Marco, looking up from his work.
[[Let's talk about organising a temporary workforce.->Venue Workforce]]
[[Let's talk about logistics.->Venue Logistics]]
[[Let's talk about risk management.->Venue Risk Management]]
[[Let's talk about the venue itself.->Venue Booking]]
[[I need to talk with the rest of the team about other matters.->Decision Point]]<</if>><<if ndef $firstvisit_meiling>><<goto "Elke advice - marketing and sponsorship 1">><</if>><<if $busyturns_meiling > 0>>$busymessage_meiling
[[No worries Mei Ling, I'll let you get back to it.->Decision Point]]<<else>>Alex approached Mei Ling's desk, who greeted her with a smile.
"How can I help you today, Alex?"
[[Can we talk about developing some advertising materials?->Advertising]]
[[Can we run an advertising blitz this week?->Blitz 1]]
<<isitdone $marketresearch "Can we talk about doing some market research?" "Market research">>
[[Can we talk about sales?->Sales]]
[[Can we talk about sponsorship?->Sponsorship]]
[[I need to talk with the rest of the team about other matters.->Decision Point]]<</if>>"Marco, before our next meeting, would you be able to come up with a list of possible venues?"
Marco nodded. "Yes, no problem. I can do a scout around and make some calls. It will take about a week."
Alex considered this.
<<click "Thanks - start preparing the list." "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am working on putting together the list of venues. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<delayset "venue_list" "True" 1 "Marco had finished preparing the list of venues, and was ready to discuss it with Alex.">>
<<triggerevent "List of venues 2" 1>><</click>>
[[Actually, let's hold off for the moment.->Planning the venue]]Alex looked around her team and continued on, “Given the time pressures we are under we really need to make this decision as quickly as possible. As Events Manager I think it’s important that I make this call.”
The team did not look overly happy at this announcement. John sat up straight, his chair legs thudding onto the floor, and glared at Alex. Marco muttered a little under his breath and Mei Ling shuffled papers uncomfortably. Dougal picked at a loose thread on his shirt.
“And what is the Captain’s pick?” John demanded.
Alex looked John in the eye and decisively announced,
[[“We will be going with Rod Laver arena”->Planning the venue, part 6][$venue to "Rod Laver Arena"]] ($<<print $price_venue_rodlaver>>)
[[“We will be going with Burnley Park”->Planning the venue, part 6][$venue to "Burnley Park"]] ($<<print $price_venue_burnley>>)
[[“We will be going with Lexton Park”->Planning the venue, part 6][$venue to "Lexton Park"]] ($<<print $price_venue_lexton>>)"I will note for the minutes that it was decided that $venue was our preferred option," said Dougal, frantically scribbling down some notes.
<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>John smiled. "I'm glad that you saw sense. Considering all of the things that we have to organise, it really is the best option."<br /><br />Marco and Mei Ling looked a little bit disappointed that their preferred option had not been chosen, but they didn't seem too downcast.<br /><br />"It's a good venue," acknowledged Mei Ling. "And it will be easy for people to get to."<<elseif $venue eq "Burnley Park">>Marco beamed with a lot of enthusiasm. "It's a great choice. Not too far out of town, but still out in the open."<br /><br />"I'm sure our customers will really love it!" said Mei Ling.<br /><br />Dougal looked very happy. "Fun in the sun, yeah!"<br /><br />"Hope you've organised a rain tent and plenty of free umbrellas," John snarked.<<elseif $venue eq "Lexton Park">>Mei Ling seemed very pleased. "I love the idea of having it out in the country. It will be so different to the other Ozzipalooza festivals."<br /><br />John was less enthusiastic. "You know, there's probably a reason why it's never been held out in the sticks before. Hope people really like the music, because they've got at least a two hour drive ahead of them."<br /><br />"A weekend getaway," said Marco. "I think nearby towns like Daylesford will do quite well out of it if there are a lot of people coming to the festival."<</if>>
"OK, now that we've decided the venue, it's now on to other business..."
<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>[[Next->Rod Laver arena venue choice 1]]<<elseif $venue eq "Burnley Park">>[[Next->Burnley Park venue choice]]<<elseif $venue eq "Lexton Park">>[[Next->Lexton Park venue choice]]<</if>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Venue" $venue>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Decision style" $approach>><<set $approach = "consultative">>Alex looked at her team, “We are under some time pressures here but it is still early days and I know that everyone on this team has some valuable expertise that could really make the decision much more effective. What venue do you guys think we should go with?”
As Alex finished speaking, John rushed to get his opinion in first, “I think we should go with Rod Laver arena. It might be expensive but it’s got a certain prestige to it. Bands will be more likely to want to come to Melbourne and play at Rod Laver arena. Besides our team leader is quite inexperienced so the extra support from the venue would be very helpful.”
At John’s last comment Alex’s heart sank - it was true she was quite inexperienced, she hated to think she might let Ali and the team down, but she was determined to do the best she could do. Squaring her shoulders Alex thanked John and turned to the other two, “What do you guys think?”
Mei Ling tilted her head in thought for a moment then added, “I think one of the park options would be good. From a promotions and sponsorship perspective I think we can sell the vibe of a day in the park more than a day inside the same venue.”
John interjected “But what if it rains - you know how Melbourne can be.”
Mei Ling looked to John, “Well yes weather could cause us problems, but maybe we could work around that.”
John looked set to keep arguing. Before things got ugly Alex jumped in, “What do you think Marco, you have worked in different venues?”
Marco looked over at Mei Ling and John and then turned to Alex, “I think Burnley Park offers some great possibilities. It’s central and close to transport. It is also well known for events. White night has been huge, and the Laneways Festival did well too. Burnley Park still gives us some council support but it gives us the flexibility to build that relaxed vibe that Ozzipalooza is so famous for. I think we can work out some contingency plans for rain if that is an issue.”
Alex turned to her last team member, “Dougal what do you think?”
Dougal looked up at Alex - he seemed a bit surprised to be asked. He commented, “I think they all sound fine.”
Alex looked at Dougal with some exasperation. She wished he would contribute more to the group. Alex tried not to show her frustration on her face.
Alex looked around the group, “Thank you for your input. Given the different points raised, I think it would be best to go with:"
[[Rod Laver Arena->Planning the venue, part 6][$venue to "Rod Laver Arena"]] ($<<print $price_venue_rodlaver>>)
[[Burnley Park->Planning the venue, part 6][$venue to "Burnley Park"]] ($<<print $price_venue_burnley>>)
[[Lexton Park->Planning the venue, part 6][$venue to "Lexton Park"]] ($<<print $price_venue_lexton>>)Alex looked to her team, “We all have important expertise to contribute to this decision and I think it’s best if we make the decision together. I propose that everyone has their chance to speak and then we will take a vote.”
As Alex finished speaking John rushed to get his opinion in first, “I think we should go with Rod Laver arena. It might be expensive but it’s got a certain prestige to it. Bands will be more likely to want to come to Melbourne and play at Rod Laver arena. Besides our team leader is quite inexperienced so the extra support from the venue would be very helpful.”
At John’s last comment Alex’s heart sank - it was true she was quite inexperienced, she hated to think she might let Ali and the team down, but she was determined to do the best she could do. Alex turned to Mei Ling, “You have the marketing expertise what venue do you think will sell?”
Mei Ling tilted her head in thought for a moment then added, “I think one of the park options would be good. From a promotions and sponsorship perspective I think we can sell the vibe of a day in the park more than a day inside the same venue.”
John interjected “But what if it rains - you know how Melbourne can be”
Mei Ling looked to John, “Well yes weather could cause us problems, but maybe we could work around that.”
John jumped in again, “Work around the weather? Are you kidding? It could be wet and windy - and no one will want to be outside in those conditions. What are you proposing - the entry tickets come with a free umbrella?”
Mei Ling flushed at John’s rudeness, “I just think the park scene is working well for music concerts right now.”
John started to say something else when Alex cut him off, “Thanks John, you have had your say. Perhaps we might give Marco a chance to speak.”
John sat back sulkily.
Marco looked over at Mei Ling and John and then turned to Alex, “I think the Burnley Park option offers some great possibilities. It’s central and close to transport. It is also well known for events. White night has been huge, and the Laneways Festival did well too. Burnley Park still gives us some council support but it gives us the flexibility to build that relaxed vibe that Ozzipalooza is so famous for. I think we can work out some contingency plans for rain if that is an issue.”
Alex turned to her last team member, “Dougal what do you think?”
Dougal looked up at Alex - he seemed a bit surprised to be asked. He commented, “I think they all sound fine.”
Alex looked at Dougal with some exasperation. She wished he would contribute more to the group. Alex tried not to show her frustration on her face.
Alex looked around her team. John still sulked and Mei Ling was still flushed with hurt at John’s rudeness. Only Marco looked oblivious to all that was going on. “Okay I think everyone has had a say let’s vote.”
Everyone wrote their choice down on a piece of paper and handed it to Alex. She counted out the votes - two for Rod Laver arena, two for the CBD park option. A deadlock! Alex looked around the room and sighed. She wasn’t sure that any amount of discussion would break the tied vote. Maybe group decision making wasn’t such a great idea...
[[Let's discuss it some more, and make a decision next week.]]
[["I'll cast my vote for the Rod Laver Arena."|Planning the venue, part 6][$venue to "Rod Laver Arena"; $approach to "consultative"]] ($<<print $price_venue_rodlaver>>)
[["I'll cast my vote for Burnley Park."|Planning the venue, part 6][$venue to "Burnley Park"; $approach to "consultative"]] ($<<print $price_venue_burnley>>)
[["We will be going with Lexton Park."|Planning the venue, part 6][$venue to "Lexton Park"; $approach to "authoritative"]] ($<<print $price_venue_lexton>>)“Okay team, we have to decide on a venue. We have three main options:
Our premium option is Rod Laver arena, it is expensive ($<<print $price_venue_rodlaver>>), but if it is available for the dates we want we get everything covered for us.
Our second option is to hire Burnley Park near the city - it will take a bit more work but it won’t costs as much ($<<print $price_venue_burnley>>), the council has events support personnel to help us and we will have more flexibility in setting everything up the way we want.
Our third option is hiring a park in Lexton gives us the most flexibility and is closest to the bush doof event which is really popular at the moment. But we would need to organise everything ourselves and unlike the other venues this location is not near public transport so we might need to plan for travel to the venue. On the other hand, it is the least expensive option ($<<print $price_venue_lexton>>).”
<<if $approach eq "authoritative">>[[Next|Planning the venue, authoritative]]<</if>><<if $approach eq "consultative">>[[Next|Planning the venue, consultative]]<</if>><<if $approach eq "group">>[[Next|Planning the venue, group]]<</if>><<set $approach = "group">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>><<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am busy weighing up the pros and cons of each of our three venue choices. Could we talk later?"'>><<triggerevent "Group Decision" 1>>"OK, let's reconvene in a week and make up our minds," said Alex. "In the meantime, I'll get Marco to compile a list of pros and cons about each site. If you could share with him your thoughts before the next meeting, that would be great."
Marco nodded. Alex was a little frustrated that it was taking so long to make a decision. However, she felt assured that this process would lead to the best choice possible and would getting the team on board.
[[Next->Decision Point]]John exploded: "This is bullshit! We've wasted a week deciding as a team, but you had already made up your mind. You were never really going to give us a choice. This is just another sign of your inexperience."
Marco was more measured, but he seemed quite disappointed. "It's your call as our team leader. But next time, if you want to make a captain's call, don't waste everybody's time by pretending it's some kind of democratic process."
"I had many things to do this week," chimed in Mei Ling. "I spent a lot of time thinking about the pros and cons of each option. You could have saved us a lot of time if you had just been more upfront."
Alex's stare hardened. "I know $venue is the right decision for us. The best festivals that I've been to have all been outdoors. Marco, as you said, it will save us money, and the customers will love it."
"It worries me that you are making important decisions based on just your personal experiences," John interjected.
"Look, I like the park too," said Marco. "There are a lot of sound business reasons for choosing it."
"Fun in the sun, yeah!" Dougal's enthusiasm seemed oblivious to the negative mood in the room.
"We're going with the park," Alex repeated. "And it's going to be a great event."
The team continued to bicker, but Alex held firm. She was sure that she had made the right decision, and that in time, the rest of the team would agree. For the moment, however, they were deeply unimpressed by the way she had handled the situation.
<<if $venue eq "Burnley Park" and $turn gte 8>>[[Next->Burnley Park is unavailable]]<<else>><<set $busyturns_marco = 2>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the process of booking $venue. Could we talk later?"'>>
<<delayset "venue_chosen" "True" 2 "Marco had finished booking $venue and was available for other duties.">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Venue" $venue>>
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><</if>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Decision style" $approach>>"We should arrange some ticket collectors for the gate," said Alex to Marco.
"Yes, it's essential," Marco said. "Otherwise, we'll have no way of checking whether our audience has purchased their tickets. Our customers will be extremely dissatisfied if gatecrashers make it in."
"Should we allow people to buy tickets on the day?" Alex inquired.
"We could do, especially if we haven't sold out of tickets before the event," said Marco. "Also, we would need to set up a separate ticket booth, which could take up a fair bit of space."
"Let me think about it," said Alex.
"OK," said Marco. "In the meantime, I'll make some calls to the temporary staffing agency we've used in the past, and organise some people to be on standby."
<<click "Thanks, can you go ahead and start organising them." "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am doing ticket collectors this week. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Ticket collectors booked" $turn>>
<<delayset "ticket_collectors" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising the ticket collectors, and was available for other duties.">><</click>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Workforce]]The great Rod Laver Arena, Alex thought. The venue was large and had been used for premier events in Melbourne for years. Now Alex was organising an event at this venue!
She looked down at the information sheet about the venue from Marco. There would be some challenges.
First, the day would have to be carefully scheduled so that each band followed each other band - they wouldn’t be able to set up multiple stages and let the audience choose.
More importantly, while everything was supplied with this venue it looked like booking the venue would still be a formal process of negotiation. Alex had never negotiated a contract before and she felt quite nervous about the prospect. The information sheet noted that the contact at Rod Laver arena for bookings was Shauna Wright. Alex thought that before contacting Shauna she should check with Ali about the process.
[[Next->Rod Laver arena venue choice 2]]Alex knocked on Ali’s door, holding the Rod Laver arena information sheet in her hand. Ali invited Alex to come in and Alex sat in the seat in front of Ali’s desk.
“Ali we have decided to hold Ozzipalooza at Rod Laver arena” Alex began.
“An excellent choice!” Ali interjected.
Alex continued, “In order to book the venue we need to negotiate a contract with Rod Laver arena. I haven’t done this before so I’m hoping you will help me with the process.”
“Well it’s a relatively straightforward process” Ali commented, stroking his chin. “Rod Laver arena will most likely have a standard contract. You will need to contact them and get a copy of that contract. We need our lawyer to have a look over the contract before we sign anything. I will email you through the lawyer’s details. However, remember that the lawyer bills by the hour. So I'd recommend not contacting him too much.”
Alex made a note of these details on the back of the information sheet and thanked Ali for his help.
Returning to her office Alex sent an email to Shauna noting their interest in booking the venue, the dates they were interested in booking and requesting a copy of the contract information.
<<if $turn gte 5>>[[Next->Rod Laver Arena is unavailable]]<<else>><<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 2>><<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the process of booking Rod Laver Arena. Could we talk later?"'>><<delayset "venue_chosen" "True" 2 "Marco had finished booking Rod Laver Arena and was available for other duties.">><<set $venue = "Rod Laver Arena">><<triggerevent "Rod Laver arena venue choice 3" 2>><</if>>It was two weeks later that Alex received a response from Shauna at Rod Laver Arena congratulating ABC Events on their choice of venue and outlining the process that would follow. Attached was the contract and a quote for the cost of hiring the venue for the dates offered.
Alex looked through the documents - it all seemed so formal. She searched through her email for the one from Ali with the lawyer’s details. Once she had located the email she forwarded on the information from Shauna with a request for the lawyer to review the contract. After a moment’s hesitation Alex decided to cc Ali into the email just to keep him in the loop.
A week later Alex still had heard nothing from the lawyer about the contract for Rod Laver arena. Alex was getting a bit anxious - time was passing and they still hadn’t got the venue locked in. Alex wondered whether she should email the lawyer. However, she didn’t want to bother the lawyer unnecessarily, besides she felt nervous about contacting him again.
[[Email the lawyer->Email the lawyer 1]]
[[Wait another week->WaitSomeMore]]Alex took a deep breath and sent a polite email through to the lawyer asking how consideration of the Rod Laver arena contract was progressing. Again she included Ali in a CC of her email.
This time Alex got an immediate reply from the lawyer: “We haven’t received any contracts for Rod Laver arena for this event.”
Alex was dumbfounded. She searched through her emails and found the original email sent through and found that she hadn’t been dreaming she had sent through the email. Alex began to feel her angry and wanted to send an immediate retort. She even went as far as drafting an email only to catch herself and delete the email prior to sending.
Alex marched down the hall to Ali’s office. After entering the office Alex she vented some of her anger at Ali “Did you see the response from the lawyer?”
Ali checked over his email and his eyebrows drew together into a frown.
He looked up at Alex, the anger in his face matching hers. “I’m sorry about this Alex. Leave this with me and I will get a response by tomorrow.”
Alex left Ali’s office feeling much relief. She wouldn’t want to be in the lawyer’s shoes - Ali had looked really angry.
[[Next->Email the lawyer 2]]<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Email the lawyer" $turn>>Another week later Alex still had heard nothing from the lawyer about the contract for Rod Laver arena. Alex was getting even more anxious. Alex decided that she had to take control of her nerves and contact the lawyer again.
[[Next->Email the lawyer 1]]The next day Alex received an email from the lawyer “All good. Proceed with booking”. Alex felt immensely relieved. She didn’t know what Ali had said to the lawyer but whatever he had said had done the trick. Now she just needed Ali to sign the contract and they would have the venue booked. She emailed Shauna to update her and let her know that the signed contract should be coming through shortly.
The day after, Alex felt an enormous sense of relief as she sent off the signed contract to Shauna. All they needed was a confirmation of booking and they would be good to go. Shauna had said that it could take a week for this to happen as they had to enter all the information into their system so that the booking could be processed.
Another week later and Alex received the booking confirmation from Shauna. Finally the venue was booked.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>Burnley Park with its beautiful gardens and different lawn areas would provide just the kind of chilled vibe that this event needed, Alex thought. They would still need to organise a few things to make it work but they could do it!
Marco assured her that he would be able to get the booking finalised within a couple of weeks and the date locked in. Alex was very happy that they had gotten it sorted out.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 2>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the process of booking Burnley Park. Could we talk later?"'>>
<<delayset "venue_chosen" "True" 2 "Marco had finished booking Burnley Park and was available for other duties.">><<set $venue = "Burnley Park">>Lexton Park, with its wide-open spaces and country fresh air, would provide just the kind of chilled vibe that this event needed, Alex thought. They would still need to organise a few things to make it work, but they could do it.
Marco assured her that he would be able to get the booking finalised within a couple of weeks and the date locked in. Alex was very happy that they had gotten it sorted out.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 2>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the process of booking Lexton Park. Could we talk later?"'>>
<<delayset "venue_chosen" "True" 2 "Marco had finished booking Lexton Park and was available for other duties.">><<set $venue = "Lexton Park">>Alex thought about the issues of security and how important it was to get a good security team on board. There were some bad examples of music events where security was not up to scratch or non-existent that had led to people being seriously injured and even death.
"Marco, I think it's really important that we organise some security personnel for our event. If there is an incident or property is destroyed, it could really reflect badly on us."
"That's true -- we would be seen as very socially irresponsible if we didn't have security," said Marco. "I estimate that it will cost about $<<print $price_security>> to hire a good team, and about a week to get the security plan organised. We can have them available on standby."
<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>Marco smiled. "Rod Laver Arena actually comes with its own security detail as part of the package. We'll obviously have to work with them, but this is one less thing we need to organise."
<<set $security = "True">><<else>>Dougal sat in the corner of the office staring into space waiting to help Alex. Alex turned to Dougal and asked him to look through the files in the archive room and see if he could put together a list of security firms, and their contact details, that ABC Events had used successfully in the past. Dougal nodded and headed off to the archive room leaving his pen and paper sitting on the table. A few minutes later he came back in grabbed his pen and paper and headed off again. Alex sighed.
[[Next->Arrange security 2]]<</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Risk Management]]A few hours later Dougal returned with a list of about 5 names scrawled on his paper. Against all odds he had even remembered to write down email contacts for the companies. Alex thanked Dougal and sat down to email security firms for quotes. A few hours later Alex had heard back from two of the security firms. One email had bounced back - the contact details obviously no longer relevant and two of the others had not responded.
Alex looked at the two quotes from Security 123 and Exciting Times Security, which were roughly equivalent in terms of cost.
Not knowing which one to pick, Alex walked over to Marco's desk.
"Hey Marco -- have you had much experience with either of these two security firms before?"
Marco looked at the shortlist. "Both are pretty good. The security guys are well trained and they know all of the legislation. I've worked with Security 123 before and can vouch for them. However, Exciting Times Security have much more experience with large-scale events like Ozzipalooza."
Alex decided that she would:
[[Offer the contract to Security 123->Arrange security 3]]
[[Offer the contract to Exciting Times Security->Arrange security 3]]
[[Hold off on organising security for the moment.->Planning the venue]]"I'm happy with that choice," said Marco.
"Great -- would you mind calling them and booking them in for the event."
"Sure thing," replied Marco.
Alex beamed, as she crossed organising security off the list of things she needed to do.
[[Next->Decision Point]]<<set $busyturns_marco = 1>><<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am organising security this week. Can you come back later?"'>><<delayset "security" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising security, and was available for other duties.">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Security booked" $turn>>Alex looked around at her team, “I think developing contingency plans for our event would work better if we did this as a team. That way we can make sure we cover different perspectives. So what are we going to do if it rains?”
<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>John sneered, "Not a big tennis fan? You know they have a roof, don't you?"
Alex blushed. She had only ever been to Rod Laver when the roof had been open, and had completely forgotten about that facility.
"Well -- one less thing to worry about then."
<<set $wetweather = "True">><<else>>“Here’s a thought - why do we even need a contingency plan?” queried John. “By the time we know what the weather will be like, we will have sold all of the tickets. And people can bring along their own raincoats and umbrellas. As long as the bands and their equipment is undercover, it should be fine.”
Alex thought it was a little cynical, particularly given that John had raised wet weather as a potential problem with the park venue. She turned to Marco and Mei Ling.
Mei Ling spoke first, “If it rains, our customers are going to be very dissatisfied if there are no shelters. We could arrange for some marquees. I’ve organised marquees for other events in the past it works pretty well. They would cost around $<<print $price_contingency_marquee>>. Alternately we could arrange for umbrellas and wet weather ponchos, which would cost around $<<print $price_contingency_umbrellas>>.”
Marco added, “There are some existing buildings at this venue that I think belong to the local council. We could see whether maybe they would be prepared to let us hire out these spaces as a last resort. That would cost in the ballpark of $<<print $price_contingency_shelters>>.”
Mei Ling added, “They might not give people a very good view of the band though. At any rate, any of these three options should only take about a week to organise.”
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>Marco added, "We can't really get started on this before locking in the location and date of the venue."
<<else>>Alex made some notes, and considered the different courses of actions.
[[You’re right John, we don’t need a contingency plan.->19ca]]
[[Let’s arrange for some marquees.->19cb]] (costs 1 turn, $<<print $price_contingency_marquee>>)
[[Let’s arrange for some umbrellas and wet weather ponchos.->19cc]] (costs 1 turn, $<<print $price_contingency_umbrellas>>)
[[Let’s look into hiring a nearby shelter.->19cd]] (costs 1 turn, $<<print $price_contingency_shelters>>)
[[Let’s do all three.->19ce]] (costs 2 turns, $<<print $price_contingency_all>>)<</if>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Risk Management]]“Realistically, we’re having this festival in the middle of summer,” said Alex. It’s not going to rain.”
Marco shook his head. “It *probably* won't rain. But there’s no guarantee that it won't. A bit of rain is probably not going to hurt anybody, but it will make it a much worse experience for anyone who gets caught in a shower.”
“I hope we have good luck with the weather,” said Mei Ling.
“We will,” Alex said with a slight hint of defensiveness. “Don’t worry about it.”
[[Next->Decision Point]]<<set $contingency_plan = "No plan">><<set $wetweather = "True">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Wet weather no plan" $turn>>“I think the idea of organising some marquees is a good one,” said Alex. “People without umbrellas will be able to hide under them if there’s rain. And it’s not likely to cost that much.”
“Sounds good,” said Marco. “I’ll make some calls and get them organised. I think they are a good thing to have available, even if we don’t end up using them.”
“Thanks Marco!”
<<click "Next" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am busy organising the marquees this week. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<delayset "contingency_plan" "Marquees" 1 "Marco had finished organising the wet weather contingency plans, and was available for other duties.">><</click>><<set $wetweather = "True">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Wet weather - marquees" $turn>>“Organising some umbrellas and ponchos seems like the way to go,” said Alex. “People can buy them at the venue, and we can always save them for another event if we don’t use them.”
“We can store them in your office,” John added rather unhelpfully.
“Actually,” added Mei Ling, “I know a supplier who will deliver them at short notice. So we can arrange for an initial bulk order, and they will come out to our venue to sell them if it’s looking like it’s going to rain. I’m happy to make the call.”
“Thanks Mei Ling!”
<<click "Next" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am busy organising the umbrellas this week. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<delayset "contingency_plan" "Umbrellas" 1 "Marco had finished organising the wet weather contingency plans, and was available for other duties.">><</click>><<set $wetweather = "True">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Wet weather - umbrellas" $turn>>“I think the most sensible option is to organise some shelters,” said Alex. “They should be able to house a number of people, and we won’t have to bring anything to the venue.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Marco. “I’ll get on the phone with the local council and see if we can get them organised. We should be able to pick up the key for them before the event.”
“Thanks Marco!”
<<click "Next" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am busy organising the shelters this week. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<delayset "contingency_plan" "Shelters" 1 "Marco had finished organising the wet weather contingency plans, and was available for other duties.">><</click>><<set $wetweather = "True">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Wet weather - shelters" $turn>>“I don't think we should take any chances," said Alex. "The weather could range from fine, to drizzle, to a full-on tropical storm. We need to be prepared for all eventualities, so I think we should organise all three options.”
“That’s going to take a bit of time to organise,” said Marco.
“True, but horrible weather could really ruin the experience for everyone,” said Alex. “We need to plan for the worst even if the weather turns out to be fine.”
“OK, happy to support you in this. I’ll start making some calls.”
“Thanks Marco!”
<<click "Next" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 2>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am busy working on the wet weather contingency plan this week. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<delayset "contingency_plan" "All three" 1 "Marco had finished organising the wet weather contingency plan, and was available for other duties.">><</click>><<set $wetweather = "True">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Wet weather - all options" $turn>>Alex sat in her office thinking over all of the planning work they had done so far. She looked over the email she had received from Ali that morning asking for an update on the project. She really needed to check with the other groups for data on how the project was tracking. Perhaps Dougal could help with the report to Ali?
Alex went over to Dougal’s desk. He had his headphones plugged in listening to music as he searched band websites. Alex tapped Dougal on the shoulder and looked up at her with a questioning look on her face. Alex motioned for Dougal to remove his headphones. He pulled them off.
“Dougal could you please draft a report on our progress so far for Ali?”
Dougal looked somewhat blankly at Alex.
Alex sighed to herself. “We need to send Ali a memo outlining the tasks we have completed so far. Could you please draft up the memo listing the activities we have done so far?”
Dougal smiled nervously, “Sure Alex. I’ll get right on it.”
[[Next->An update to Ali, 2]]After lunch Alex checked her emails to see that Dougal had sent through the draft report for Ali. Alex felt a pleasant surprise at seeing the memo. As she glanced through the memo her heart sunk. The memo started “Hi mate” and the casual language continued from there, with words typically used in text messages not formal memos all through the document. There were no paragraphs as the memo seemed to present simply a stream of conscious account of what had happened.
Alex considered what she would do. Obviously, the memo was unacceptable in its current form. She felt sure that Dougal was capable of writing a formal email, but he seemed to lack the motivation to do so. She wondered whether to talk with him, or whether it would just be quicker to rewrite the memo herself.
Alex decided that she would:
[[Ask Dougal to fix the memo, and leave him to do it unassisted.->23a Delegating]]
[[Coach Dougal; convince him that he needs to write more professional messages and provide him with guidance.->23b Selling]]
[[Work with Dougal to re-write the message together.->23c Participating]]
[[Stand over Dougal, and dictate the message to him.->23d Telling]]
[[Rewrite the memo herself.->23e No management]]Dougal really needed to take responsibility for fixing his own mistakes, Alex thought. He’s capable of writing, but he needs to appreciate that such colloquial language is not appropriate in a professional setting.
“Dougal, can I see you for a moment?”
Dougal looked up with a big grin on his face. “Hey boss!”
“Dougal, I’m going to have to ask you to re-write this memo. It’s not acceptable in its current form. It’s the sort of message you might send in a text. It’s too informal to send to Ali. He’s not your mate - he’s the director of this company.”
“No worries Al, let me fix it right up,” said Dougal, and turned back to his computer.
“Can you send me the new draft as soon as possible?”
Fifteen minutes later, Alex received the draft and her heart sank again. Dougal had overcompensated by peppering the message with unnecessary formalisms. “Dear Sir” it began, and it continued in its prior stream-of-consciousness style. He signed off with “Very Sincerely Yours”.
With a sigh, Alex realised that she would have to re-write the memo herself. She made sure all the language was suitably formal, fixing all the spelling mistakes, and restructuring the text into paragraphs. After an hour Alex sat back and thought that the memo was ready to send on to Ali.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $hb_style = "Delegating">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "hb_style" "delegating">>Alex reasoned that Dougal had the ability to write, but perhaps was unaware of the importance of professional presentation. She considered that he was probably clueless about the bad impression his writing made to other people.
“Dougal, do you have some time now?”
Dougal looked up with a big grin on his face. “Hey boss!”
“I wanted to speak with you about the memo that you wrote. Have you had the chance to write a memo before?”
Dougal looked up at Alex and shook his head “Not really”.
“Not to worry. I didn’t know how to write memos when I started either and Elke really helped me. She explained that the greetings need to be really formal for a memo and we have to use much more formal language when writing because the memo is a kind of formal conversation.”
“OK…”
“Our writing makes an impression on other people. It shows them that we are taking them seriously. It shows them that we care about the work and the details.”
Uncharacteristically, Dougal paused to reflect. “So, my memo didn’t do that?”
“This is more the sort of message you’d send as a text message to a friend. It’s not really the sort of message you would send in a business setting, especially to your boss.”
“Oh…”
“Why not have another go and make it a bit more formal? Here’s where I think it could be improved...”
Alex spent the next half an hour describing to Dougal how his message could be improved. They discussed the salutation, use of appropriate spelling and grammar, and the sign-off. Dougal looked exhausted by the end, but he appeared to have listened and had taken many notes.
Dougal looked at Alex gratefully, “Thanks so much for taking the time to show me. I really appreciate it.”
Alex pulled out an old file and found a memo that she had written before Elke left, “Here is one I wrote another time that you might like to use as a guide in the future.”
Later that day, Alex received a revised version of the memo from Dougal. It still needed a bit of polishing, but it was a vast improvement on the previous version. Alex concluded that it had been time well spent.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $hb_style = "Selling">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "hb_style" "selling">>Alex thought about when she had first started and how much Elke had helped her with writing these formal documents. Maybe Dougal didn’t know how to write a memo? Alex went out to Dougal’s desk again and asked him to come into her office to discuss the memo. Dougal followed after Alex.
“Dougal, have you had a chance to write a memo before?”
Dougal looked up at Alex and shook his head “Not really”.
“Not to worry. I didn’t know how to write memos when I started either and Elke really helped me. She explained that the greetings need to be really formal for a memo and we have to use much more formal language when writing because the memo is a kind of formal conversation. How do you think we might go about fixing this message that you have drafted?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe we could start with ‘Dear Sir’” Dougal ventured.
“That’s not a bad start - although we probably don’t need to be quite so formal” Alex suggested.
“Well, … how about Dear Ali?” Dougal suggested.
“That sounds great Dougal” Alex responded.
Dougal seemed to straighten a bit in his seat and offered, “Then I guess we could give a general statement about what we are up to before going into some specific details.”
“That’s how I would do it. Do you want to give that a go?” Alex commented.
“Okay” Dougal agreed and went away to have another go.
After another two drafts Alex asked Dougal how he felt the memo was going.
“I think it’s ready to go now. It’s more formal and more structured and I think it gives a clear account of what we have achieved.” Dougal stated
Alex looked at Dougal in some surprise at his confident answer, “I agree Dougal I think you have done an excellent job.”
Dougal grinned at Alex “So time to send it through”
Alex grinned back “Yes, send it through.”
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $hb_style = "Participating">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "hb_style" "participating">>Alex shuddered at the thought of passing on the memo to Ali. Clearly Dougal just didn’t care enough about this job to put the effort into his work. However, Alex was the manager and it was her job to get Dougal to do his job.
“Dougal, can I see you for a moment?”
Dougal looked up with a big grin on his face. “Hey boss!”
“Dougal, this memo needs to be rewritten. It’s not acceptable in its current form. It’s the sort of message you might send in a text. It’s too informal to send to Ali. He’s not your mate - he’s the director of this company.”
Dougal looked up at Alex blankly.
“Hey Dougal, let me tell you what you need to write. Open up the memo draft and I will take you through it.”
Dougal dutifully opened up the draft and Alex stood, looking over Dougal’s shoulder dictating the memo, line by line. After about an hour Alex stepped back in satisfaction - that had got the task done. Now perhaps Dougal would do it the way she had instructed next time.
Dougal looked up at Alex with a ‘tight’ look on his face as if he were upset and was trying to maintain his composure, “Are you finished? Shall I send it through now?”
“Yes, please send it through now.” Alex replied.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $hb_style = "Telling">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "hb_style" "telling">>Alex shuddered at the thought of passing on the memo to Ali. Clearly Dougal just didn’t care enough about this job to put the effort into his work. Alex was so frustrated that she was now going to have to redo the work she had asked Dougal to do.
Alex sighed again to herself and began rewriting the memo for Ali making sure all the language was suitably formal, fixing all the spelling mistakes, and restructuring the text into paragraphs. After an hour Alex sat back and thought that the memo was ready to send on to Ali.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $hb_style = "No management">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "hb_style" "No management">>Fifteen minutes before the weekly team meeting, Ali approached Alex’s desk. “Can I have a quick word with you?”
“Sure,” she said, and followed him into the meeting room. Ali closed the door.
“Alex,” he started, “Thank you for all of the work you have been doing so far in organising the festival. How are things going with finding a venue?”
Alex’s face went very red. “We haven’t actually found one yet.”
“That’s what I heard from your team,” said Ali. “You need to make it a top priority when you have your team meeting. The venue is absolutely critical. And the popular ones tend to get booked out very far ahead of time.”
“I’m sorry we haven’t gotten on to it sooner - there’s just been so much to organise.”
“You need to do it right away,” said Ali. “It’s becoming urgent.”
Alex nodded. Shortly after Ali left, the rest of the team joined her for the meeting.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $booked_out = 1>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Venue not booked" $turn>>Marco walked over to Alex’s desk with a very defeated expression on his face. She knew that it wouldn’t be good news.
“I’m really sorry Alex. I’ve been on the phone to Shauna. Rod Laver Arena isn’t available on the weekend that we want it. It was booked out last week by another events company.”
“Oh no! I can’t believe it.” Alex exclaimed, with a look of surprise and resignation on her face. “It would have been perfect for Ozzipalooza. If only we had gotten on to it sooner.”
“There’s nothing we can do now, except look for another venue. Given that it’s now becoming very urgent, I think you should make a quick decision about which venue we should try next.”
Alex thought for a moment,
<<if $turn gte 8>>[["Let’s do Burnley Park."->Burnley Park is unavailable]]<<else>>[["Let’s do Burnley Park."->Burnley Park venue choice]]<</if>>
[["Let’s do Lexton Park."->Lexton Park venue choice]]
Marco put down the phone and walked over to Alex’s desk.
“Sorry, I have some bad news,” he said. “Burnley Park is unavailable on the weekend that we want it. There’s some kind of dog show going on there.”
Alex let out a couple of expletives. Burnley Park would have made a great venue for Ozzipalooza, but now they couldn’t use it.
“Yes, unfortunately it was booked out quite recently,” said Marco. “We missed our opportunity to book it.”
That made the news all the more crushing. If only they had seized the opportunity to book the venue earlier.
“What are our options now?”
“There’s nothing we can do now, except look for another venue,” counselled Marco. “Rod Laver Arena has also been booked. The only one left on our shortlist is Lexton Park.”
“Let’s make the call then,” said Alex.
[[Next->Lexton Park venue choice]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Venue" "Lexton Park">><<if ndef $busyturns_marco>><<set $busyturns_marco = 0>><</if>>Alex was so lost in her train of thought, she didn’t realise that Ali was standing right next to her.
“Please step into my office right now. I need to speak with you immediately.” His voice had lost its usual warmth.
Concerned, Alex rose to her feet and followed Ali. He closed the door behind him.
“I’m very concerned about the Ozzipalooza project. John has told me that a venue still hasn’t been arranged.”
“I’m sorry Ali, we’ve just been so busy with the other organising…”
“Alex, I’m extremely disappointed. I asked you to make this a priority, but you ignored me. I don’t think you appreciate the necessity of locking in a suitable venue in time. So much else depends on it. And now, our choices are extremely limited.”
Alex had no words. She didn’t know how it had come to this.
<<if ndef $venue_list>>“I’m sorry, but I’ve had no choice but to go over your head as Events Manager. I asked Marco to draw up a shortlist of available venues. The only suitable one is Lexton Park, which is way out in Western Victoria. I’ve told him to book it immediately.”<<set $busyturns_marco = $busyturns_marco + 3>><<delayset "venue_chosen" "True" 3 "Marco had finished booking Lexton Park and was available for other duties.">><<else>>"I’m sorry, but I’ve had no choice but to go over your head as Events Manager. I've looked over the shortlist that Marco prepared. The only suitable venue that's still available is Lexton Park, which is way out in Western Victoria. I've told him to book it immediately."<<set $busyturns_marco = $busyturns_marco + 2>><<delayset "venue_chosen" "True" 2 "Marco had finished booking Lexton Park and was available for other duties.">><</if>><<set $venue = "Lexton Park">><<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the process of booking Lexton Park. Could we talk later?"'>>
“Thank goodness it was still available.”
“Alex, I’m going to be watching you very closely from now on. To tell the truth, I’m regretting appointing you to this role.”
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Venue still not booked" $turn>><<if ndef $venue_chosen>>"Should we think about organising some transportation to our event?" asked Alex.
"If we choose to hold the event in a remote location, that would be a great idea," said Marco. "Usually busses cost in the ballpark of about $<<print $price_transport>> and take about a week to organise. However, let's get the location and date locked in first before we think about this."
<<elseif $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>"Should we think about organising some transportation to Rod Laver Arena?" Alex asked the team.
John couldn't hide his contempt. "You do know that it's within walking distance of Richmond Station, one of Melbourne's most central transportation hubs?"
Alex went bright red, and tried to laugh it off. "Oh, we booked *that* Rod Laver Arena."
"Let's cross that one off the list of things to do."<<set $transport = "True">><<elseif $venue eq "Burnley Park">>"Should we think about organising some transportation to Burnley Park?" Alex asked the team.
"Realistically, I don't think we need it," said Marco. "It's quite close to the train station, so I think that most people could walk."
"Let's cross it off the list then."<<set $transport = "True">><<else>>Lexton Park might be a beautiful setting but there was no denying that transportation to and from the event needed to be organised.
Clearly some people would drive themselves so those people would need to have somewhere to park.
Alex thought about the target age group and thought that relying on people to drive themselves might be a problem. Perhaps they could look into hiring some buses - maybe with some leaving from Melbourne and others from Ballarat.
"Lexton Park is a very long way for people to go, and it's nowhere near public transport." said Alex. "We will need to organise some busses so that people can get there from in town. Customers are not going to be very satisfied if they have limited options for getting to the venue."
Marco nodded. "I know of a couple of bus companies that I think could help. We're going to need quite a few of them. It should take about a week to get it sorted, and cost around $<<print $price_transport>>."
<<click "Start making some calls then." "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the middle of organising transport to Lexton Park. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Transport booked" $turn>>
<<delayset "transport" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising transport to Lexton Park, and was available for other duties.">><</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Logistics]] <<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>“Do we need to organise any toilet facilities for our venue,” inquired Alex.
“Not unless they have a plumbing catastrophe,” said Mei Ling. “Rod Laver is very well equipped in terms of bathroom facilities.”
“It’s a good thing too -- I really don’t like those portable loos,” said Dougal.
“Sorry Dougal, they also don’t have any bushes you can go behind,” snarked John.
Alex was very glad this was one less thing they had to organise.<<set $toilets = "True">>
<<elseif $venue eq "Burnley Park">>“Do we need to organise any toilet facilities for our venue?” inquired Alex.
“It's absolutely essential,” said Mei Ling. “Burnley Park does have a toilet block, but there’s no way that it would be enough for the large crowds that we are likely to draw.”
“The local council doesn’t tend to like it when large crowds defecate all over their public spaces,” said John. “They wouldn’t be inviting us back. Our environmental credentials will be ruined.”
“Not to worry,” said Marco. “I have a contact called Kenny who has done these kind of big events before. Great bloke! He should be able to get us set up.”
“I’ll make some estimates as to how many people we will need,” said Mei Ling. “The formula is usually about one toilet for every sixty guests, though we may want more if people are going to be drinking. My estimate is that it will take about a week to organise and cost around $<<print $price_toilets>>.”
“Thanks guys, that’s very helpful.” said Alex.
<<click "Can you call Kenny to arrange the toilets?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the middle of organising the portable toilets. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<delayset "toilets" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising the portable toilets, and was available for other duties.">><</click>>
<<elseif $venue eq "Lexton Park">>“Do we need to organise any toilet facilities for our venue?” inquired Alex.
“It's absolutely essential,” said Mei Ling. “Lexton Park may be out in the country, but we absolutely have to clean up after ourselves. If there are no toilets, our environmental credentials will be ruined.”
“Don’t worry Dougal, I’m sure they’ll have a few bushes you can hide behind,” said John. “This time though, make sure that the headline act isn’t watching.”
“I should be able to get it organised,” said Marco. “I have a contact called Kenny who has done these kind of big events before. Great bloke! He should be able to get us set up.”
“I’ll make some estimates as to how many people we will need,” said Mei Ling. “The formula is usually about one toilet for every sixty guests, though we may want more if people are going to be drinking. My estimate is that it will take about a week to organise and cost around $<<print $price_toilets>>.”
“Thanks guys, that’s very helpful.” said Alex.
<<click "Can you call Kenny to arrange the toilets?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the middle of organising the portable toilets. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<delayset "toilets" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising the portable toilets, and was available for other duties.">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Toilets booked" $turn>>
<</click>>
<<elseif ndef $venue_chosen>>“Do we need to organise any toilet facilities for our venue?” inquired Alex.
“If we decide to hold it outdoors, then definitely yes,” said Marco. “Lexton Park may be out in the country, but we absolutely have to clean up after ourselves. My estimate is that it will take about a week to organise and cost around $<<print $price_toilets>>.”
He added, “We can't really get started on this before locking in the location and date of the venue.”
<</if>>[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Logistics]]“Let’s talk about getting some event insurance,” said Alex. “What’s the deal with it? What does it cover us for?”
“Public liability insurance will cover us if someone gets injured, or some property is damaged,” explained Mei Ling. "It also indemnifies the owners of the venue and the local council from having legal action taken against them."
“We will need it for our planning permit to be approved,” said Marco. “With an event this size, we can’t prepare for everything that might go wrong. Someone could easily get in a fight, or accidentally destroy a piece of valuable equipment. I can get it sorted out, but it will take about a week, and cost around $<<print $price_insurance>>. Once submitted, we should hear back in about another two weeks.”
“It’s a very good idea if we don’t want to be sued,” added John.
Marco handed Alex some brochures for different insurance packages. “I think we should go with this one, as it also covers the performers and their equipment as well.”
<<click "Can you start making the application?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "Right now, I am organising the public liability insurance. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<delayset "insurance" "Processing" 1 "Marco had finished drawing up the application for public liability insurance. He indicated to Alex that they would be notified of its approval in several weeks. He was available for other duties.">>
<<delayset "insurance" "True" 3 "Marco reported to Alex that their application for public liability insurance had been approved.">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Public liability insurance" $turn>>
<</click>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Risk Management]]“We definitely need to get on to organising some food and drink vendors,” said Marco. “Most people are going to be at the event all day, and so they are going to need something to eat.”
“Yes, I don’t think we can count on people to bring packed lunches,” said Alex.
“We also need to make sure that there’s plenty of fresh water available,” said Mei Ling. “People can get extremely dehydrated in a mosh.”
“Yeah, having people carted off in an ambulance is not a good look for us,” John remarked. “And everyone will assume that it’s drug overdoses. At any rate, customer satisfaction will be poor if there's no food or drink available at the event.”
“This is going to take quite a lot of calls,” said Marco. “We’ll need enough vendors to feed a lot of hungry people. I estimate it will cost around $<<print $price_fooddrink>> and take about two weeks to organise.”
“Keep in mind that it’s a diverse crowd, we’re going to have to cater for different dietary requirements,” said Mei Ling. “Vegetarian, gluten free, halal…”
“Are we likely to make any money from the food stalls?” inquired Alex.
“Some people don't buy anything at all, but others buy a lot,” said Marco. “Based on experience, I'd estimate that food stalls would bring in around $<<print $income_fd_perticket>> per ticket sold. We can have them available on standby.”
“Sounds great,” said Alex.
<<click "We has better get started then; start making the calls." "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 2>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "Right now, I am swamped organising the food vendors. Can we speak later?"'>>
<<delayset "fooddrink" "True" 2 "Marco had finished organising the food vendors, and was available for other duties.">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Food & drink vendors" $turn>>
<</click>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Workforce]]“Another thing we need to do is to organise the stage equipment,” said Marco.
“What does that involve?” asked Alex.
“Well, apart from the stage itself - it’s lighting, rigging, the sound system. Some bands, especially the headline acts, will insist on bringing their own gear. But for the majority, they will need something to plug into. It's absolutely essential for the event.”
“It’s a complex set-up,” said John. “You’ll need to get the stage installed well before the event. They use forklifts and hydraulic lifts to move all of the equipment. Trust me, you'll want to get some professionals on to this.”
“In terms of costs, I'd say we're up for about $<<print $price_lighting>>,” said Marco.
“Do you have anyone in your professional network who can do it?”
“I happen to know a very good company that specialises in this kind of work. It will take about a week to organise”
<<click "Can you start organising it?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the middle of organising the stage equipment. Can we speak later?"'>>
<<delayset "lighting" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising the stage equipment, and was available for other duties.">>
<<triggerevent "Stage Coordinator" 1>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Stage equipment" $turn>>
<</click>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Logistics]]“There’s so many things to do,” said Alex. “We need ushers, people to pick up the garbage, do food runs, give people directions…”
“We already have a temporary workforce on the books,” said Mei Ling. “That's so say, we've already budgeted for it. However, we could save ourselves these costs by having a volunteer workforce. Basically, we give people volunteer jobs in exchange for free entry. It’s also good for helping people who might not be able to afford it to come to the event.”
“It’s a good idea,” said Marco. “It will take a bit of organising, but it will pay off in the end. Currently, we have budgeted $<<print $price_volunteers>> for our temporary workforce. I estimate that using volunteers will bring it down to about half of that.”
“Yes, not much organising at all,” said John. “Apart from advertising for them, doing background checks, interviewing them, giving them a detailed briefing, organising volunteer uniforms, coordinating their involvement on the day, offering some kind of recognition for their services.”
“There are actually some volunteer agencies we can go through which will do much of the legwork for us,” said Marco. “We pay them, but it’s much cheaper rates than we would be paying for temporary workers.”
“Let’s go ahead and do it,” said Alex. “I think any volunteers will be really passionate about the festival, and I like the idea of letting some people in for free.”
“Sounds good,” said Marco. “I have the contact details of the organisation.”
<<click "Can you start making some calls?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am organising the volunteer workforce at the moment. Can we speak later?"'>>
<<delayset "volunteers" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising the volunteer workforce, and was available for other duties.">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Volunteer workforce" $turn>>
<</click>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Workforce]]“What are we going to do in the event of medical emergencies?” asked Alex.
“Well, generally for an event this size, we would want to have a first aid crew there in case someone gets injured,” said Mei Ling. "Or worse, needs to be resuscitated. Having a crew is necessary to meet our social responsibility targets.”
“There’s a company that we often use for these types of events,” said Marco. “They provide first aid officers and even an ambulance on site in case someone needs to be rushed off to a hospital. It should cost around $<<print $price_firstaid>> and take about a week to organise.”
“If you’re confident with them, that sounds like a good plan,” said Alex.
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>Marco added, "We can't really get started on this before locking in the location and date of the event."
<<else>><<click "Can you make the booking?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the middle of organising the first aid officers. Can we speak later?"'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "First aid booked" $turn>>
<<delayset "firstaid" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising the first aid officers, and was available for other duties.">><</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Risk Management]] Alex recalled the last time she went to the races. She had been one of the last to leave, and was disgusted by all of the rubbish that had been left behind by the race-goers. She was determined that the same thing was not going to happen for this festival.
“I think it’s really important that we work out our waste management plan,” she said. “We want to leave our venue in better shape than we found it.”
“We definitely want to maintain Ozzipalooza’s reputation,” said Mei Ling. “I know from experience that these events generate a lot of rubbish. We will need to have this organised to meet our environmental responsibilities.”
“I can arrange for some bins to be placed near the crowded areas,” said Marco. “I can also get some of our workforce to take out the rubbish at regular intervals to make sure it doesn’t all pile up. It should take about a week or organise, and cost around $<<print $price_waste>>.”
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>Marco added, "We can't really get started on this before locking in the location and date of the event."
<<else>>“If you could organise that, that would be great,” said Alex.
“No problem,” said Marco, “Leave it with me.”
<<click "Can you start organising that?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "Right now, I am working on the waste management plan. Can it wait?"'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Waste mgt plan booked" $turn>>
<<delayset "waste" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising the waste management plan, and was available for other duties.">><</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Logistics]]Alex knew that even with many rubbish facilities, the festival-goers would inevitably leave quite a mess behind them. She knew that if the festival was to maintain its good reputation, they would need to ensure that it had been cleaned properly before the next event.
“What are we going to do about our cleaning and maintenance plan?” she asked.
“We do need to organise a team of temporary workers and volunteers to make sure that we've got the place tidied up,” said Marco. “We’ll need some bins and other equipment, but leave it to me to get it sorted. We need them to meet our environmental responsibilities to the council.”
<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>“Rod Laver Arena has a clean-up crew,” said Mei-Ling. “Nonetheless, it would be a good idea to liaise with them in order to coordinate our efforts. We still have to pay them, and we need to agree on some expectations about who is responsible for the cleaning up.”
“It should take about a week to organise and cost around $<<print $price_cleaning>>,” said Marco.
<<click "Can you give them a call?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the middle of organising the cleanup crew. Can we speak later?"'>>
<<delayset "cleaning" "True" 1 "Marco had finished liaising with the Rod Laver cleanup crew, and was available for other duties.">><</click>>
<<elseif $venue eq "Burnley Park" or $venue eq "Lexton Park">>“The local council will be expecting us to make sure that we have everything cleaned up,” said Mei-Ling. “We are going to look seriously bad if we leave the place a mess.”
“I’ll organise a team of our temporary workers and volunteers to make sure that we have the place tidied up,” said Marco. “We’ll need some bins and other equipment, but leave it to me to get it sorted. It should take about two weeks and cost around $<<print $price_cleaning>>.”
“It couldn’t be any worse than the mess on Dougal’s desk,” said John. Dougal blushed.
<<click "Can you give the get the ball rolling on this?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 2>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am in the middle of organising the cleanup crew. Can we speak later?"'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Cleaning organised" $turn>>
<<delayset "cleaning" "True" 2 "Marco had finished organising the cleanup crew, and was available for other duties.">><</click>>
<<elseif ndef $venue_chosen>>Marco added, "It should take about two weeks and cost around $<<print $price_cleaning>>. However, we can't really get started on this before locking in the location and date of the event."
<</if>>[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Logistics]]“Do we need to organise any physical barriers to the event?” inquired Alex.
<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>“No,” sneered John. “What, do you think they have to set up temporary fences each time there is a tennis match? The entrances are very clearly set up and can be closely monitored. Nobody’s getting in without our say-so.”
“Well, that’s good to know,” said Alex, as she crossed it off her list.
<<set $barriers = "True">><<elseif $venue eq "Burnley Park">>“I think it’s important,” said Marco. “The park is very central. It’s quite likely that you would have people just wandering in if you left it unprotected. Our paying customers are going to be very dissatisfied if gatecrashers manage to sneak into the event.”
“Do we know any organisation that provides these kinds of fences?” asked Alex.
Marco flicked through his contacts on his phone. “Yes, I know a couple of companies that do it. Let me make some calls and I’ll get it sorted. It should take about a week and cost $<<print $price_barriers>>.”
<<click "Go for it." "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "Right now, I am organising the barriers. Can we speak later?"'>>
<<delayset "barriers" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising the barriers, and was available for other duties.">><</click>>
<<elseif $venue eq "Lexton Park">>“I’m not sure we really need to,” said Mei Ling. “It’s so far out in the country, even if some people wander in without paying, it’s not going to be a very large number.”
“On the other hand, Ozzipalooza is a high-profile event,” said Marco. If people know that our security is lax, then we might have some people driving out into the country and crashing the party. It makes security more difficult if people can just wander in. Our paying customers will be dissatisfied.”
“Do we know any organisation that provides these kinds of fences?” inquired Alex.
Marco flicked through his contacts on his phone. “Yes, I know a couple of companies that do it. I can make some calls and get it sorted in about a week. It should cost around $<<print $price_barriers>>.”
<<click "Go for it." "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "Right now, I am organising the barriers. Can we speak later?"'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Physical barriers booked" $turn>>
<<delayset "barriers" "True" 1 "Marco had finished organising the barriers, and was available for other duties.">><</click>>
<<elseif ndef $venue_chosen>>“Depending on where we hold the event, it could be important,” said Marco. “With a high-profile festival, it's quite likely that you would have people just wandering in if you left it unprotected.”
“Do we know any organisation that provides these kinds of fences?” asked Alex.
“Yes, I know a couple of companies that do it. I estimate that it would take about a week and cost around $<<print $price_barriers>>. However, we can't really get started on this before locking in the location and date of the event."
<</if>>[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Logistics]]Welcome to Ozzipalooza, a management simulation game and interactive story.
Before we start, we need to get some information from you.
Please enter your name: <<textbox "$s_name" "">>
Please enter your student number: <<textbox "$s_number" "">>
<<click "Next">>
<<script>>
if (state.active.variables["s_name"].length < 1) {alert("Please enter your name.");}
else if (state.active.variables["s_number"].length < 1) {alert("Please enter your student number.");}
else {new Wikifier(null, '<<create_entry $s_name $s_number>><<goto "DemoPage">>');}
<</script>>
<</click>>
This simulation was created using <a href="http://www.twinery.org/" target="_blank">Twine 2.0</a> & <a href="http://www.motoslave.net/sugarcube/1/" target="_blank">SugarCube v.2.7.0.</a>.Welcome to Ozzipalooza, a management simulation game and interactive story.
Before we start, we need to get some information from you.
<<set $gender = ""; $age = ""; $fullpart = ""; $yearsofstudy = "">>I am:
<<radiobutton "$gender" "male">>Male
<<radiobutton "$gender" "female">>Female
What is your age?
<<radiobutton "$age" "1">>18-24
<<radiobutton "$age" "2">>25-34
<<radiobutton "$age" "3">>35-44
<<radiobutton "$age" "4">>45-54
<<radiobutton "$age" "5">>55-64
<<radiobutton "$age" "6">>65 or older
Are you studying full-time or part-time?
<<radiobutton "$fullpart" "1">>Full-time
<<radiobutton "$fullpart" "2">>Part-time
What stage of your (current) university degree are you in?
<<radiobutton "$yearsofstudy" "1">>This is my first year of my degree
<<radiobutton "$yearsofstudy" "2">>This is my second year of my degree
<<radiobutton "$yearsofstudy" "3">>This is my third year of my degree
<<radiobutton "$yearsofstudy" "4">>This is my fourth year of my degree
<<radiobutton "$yearsofstudy" "5">>This is my fifth year of my degree
<<click "Next">>
<<script>>
if (state.active.variables["gender"].length < 1) {alert("Please select a gender.");}
else if (state.active.variables["age"].length < 1) {alert("Please indicate your age range.");}
else if (state.active.variables["fullpart"].length < 1) {alert("Please indicate whether you study full- or part-time.");}
else if (state.active.variables["yearsofstudy"].length < 1) {alert("Please indicate the stage of your degree.");}
else {new Wikifier(null, '<<goto "Accept">>'); }
<</script>>
<</click>><<retrieve $id "validated" "validated">><<if $validated eq "T">><<goto "Prologue, part 1">><</if>>As part of this activity, we would like to invite you to take part in a study.
The purpose of the study is to... (study description goes here). More information can be found here... (send link)
[[I consent to take part in this study->DemoPage]]
[[I would prefer not to take part->Refuse]]Thank you for letting us know. You will have the opportunity to opt in to the study if you later change your mind. Please enjoy Ozzipalooza.
[[Next->Prologue, part 1]]<<set $s_name = "guest"; $s_number = "guest">>Would you like to start at the beginning of the narrative, or skip to the main decision point?
[[Start at the beginning->Prologue, part 1]]
[[Skip to the main decision point->Decision Point]]
<<script>>
alert("Does this work?");
<</script>>Thank you for filling out your details. Enjoy Ozzipalooza!
[[Next->Prologue, part 1]]<<update $id "validated" "T">><<update $id "gender" $gender>><<update $id "age" $age>><<update $id "fullpart" $fullpart>><<update $id "yearsofstudy" $yearsofstudy>>"I'd like to discuss the venue itself," said Alex.
"OK," said Marco.
<<isitdone $venue_list "Can you come up with a shortlist of possible venues?" "List of venues">>
<<isitdone $venue_chosen "I'd like to meet with the team to choose a venue." "Planning the venue, part 4">>
<<isitdone $planning_approval "Can we talk about applying for planning approval from the local council?" "Planning approval">>
[[Let's talk about something else...->Planning the venue]]"Can we talk about the workforce that we need for the event," asked Alex?
"Good idea," said Marco.
<<isitdone $ticket_collectors "We need to arrange ticket collectors for the gate." "Ticket collectors">>
<<isitdone $volunteers "It would be great if we could recruit a volunteer workforce." "Volunteer Workforce">>
<<isitdone $fooddrink "We need to arrange food and drink vendors." "Food Vendors">>
<<isitdone $merchandise "I'd like to set up some merchandise stands." "Merchandising">>
[[Let's talk about something else...->Planning the venue]]"Let's discuss some of the logistical issues," said Alex.
"Sure," said Marco. "What would you like to talk about?"
<<isitdone $lighting "We need to arrange lighting and other stage equipment for the bands." "Stage Equipment">>
<<isitdone $noisepermit "We need to arrange a noise permit." "Noise permit">>
<<isitdone $transport "We need to arrange transport to and from the venue." "Transport">>
<<isitdone $toilets "We need to arrange toilet facilities for the venue." "Toilets">>
<<isitdone $waste "We need to develop a waste management plan." "Waste Management">>
<<isitdone $cleaning "We need to develop a cleaning and maintenance plan." "Cleaning and Maintenance">>
<<isitdone $barriers "We need to arrange physical barriers to fence off the event." "Physical Barriers">>
[[Let's talk about something else...->Planning the venue]]"Can we talk about risk management?" asked Alex.
"That's a good idea," said Marco. "What do we need to organise?"
<<isitdone $insurance "We need to arrange public liability insurance." "Public Liability Insurance">>
<<isitdone $security "We need to organise our security plan and personnel." "Arrange security">>
<<isitdone $firstaid "We need to organise first aid officers." "First Aid">>
<<isitdone $firesafety "We need to organise our fire safety plan." "Fire Safety">>
<<isitdone $signatures "We need to obtain signatures from emergency service providers (police, fire and ambulance services)." "Community Service">>
<<isitdone $traffic "We need to organise our traffic plan." "Traffic">>
<<isitdone $wetweather "We need to develop a wet weather contingency plan." "Wet weather contingency plan">>
[[Let's talk about something else...->Planning the venue]]"Hi Alex," said Marco. "I've come up with a list of three possible venues. All of them have been used for big music events in the past, and they are available at our preferred dates. They all have a capacity of around 16,000 people."
"Go on..."
"The first venue is the Rod Laver Arena. It would be very expensive, but if we're confident we could sell a lot of tickets, then we could still do very well out of it. As I'll explain later, it could also make organising the event a lot easier."
"The second one is Burnley Park. It's located a couple of kilometres out of the CBD. That could also be a nice venue, particularly if we wanted to go with an outdoor venue."
"The third one is in Lexton. Lexton's a rural community in western Victoria, out near Daylesford. They previously hosted the Rainbow Serpent Festival, and could do the same for Ozzipalooza. It could save us a lot of money on venues, but it could create some problems we would need to talk about."
Alex paused for thought. "Great job Marco! Let's talk about it some more in the next meeting."
[[Next->List of venues 3]] <<nobr>><<set $turns = $turns - 1>><<set $turn = $total_turns - $turns + 1>>
<<if $busyturns_john > 0>><<set $busyturns_john = $busyturns_john - 1>><</if>>
<<if $busyturns_marco > 0>><<set $busyturns_marco = $busyturns_marco - 1>><</if>>
<<if $busyturns_meiling > 0>><<set $busyturns_meiling = $busyturns_meiling - 1>><</if>>
<<set $dp_firstvisit = "False">>
<</nobr>>It was the beginning of week $turn. Alex wondered what was in store.
<<checkdelayset>><<nobr>>
<<set $baseline = 0>>
<<if $band_booked.count(1) eq 1>><<set $baseline = $baseline + 3>><</if>>
<<if $band_booked.count(1) eq 2>><<set $baseline = $baseline + 5>><</if>>
<<if $band_booked.count(1) gte 3>><<set $baseline = $baseline + 6>><</if>>
<<set $baseline = $baseline + $band_total - $band_booked.count(1)>>
<<set $baseline = $baseline + $band_popular_n>>
<<if $website eq "1" or $website eq "2">><<set $baseline = $baseline + 1>><</if>>
<<if $website eq "True">><<set $baseline = $baseline + 2>><</if>>
<<set $this_blitz = 0; $prev_blitz = 0>>
<<if def $prev_blitz_1>><<set $prev_blitz = $prev_blitz + $prev_blitz_1*0.50>><</if>>
<<if def $prev_blitz_2>><<set $prev_blitz = $prev_blitz + $prev_blitz_2*0.25>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_magazine eq "True">><<set $this_blitz = $this_blitz + 3>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_online eq "True">><<set $this_blitz = $this_blitz + 3>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_poster eq "True">><<set $this_blitz = $this_blitz + 2>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_radio eq "True">><<set $this_blitz = $this_blitz + 4>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_social eq "True">><<set $this_blitz = $this_blitz + 6>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_television eq "True">><<set $this_blitz = $this_blitz + 8>><</if>>
<<set $multip = 1>>
<<if $tickets_price eq 60>><<set $multip = 1.25>>
<<elseif $tickets_price eq 120>><<set $multip = 0.75>>
<<elseif $tickets_price eq 150>><<set $multip = 0.50>><</if>>
<<if $tickets_onsale eq "True">>
<<set $tix = Math.trunc(($baseline + $this_blitz + $prev_blitz)*30*$multip)>>
<<set $rmd = Math.trunc($tix*.10)>>
<<set $tix = random($tix-$rmd, $tix+$rmd)>>
<<if $tickets_onsale eq "True" and ($tickets_sold + $tix) gte 16000>><<set $tix = 16000 - $tickets_sold>><</if>>
<<set $tickets_sold = $tickets_sold + $tix>>
<</if>>
<<if def $prev_blitz_1>><<set $prev_blitz_2 = $prev_blitz_1>><</if>>
<<set $prev_blitz_1 = $this_blitz>>
<<set $blitz_magazine = "False"; $blitz_online = "False"; $blitz_poster = "False"; $blitz_radio = "False"; $blitz_social = "False"; $blitz_television = "False">>
<</nobr>><<if $tickets_onsale eq "True" and $tix > 0>>This turn, an additional $tix tickets were sold. They had sold a total of $tickets_sold.
<</if>><<if $tickets_onsale eq "True" and $tickets_sold >= 16000>>Ticket sales had reached their maximum capacity of 16,000. The event had officially sold out!
<<set $tickets_onsale = "False">><</if>><<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "finished_turn" $turn>>Alex went back to her desk and considered this information. She knew that this was one of the most important decisions that she would have to make.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a phone call. The number came from outside of the office. She picked up the receiver.
"Hello Events Manager, how are things with you this week? Do you ever get tired of hearing that title?"
"Elke! Your timing couldn't have been better."
"Just wanted to check in with you to see how things were going. I hear that you had Marco scouting some venues."
"He's come up with a shortlist: Rod Laver Arena, Burnley Park and Lexton Park. Except I'm not sure how to make the decision. Any ideas?"
"As I mentioned, venues aren't really my area," said Elke. "However, let me give you some general management advice..."
[[Next->List of venues 4]]Elke continued, "First of all, all three choices will probably work. Marco wouldn't have picked them unless he thought they were viable options."
"So, it doesn't matter which one I choose?"
"It does matter," said Elke. "Each one will have pros and cons that you will need to consider. But from a management point of view, you need to consider *how* to make the decision. Because at the end of the day, you will want your team to be on board with whichever option you go with."
"So, how do I make the decision then? I'm just not sure of the best way to do it."
"Alex, as I see it, you could go about it in three different ways. You could adopt an authoritative approach, where you make the call. After all, the buck stops with you. If you feel you have the most expertise and the time pressure is high then this is the best approach to adopt."
Alex through about that looming deadline and through perhaps an authoritative approach might be the way to go.
"What are my other options Elke?"
"Well you could adopt a consultative approach. A consultative approach takes advantage of the expertise of your team - you still make the final call but your team members have the chance to have their say. It does take longer to make decisions though, but people are often more satisfied with the result."
Alex thought about the expertise of her team and thought that even with a looming deadline it was still early days. Perhaps a consultative approach might be the way to go.
“All right Elke, you said there are three options, what is the third option?”
“The third option is a group decision making approach where decisions are made jointly by the group as a whole. This really helps to have everyone in the team committed to the group and the project but it can take a really long time.”
Alex thought about the tensions in the group - particularly with John - and wondered whether, despite the deadline, it would be necessary to take the time to make decisions jointly as a group.
Elke’s voice cut through Alex’s thoughts, “Well I’m sorry to cut and run but I having a meeting in five minutes. Let me know what you decide, I’m sure you will make the right call. Catch you soon”
As Alex hung up the phone, Elke’s voice echoed through her mind, an authoritative, a consultative or a group-decision making approach. What approach would she choose?
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>Marco diligently began filling in the form.
Bringing her attention to back to the form, Mei Ling added a cover letter to the form ready to be signed and submitted. Frowning slightly at the cover letter, Mei Ling decided it would look more professional if the company logo was in the header. She quickly pulled together the graphics and inserted the logo into the header. Giving one last check over the form to make sure it only needed signatures, Mei Ling took the form along to Alex.
Alex looked over the application that Mei Ling had put together and raised her eyebrow in appreciation. “Wow Mei Ling this cover letter looks amazing! I will sign these and forward a copy on to Ali to keep him in the loop.”
After Alex signed the forms and submitted them she happily crossed ‘organise noise permit’ off her list.
[[Next->Decision Point]]"We should actually think about booking the venue first before we get on to this," said Marco.
"Fair enough," said Alex. "Let's talk about something else."
[[Next->Planning the venue]]A week later, the team reconvened for their meeting. While they had other preparations to make, the question of which venue they would choose loomed large. A lot depended on this choice. Still, Alex was determined that the choice would be reached by consensus.
"I hope that you've all had the chance to think about the venue some more," Alex started.
"This is something you really should have had us decide last week," John snapped. "We've lost an entire week over this decision."
"There's a lot to think about, and I don't want us to rush in," said Alex, now becoming defensive. "OK, should we put it to another vote...?"
"Please let's not bother with the cards this time around," said John. "Can we just speak what's on our mind?"
"OK John, since you are the most vocal, why don't you go first?"
John took a deep breath. "The Rod Laver Arena is a no-brainer. Yes, it's expensive, but it's central, close to public transport, set up for live music, and comes with a lot of support. We can't go wrong with that venue."
"Yes, I agree!" said Dougal nodding enthusiastically.
"I still think Burnley Park is the way to go," said Marco. "It's still central, but it will be a lot more laid back. We'll have to work a bit harder to get it set up, but we'll save a lot of money doing it that way. Also, people love outdoor festivals."
"Mei Ling, what do you think?"
All eyes turned to her. Alex noted out of the corner of her eye that John gave her the tiniest of nods.
"I... I think we should go with Rod Laver. It's a good venue."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "You liked the idea of having it in a park last week."
"Yeah... I've been thinking about it some more, and I think the Arena is the best." She didn't sound entirely convinced.
"Then it's decided," said John. "The majority of us want to go with Rod Laver, so let's move on from this."
Alex addressed the room and said,
[["OK, let's go with Rod Laver Arena."|Planning the venue, part 6][$venue = "Rod Laver Arena"]] ($<<print $price_venue_rodlaver>>)
[["No, Burnley Park is the best option. I've decided we will go with that."|Dictator][$approach = "dictator"; $venue = "Burnley Park"]] ($<<print $price_venue_burnley>>)
[["No, Lexton Park is the best option. I've decided we will go with that."|Dictator][$approach = "dictator"; $venue = "Lexton Park"]] ($<<print $price_venue_lexton>>)
It was time to get on with choosing the bands. The organising was primarily John’s responsibility, as he had the broadest range of contacts in the music industry. Before she visited John, however, Alex knew that she had to go in prepared.
After work, she met Elke at one of their favourite bars in the city near the waterside. On a Monday night, it was almost empty. Alex gradually started to relax, though the big task she had before her quickly came snapping back.
“So, I’d like to hear your thoughts about organising the bands for Ozzipalooza,” she started.
“I knew you invited me here for a reason!” Elke teased. “OK, music acts. Have you spoken with John yet about them?”
“We haven’t had a long conversation…”
“Get on to it soon,” Elke urged. “He’s got a great list of contacts, but remember that he’s leading the Summer Festivals project. If Ozzipalooza is a flop, it’s going to reflect badly on you not him. Make it a priority for him!”
“OK, that’s good advice,” said Alex. “What else do I need to know?”
“You have to line up eight acts to fill the day,” said Elke. “Broadly speaking, there are two types of act. First of all, there are the local acts. That’s the easy part. These guys are going to be lining up at your door to play at a high-profile event like Ozzipalooza. You’ll be beating them off with a stick.”
“Sounds great!”
“We've already recruited one band through John's local networks. Remember though, you will still need to advertise. So make sure you get that website up as soon as possible, so they will know who to contact. Also, you will need to hold auditions, unless you’ve seen them live. Some bands are great in the studio, but have terrible stage presence.”
“OK, should be easy enough to organise.”
“And then there’s the headline act.” Elke took a deep breath. “Or acts. There’s no reason to limit yourself to only one.”
“So, by headline act, you mean a big famous band?”
“Exactly,” said Elke. “The headline act is probably the most important part of the festival. You would usually choose someone international with a large fan base here in Australia. And this is where John comes in, because he knows a lot of people.”
Alex nodded. She hoped that Elke was right about the extent of John’s contacts.
“You need to get on to this soon,” Elke added. “These headline acts are so popular, they tend to get booked up pretty soon. If you leave it to the last minute, it’s almost impossible to line up a big international act. So once you’ve made your list, get John to approach them ASAP.”
Alex nodded again. She felt like she needed another drink.
[[Next->Planning the bands (first visit)]]<<set $firstvisit_john = "True">>Alex approached John’s desk. She knew that she needed to get the ball rolling in terms of choosing the bands. His constant comments that he was “on it” did not reassure Alex. Still, she did not have any specific reason to think he wasn’t on top of it.
As she came closer, she heard his loud laugh echoing across the office. As he approached, the laughter died down. John put down the receiver from his phone call and looked up at Alex. “Yes?”
“John, I was just wondering if you had a moment to discuss the choice of bands?” Alex inquired.
John glanced at his watch as if he was in a great hurry and grudgingly said, “Well I suppose I can give you a few moments.”
“So how are we going with the choice of bands? Do we have a short list yet?” Alex asked.
“Things have been really busy with the Summer Festivals project,” said John. “So no, I haven’t had a chance to make the list yet.”
Alex frowned slightly.
[[Next->Planning the bands]]<<if ndef $firstvisit_john>><<goto "Planning the bands (Elke advice)">><</if>><<if $busyturns_john > 0>>$busymessage_john
[[I'll let you get back to it, John.->Decision Point]]<<else>>Alex walked up to John's desk.
"Hi John, can we have a chat about how things are going with the bands?"
"What's on your mind?"
<<isitdone $band_list "Can you prepare a shortlist of headline acts?" "Shortlist (bands)">>
[[Let's book a headline act.->International Acts]]
[[Let's hold auditions for some of the local bands.->Local Acts]]
[[What bands do we have so far?->John status report]]
[[I need to talk with the rest of the team about other matters.->Decision Point]]<</if>>"John, it's really important that we organise our headline act. Would you be able to start making a shortlist of bands that we could approach?"
"I can do that," said John with a slight hint of irritation. "What's your target audience, and when do you need it done by?"
"Our target market is festival-goers, and I'd like it done as soon as possible," said Alex.
"That's not very helpful," said John. "Different bands appeal to different audiences. What demographic are you targeting?"
<<if $marketresearch eq "True">>"Have a look at Mei Ling's report," said Alex. "At past festivals, the festival-goers have mainly been between 18-30 years old. Although there are still a significant number of people who are older, especially if they are fans of live music. We could work on increasing that number."
"OK," said John, "So you wants bands that will primarily appeal to this younger demographic, but you'd like a few other options on the table."
"Exactly," said Alex. "Mei Ling has also come up with an analysis of the popularity of different types of music. If you could come up with a range of options, that would be great."
John flicked over Mei Ling's report and was contemplative. "I'll see what I can come up with. It should take about a week."
<<click "Thanks John. Can you get started on the shortlist?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_john = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_john = '"Alex, I simply do not have time to talk to you at the moment. As well as the Summer Festival, I am also working on your shortlist for the headline act. Can it wait?"'>>
<<triggerevent "Shortlist (message)" 1>>
<<delayset "band_list" "True" 1 "John had finished preparing the list of bands, and was available for other duties.">><</click>><<else>>Alex felt a little annoyed by this conversation. John had been at the briefing where they had discussed the festival, and he knew as much as she did.
"Look, I don't have exact figures, but my impression of Ozzipalooza is that it tends to attract a younger crowd. Can you just come up with a range of different options?"
"That's quite a vague brief," said John. "I'll do my best, but I have no idea what you're looking for. It will take a couple of weeks with all of the other things I've got on my plate."
"Thanks John, that's all I ask."
"If I might say," said John, "You seem to have absolutely no vision for this festival. You don't know what audience you're trying to appeal to, who they are, what their music interests are, and what's likely to motivate them to come."
Alex shrugged, not really knowing how to respond to John's assessment. She felt a twinge of resentment, as this was supposed to be a team effort and John had had many opportunities to share his thoughts about how the festival would work.
"Can I suggest at least getting Mei Ling to do some market research on past festivals? At least we'll then have some idea of who we're trying to attract."
<<click "Thanks for the feedback John. Can you get started on the shortlist?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_john = 2>>
<<set $busymessage_john = '"Alex, I simply do not have time to talk to you at the moment. As well as the Summer Festival, I am also working on your shortlist for the headline act. Can it wait?"'>>
<<triggerevent "Shortlist (message)" 2>>
<<delayset "band_list" "True" 2 "John had finished preparing the list of bands, and was available for other duties.">><</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else->Planning the bands]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "bands_shortlist" $turn>>Alex was checking her email, and noticed that she had received a message from John.
She opened it and saw that John had prepared a bullet point list of international bands:<ul><li>Abel East</li><li>Arcane Fire</li><li>Daze</li><li>Kez Pez</li>
<li>Pearl Jelly</li><li>The Tobasco Peppers</li><li>The Marksmen</li><li>Waterhole</li></ul>John had simply written, "Let's discuss, -J" at the bottom of his email. Alex planned to do exactly that.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<nobr>>
<<widget "star">>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True" and $band_popular[$args[0]] eq "1">>
<<print " (popular)">>
<<else>>
<<print "">>
<</if>>
<</widget>>
<</nobr>><<if ndef $band_list>>"Tell me John, how long does it take to recruit a band?"
John shrugged. "Usually about three weeks of hard negotiations with their manager. And they don't come cheap either - most of them charge upwards of $<<print $price_headline>>."
"Can we get started?"
"Alex, I can't approach any bands because I don't yet have a shortlist of potential headline acts," said John.
[[Can you start preparing a shortlist?->Shortlist (bands)]]<<elseif ndef $venue_chosen>>"Tell me John, how long does it take to recruit a band?"
John shrugged. "Usually about three weeks of hard negotiations with their manager. And they don't come cheap either - most of them charge upwards of $<<print $price_headline>>."
"Can we get started?"
"Before we start approaching any bands, we need to lock in the date and location of the venue. As I understand it, that hasn't yet been finalised with Marco."
"You're right John," said Alex. "We'd better get it organised so we can make the bands a more definite offer."<<elseif $band_total eq 8>>"Alex, we've filled our quota of bands. The lineup is completely full."
Alex smiled. It was a lot of hard work, but they were finally done.<<else>>Alex looked more closely at the list. It was a very impressive list of international acts. She knew that if they could get even one of these bands, it would be a very big drawcard for the Ozzipalooza crowd.
“This is a great list John”, Alex said. “You must have a lot of contacts in the music business.”
“It’s all right,” said John, his typically sullen tone unmoved by Alex’s positive reaction.
“How long will it take to organise one of these headliners?” asked Alex.
John scratched his head. “Finalising the negotiations is likely to take up to about three weeks. Of course, we should find out sooner if the band is definitely unavailable. Also, these guys don't come cheap. We're looking at upwards of $<<print $price_headline>>."
Alex nodded.
“So, which band would you like to discuss?” John asked.
<<isitdone $band0_approached "Abel East" "Abel East">><<star "0">>
<<isitdone $band1_approached "Arcane Fire" "Arcane Fire">><<star 1>>
<<isitdone $band2_approached "Daze" "Daze">><<star 2>>
<<isitdone $band3_approached "Kez Pez" "Kez Pez">><<star 3>>
<<isitdone $band4_approached "Pearl Jelly" "Pearl Jelly">><<star 4>>
<<isitdone $band5_approached "The Tobasco Peppers" "The Tobasco Peppers">><<star 5>>
<<isitdone $band6_approached "The Marksmen" "The Marksmen">><<star 6>>
<<isitdone $band7_approached "Waterhole" "Waterhole">><<star 7>>
<</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Planning the bands]]Alex read John's briefing notes:
<b>Abel East is an American rapper and record producer. He is considered one of the most successful and acclaimed musicians of the 21st century. Beginning his career in the mid-1990s, he rose to prominence in the decade that followed. Despite his success, he has attracted controversy at times for his outspoken views, and for a meltdown that he had at an awards show when his album was the runner-up. He has a large and loyal fanbase in Australia, especially among younger audiences.</b>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True" and $band_popular[0] eq "1">>According to Mei Ling's market research, this band was very popular in Australia at the moment.
<</if>>"What do you think?" asked John. "Should I approach this band?"
[[Yes, start calling their agent.->John on a mission][$band_num = 0; $band0_approached = "True"]]
[[Can we discuss one of the other bands?->International Acts]]Alex read John's briefing notes:
<b>Arcane Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, which are based in Toronto. They were founded in the early 2000s by two brothers, who form the lead and bass guitarists of the band. Arcane Fire received three Grammy nominations over the past decade. Their band makes use of a variety of instruments, including piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, French horn and mandolin. They are very versatile, and their concerts usually draw large crowds.</b>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True" and $band_popular[1] eq "1">>According to Mei Ling's market research, this band was very popular in Australia at the moment.
<</if>>"What do you think?" asked John. "Should I approach this band?"
[[Yes, start calling their agent.->John on a mission][$band_num = 1; $band1_approached = "True"]]
[[Can we discuss one of the other bands?->International Acts]]Alex read John's briefing notes:
<b>Daze is a British rock band, which reached the height of its popularity in the 1990s. In their early years, they predominantly followed the Britpop genre. In later years, they experimented with other musical styles, including electronica, gospel and hip hop. They disappeared from the music scene for over a decade before recently re-emerging. Despite their long hiatus, they have a dedicated following in Australia.</b>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True" and $band_popular[2] eq "1">>According to Mei Ling's market research, this band was very popular in Australia at the moment.
<</if>>"What do you think?" asked John. "Should I approach this band?"
[[Yes, start calling their agent.->John on a mission][$band_num = 2; $band2_approached = "True"]]
[[Can we discuss one of the other bands?->International Acts]]Alex read John's briefing notes:
<b>Kez Pez, short for Kathleen Elizabeth Percy, is an British singer, songwriter and actress. As a teenager, she was a part-time singer in a choir, which piqued her interest in a career in music. She rose to prominence in the early 2010s with her breakout single, “I Kissed an Earl”, which she played at the Royal Wedding.</b>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True" and $band_popular[3] eq "1">>According to Mei Ling's market research, this band was very popular in Australia at the moment.
<</if>>"What do you think?" asked John. "Should I approach this band?"
[[Yes, start calling their agent.->John on a mission][$band_num = 3; $band3_approached = "True"]]
[[Can we discuss one of the other bands?->International Acts]]Alex read John's briefing notes:
<b>Pearl Jelly is an American rock band, which was founded in San Francisco in the early 1990s. The band broke into the mainstram with its 1991 debut album, Pearly Whites. It was instrumental to the grunge movement, but their music has since evolved to match contemporary styles. They command a massive worldwide audience, and are well known in Australia. They would likely draw an audience of people who were teenagers in the 1990s.</b>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True" and $band_popular[4] eq "1">>According to Mei Ling's market research, this band was very popular in Australia at the moment.
<</if>>"What do you think?" asked John. "Should I approach this band?"
[[Yes, start calling their agent.->John on a mission][$band_num = 4; $band4_approached = "True"]]
[[Can we discuss one of the other bands?->International Acts]]Alex read John's briefing notes:
<b>The Peppers (sometimes called the Tobies), are an American band formed in the mid-1980s. Their style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, with influences from psychadelic and punk rock. The band has released over ten studio albums, and they have won five Grammy awards throughout their careers. Their appeal is enduring, and they have a fanbase among both younger and middle-aged audiences.</b>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True" and $band_popular[5] eq "1">>According to Mei Ling's market research, this band was very popular in Australia at the moment.
<</if>>"What do you think?" asked John. "Should I approach this band?"
[[Yes, start calling their agent.->John on a mission][$band_num = 5; $band5_approached = "True"]]
[[Can we discuss one of the other bands?->International Acts]]Alex read John's briefing notes:
<b>The Marksmen are an American rock band that hail from the state of Nevada. Formed in the early 2000s, their music has variously been described as indie rock, post-punk revival and new wave. The band has released over seven studio albums, and is widely regarded as one of the most popular bands in the early 21st century. They tend to be more popular among the younger demographic, although they also have some older fans.</b>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True" and $band_popular[6] eq "1">>According to Mei Ling's market research, this band was very popular in Australia at the moment.
<</if>>"What do you think?" asked John. "Should I approach this band?"
[[Yes, start calling their agent.->John on a mission][$band_num = 6; $band6_approached = "True"]]
[[Can we discuss one of the other bands?->International Acts]]Alex read John's briefing notes:
<b>Waterhole is an English rock band, which was formed in the early 1990s. They started with an independent label, but the meteoric success of their first album catapulted them into the limelight. In their youth, the band had a bad reputation for trashing hotel rooms and being thrown off flights for unruly behaviour. They have mellowed somewhat with age, but the two founders have been known to have some very public fights. Although they haven’t produced many new recent albums, they have a loyal nostalgic fanbase in Australia.</b>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True" and $band_popular[7] eq "1">>According to Mei Ling's market research, this band was very popular in Australia at the moment.
<</if>>"What do you think?" asked John. "Should I approach this band?"
[[Yes, start calling their agent.->John on a mission][$band_num = 7; $band7_approached = "True"]]
[[Can we discuss one of the other bands?->International Acts]]"$band[$band_num] it is then," said John. "I will get on to their manager. It's likely to take a couple of days because we are in different time zones, but I will do my best to arrange a telephone hookup with them."
"Thanks John," said Alex.
"I'll let you know how it goes."
[[Next->Decision Point]]<<nobr>>
<<set $busymessage_john = '"Alex, I have no time to see you at the moment. I am very busy negotiating with the manager of our headline act. Another time?'>>
<<if $turn < $band_unavailable[$band_num]>>
<<triggerevent "John successful" 3>>
<<set $busyturns_john = 3>>
<<else>>
<<triggerevent "John failed" 1>>
<<set $busyturns_john = 1>>
<</if>>
<</nobr>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough $band[$band_num] $turn>>The team meeting started as it usually did, with Alex taking care of a few administrative duties.
John was the last one to join, and he had an uncharacteristic smile on his face.
"Good of you to join us, John," said Alex.
"You know that little mission you sent me on the other week?"
"That's right -- to approach a certain high-profile international act?"
"I have some good news."
"Don't tell me, $band[$band_num]?"
"Let's just say that we have a new confirmed headline act."
There was a round of applause and cheers around the table. Dougal, who was sitting next to John patted him on the back and gave him a big hug. John looked a little displeased at the unexpected show of affection.
"That's fantastic work John!" Alex beamed. "I really have to hand it to you. This is really going to draw huge crowds."
John smiled again before sitting down at the table.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $band_booked[$band_num] = 1; $band_total = $band_total + 1>><<if $band_popular[$band_num] eq 1>><<set $band_popular_n = $band_popular_n + 1>><</if>><<if $band_booked.count(1) eq 1>><<set $band_conflict = $band_num>><</if>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Headliner successfully booked" $turn>>As Alex sat at her desk, she noticed John approaching.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news," John said. "About that mission you sent me on..."
"$band[$band_num]?"
"Booked out."
Alex was crestfallen. She really hoped that $band[$band_num] could have been one of their headliners.
"Not to be mean, but it was unrealistic to expect you could get $band[$band_num] at such short notice. One of the biggest acts in the world."
Alex clenched her teeth. She knew she wasn't going to get any sympathy from John. Although she knew that they should have gotten on to it sooner, she wished he could have been a bit more encouraging.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Headliner approach unsuccessful" $turn>>Alex knew that it was important to start tapping into the local talent. After all, the original purpose of Ozzipalooza was to expose lesser known Australian bands to the limelight.
"John, can you organise auditions for some local bands? I think it's important that we tap into our local talent pool."
"The whole process will take about two weeks," said John. "Each local band will cost about $<<print $price_localband>>."
"Sounds good John."
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>"Before we start approaching any bands," said John, "we need to lock in the date and location of the venue. As I understand it, that hasn't yet been finalised with Marco."
"You're right John," said Alex. "We'd better get it organised so we can make the bands a more definite offer."
<<elseif ndef $website>>"Alex, we haven't been approached by any local bands yet. The problem is that currently very few people know that ABC Events is organising Ozzipalooza this year, and they don't know how to contact us."
"You're right," said Alex. "What can we do to let people know?"
John looked visibly irritated. "Well, a good start would be to talk with Mei Ling about getting some kind of basic promotional website off the ground."
"Good suggestion, John."
<<elseif $band_total eq 8>>"Alex, we've filled our quota of bands. The lineup is completely full."
Alex smiled. It was a lot of hard work, but they were finally done.
<<else>>"OK," said John, although he sounded less than enthusiastic. "I'll need to make a shortlist of the bands that have submitted an expression of interest, and then hold the audition next week."
He indicated to his email program, which showed a large number of expressions of interest in a folder labelled <i>Local Musos</i>.
[[Great, make it happen!->Local Acts 2]]<</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Planning the bands]]John sighed, "I will get on to it."
He turned his back to Alex and started sifting through the very long list of expressions of interest from all of the hopefuls.
[[Next->Decision Point]]<<nobr>>
<<set $busyturns_john = 2>>
<<set $busymessage_john = '"No time, Alex. I am knee deep in auditions for all of the hopefuls. Can we talk another time?'>>
<<set $btotal = $band_total+1>>
<<delayset "band_total" $btotal 2 "After finishing the auditions, John had recruited another local band. He was now available for other duties.">>
<</nobr>>John consulted his notes, and faced Alex.
<<if $band_total eq 0>>"We haven't recruited any bands yet," he said to Alex. "Not even one."
"Oh," she said, a little sheepish. "Well, we'd better get on it."<<elseif $band_booked.count(1) eq 0>>"Here's where we stand at the moment," said John. "We haven't recruited any headliners yet. However, we have a total of $band_total local bands booked in."<<else>>"Here's where we stand at the moment. We have recruited a total of $band_total bands. Of these, <<print $band_total - $band_booked.count(1)>> are local bands."
He continued,
"We also have <<print $band_booked.count(1)>> international acts, including: <ul>
<<if $band_booked[0] eq 1>><li><<print $band[0]>></li><</if>>
<<if $band_booked[1] eq 1>><li><<print $band[1]>></li><</if>>
<<if $band_booked[2] eq 1>><li><<print $band[2]>></li><</if>>
<<if $band_booked[3] eq 1>><li><<print $band[3]>></li><</if>>
<<if $band_booked[4] eq 1>><li><<print $band[4]>></li><</if>>
<<if $band_booked[5] eq 1>><li><<print $band[5]>></li><</if>>
<<if $band_booked[6] eq 1>><li><<print $band[6]>></li><</if>>
<<if $band_booked[7] eq 1>><li><<print $band[7]>></li><</if>>
</ul>who have agreed to play at Ozzipalooza."<</if>>
<<if $band_total lt 8>>John added, "We will need to fill up another <<print 8 - $band_total>> slots in our lineup."
<<else>>"Our lineup is full," added John. "So it looks like I can rest easy."
<</if>>
"John, I have one other question," said Alex. "What do you think our chances are of recruiting a new headline act?"
<<if $turn lte 5>>"It's still early days, so we are still in with a reasonably good chance of recruiting a new headliner," said John. "However, I wouldn't wait too long to get it sorted."<<elseif $turn gt 5 and $turn lte 10>>"The international bands are booking out fast," said John. "If you want a new headliner, then we will need to act fast. Some of them are already unavailable."<<elseif $turn gt 10>>"Basically, we've now got very little chance of recruiting a new headliner," said John. "Most of the international acts already have their calendars worked out for the coming year."<<else>>"I really don't know," said John.<</if>>
"Thanks John."
[[Let's talk about something else.->Planning the bands]]<<set $bands_checked = "True">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Status report from John" $turn>>Against her better judgement, Alex decided to hold off for another week. After all, she didn't want ABC Events to be billed for additional work when it could have been a simple delay.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>><<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am still waiting to hear back from the lawyers. Not much I can do until we hear from them."'>><<triggerevent "Wait another week" 1>><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Wait for lawyer" $turn>>It was time to get on with sponsorship and marketing. Alex knew that this was a complicated portfolio, and that she really needed to get Elke's advice before going to see Mei Ling. Fortunately, Elke was still in town and she accepted Alex's invitation to coffee.
"So, it sounds like things are really getting busy at ABC Events," said Elke after the cappuccinos had arrived.
"Tell me about it," said Alex. "I'm meeting with Mei Ling later today to discuss marketing and sponsorship."
"You'll definitely have a lot to talk about. Would you like my advice?"
"Sure."
"Marketing is one of the most vital portfolios," began Elke. "Fortunately, you have one of the most capable and helpful members of the organisation heading that team. Mei Ling is a godsend, so you definitely want to keep on her good side."
"Mei Ling is great," said Alex, wishing that all of her working relationships could be that easy.
Elke continued, "Marketing is not just about advertising, although that's obviously a big part of it. It's also about understanding your audience and coming up with a product that they want to buy. So, you might want to think about getting Mei Ling to commission a market research study at some point. It will really help to inform the decisions that you make down the track."
"OK, sounds like a good idea..."
[[Next->Elke advice - marketing and sponsorship 2]]"You will also need to look at approaching some sponsors for the event. Otherwise, you're going to have to sell the tickets at a very high price, or run the event at a loss, which Ali definitely wouldn't allow."
Alex nodded in agreement. "So, how can we find some good sponsors?"
"Well," said Elke, "the good news is that Mei Ling and I managed to line up two Bronze sponsors before I left, but you'll need to find some more. The difficulty at the moment is that, while Ozzipalooza is a high-profile event, ABC Events is a bit of an unknown quantity. Sponsors don't want to attach themselves to an event that is going to be a dud. So you'll have better luck in attracting sponsors once you've achieved a few key milestones, such as booking in a headline act."
"That makes sense," said Alex. "What about advertising?"
"Advertising is also very important. The first thing you'll need to do is to come up with a distinctive logo and design for Ozzipalooza, which you'll put on all of the advertising materials. You should think about the different forms of media that you could run the ads on. Television is high-impact, but expensive. Radio and music magazine advertising could give you a lot more bang for your buck. Also, social media is especially effective for encouraging word of mouth. Once you've designed advertising materials for each, you can get Mei Ling to coordinate a campaign around each one."
Alex nodded, deep in thought about how she would coordinate the campaign.
"Thanks Elke," said Alex. "I really appreciate your advice."<<set $firstvisit_meiling = "True">>
[[Next->Planning the marketing and sponsorship]] <<nobr>>
<<if ndef $website>><<set $phase = " (phase 1).">>
<<elseif $website eq "1">><<set $phase = " (phase 2).">>
<<elseif $website eq "2">><<set $phase = " (phase 3).">>
<<else>><<set $phase = "">><</if>>
<<set $phase = "Let's develop our website and some online media" + $phase>>
<</nobr>><<isitdone $promotions_templates "Let's design some basic promotional templates." "Basic promotional templates 1">>
<<if $website eq "True">><strike>$phase</strike><<else>>[[$phase->Develop a website]]<</if>>
<<isitdone $promotions_videos "Let's develop some videos for TV and online streaming." "Videos">>
<<isitdone $promotions_print "Let's develop some print advertisements and posters." "Print">>
<<isitdone $promotions_radio "Let's develop some short radio advertisements." "Radio">>
[[Let's talk about something else->Planning the marketing and sponsorship]]"Hi Mei Ling," started Alex. "I think it's really important that we understand our customers. It will be very helpful in doing the planning."
"Agreed," said Mei Ling. "Music tastes change every year, and so we have to keep up with the times to know what people want."
"Can I get you to do a small market research study on Ozzipalooza? I'd like to have some past figures on ticket sales and costs, as well as the demographics of the customers. Also, it would be great to know what bands are going to be popular this year and draw large crowds."
Mei Ling nodded enthusiastically. "Leave it to me, Alex. The Ozzipalooza Foundation compiles a lot of those statistics, so I'll get in touch with them and find out the details. I can also do a quick analysis of the music charts to work out which bands are popular."
"You're terrific Mei Ling," beamed Alex.
"Would you like me to get started now? I estimate it will take about two weeks. It should cost around $<<print $price_marketresearch>>."
<<click "Yes, it's best to make a start." "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_meiling = 2>>
<<set $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex - I am working on the market research project at the moment. Would you like to catch up another time?"'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Market research undertaken" $turn>>
<<delayset "marketresearch" "True" 2 "Mei Ling had completed the market research project, and was available for other duties.">>
<<triggerevent "Market research report" 2>><</click>>
[[Let's hold off for the moment.->Planning the marketing and sponsorship]]<<isitdone $tickets_price_chosen "Let's decide on the ticket sale price." "Ticket price 1">>
<<isitdone $tickets_onsale "Let's put the tickets on sale." "Tickets on sale">>
<<isitdone $tickets_lastminute "Let's set up last-minute ticket sales at the venue." "Last minute tickets">>
[[Let's talk about something else->Planning the marketing and sponsorship]]"Sponsorship is a great idea," said Mei Ling. "It will increase our profit margins, and potentially allow us to subsidise the ticket prices."
"Great," said Alex.
"I've worked out three levels of sponsorship. The basic level is a bronze sponsorship, which entitles the sponsor to have their logos listed on our advertisements. It will bring in an income of $<<print $income_sponsors_bronze>>. A silver sponsor features more heavily in the advertisements, and is worth $<<print $income_sponsors_silver>>. A gold sponsorship means that the organisation is heavily promoted at the event, and is named by the performers as a supporter of the event. It will bring in $<<print $income_sponsors_gold>>."
"Sounds excellent, Mei Ling," said Alex.
"It will take me about a week to approach each organisation," said Mei Ling. "The more advanced we are in our preparations for the festival, the more likely organisations will be to sponsor us. I have a list of potential sponsors already prepared. Should I make an approach?"
<<click "Yes, approach a sponsor." "Sponsorship 2">>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = "1"; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, I am in the middle of trying to approach a sponsor for our festival. Can we talk another time?'>>
<<triggerevent "Sponsor approach" 1>>
<</click>>
[[Can you give me a status report on the sponsors?->Sponsors - how many?]]
[[Let's talk about something else->Planning the marketing and sponsorship]]"Hi Alex, do you have time to go over the market research report?" asked Mei Ling, who approached her desk.
"Sure," she replied. "Come and take a seat."
"Let me give you a high level summary of what I found. I've looked at Ozzipalooza over the last ten years. In terms of demographics, it's split around 50/50 for males and females. Around 70% of its customer base are between 18-30 years old. That has been changing though, as the most recent two have shown an increase in the numbers of older festival goers."
"That's good to know," said Alex. "What else?"
"Ticket prices have generally been around the $90 mark, adjusting for inflation. When they've had really high-profile headline acts, they've charged more. On a couple of years, the previous organisers had some major sponsors, which means they were able to reduce the price."
"I see," mused Alex.
"I should point out that attendance at Ozzipalooza has been dropping in recent years," said Mei Ling. "Ten years ago, attendance at a single day attracted around 16,000. In recent times, patronage been around 8,000."
"Why's that?" asked Alex.
"I'm only guessing," said Mei Ling, "but it's probably to do with increasing ticket prices, and also the headliners haven't been that popular in previous years."
"Speaking of which, were you able to find out who the really popular bands are at the moment?"
Mei Ling nodded. "Yes, I've prepared a list of bands that are really hot in Australia at the moment. Here's the list, and I'll share it with John to help the two of you pick your headliners."
"Thanks so much, Mei Ling."
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>"I think we should start designing some basic promotional templates," said Alex to Mei Ling.
"Good thinking," said Mei Ling. "If we have the basic template set up, including a logo and some imagery, we'll be able to use it in all of our advertisements."
"That's what I was thinking."
"I have a graphic artist in mind who should be able to help. It should take him about three weeks to finish the designs at a cost of around $<<print $price_promotions_templates>>. However, once I've briefed him, I should be able to get back to work next week."
She continued, "Is there any particular format or logo that needs to be incorporated into the promotional material design?”
Alex replied, “I am unaware of any Mei Ling, but I will check with Ali.”
Alex went to Ali’s office but he was not there. She remembered that he was interstate this week on a business trip. Alex decided she would...
[[Email Ali and ask him if he had a logo or format in mind for the promotional design->BPT requirements email]]
[[Phone Ali on his mobile and ask him if he had a logo or format in mind for the promotional design->BPT requirements phone]]
[[Return to Mei Ling and advise her to go ahead and engage a designer without any specific design objectives.->BPT requirements none]]
[[Defer designing the basic promotional materials for now->Advertising]]<<set $promotions_feedforward = "False"; $promotions_concurrent = "False"; $promotions_feedback = "False"; $promotions_requirements eq "False">>Alex emailed Ali and asked him if he had a logo or format in mind for the promotional design.
<blockquote>Hi Ali,
Mei Ling is going to meet with the designer hopefully by Friday at the latest this week to get them to start on the Ozzipalooza design. I have provided Mei Ling with the following objectives of what the promotional poster will aim to achieve to provide to the designer:
* Include the dates of each of the cities
* State bands playing at Ozzipalooza
* Start and finish times of the fesitval
* The Ozzipalooza website
* Date tickets on sale from and where to obtain them
Kind regards,
Alex</blockquote>
Alex awaited Ali's reply.
<<click "Next" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_meiling = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_meiling = '"Hi Alex," said Mei Ling. "We are still waiting to hear back from Ali about the promotional design. Not much we can do until then."'>><<set $promotions_templates = "True">><<triggerevent "BPT Email 2" 1>><</click>><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Basic templates" "Ali emailed">>Alex phoned Ali and asked him if he had a logo or format in mind for the promotional design.
“Hi Ali, sorry to bother you but I wanted to run the Ozzipalooza design objectives past you before Mei Ling met with the designer this week,” said Alex.
“Hi Alex, that’s no bother at all. The design is an important aspect of the event and needs to be finalised so that we can start promotion to attract the maximum number of people to the event. What do you think are some of the directions we need to give to the designer Alex?” said Ali.
“We need to provide him with details of the event and the names of the bands that will be playing,” replied Alex.
“That’s a good start, however the designer will also need to be provided with the ABC Events management logo, our promotional material guide with all our formats and also any sponsors’ logos.” said Ali.
“Thanks Ali, I didn’t know we had a promotional material guide. Where would I find that?” asked Alex.
“Just ask Debbie at reception she should be able to assist you in finding it and our logo in high resolution”.
“Great thanks for your help Ali, I will get onto that right away,” replied Alex.
Alex received the materials and passed them onto Mei Ling to provide to the designer.
[[Next->Promotional materials - Feedforward]]<<set $promotions_requirements = "True">><<set $promotions_templates = "True">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Basic templates" "Ali phoned">>Alex returned to Mei Ling without the designs.
"It's really important that we get started on this as soon as possible," Alex said. "Can you get in touch with the designer and get them to make a start on the basic promotional materials? We can always add those other details later."
Mei Ling nodded, but Alex thought she looked a little unsure.
[[Next->Promotional materials - Feedforward]]<<set $promotions_requirements = "False"; $promotions_feedforward = "False">><<set $promotions_templates = "True">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Basic templates" "No designs provided">>On Monday morning, Alex saw that there was a message from Ali which he had sent on the weekend
<blockquote>Hi Alex,
Thanks for your email. Yes the designer needs to include that information, however there is also a few other things they need before they can start on the design of the promotional material. The designer will also need to be provided with the ABC events management logo, our promotional material guide with all our formats and also any sponsors’ logos.
Kind regards,
Ali</blockquote>
Alex didn’t know where to locate the promotional material guide or ABC Management's Logo, so she spent several hours searching the companies folders to find them. After locating them, she emailed them to Mei Ling to provide to the designer.
[[Next->Promotional materials - Feedforward]]<<set $promotions_requirements = "True">>Alex and Mei Ling met with the designer, Dave, at the Vertron Design Studios.
“Hi Dave, thanks for meeting with me on such short notice," said Mei Ling. "ABC Events are holding a music festival called Ozzipalooza in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and they would be very privileged if you could come up with some basic designs for us. Eventually, we want to use them on all of our promotional materials, such as the event website.”<<if $venue_chosen eq "True">>
The Melbourne Ozzipalooza will take place at $venue, which will be held on the last Saturday of January," added Alex. She also provided him with the details of the Sydney and Brisbane event.<<else>>"We haven't finalised a venue yet but we'll let you know when we do," added Alex.<</if>>
“Certainly Mei Ling I could do that for you,” replied Dave.<<if $promotions_requirements eq "True">>
Mei Ling added, “Also, the event sponsors logos and ABC Events Management logos are included on this USB. Could you also please design it according to ABC Events management promotional guide?”
“We can certainly do that” replied Dave.<</if>>
<<click "Thanks Dave, we will need it done in three weeks." "Decision Point">>
<<set $promotions_feedforward = "False">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Basic templates" "No feedforward given">>
<</click>>
<<if $promotions_requirements eq "True">>[[Can I check that you understand the brief?->Promotional materials - Feedforward given]]<</if>><<triggerevent "Promotions check-in 1" 2>><<set $busyturns_meiling = 1>><<set $busymessage_meiling = '"Hi Alex," said Mei Ling. "I am busy with the designer this week to come up with our basic promotional templates. Can we talk later?"'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Basic templates ordered" $turn>>“Dave to sum up our meeting can you please repeat back to me what it is you're going to do and any initial thoughts you have on what the design is going to look like?” requested Alex.
Dave repeated the content back to Mei Ling and advised he would have the sponsors and ABC management's logo down the bottom, the artists in the middle and the dates and when to get tickets at the top.
“Don’t forget the event name” Mei Ling said.
“Of course not, I don’t know why I forgot to mention that” replied Dave.
“Would you also mind opening up the USB and having a look at the picture formats and guide,” asked Mei Ling. “I just want to double-check that we've provided you with all of the materials you need to complete the design.”
“No problems, I can have a look for you now” replied Dave.
Dave put the USB in his computer. After flicking through the files, he found that one of the sponsors’ logos was not in high resolution.
“Mei Ling, can you please contact the sponsor and get another copy?” asked Alex.
“I can do that and email it to you as we need it done in three weeks,” replied Mei Ling.
“I can do that. I’ll email you the final design in three weeks, as long as you can get me that new logo in the next two days,” replied Dave.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $promotions_feedforward = "True">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Basic templates" "Feedforward given">>Mei Ling walked up to Alex's desk.
"It's been two weeks since we commissioned Dave to work on the promotional designs," Mei Ling said. "Do you think it's worth checking in on him to see how he's going?"
"Why would we want to do that?" Alex asked.
"Dave is usually reliable," said Mei Ling, "but sometimes when you give someone a big project like this it's good to make sure it's on track. Just in case he's gone off on the wrong direction, or needs our help."
"I see your point," said Alex, "but I don't want to micromanage Dave or get in his way. You've also got a lot to do."
"It won't take long," said Mei Ling. "Anyway, it's your call. What would you like me to do?"
[[Check in on Dave.->Promotions check-in 2]]
[[Leave Dave to complete the brief.->Promotions check-in 3]]<<set $promotions_concurrent = "True">>Alex and Mei Ling arranged a time to drop over to see Dave at his office. Dave greeted them at the door and ushered them in. After exchanging pleasantries, they got down to business.
“Dave, how is the design coming along for the Ozzipalooza event?” asked Mei Ling.
<<if $promotions_feedforward eq "False" and $promotions_requirements eq "False">>“It’s coming along according to schedule, here is a draft for you to look at” replied Dave.
“Oh no, where's the sponsors and our logo? The colours are also wrong as they should have been in the ABC Events Management colours” said Mei Ling.
“At our initial meeting you didn't mention any of those specifications in the brief you provided me with... I think from memory your words were I was free to use my own creativity and judgement!”
“You have done work for us in the past so I just assumed you must have had our colours and logo on file. You are right though. I should have given you the sponsors’ logos. Lucky, I came and looked at the draft before you had finalised it,” replied Mei Ling.
“Can you provide me with the brief again then, so we are on the same page? Also, I will need the high resolution logos and colour scheme as soon as possible” asked Dave.
Mei Ling went over the brief again and got Dave to repeat it back to her.
“When will another draft be ready for me to view?” asked Mei Ling.
Dave sighed. “Realistically, I'm basically going to have to re-do a lot of the work that I've already done. I think I'm going to need another three weeks.”
“If you must,” said Mei Ling, clearly disappointed. She was kicking herself for not giving Dave a clear brief to begin with.<<triggerevent "Promotions - feedback" 3>><<elseif $promotions_requirements eq "True" and $promotions_feedforward eq "False">>“To be honest Mei Ling, I won’t be able to meet the three week deadline I originally agreed to at our first meeting since I didn’t have a complete set of high resolution logos till a week after we met. I also don’t have a draft to show you today as my design team are still working on it,” replied Dave.
“Thanks for the update Dave, what date do you think you will have a draft done so I can come back and have a look at it?” asked Mei Ling.
“Come back next week and I’ll have one for you then” replied Dave.
“I'll drop in and see it,” said Mei Ling. “When do you think you'll have it done by?”
“It should take another two weeks from today,” replied Dave.
“OK, no problem Dave,” said Mei Ling. “It's important that we get this right. We can live with an extra week.”<<triggerevent "Promotions - feedback" 2>><<elseif $promotions_requirements eq "True" and $promotions_feedforward eq "True">>“It’s coming along according to schedule, here is a draft for you to look at” replied Dave.
“That is great Dave and exactly what ABC Events Management requested” replied Mei Ling. “We'll see you in about a week to look at the final design.”<<triggerevent "Promotions - feedback" 1>><</if>>
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>Dave arrived at the office around mid-morning and was met by Alex and Mei Ling in the lobby. After exchanging pleasantries, the three of them walked into one of the meeting rooms to begin their discussion.
Once they had sat down, Dave opened a large satchel containing his designs for the festival. He place them on the table for Alex and Mei Ling to look over.
<<if $promotions_requirements eq "False" and $promotions_concurrent eq "False">>The design was not visually appealing. There was a lot of text closely bunched together, and more importantly, it was missing the logos of ABC Events Management and the festival sponsors.
Clearly, major changes were needed and they would take at least another couple of weeks. However, the design was due to go to the printers, and they had no time to lose.
Alex decided she would:
[[Accept the design as is->No feedback]]
[[Provide feedback and ask for revisions->Constructive feedback]]<<elseif $promotions_feedforward eq "False" and $promotions_concurrent eq "False">>The design was not particularly visually appealing, with a lot of text closely bunched together. At least Dave had included the company logos, although one sponsor's logo was a very low resolution version.
The required changes were minor, and were likely to drag out the design for another week. However, the design was due to go to the printers, and they had no time to lose.
Alex decided she would:
[[Accept the design as is->No feedback]]
[[Provide feedback and ask for revisions->Constructive feedback]]<<else>>The two of them nodded in approval at the design. Dave had done a great job in putting it together. It was visually appealing, and it had all of the logos and information neatly arranged around the central artwork.
[[Next->Positive feedback]]<</if>>Alex decided it was best not to bother Dave. After all, they would be seeing him next week anyway.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $promotions_concurrent eq "False">><<triggerevent "Promotions - feedback" 1>>"Thank you for all of your hard work on this Dave," Alex said to Dave, her voice lacking enthusiasm.
"Are you sure you're happy with how it looks?" asked Dave?
"It's fine," Alex said. "It's a good design."
"Well, if you're happy with it, I'll send you the electronic version so that you can incorporate it into all of your promotions."
"Thank you Dave."
After Dave departed, Mei Ling took Alex aside.
"Alex, I didn't want to say anything in the meeting, but that's not a great design. You're really going to go ahead with this?"
"Sorry Mei Ling, but we need to get things moving. Yes, it's not perfect, but we're on a tight schedule here."
"Fair enough," said Mei Ling, unconvinced. "I won't argue with you about that. But this festival is not going to go well if you just push things through without proper oversight."
"Thanks for the feedback, Mei Ling," said Alex.
Later, she walked over to the office printers to pick up a hardcopy of the new design. John was already there, and he handed her the printout.
"I found your word salad," he said snidely. "I can just make out the writing: O-zzi-paa-*something*."
"Give me that."
"Hope your festival goers have better eyesight than I do."
[[Next->Templates finished]]<<if $promotions_requirements eq "False">><<set $promotions_quality = 0>><<else>><<set $promotions_quality = 1>><</if>><<set $promotions_templates = "True">><<set $promotions_feedback = "True">>“Dave, upon looking the draft design it is not to the required standard I requested in our last meeting,” said Mei Ling. “In particular, the formatting is very close together. Is there a reason why it was not spaced out more?”
Dave's face dropped. He was clearly not expecting this reaction.
“I apologise for this, Mei Ling. In regards to the spacing we found that given all the information that needed to be included that it did not leave much space in the design. If there is some information we can leave out then we can look at putting more space between the words,” replied Dave.
“We could remove the gates open time, gates close time and venue name and instead just leave the dates and the city it is held in,” replied Mei Ling.
“Great, that should provide us with a bit more room and ability to increase the text size. We should have raised these issues with you and picked up the error so I will make this design a priority to fix and get back to you in no longer than a week's time,” replied Dave.
<<if $promotions_requirements eq "False">>Mei Ling continued, “The ABC Management logo is not included in the design which is important as we are organising the event. In addition, we are missing our sponsors' logos and we will miss out on revenue from them if their logo is not included on the promotional material.
Dave nodded. “I will fix them as soon as I can.”<<triggerevent "Dave revises the designs" 2>><<elseif $promotions_requirements eq "True" and $promotions_feedforward eq "False">>Mei Ling continued, "Thank you for including our logo as well as our sponsors'. However, I notice that one of them is very low resolution. Would you be able to fix that?"
Dave nodded. “I will fix it as soon as I can.”<<triggerevent "Dave revises the designs" 1>><</if>>
“Thanks Dave, I appreciate that as these mistakes have caused a delay in my being able to get the design to the printers” replied Mei Ling.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>“So, what do you think,” asked Dave, trying to gauge Alex and Mei Ling's reactions.
“Dave, I just wanted to tell you that I think the design you and your team has come up with is great," said Mei Ling ecstatically. "It is exactly what we requested and I’m sure it will help attract a lot of patrons to the festival. I will be recommending your company to others.”
“Well I’m glad you are happy with the design and I really appreciate you providing me with some feedback that I can take back to the team,” replied Dave.
Alex smiled. They could use this design in all of their future promotions and she knew that it would definitely appeal to their target audience.
[[Next->Templates finished]]<<set $promotions_quality = 2>><<set $promotions_templates = "True">>Dave arrived at the office again. He had made the requested changes to the promotions design that Mei Ling and Alex had asked for.
He put the designs on the meeting room table, and looked at the pair for their approval.
[[Next->Positive feedback]]Now that the basic promotional templates were finished, Alex knew that they could start designing more specific promotions: their website, posters, magazine advertisements, and videos.
She smiled as she contemplated their next steps.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<if $structure eq "divisional" or $structure eq "matrix">><<triggerevent "Double-ups" 3>><</if>><<if ndef $website>><<goto "Build phase 1">>
<<elseif $website eq "1">><<goto "Build phase 2">>
<<elseif $website eq "2">><<goto "Build phase 3">>
<<else>>
"This should not be visible"
[[Advertising]]
<</if>>"Mei Ling, I think it would be a good idea to establish a website for Ozzipalooza as soon as possible," said Alex.
Mei Ling nodded. "A website is an absolute necessity these days. I recommend that we build in three phases. First of all, we need a bare bones website that will announce to the world that we are holding our festival, and provide our contact details. This is especially important for recruiting local bands who will be auditioning with us. That will take about a week to develop and cost $<<print $price_website_lev1>>."
"What about the next couple of phases?"
"Well, the second phase would be to turn it into a proper promotional site for Ozzipalooza. It would contain an up-to-date listing of all of our bands, as well as a portal for buying tickets. That will take about another week to develop, and cost $<<print $price_website_lev2>>."
"And phase three?"
"Phase three is where we develop lots of promotional materials that can be shared over social media. The idea is that we can use it to get people to share it with their contacts. Again, it should take about another week and cost $<<print $price_website_lev3>>."
<<if ndef $promotions_templates>>Mei Ling added, "Before we do anything, however, we really need to get some of our basic promotional materials designed. If we don't have our festival logo along with some basic art, any website we cobble together is going to look pretty amateurish. I recommend we do that first."
[[OK, let's talk about designing some basic promotional materials.->Basic promotional templates 1]]<<elseif ndef $promotions_quality>>"Before we do that, I would recommend waiting until Dave has finished developing the promotional templates," said Mei Ling. "If we don't have our festival logo along with some basic art, any website we cobble together is going to look pretty amateurish."
<<else>>"Now that we have the basic promotional artwork developed, we can get started on the website."
<<click "Let's begin the first stage of development." "Decision Point">>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = 1; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, this week I am working with the web designers to get the website off the ground. Can you come back later?'>>
<<delayset "website" "1" 1 'Mei Ling reported to Alex that the first stage of the website development was complete. She was now available for other duties.'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Website phase 1" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Advertising]]"Hey Mei Ling," said Alex, "I think we should develop the next phase of the website."
"The online ticket portal?"
"That's the one!"
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>"Before we do that," said Mei Ling, "we really need to lock in the details of the venue and date. The ticket agency is going to need that information before they can help us."
"No problem - I'll get the ball rolling with Marco."
<<else>>"Great - I can get in touch with TicketRep, the ticketing agency we have used in the past, and integrate our website with their system. It should take our team about a week."
<<click "Let's get going on the second phase." "Decision Point">>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = 1; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, this week I am working with the web designers to get online ticketing working. Can we talk again some other time?'>>
<<delayset "website" "2" 1 'Mei Ling reported to Alex that the second stage of the website development was complete. They could now start telling tickets, as soon as Alex thought they were ready. Mei Ling was now available for other duties.'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Website phase 2" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Advertising]]"I think it's time to kick off our social media campaign," said Alex.
<<if $bands_total lt 2>>"Alex, before we can develop any social media, we need to get at least a couple of bands signed up for the festival," said Mei Ling. "Otherwise, it's going to be a pretty unexciting campaign."
"Good point, Mei Ling," said Alex. "I'll work with John to make sure that we have some bands ready to go."
<<else>>"I'm really glad to hear you say that," said Mei Ling. "I can get the team to produce some promotional shots and short stories about the bands that people can share on social media."
"Sounds great," said Alex. Mei Ling looked excited.
"I'm going to start building a social media campaign about the bands we already have on the books. But would I be able to do an interview with you at some point? You can talk about your vision for Ozzipalooza, and how you are the youngest events organiser to ever take charge of this event."
"Sure..." Alex was taken a little aback. "I didn't think I was quite that interesting!"
"Young people will really relate to you. Everyone loves an inspirational underdog story. It will go viral!"
Alex was unconvinced, but she was happy to do the interview.
<<click "Let's make it happen then!" "Decision Point">>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = "1"; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, this week I am working with the web designers to create materials for our social media campaign. Can we talk again some other time? By the way, are you available for the interview?'>>
<<delayset "website" "True" 1 'Mei Ling reported to Alex that her team had finished developing the social media materials. They could run a social media campaign whenever Alex thought they were ready. Mei Ling was now available for other duties.'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Website phase 3" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else->Advertising]]"Let's develop some promotional videos," said Alex. "We can use them as part of our online advertising campaign, or alternatively even pay for them to be put on TV."
Mei Ling nodded. "Videos are a great idea, because these days they are fairly easy to cut together. We can share them via social media and even screen them on TV. Since we will mostly be using past footage, it should only take about a week to cut together and cost around $<<print $price_promotions_video>>."
<<if ndef $promotions_templates>>She continued, "Before we get started on this, we need to develop some basic promotional materials, such as the event logo. It would be jumping the gun to go straight into producing those videos."
"Good point," replied Alex.
[[OK, let's talk about designing some basic promotional materials.->Basic promotional templates 1]]<<elseif ndef $promotions_quality>>She continued, "Before we get started on this, we need to wait for Dave to finalise the promotional templates. It would be jumping the gun to go straight into producing these videos."
<<elseif ndef $venue_chosen>>"We definitely can," replied Mei Ling, "although before we get started on this, we really should wait until we get the venue and date locked in. Otherwise, any promotions we create will have to be changed."
"Good point," replied Alex.<<else>><<if $bands_total < 1>>"We definitely can," replied Mei Ling. "While it would be better to wait until we had recruited some bands, we could use some generic footage from past Ozzipaloozas to create the videos."<<else>>"We definitely can," replied Mei Ling. "As well as generic footage from past Ozzipaloozas, we can incorporate some footage from the bands we've recruited to create the videos."<</if>>
"That sounds good," said Alex. "How long will it take?"
"The videos are pretty short and basic, so cutting together the footage shouldn't take my team very long. Maybe about a week."
<<click "Let's get started." "Decision Point">>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = "1"; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, I am busy working with my team to cut together some promotional videos. Can we talk again some other time?'>>
<<delayset "promotions_videos" "True" 1 'Mei Ling reported to Alex that her team had finished developing the promotional videos. Alex quickly inspected them and thought they had done a great job.'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Videos" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else->Advertising]]"Let's develop some promotional prints," said Alex. "We can use them as posters that we hang out in public, or alternatively, we can place them in music magazines as advertisements."
"We definitely can," said Mei Ling. "I'd estimate that we could come up with something in about a week. It should cost around $<<print $price_promotions_print>> for all of the physical advertisements."
<<if ndef $promotions_templates>>Mei Ling continued, "However, before we can make a start on this, we need to develop some basic promotional materials, such as the event logo. We can't really produce any posters without them."
"Good point," replied Alex.
[[OK, let's talk about designing some basic promotional materials.->Basic promotional templates 1]]<<elseif ndef $promotions_quality>>Mei Ling continued, "However, before we can make a start on this, we need to wait for Dave to finish the promotional templates. We can't really produce any posters without them."
"Good point," replied Alex.
<<elseif ndef $venue_chosen>>Mei Ling continued, "However, before we can make any progress on this, we really need to get the venue and date locked in. Otherwise, there's not much we can put on the posters.
"Good point," replied Alex.
<<else>>Mei Ling continued, "We can take the basic promotional materials that have been produced by Dave and turn them into some quite attractive print ads. As you mentioned, we could run them in music magazines or have them as posters in public places."
"Sounds great!" said Alex. She smiled.
<<click "Let's get started." "Decision Point">>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = "1"; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, I am busy working with my team to produce our print advertisements. Can we talk again some other time?'>>
<<delayset "promotions_print" "True" 1 'Mei Ling reported to Alex that her team had finished developing the print advertisement. Alex quickly inspected them and thought they had done a great job.'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Print advertising" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Advertising]]"Can your team record some audio advertisements for radio?" asked Alex.
"We definitely can," said Mei Ling. "I can write a couple of scripts for 15 and 30 second ads, and record them once I'm done."
"Great!" said Alex. "Whose voice do you use?"
"We have a voice actor who we often use for these things," said Mei Ling. "I can get in touch with her this week and have the recording done quickly."
"How much time would you need for this?"
"I think we should be able to get it done within about a week. It should cost around $<<print $price_promotions_radio>>."
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>Mei Ling added, "However before we can get started on this, we really need to get the venue and date locked in. Without those details, it's really worth recording the ads."
"Good point," replied Alex.
<<else>><<click "Let's get started." "Decision Point">>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = "1"; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, I am recording our radio ads. Can we talk again some other time?'>>
<<delayset "promotions_radio" "True" 1 'Mei Ling reported to Alex that her team had finished recording the radio ads. Alex thought they had done a great job in putting it together.'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Radio advertising" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Advertising]]"I'd like to organise an advertising blitz for this week," said Alex.
<<if ndef $promotions_videos and ndef $promotions_radio and ndef $promotions_print and (ndef $website or $website eq "1")>>Mei Ling shook her head. "Unfortunately, we haven't developed any promotional materials yet. So we are not going to be able to launch any campaigns this week."
"Oh," said Alex, slightly embarrassed. "We had better work on getting those developed then."
<<else>>Mei Ling nodded. "Sure thing, Alex. We can run multiple forms of advertising simultaneously. Which types of advertisement would you like to run?"
<<if $promotions_print eq "True">><<checkbox "$blitz_magazine" "False" "True">>Magazine advertisements ($<<print $price_blitz_magazine>>)
<</if>><<if $website eq "True" or $website eq "2">><<checkbox "$blitz_online" "False" "True">>Online advertisements ($<<print $price_blitz_online>>)
<</if>><<if $promotions_print eq "True">><<checkbox "$blitz_poster" "False" "True">>Poster campaign ($<<print $price_blitz_poster>>)
<</if>><<if $promotions_radio eq "True">><<checkbox "$blitz_radio" "False" "True">>Radio advertisements ($<<print $price_blitz_radio>>)
<</if>><<if $website eq "True">><<checkbox "$blitz_social" "False" "True">>Social media campaign ($<<print $price_blitz_social>>)
<</if>><<if $promotions_videos eq "True">><<checkbox "$blitz_television" "False" "True">>Television advertisements ($<<print $price_blitz_television>>)<</if>>
Mei Ling said, "I can coordinate all of these different forms of advertising, but it will mean that I'm unavailable all week."
<<click "Launch the blitz!">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Ad blitz launched" $turn>>
<<if $blitz_magazine eq "False" and $blitz_online eq "False" and $blitz_poster eq "False" and $blitz_radio eq "False" and $blitz_social eq "False" and $blitz_television eq "False">><<script>>alert("You must choose at least one form of advertising to launch the blitz.");<</script>>
<<else>><<goto "Blitz 2">><</if>><</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Planning the marketing and sponsorship]]Mei Ling nodded, "OK, I will make sure that the campaign runs this week. With any luck, it should attract some more people to the festival."
"Fingers crossed!" said Alex. She hoped that the advertisements would have the desired effect.
<<set $busyturns_meiling = "1"; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, I am coordinating our advertising campaign this week. Can we talk again some other time?'>><<if $blitz_magazine eq "True">><<set $blitz_magazine_n = $blitz_magazine_n + 1>><</if>><<if $blitz_online eq "True">><<set $blitz_online_n = $blitz_online_n + 1>><</if>><<if $blitz_poster eq "True">><<set $blitz_poster_n = $blitz_poster_n + 1>><</if>><<if $blitz_radio eq "True">><<set $blitz_radio_n = $blitz_radio_n + 1>><</if>><<if $blitz_social eq "True">><<set $blitz_social_n = $blitz_social_n + 1>><</if>><<if $blitz_television eq "True">><<set $blitz_television_n = $blitz_television_n + 1>><</if>><<set $blitz_number = $blitz_number + 1>>[[Next->Decision Point]]Mei Ling consulted her computer.
"Currently, we have $sponsors_bronze bronze sponsors, $sponsors_silver silver sponsors, and $sponsors_gold gold sponsors. That means we have a total of $<<print (2500*$sponsors_bronze) + (7500*$sponsors_silver) + (15000*$sponsors_gold)>> from our sponsors."
"Thanks for the update, Mei Ling," said Alex. "Given our current state of progress so far, how likely are we to get some more sponsors?"
Mei Ling scratched her chin for a moment. <<calculate_sponsor>><<if $sponsor_yes lte (($top_spon_range + 1) / 2)>>"To be honest, I don't think we have much chance of success at this early stage. Maybe a bronze sponsor at best. I would concentrate on getting some of the fundamentals in place first, and then approaching sponsors later."<<elseif $sponsor_yes gt (($top_spon_range + 1) / 2) and $sponsor_yes lte ($top_spon_range + 1)>>"We're probably in with a shot for at least a bronze sponsorship. There are no guarantees though."<<elseif $sponsor_yes gt ($top_spon_range + 1) and $sponsor_yes lte (($top_spon_range + 1) / 2*3)>>"I think there's a reasonable chance of getting a silver sponsorship. Again, there's no guarantees though."<<elseif $sponsor_yes gt (($top_spon_range + 1) / 2*3)>>"I think we are in with a shot at a gold sponsorship. There are no guarantees, but we are now very advanced in our preparation and our reputation is growing."<<else>>"I'm really not sure."<</if>>
"Thanks Mei Ling," said Alex.
[[Next->Sponsorship]]<<set $sponsors_checked = "True">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Sponsors checked" $turn>>"I will get to it," said Mei Ling. "Wish me luck. I'll make the best case that we can for getting them to sponsor us."
"You won't need any luck," said Alex confidently.
<<calculate_sponsor>><<if $sponsor_yes lte ($top_spon_range + 1) and ndef $sponsor_toosoon>><<set $sponsor_toosoon = "True">><<else>><<set $sponsor_toosoon = "False">><</if>>[[Next->Decision Point]]<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Mei Ling seeks sponsor" $turn>>Mei Ling finished her long telephone conversation with one of the sponsors. She put down the phone and walked over to Alex's desk.
"How did things go with the potential sponsor?" Alex asked.
<<calculate_sponsor>><<if $sponsor_yes lte $rand1>>Mei Ling's face was very long. "I'm really sorry Alex - they said no," she finally said.
"Oh no, that's a real shame," said Alex.
"Yes, it is," said Mei Ling. "It's difficult to attract sponsors at these early stages of preparation. I recommend locking in a few more things, and then reapproaching the sponsors at a later date."
"Thanks for the advice," said Alex.<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Sponsor approach" "Failed">>
<<elseif $sponsor_yes gt $rand1 and $sponsor_yes lte $rand2>>Mei Ling's face had a slight smile on it.
"They've agreed to sponsor us," she said. "They are going to support us with a bronze sponsorship."
"Oh, that's good news," said Alex. "That will definitely improve the budget situation."<<set $sponsors_bronze = $sponsors_bronze + 1>><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Sponsor approach" "Bronze">>
<<elseif $sponsor_yes gt $rand2 and $sponsor_yes lte $rand3>>Mei Ling cracked a broad smile.
"I've got some good news," she said. "They've agreed to support us with a silver sponsorship."
"Well done, Mei Ling!" said Alex. "That was some great negotiation there."
"Don't mention it!," said Mei Ling.<<set $sponsors_silver = $sponsors_silver + 1>><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Sponsor approach" "Silver">>
<<elseif $sponsor_yes gt $rand3>>Mei Ling beamed as she turned to Alex.
"We've got a gold sponsor!" she exclaimed. "They've agreed to sign up with us."
"Amazing news, Mei Ling!" said Alex, as she and Mei Ling hugged excitedly. "We must be kicking some serious goals as a team if they are offering us gold."
"I'll go and tell the rest of the team!" said Mei Ling excitedly.<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Sponsor approach" "Gold">><<set $sponsors_gold = $sponsors_gold + 1>>
<</if>>
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>"It's time to decide on a ticket price," said Alex.
Mei Ling looked at her thoughtfully. "We need to carefully consider how much we will sell tickets for. It will be easier to sell cheaper tickets, but naturally our profit margins will be lower. So I would look at all of the information you have: expected attendance numbers versus all of the costs associated with running Ozzipalooza. And I'd make the most informed decision that I could."
"It's a difficult thing to estimate," Alex mused. "We don't know how many customers there will be."
<<if $marketresearch eq "True">>Mei Ling added, "Remember, from our market research, we know that past attendance has been around 8,000, but we've got a maximum capacity of 16,000. And the average ticket price has been around $90 in previous festivals. So that could be a good baseline for us."
Alex nodded, trying to take on board the information.
<<else>>Mei Ling added, "Remember, I can commission a market research study for you that can answer some of these questions."
Alex nodded, considering her next move.
<</if>>"So, what would you like to do?" Mei Ling asked.
[[Set the price at $60->Ticket price 2][$tickets_price = "60"]]
[[Set the price at $90->Ticket price 2][$tickets_price = "90"]]
[[Set the price at $120->Ticket price 2][$tickets_price = "120"]]
[[Set the price at $150->Ticket price 2][$tickets_price = "150"]]
[[I think we should defer this decision for now.->Sales]]"$<<print $tickets_price>> it is then," said Mei Ling. "Let me know when you would like me to put the tickets on sale."
"Thank you, Mei Ling," said Alex.
[[Next->Decision Point]]<<set $busyturns_meiling = 1; $tickets_price_chosen = "True"; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, I am busy at the moment. Can we speak again soon?"'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Ticket price set to" $tickets_price>>"Mei Ling, I'd like to open the online portal and start selling tickets now," said Alex.
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>"It's too soon," said Mei Ling. "We first need to lock in a venue and a date for Ozzipalooza before we can start selling tickets."
"Oh, good point," said Alex sheepishly. "I'll get back to you about sales."
<<elseif ndef $website>>"Sorry," said Mei Ling, "but we don't have the website set up yet. We will need some kind of an online presence in order to start selling tickets."
"Ahh," said Alex sheepishly. "Well, I'll get back to you later about this then."
<<elseif $website eq "1">>"Sorry," said Mei Ling, "but we haven't yet set up the tickets portal on our website. We will need to sort this out with TicketRep as soon as possible."
"Ahh," said Alex sheepishly. "Well, I'll get back to you later about this then."
<<elseif ndef $tickets_price>>"Sorry," said Mei Ling, "but we need to work out how much we are selling tickets for before we can put them on sale."
Alex turned bright red. "Yes, definitely don't want to forget that."
<<elseif ($website eq "2" or $website eq "True") and def $tickets_price>>Mei Ling nodded. "I will call TicketRep as soon as I can, and work on integrating our website with their ticketing system."
"It will be great to start selling some tickets and get the revenue coming in," said Alex.
"Should I make the call now? It will take most of this week to get it organised."
<<click "Yes, go ahead." "Decision Point">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Tickets go on sale" $turn>>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = "1"; $busymessage_meiling = '"I am a little busy at the moment, Alex. I am working on getting our ticketing portal to go live. Can we talk later?"'>>
<<delayset "tickets_onsale" "True" 1 'Mei Ling reported to Alex that ticket sales had now gone live. As the money started to trickle in, Alex knew there was now no going back.'>>
<<set $tickets_onsale_turn eq $turn>>
<</click>>
<</if>>[[Let's talk about something else.->Sales]]Mei Ling nodded. "A few last minute ticket sales is a good idea," she said. "It extends the amount of time that we can sell tickets, and we can charge a slightly higher rate. It also discourages scalpers."
"Can you set it up," asked Alex?
"I can," said Mei Ling. "It will take about a week, at a cost of $<<print $price_tickets_lastminute>>. I'll need to arrange this with Marco and his logistics team, so it will also occupy him for a week."
<<if ndef $tickets_onsale>>She added, "However, before we consider setting this up, we really need to have our main ticketing system working first. We don't want to make the venue our primary ticket outlet, as it would take forever and consume huge resources."
<<else>><<if $busyturns_marco > 0>>"Unfortunately, he's busy this week. Can we arrange it for some other time?"
<<else>>"If you're happy, I'll get in touch with him and we can arrange it together. We should be able to get it all organised by the end of the week."
<<click "Happy for you to set it up with Marco." "Decision Point">>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = "1"; $busymessage_meiling = '"I am a little busy at the moment, Alex. Marco and I are organising the last-minute ticket stall at the venue. Could we speak later?"'; $busyturns_marco = "1"; $busymesssage_marco = '"Sorry Alex, I am working with Mei Ling this week to get the last-minute ticket stall set up. Can we catch up again soon?"'>>
<<delayset "tickets_lastminute" "True" 1 'Mei Ling reported to Alex that she and Marco had finished organising the last-minute ticket booth at the venue. They were both ready for other duties.'>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Last minute tickets" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>>
<</if>>[[Let's talk about something else.->Sales]]After all this time, the big day had finally arrived. The entire team arrived at $venue at dawn to oversee the final set up of the event. The gates would open in a few short hours.
<<if $tickets_sold eq 0 and $band_total eq 0>>Mei Ling asked, "May I ask -- what are we doing out here? We haven't actually sold any tickets and we haven't organised any bands. It's like we've planned a party but haven't actually invited anyone."
Panic began to descend on Alex. She knew that she had been living a lie for the past few months, going through the motions of organising this event with no plans for building an audience or recruiting bands.
She knew that she should have asked for help, and that she never should have accepted this role. And now her lack of capability was there for all of the team to see.
<<set $catastrophic = "True">><<elseif $tickets_sold eq 0 and $band_total > 0>>Mei Ling asked, "May I ask -- what are we doing out here? We haven't actually sold any tickets."
"What?!" said John. "I've organised all of these bands for nothing? You mean, the five of us are going to be the only people in the audience?"
Panic began to descend on Alex. She knew that she had been living a lie for the past few months, going through the motions of organising this event with no plans for building an audience.
She knew that she should have asked for help, and that she never should have accepted this role. And now her lack of capability was there for all of the team to see.
<<set $catastrophic = "True">><<elseif $tickets_sold > 0 and $band_total eq 0>>John approached the rest of the team.
"Where are all of the bands," asked Marco.
"There are none," said John simply. "Alex has barely engaged with me or my team. Nothing has been organised."
Panic began to descend on Alex. She knew that she had been living a lie for the past few months, going through the motions of organising this event with no plans for recruiting any bands.
John was unpleasant to deal with, but she knew that she should have made more of an effort to establish a working relationship with him. And now her lack of capability was there for all of the team to see.
This was a disaster. She knew that she would have no choice but to cancel the festival and refund people's money.
<<set $catastrophic = "True">><<elseif ndef $lighting>>John approached the rest of the team. "Hi Marco and Alex," he started. "The first band is about to begin to set up. Where's the stage supposed to be? I don't see any equipment."
Alex and Marco looked at each other, a wave of panic sweeping over both. She suddenly realised the meaning of that strange gnawing feeling of forgetting something important.
At last she spoke, "We didn't actually get around to organising any stage equipment."
John's jaw dropped, and a look of utter shock came over his face. He put his face in his hands and started laughing. A resigned, ironic laugh that half sounded like sobbing.
When he finally composed himself, he summed up the situation: "I'm afraid that we're screwed."
"Maybe they could play acoustic guitar," added Dougal unhelpfully.
This was a disaster. None of the bands would be able to play. She knew that she would have no choice but to cancel the festival and refund people's money.
<<set $catastrophic = "True">><<elseif ndef $planning_approved>>To Alex's surprise, there were a large number of police cars present outside the venue. Officers had formed a barrier to the entrance, and they prevented any of the team's workforce from entering.
"Are you in charge here?" said the police officer leading the squad.
"Yes, I'm the Events Manager," said Alex. "What seems to be the problem? Why are you blocking our employees from the venue."
"Your event does not have planning approval from the local council," said the officer sharply. "Simply put, you do not have authorisation to be here. I'm afraid this event cannot go ahead."
Alex's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe that the local council was shutting them down. She wished that they had taken the approval much more seriously and given it higher priority. <<if $planning_approval eq "True">>If only they had submitted the planning application in time for the council meeting. <</if>>This was a disaster.
<<set $catastrophic = "True">><<else>>There were already some eager festival-goers who had camped outside, waiting for the festival to begin.
The first band pulled up in their van, and was greeted by John. They began the process of unloading their gear and setting up.
Slowly, the crowd started to trickle in. Alex tried to relax and enjoy the event. Things were so much easier when she was a paying customer. These people had no idea all of the organising that went into one of these things.<<if $tickets_sold < 16000 and $tickets_lastminute eq "True">>
Many people were lined up at the last-minute ticket sales booth. The ticket vendors later reported that they had been wildly popular.<<set $tickets_sold = $tickets_sold + random(300,500)>><</if>><<if $tickets_sold > 16000>><<set $tickets_sold = 16000>><</if>>
As she walked into the festival, Alex saw a dark cloud on the horizon. It looked like it was going to rain later today. She hoped the storm would not hit too hard.
<</if>><<if $catastrophic eq "True">>[[Next->Catastrophic]]<<else>>[[Next->Debrief 1 - Profits]]<</if>><img src = "Ozzipalooza/Ozzi-logo.jpg" width=100% style="max-width=1544px;">
Written by
Tim Bednall, Elizabeth Merlot, Alycia O'Sullivan
Illustrations by Dan Laurence
(C) 2016<<set $total_turns = 20; $turns = $total_turns; $turn = 1>>
<<set $band_unavailable = [5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11]>>
<<set $band_unavailable = $band_unavailable.shuffle()>>
<<set $band_popular = [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1]>>
<<set $band_popular = $band_popular.shuffle()>>
<<set $band_booked = [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]>>
<<set $band_total = 1>>
<<set $band = ["Abel East", "Arcane Fire", "Daze", "Kez Pez", "Pearl Jelly", "The Tobasco Peppers", "The Marksmen", "Waterhole"]>>
<<set $sponsors_bronze = 2; $sponsors_silver = 0; $sponsors_gold = 0>>
<<set $blitz_magazine_n = 0; $blitz_online_n = 0; $blitz_poster_n = 0; $blitz_radio_n = 0; $blitz_social_n = 0; $blitz_television_n = 0>>
<<set $tickets_sold = 0>>
<<set $band_popular_n = 0>>
<<set $budget_checked = 0>>
<<set $promotions_templates_n = 1>>
<<set $income_sponsors_bronze = 2500>>
<<set $income_sponsors_silver = 7500>>
<<set $income_sponsors_gold = 15000>>
<<set $income_fd_perticket = 10>>
<<set $income_m_perticket = 20>>
<<set $price_headline = 100000>>
<<set $price_localband = 20000>>
<<set $price_promotions_recall = 40000>>
<<set $price_fs_centraladmin = 20000>>
<<set $price_tmteam = 30000>>
<<set $price_logteam = 30000>>
<<set $price_smteam = 30000>>
<<set $price_ds_centraladmin = 20000>>
<<set $price_nswdiv = 40000>>
<<set $price_qlddiv = 40000>>
<<set $price_vicdiv = 40000>>
<<set $price_ms_centraladmin = 30000>>
<<set $price_nswdiv = 40000>>
<<set $price_qlddiv = 40000>>
<<set $price_vicdiv = 40000>>
<<set $price_blitz_magazine = 8000>>
<<set $price_blitz_online = 5000>>
<<set $price_blitz_poster = 7000>>
<<set $price_blitz_radio = 14000>>
<<set $price_blitz_social = 1000>>
<<set $price_blitz_television = 30000>>
<<set $price_marketresearch = 5000>>
<<set $price_promotions_print = 1000>>
<<set $price_promotions_radio = 1000>>
<<set $price_promotions_templates = 10000>>
<<set $price_promotions_video = 3000>>
<<set $price_tickets_lastminute = 1000>>
<<set $price_tickets_onsale = 1000>>
<<set $price_website_lev1 = 2000>>
<<set $price_website_lev2 = 5000>>
<<set $price_website_lev3 = 9000>>
<<set $price_barriers = 4000>>
<<set $price_cleaning = 10000>>
<<set $price_contingency_marquee = 4000>>
<<set $price_contingency_umbrellas = 3000>>
<<set $price_contingency_shelters = 7000>>
<<set $price_contingency_all = 14000>>
<<set $price_firstaid = 15000>>
<<set $price_fooddrink = 10000>>
<<set $price_insurance = 16000>>
<<set $price_lighting = 50000>>
<<set $price_merchandise = 10000>>
<<set $price_noisepermit = 1500>>
<<set $price_security = 8000>>
<<set $price_ticket_collectors = 4500>>
<<set $price_toilets = 12000>>
<<set $price_transport = 10000>>
<<set $price_venue_rodlaver = 200000>>
<<set $price_venue_burnley = 120000>>
<<set $price_venue_lexton = 80000>>
<<set $price_volunteers = 40000>>
<<set $price_waste = 6000>>
<<set $price_traffic = 7000>>
<<widget "calculate_budget">><<nobr>>
<<set $inc_total = 0; $exp_total = 0>>
<<if $tickets_sold gt 0 and def $tickets_price>><<set $inc_total = $inc_total + $tickets_price*$tickets_sold>><</if>>
<<if $sponsors_bronze gt 0>><<set $inc_total = $inc_total + $income_sponsors_bronze*$sponsors_bronze>><</if>>
<<if $sponsors_silver gt 0>><<set $inc_total = $inc_total + $income_sponsors_silver*$sponsors_silver>><</if>>
<<if $sponsors_gold gt 0>><<set $inc_total = $inc_total + $income_sponsors_gold*$sponsors_gold>><</if>>
<<if $tickets_sold gt 0 and $fooddrink eq "True">><<set $inc_total = $inc_total + $income_fd_perticket*$tickets_sold>><</if>>
<<if $tickets_sold gt 0 and $merchandise eq "True">><<set $inc_total = $inc_total + $income_m_perticket*$tickets_sold>><</if>>
<<if $band_booked.count(1) gt 0>><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + ($price_headline*$band_booked.count(1))>><</if>>
<<if ($band_total - $band_booked.count(1)) gt 0>><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + ($price_localband*($band_total - $band_booked.count(1)))>><</if>>
<<if $promotions_recall eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_promotions_recall>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "functional">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_fs_centraladmin>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "functional">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_tmteam>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "functional">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_logteam>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "functional">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_smteam>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "divisional">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_ds_centraladmin>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "divisional">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_nswdiv>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "divisional">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_qlddiv>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "divisional">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_vicdiv>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "matrix">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_ms_centraladmin>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "matrix">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_nswdiv>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "matrix">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_qlddiv>><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "matrix">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_vicdiv>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_magazine_n gt 0>><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + ($price_blitz_magazine*$blitz_magazine_n)>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_online_n gt 0>><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + ($price_blitz_online*$blitz_online_n)>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_poster_n gt 0>><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + ($price_blitz_poster*$blitz_poster_n)>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_radio_n gt 0>><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + ($price_blitz_radio*$blitz_radio_n)>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_social_n gt 0>><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + ($price_blitz_social*$blitz_social_n)>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_television_n gt 0>><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + ($price_blitz_television*$blitz_television_n)>><</if>>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_marketresearch>><</if>>
<<if $promotions_print eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_promotions_print>><</if>>
<<if $promotions_radio eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_promotions_radio>><</if>>
<<if $promotions_templates eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_promotions_templates>><</if>>
<<if $promotions_video eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_promotions_video>><</if>>
<<if $tickets_lastminute eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_tickets_lastminute>><</if>>
<<if $tickets_onsale eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_tickets_onsale>><</if>>
<<if $website eq "1">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_website_lev1>><</if>>
<<if $website eq "2">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_website_lev2>><</if>>
<<if $website eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_website_lev3>><</if>>
<<if $barriers eq "True" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_barriers>><</if>>
<<if $cleaning eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_cleaning>><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "Marquees" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_contingency_marquee>><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "Umbrellas" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_contingency_umbrellas>><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "Shelters" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_contingency_shelters>><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "All three" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_contingency_all>><</if>>
<<if $firstaid eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_firstaid>><</if>>
<<if $fooddrink eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_fooddrink>><</if>>
<<if $insurance eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_insurance>><</if>>
<<if $lighting eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_lighting>><</if>>
<<if $merchandise eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_merchandise>><</if>>
<<if $noisepermit eq "True" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_noisepermit>><</if>>
<<if $security eq "True" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_security>><</if>>
<<if $ticket_collectors eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_ticket_collectors>><</if>>
<<if $toilets eq "True" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_toilets>><</if>>
<<if $transport eq "True" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_transport>><</if>>
<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena" and $venue_chosen eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_venue_rodlaver>><</if>>
<<if $venue eq "Burnley Park" and $venue_chosen eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_venue_burnley>><</if>>
<<if $venue eq "Lexton Park" and $venue_chosen eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_venue_lexton>><</if>>
<<if $volunteers neq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_volunteers>><<else>><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + ($price_volunteers/2)>><</if>>
<<if $waste eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_waste>><</if>>
<<if $traffic eq "True">><<set $exp_total = $exp_total + $price_traffic>><</if>>
<</nobr>><</widget>>
<<set $top_spon_range = 8>>
<<widget "calculate_sponsor">><<nobr>>
<<set $rand1 = random(1,$top_spon_range); $rand2 = $rand1 + random(1,$top_spon_range); $rand3 = $rand2 + random(1,$top_spon_range); $sponsor_yes = 0>>
<<if $band_booked.count eq 1>><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 5>><</if>>
<<if $band_booked.count eq 2>><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 7>><</if>>
<<if $band_booked.count eq 3>><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 8>><</if>>
<<if ($band_total - $band_booked.count(1)) > 0>><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + ($band_total - $band_booked.count(1))>><</if>>
<<if $blitz_number > 0>><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + $blitz_number>><</if>>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 1>><</if>>
<<if $promotions_quality > 0>><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + $promotions_quality>><</if>>
<<if $venue_chosen eq "True">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 1>><</if>>
<<if $tickets_onsale eq "True">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 1>><</if>>
<<if $website eq "1">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 1>><</if>>
<<if $website eq "2">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 2>><</if>>
<<if $website eq "True">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 3>><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "Marquees">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 1>><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "Umbrellas">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 1>><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "Shelters">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 1>><</if>>
<<if $fooddrink eq "True">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 1>><</if>>
<<if $merchandise eq "True">><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + 1>><</if>>
<<if $band_popular_n > 0>><<set $sponsor_yes = $sponsor_yes + ($band_popular_n*3)>><</if>>
<</nobr>><</widget>>
Alex inspected the current budget, based on all of the income and expenses so far.<<calculate_budget>>
<b>Income</b>
<table class="CSSTableGenerator">
<tr><td>Item</td><td>Amount</td><td>Value $</td><td>Budget $ inc GST</td></tr>
<<if $tickets_sold gt 0 and def $tickets_price>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Tickets sold</td><td><<print $tickets_sold>></td><td>$tickets_price</td><td><<print $tickets_price*$tickets_sold>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $sponsors_bronze gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Bronze sponsors</td><td><<print $sponsors_bronze>></td><td>2500</td><td><<print 2500*$sponsors_bronze>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $sponsors_silver gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Silver sponsors</td><td><<print $sponsors_silver>></td><td>7500</td><td><<print 7500*$sponsors_silver>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $sponsors_gold gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Gold sponsors</td><td><<print $sponsors_gold>></td><td>15000</td><td><<print 15000*$sponsors_gold>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $tickets_sold gt 0 and $fooddrink eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Food & drink sales (projected)</td><td><<print $tickets_sold>></td><td>10</td><td><<print 10*$tickets_sold>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $tickets_sold gt 0 and $merchandise eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Merchandise sales (projected)</td><td><<print $tickets_sold>></td><td>20</td><td><<print 20*$tickets_sold>></td></tr><</if>>
<tr><td style="text-align: right;"><b>Total Income</b></td><td></td><td></td><td><b>$inc_total</b></td></tr>
</table>
<b>Expenses</b>
<table class="CSSTableGenerator">
<tr><td>Item</td><td>Amount</td><td>Value $</td><td>Budget $ inc GST</td></tr>
<<if $band_booked.count(1) gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Headline acts</td><td><<print $band_booked.count(1)>></td><td>$price_headline</td><td><<print $price_headline*$band_booked.count(1)>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if ($band_total - $band_booked.count(1)) gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Domestic bands</td><td><<print ($band_total - $band_booked.count(1))>></td><td>$price_localband</td><td><<print $price_localband*($band_total - $band_booked.count(1))>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $promotions_recall eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Recall of promotions</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_promotions_recall</td><td><<print $price_promotions_recall*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "functional">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Central administration</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_fs_centraladmin</td><td><<print $price_fs_centraladmin*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "functional">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Talent mangement team (John's team)</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_tmteam</td><td><<print $price_tmteam*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "functional">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Logistics team (Marco's team)</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_logteam</td><td><<print $price_logteam*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "functional">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Sales and marketing team (Mei Ling's team)</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_smteam</td><td><<print $price_smteam*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "divisional">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Central administration</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_ds_centraladmin</td><td><<print $price_ds_centraladmin*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "divisional">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">New South Wales division</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_nswdiv</td><td><<print $price_nswdiv*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "divisional">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Queensland division</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_qlddiv</td><td><<print $price_qlddiv*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "divisional">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Victoria division</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_vicdiv</td><td><<print $price_vicdiv*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "matrix">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Central administration</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_ms_centraladmin</td><td><<print $price_ms_centraladmin*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "matrix">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">New South Wales division</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_nswdiv</td><td><<print $price_nswdiv*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "matrix">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Queensland division</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_qlddiv</td><td><<print $price_qlddiv*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $structure eq "matrix">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Victoria division</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_vicdiv</td><td><<print $price_vicdiv*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $blitz_magazine_n gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Blitz (magazines)</td><td><<print $blitz_magazine_n>></td><td>$price_blitz_magazine</td><td><<print $price_blitz_magazine*$blitz_magazine_n>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $blitz_online_n gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Blitz (online ads)</td><td><<print $blitz_online_n>></td><td>$price_blitz_online</td><td><<print $price_blitz_online*$blitz_online_n>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $blitz_poster_n gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Blitz (posters)</td><td><<print $blitz_poster_n>></td><td>$price_blitz_poster</td><td><<print $price_blitz_poster*$blitz_poster_n>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $blitz_radio_n gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Blitz (radio)</td><td><<print $blitz_radio_n>></td><td>$price_blitz_radio</td><td><<print $price_blitz_radio*$blitz_radio_n>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $blitz_social_n gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Blitz (social media)</td><td><<print $blitz_social_n>></td><td>$price_blitz_social</td><td><<print $price_blitz_social*$blitz_social_n>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $blitz_television_n gt 0>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Blitz (television)</td><td><<print $blitz_television_n>></td><td>$price_blitz_television</td><td><<print $price_blitz_television*$blitz_television_n>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $marketresearch eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Market research study</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_marketresearch</td><td><<print $price_marketresearch*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $promotions_print eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Promotions (print)</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_promotions_print</td><td><<print $price_promotions_print*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $promotions_radio eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Promotions (audio)</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_promotions_radio</td><td><<print $price_promotions_radio*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $promotions_templates eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Promotions (template)</td><td><<print $promotions_templates_n>></td><td>$price_promotions_templates</td><td><<print $price_promotions_templates*$promotions_templates_n>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $promotions_video eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Promotions (video)</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_promotions_video</td><td><<print $price_promotions_video*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $tickets_lastminute eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Last minute ticket stand</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_tickets_lastminute</td><td><<print $price_tickets_lastminute*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $tickets_onsale eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">TicketRep fee</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_tickets_onsale</td><td><<print $price_tickets_onsale*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $website eq "1">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Promotions (basic website)</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_website_lev1</td><td><<print $price_website_lev1*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $website eq "2">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Promotions (promotional website)</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_website_lev2</td><td><<print $price_website_lev2*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $website eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Promotions (social media)</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_website_lev3</td><td><<print $price_website_lev3*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $barriers eq "True" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><tr><td style="text-align:left">Physical barriers</td><td>1</td><td>$price_barriers</td><td>$price_barriers</td></tr><</if>>
<<if $cleaning eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Cleaning crew</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_cleaning</td><td><<print $price_cleaning*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "Marquees" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><tr><td style="text-align:left">Marquees</td><td>1</td><td>$price_contingency_marquee</td><td>$price_contingency_marquee</td></tr><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "Umbrellas" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><tr><td style="text-align:left">Umbrellas</td><td>1</td><td>$price_contingency_umbrellas</td><td>$price_contingency_umbrellas</td></tr><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "Shelters" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><tr><td style="text-align:left">Shelters</td><td>1</td><td>$price_contingency_shelters</td><td>$price_contingency_shelters</td></tr><</if>>
<<if $contingency_plan eq "All three" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><tr><td style="text-align:left">Marquees, umbrellas, shelters</td><td>1</td><td>$price_contingency_all</td><td>$price_contingency_all</td></tr><</if>>
<<if $firstaid eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">First aid</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_firstaid</td><td><<print $price_firstaid*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $fooddrink eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Food and drink vendors</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_fooddrink</td><td><<print $price_fooddrink*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $insurance eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Insurance</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_insurance</td><td><<print $price_insurance*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $lighting eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Lighting</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_lighting</td><td><<print $price_lighting*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $merchandise eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Merchandise</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_merchandise</td><td><<print $price_merchandise*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $noisepermit eq "True" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><tr><td style="text-align:left">Noise permit</td><td>1</td><td>$price_noisepermit</td><td>$price_noisepermit</td></tr><</if>>
<<if $security eq "True" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><tr><td style="text-align:left">Security</td><td>1</td><td>$price_security</td><td>$price_security</td></tr><</if>>
<<if $ticket_collectors eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Ticket collectors</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_ticket_collectors</td><td><<print $price_ticket_collectors*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $toilets eq "True" and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">><tr><td style="text-align:left">Toilets</td><td>1</td><td>$price_toilets</td><td>$price_toilets</td></tr><</if>>
<<if $transport eq "True" and $venue eq "Lexton Park">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Transport</td><td>1</td><td>$price_transport</td><td>$price_transport</td></tr><</if>>
<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena" and $venue_chosen eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Rod Laver Arena</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_venue_rodlaver</td><td><<print $price_venue_rodlaver*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $venue eq "Burnley Park" and $venue_chosen eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Burnley Park</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_venue_burnley</td><td><<print $price_venue_burnley*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $venue eq "Lexton Park" and $venue_chosen eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Lexton Park</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_venue_lexton</td><td><<print $price_venue_lexton*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $volunteers neq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Temporary workforce</td><td>1</td><td>$price_volunteers</td><td>$price_volunteers</td></tr><<else>><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Temporary workforce</td><td>1</td><td><<print $price_volunteers/2>></td><td><<print $price_volunteers/2>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $waste eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Waste disposal</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_waste</td><td><<print $price_waste*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<<if $traffic eq "True">><tr><td style="text-align:left;">Traffic wardens</td><td><<print 1>></td><td>$price_traffic</td><td><<print $price_traffic*1>></td></tr><</if>>
<tr><td><b>Total Expenses</b></td><td></td><td></td><td><b>$exp_total</b></td></tr>
</table>
<b>Summary</b>
<table class="CSSTableGenerator">
<tr><td>Item</td><td>Amount</td><td>Value $</td><td>Budget $ inc GST</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align:left">Total Income</td><td></td><td></td><td>$inc_total</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align:left">Total Expenses</td><td></td><td></td><td>$exp_total</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Profit/Loss</b></td><td></td><td></td><td><b><<print $inc_total-$exp_total>></b></td></tr>
</table>
[[Next->Decision Point]]<<set $budget_checked = $budget_checked + 1>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "budget_checked" $turn>>"Can we talk about merchandising?" Alex asked Marco.
"Sure," he said. "The festival will be a memorable experience for many of its audience, and so they'll be interested in buying some souvenirs from it. So, things like t-shirts, mugs, water bottles, and so on. We could make quite a bit of extra income if we organised a stall for selling official merchandise."
"Sounds like a great idea," said Alex. "How much is it likely to cost us?"
"My estimate is that it will cost around $<<print $price_merchandise>> to set up the stall and about a week to organise. However, I'd estimate that we would make around about $<<print $income_m_perticket>> on average per attendee."
"So, the more people we get, the more money we'll make?"
Marco nodded. <<if ndef $promotions_quality>>He added, "We can't really work on this now until we have designed some basic promotional templates, such as the logo. I would speak with Mei Ling about this.
<<else>>He added, "As well as organising the stand and the vendors, I'll need to work with Mei Ling to commission the merchandise. This will occupy each of us for the rest of the week."
<<if $busyturns_meiling > 0>>"Unfortunately, Mei Ling is busy this week," said Alex. "We will have to wait until another time to do this."
<<else>><<click "Ask Marco to organise the merchandise stand; commission the merchandise from Mei Ling" "Decision Point">>
<<delayset "merchandise" "True" 1 "Marco reported that the merchandise stand was ready, and that he was available for other duties.">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Merchandising booked" $turn>>
<<set $busyturns_meiling = 1; $busyturns_marco = 1; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry Alex, Marco and I are busy getting the merchanise ready. Can we speak next week?"'; $busymessage_marco = '"Can we speak another time? Mei Ling and I are working on getting the merchandise ready."'>><</click>>
<</if>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Workforce]]"The first of the team fortnightly meetings," Alex thought. She ran over the large list of tasks that needed to be done, feeling intimidated by how much there was to be done but still excited at thought of how the event could be. She was starting to get to know her team a bit and wondered how well they would manage their responsibilities.
She looked to Dougal, "Are you okay with taking the minutes?"
Dougal looked up at Alex, "Sure."
Alex waited for Dougal to pull out something to write on, but he sat there looking puzzled. Alex prompted "Pen and paper?"
Dougal started and said "Oh right" and looked around the room holding up a pen.
Alex sighed and passed over some paper.
Each team member ran through the news of the fortnight. John gave a brief sneering report emphasizing the importance of getting on to the bands, adding a comment about how well the Summer Festivals project was going.
Marco emphasised the importance of booking the venue, that the band negotiations were important but without a venue it would be difficult to bands to sign on. John bristled at Marco’s comments and Alex mentally sighed. Mei Ling jumped in with her report in an attempt to smooth over the ruffled feelings.
Another week and another team meeting.
Alex was generally happy with how the team was handling the tasks they had been given - with the exception of Dougal who, true did whatever she asked him to do, but he didn’t seem to be able to take charge of anything.
The team began to wander into the meeting room. Dougal and Marco seemed to be comparing notes about some computer game. Mei Ling started to regale Alex with a very funny story about a party she had been to on the weekend.
John bustled in late, commenting on how he was held up with an important phone call for the Summer Festivals project. Marco made a conspicuous "pffffft!" at this excuse and John bristled. Alex quickly jumped in to run through her update of the project.
As another week passed and another of the fortnightly team meetings rolled around Alex felt herself settling into the task before her. They were well on their way now.
The team were starting to get to know each other and there was even a bit of cross sharing of expertise - particularly as the team took advantage of Mei Ling’s creative flair.
However, there were definitely two camps emerging in the group with ongoing tension between Marco and John. Alex was still struggling with Dougal and how little he contributed to the group.
Mei Ling had met with Alex a few days ago raising her concerns about the tensions in the group and the need for Alex to do something. Alex thought she was probably right, but just wasn’t sure what.
Alex couldn’t believe they were up to another fortnightly team meeting. With a small flutter of panic Alex reflected on how they were nearly halfway through the timeline. Swallowing the panic away Alex wondered if the team would ever come together and develop a cohesive group identity.
As Alex thought about the roles everyone was adopting in the team she thought John was definitely adopting blocker and dominator roles. Dougal was adopting a withdrawer role. Marco seemed very focused on the task, sometimes without thinking about the impact of what he said on the feelings of the others. Mei Ling often seem to adopt the harmoniser role trying to smooth out the relationships.
Alex thought about how much easier it would be if she could just focus on the task and didn’t have to worry about all these interpersonal dynamics.
Next week would the halfway point and Ali and the Ozipalooza Foundation board would want an update report. Alex thought about today’s fortnightly team meeting, it was time to check that everyone was on track.
The group was starting to develop some norms to the way they worked together. There seemed to be less jostling over what tasks were important and the team seemed to be more accepting of Alex’s leadership.
There still seemed to be conflict though. John and Marco continued to bicker. John seemed to be doing an okay job but it was clear that the Summer Festivals project was his priority and John was regularly late for the fortnightly meeting.
Dougal continued to contribute virtually nothing except what he was directly asked to do, and then sometimes needed chasing to make sure he actually did the task.
Mei Ling had taken to having a regular coffee with Alex and venting her frustration. Alex thought it was time to take the lead on the group dynamics. Perhaps a more informal setting would be best. Alex decided that she would try and catch up with each team member individually.
Another week and another fortnightly team meeting was upon them. They had passed the mid-way point now and the team was flying with all their tasks. It hadn’t been all smooth sailing. Mei Ling’s venting had finally prompted Alex to follow up with her team.
She had gone out to coffee with each of her team members to try and get the team working better together. She thought over her conversations. She thought that Marco would probably keep more of his opinions to himself now and give John some breathing space. She had taken a different approach with Dougal. Taking a leaf out of goal setting theory, they had discussed the goals of the Ozzipalooza and Alex and tried to make sure they were as clear as possible. She had also asked him to map out a workplan in the hope that he might step up and contribute more to those goals.
Alex hadn’t been able to catch up with John so she took the opportunity to approach him at the fortnightly meeting. “Hey John, I was wondering if we could catch up for coffee later?”
John looked at Alex with some surprise before a sneer settled onto his face, “Well I suppose I could squeeze you into my busy schedule.”
[[Next->Beginning week 11, part 2]]Later that afternoon Alex sipped her soy latte and looked at John stirring sugar into his black coffee.
She contemplated how to begin. Finally, she just decided to speak what was on her mind.
Taking a deep breath she began to speak, "John, I wanted to talk to you. You seem like you have been pretty unhappy on this team, particularly with my leadership. I just wondered what was going on and whether you’d like to talk about it?"
John looked at Alex and said, "I don’t see what business it is of yours."
Alex felt the anger rising within her. How was she going to handle this?
[[Take a task oriented approach and ask John to focus on the task at hand->Task oriented]]
[[Take a relationship oriented approach and get to know John better->Relationship oriented]]
<<set $approach_john = "Task">>"So what you're saying John, is that your unhappiness on this team is no business of the team leader?"
John did not reply, and simply scowled at Alex. She shook her head and met John's intense gaze.
"We have a job to do here John. We need to put our differences aside and get on with ensuring that Ozzipalooza is the best event of the year."
John leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest, "If you say so boss. Is there a problem with the job I’m doing?"
Alex looked at John, resigned that they just didn’t get along, "No John, you are doing a fine job."
"Well, now we've settled that, can I go now?"
John did not wait for a response. He tossed a five dollar bill on the table for the coffee and walked towards the door. Alex sighed deeply.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_john = "Relationship">>Alex looked at John and took a deep breath, "Look maybe you are right, maybe it isn’t my business, but we work together. I realise we don’t know each other that well and maybe that’s the problem, maybe we need to get to know each other better. Whatever you may think of me, I don't want you to be unhappy on this team."
John looked a little taken aback but still a bit sullen, "I still don’t see what business it is of yours."
Alex tried a different topic, "Okay. Let’s talk about something else. How did you come to be working at ABC Events?"
John took a sip of his coffee and began, "Well okay then. I started at ABC Events right after Uni. I was brought in on the Summer Festivals event. It’s a great project. Not as high profile as Ozzipalooza of course but it’s been great fun. We have to work pretty closely with our partners and they certainly seem to have a lot of demands."
John paused and took another sip of coffee, "I worked on the tender for Ozzipalooza before you started, you know." Alex shook her head to indicate that she hadn’t known and John continued, "They said to me if I worked on the tender then it would help to get on the team running that event. So of course I was thrilled when the tender was successful and I got the opportunity to work on the event."
Alex fiddled with her coffee cup, and hoped that John would continue, she felt sure that they were getting close to the real issue now.
After a small silence and another sip of coffee John continued, "So you can imagine my surprise when Elke announced she was leaving when they gave Elke’s position to you. I mean it’s just not fair - I’ve been at the company longer than you, I have more history with the project I was the obvious choice."
Everything started to fall into place. As Alex reflected on John’s story equity theory popped into her head, no wonder John wasn’t that motivated to work with the team.
"That really was unfair. Didn’t Ali and Elke explain why they didn’t give you the position?”
John shook his head. Alex rushed to explain, "Well they said to me that you were invaluable on the Summer Festivals project and that they really needed you to keep running that."
John looked up, "They really said I was invaluable?" Alex nodded, and John looked thoughtful.
“So you don’t drink milk either?” he offered gesturing to Alex’s coffee.
Alex smiled in relief, “Nope, I’m lactose intolerant”. As the conversation shifted to dietary considerations, Alex was hopeful that things might be looking up for the Ozzipalooza team.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<if $approach_john eq "Task">>Another week had passed and the fortnightly meeting was upon them again. The project seemed to be going okay. The team was was focused on their tasks. They seemed to have settled into a pattern now. Dougal seemed to be trying a bit harder, Marco was keeping his more outspoken comments to himself and Mei Ling was a lot happier. Alex had thought her conversation with John might have helped but there was no notable difference. “Oh well” Alex thought, “you can’t get along with everyone and he seems to be getting his tasks done”.<<else>>Another week had passed and the fortnightly meeting was upon them again. The project seemed to be going okay. The team was focused on their tasks and everyone seemed to be getting along much better now. Alex was glad she had taken the time to get to know everyone a bit better.<</if>>
"Now that the stage equipment has been organised, we need to look at who is going to be responsible for directing each of these bands backstage," said Marco.
"I think due to the high demands and responsibility involved that this should be a paid position," John advised.
Marco quickly responded excitedly, "My brother would be great at that job and could do with a job and some money right now. Alex would you like me to contact him and offer him the job?"
"What experience does your brother have Marco has he ever worked at a music festival?" John argued back. "Alex, I know of some great stage coordinators I have worked with at past events. I can see if they are available if you like."
"You should advertise for the position," said Mei Ling. "If it's such an important responsibility, then you want to get the best candidate."
Alex thought to herself what would be the best course of action to take.
[[Allow Marco's brother to do the job->Stage 2a]]
[[Allow one of John's contacts to do the job->Stage 2b]]
[[Advertise the position->Stage 2c]] (interviews in 2 turns)"Let's go with your brother, Marco," said Alex. "I trust your judgement."
Marco looked very surprised and pleased, while both John and Mei Ling had a slightly sour look on their faces.
Marco called up his brother, "Hi Tony, I’ve got great news, I’ve got you a job at the Ozzipalooza music festival."
"That’s great news brother, what do I have to do?"
"You just have to make sure all the bands are ready to play at their allocated times."
"That sounds easy enough, I’ll give it my best shot."
Alex was pleased to be able to help out one of Marco's family members, but she had a nagging thought that she really didn't know anything about him. She hoped that he had the right experience and skills for the job.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_sc = "Tony">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Hiring decision" "Tony">>"I think the only fair way to decide this is to have a formal application process," said Alex. "It's an important position, and we need a good candidate to fill the role."
Most people in the room nodded, even John.
Alex turned to Dougal. "Can you please type me up a job advertisement for the stage coordinator job?"
"I’ve never done something like that before but I’ll give it a go," replied Dougal.
"Thanks Dougal," said Alex. "Here's an example of a job advertisement, which should help you. Once you are done show it to me and I’ll provide you with some feedback."
While Dougal was working on the advertisement, Alex developed a job description for the role. Once she was done she passed the job description to Dougal.
Dougal typed up the job advertisement and emailed it to Alex. Surprisingly, he had done a good job and Alex had few corrections.
Alex responded to his message: "Great job Dougal, please send it to the local paper and put it up online on Seek.com."
She hoped by next week that they would have some suitable candidates for the job.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<triggerevent "Stage 3a" 2>>"John, I know you have some good contacts in the industry," said Alex. "Can you find someone suitable for the Stage Coordinator position?"
John nodded, and he smiled. Marco and Mei Ling looked less happy about the decision.
Later that day, John called some of his industry contacts. After his third try, he had recruited his friend Adam for the position.
Alex was pleased that the postion was sorted, but she had a nagging thought that she really didn't know anything about Adam. She hoped that he had the right experience and skills for the job.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_sc = "Adam">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Hiring decision" "Adam">>Alex had narrowed down the shortlist of candidates for the Stage Coordinator position to three. The first candidate was one of John's industry contacts, Adam. The second was Marco's brother, Tony. The third was Melanie, an external candidate.
John, Marco, Mei Ling and Alex formed the interview panel. They sat at the end of a long table in the interview room. Alex invited the first candidate to enter the room.
Adam approached the table and sat down opposite the panel. The team went through their interview questions one by one.
"What music festivals have you coordinated the bands for in the past?" asked Alex.
Adam responded, "I coordinated my first music event six months ago. It was the party, sing and dance festival in Apollo Bay. It was a great success and all the bands played to their allocated time spots and we received great reviews."
"Yes I found that you did a great job at that event and I didn’t have to step in and help you at any stage during the performances," John said.
[[Next->Stage 3b]]Adam left the room as Tony talked in. They asked him a similar line of questions, including the one about his industry experience as a stage coordinator.
“Well I helped out backstage at the Good Vibes festival in Lorne last year, mainly just moving stage props and equipment,” Tony replied.
Mei Ling asked Tony, “What interaction did you have with the bands and band managers?”
"Well I did tell one of the band managers to move out of my way at one stage and I asked for Rays of Sunshine's lead singer's autograph."
Alex replied, "Thanks Tony, can you please let the next applicant in?"
[[Next->Stage 3c]]The last applicant to enter the room was Melanie. The team went through the same set of questions.
"Melanie can you please tell us about the music festivals you have coordinated the bands for in the past?" Mei Ling asked.
"Gosh where do I start -- there has been quite a few. I've been working in the industry for the last five years. I have organised music events with several stages and up to thirty bands and then small events with three bands. I also coordinated the bands at the Ozzipalooza event in Sydney last year."
Marco then asked another question, "Have you experienced any issues when coordinating the bands?"
Melanie responded, "Of course I have, you know how some of these artists can get they can’t go on stage until their makeup is perfect or they are running late. However, I have managed those circumstances and either had contingency plans in place or got the band on before them to play another set."
Marco replied, "Sounds like you have had a lot of experience."
John added, "I haven’t seen you at any of the events I have coordinated in the past, they might have been a bit out of your league."
"You have my resume and my list of referees if you wish to verify my experience," she said. "If you need to ask my any more questions about my previous jobs, I would be happy to answer them."
Melanie then left the room.
[[Next->Stage 3d]]Marco had made his decision, "I think it's a no brainer, Melanie obviously has the skills and experience we need for the role, we should offer it to her."
Alex was surprised that he didn't nominate his brother. However, after his interview, she knew that Marco wouldn't have much credibility if he did so.
John argued back, "I disagree, I think Adam should get the job, I’ve seen him work and I know he is good at what he does. Plus Melanie wouldn’t be able to handle some of the bands we have got coming they can be a bit rough and abusive at times and I don’t think she could handle it."
Alex mused that Melanie seemed quite assertive in the interview. She wondered if John would have made the same observation if the candidate had been male.
Since John and Marco couldn’t agree, it was up to Alex to make the decision.
[[I think we should hire Adam->Hire Adam]] (John's contact)
[[I think we should hire Melanie->Hire Melanie]] (the external candidate)"I think we should hire Adam," said Alex. "John clearly knows him and has seen him in action."
John nodded, and he smiled. Marco and Mei Ling looked less happy about the decision.
Later that day, John called up Adam about the position and told him that he had gotten the job.
Alex was pleased that the postion was sorted, but she had a nagging thought that the decision was largely based on John's observations, rather than any information that had come out of the interview.
Adam had a major advantage over Melanie in knowing a member of the interview panel, and he had used it to get the job. She hoped that he really did have the right experience and skills for the position.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_sc = "Adam">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Hiring decision" "Adam">>"I think we should hire Melanie," said Alex. "It is clear from her resume and the interview that she has extensive experience. And she handled all of the tough interview questions well."
"But I've seen Adam in action," said John. "I know he would be a good choice for the role."
"Sure," said Alex, "but it's not a level playing field if we base our decisions on our personal experiences. You've only observed one candidate at work and not the other, so it's not a fair comparison. We have a hiring process in place, and Melanie performed best across all of our requirements."
"I suppose you are right," acknowledged John. "She has more experience than any of the other candidates, and her referees do speak highly of her."
"Excellent, it's decided then," said Alex. Mei Ling and Marco nodded with great approval.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_sc = "Melanie">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Hiring decision" "Melanie">>With Alex now in the Events Manager role, she was scheduled to meet the Ozzipalooza Foundation. The Foundation was ABC Events' client, and they provided the funding for the project. The team had travelled to their offices to make a presentation about their vision for the event, and progress to date.
Alex looked over her team. Typically John was absorbed in his phone, however he looked smart and professional in his suit. Mei Ling was bouncing slightly in her chair, looking nervous and excited at the same time. She had developed a visual display to accompany Alex’s speech. Marco was strolling around the waiting room looking at pictures on the wall of past Ozzipalooza events. His eyes were filled with excitement as he looked at the pictures at some of the bands that had played at the event in the past.
Despite her nervousness Alex smiled at Marco’s enthusiasm, it was the most animated she had ever seen him.
The door to the board room opened and all of a sudden Alex’s mouth went dry and she felt slightly sick. Alex nervously smoothed her jacket and patted her hair. As Events Manager, it was her job to present to the Foundation.
She looked over her notes, running through her speech, and smoothed her jacket again. Taking a deep breath she thought to herself, "Okay I’m ready as I’m ever going to be."
[[Next->Presenting to the OF2]]Ozzipalooza was the brainchild of Arthur Osmont, one of Australia's most famous rockers of the 1970s. He always claimed that the name "Ozzipalooza" was a portmanteau of "Aussie" and "Lollapalooza", though many had speculated the name originated from his surname.
Standing behind the door was the legendary man himself! Despite the elegant grey suit and crisp white shirt, he still looked a bit like the rock star of his youth. He had kept his long hair, and had obviously darkened it because it showed no signs of grey. Alex thought it looked a little mismatched with his craggy face and grey stubble. Still, there was a rougish handsomeness to him.
"Alex, I'd like you to meet Mr Osmond," Ali began. "Arthur, this is Alex, our new Event Manager."
"A pleasure," said Arthur with a swagger, as he extended his hand and shook Alex's enthusiastically. He held on for just a little bit too long as he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Wow, they do make them young these days."
"My mum says that you're very famous," said Alex, taking half a step back. "She was a big fan when she was a teenager. She wanted me to get your autograph."
Arthur cracked a smile, showing his perfect set of pearly white teeth. "Shall we get down to business?"
[[Next->Presenting to the OF3]]Alex looked at the Ozipalooza board members sitting in front of her. All eyes were on her, waiting for her to start. The only problem was her mind had gone completely blank, she couldn’t remember her speech at all.
The panic was beginning to take hold and the silence was beginning to become awkward. John had a bit of a smirk on his face. Alex glanced at her team members and cleared her throat. She glanced at her notes and then the papers slipped out of her hand. She giggled nervously as she picked up the papers.
One of the board members offered her some water. Gratefully Alex took a sip of water and tried to collect her thoughts. She nodded to Mei Ling to begin the visuals and launched into her speech
"Imagine the buzz as thousands of young adults begin to gather to hear great music and begin their journey to being part of the Australian music scene..."
Board members nodded as Mei Ling’s visual displays created a great visual counterpart to Alex’s speech. It was a rocky start but she could feel herself relaxing into this speech, and the board seemed to like what they were hearing.
As she finished up what she was saying Alex felt flushed with energy. Arthur Osmont looked up at Alex and smiled, "Well that was an inspiring vision. I think we made the right choice to go with a new company to inject some freshness into this event. We will be looking forward to your updates. I think we can sign off now on authorising some funds to get you started."
Alex thanked the board and thought happily of the funds that would provide some welcome resources that could feed into the project. She now thought she had a better idea of the idea of feedforward control now.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>"I need to speak with you urgently," said John to Alex.
"What's going on?" she asked, starting to get worried.
"We have a problem with <<print $band[$band_conflict]>>. Have a look at this list of demands..."
Alex inspected the list:
* Each room must be draped with Black drapes.
* 25 pound dumbbells
* 24-Diet Coke 16oz plastic bottles
* 48 Daisani, Poland Spring 12oz bottles 'NO Evian'
* 1 Loaf white bread
* 1 Loaf wheat bread
* 6 Lunchables snacks (3 turkeys & 3 ham with cheese)
* 16 Cans Sugar-Free Red Bull
* Large fresh jumbo shrimps with cocktail sauce and plenty of lemons
* Desired room temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit
* 1 Love Seat
"A love seat?!"
"Believe it or not, it's not the strangest request that I've ever heard," said John. "It goes on..."
“<<print $band[$band_conflict]>> is demanding that they are not to appear on any promotional material with Todd Stevens since they do not want to be associated with any "hippy" indie rock music," John said. "They want us to recall all existing promotions and merchandise with their names on it."
Todd Stevens and his band was one of the local acts. They were definitely down the more mellow end of the rocking spectrum, but Alex was surprised they would generate this much animosity.
She replied, "We can't do that as our patrons need to know who is going to be playing at Ozzipalooza and the posters have already been drawn up!"
[[Next->Band Conflict 2]]John nodded, in rare agreement with Alex.
"What are our options?" she asked?
"The way I see it, we have five," said John. "First of all, <<print $band[$band_conflict]>> have signed a contract with us to play at our event. I checked with legal. They have a bit of wriggle room, but this dispute shouldn't give them grounds to back out. So, we could send them a sternly worded letter reminding them of their legal responsibilities."
"What's the downside?" asked Alex.
"Some of my industry colleagues have told me about events where if <<print $band[$band_conflict]>> did not get their demands met, they did not show up. Their manager is good at finding loopholes. They may find some excuse not to turn up, such as an unexpected bout of the flu. Or worse, they could turn up and bag out ABC Events to all of their fans."
"What are our other options? What if we met their demands?"
"You'd need to speak with Mei Ling, but changing around the promotional templates will be time-consuming and costly. They will turn up, but if we give in to this ridiculous demand, it will set a very bad example."
"It's like letting the terrorists win," observed Alex.
"But at least we can be certain that they'll still come. Option three: we could just ignore it," said John. "Maybe the band was drunk or high when they demanded this of their manager. Maybe they'll forget about it. It could be a little risky."
Alex didn't seem especially hopeful. "Is there anything else?"
"We could offer them a compromise," suggested John. "All future promotions will not include both bands. That would be less costly to us. However, they might not agree to it and insist on their original proposal."
"What's Option five?"
"We can speak with their manager, and try to negotiate a solution with them. It might not be easy, but if we work in collaboration, we might be able to find some solution that suits everybody. No guarantees though."
Alex paused for thought.
"Not to put pressure on you, but this will be one of the most important decisions you will make as Events Manager," said John. "What you decide here has the potential to make or break the event. So, what's to be your decision?"
[[Force the band to appear at the event->Force]]
[[Accommodate the band's demands->Accommodate]] (costs $20,000; Mei Ling busy for two turns)
[[Avoid the conflict and hope that it goes away->Avoid]]
[[Offer a compromise on future promotions->Compromise]] (Mei Ling busy for a turn)
[[Collaborate with the manager to find a solution->Collaborate]]John sat down at his computer and began to compose an email to the band's manager.
<blockquote>Dear Bob,
We regret to inform you that we are unable to accommodate the demand to recall the promotions. We believe the request is unreasonable and will be highly costly to ABC Events.
Having consulted with our legal department, we believe that <<print $band[$band_conflict]>> has no grounds to withdraw from our festival on the grounds of this demand. I would like to remind you that <<print $band[$band_conflict]>> is contractually obliged to perform at the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane Ozzipalooza festivals.</blockquote>
Alex had a grim sense of satisfaction as John hit "send". She hoped that it would have the desired effect.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_conflict = "Force">><<triggerevent "Band Conflict 3" 1>><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Band conflict" "Force">>John sat down at his computer and began to compose an email to the band's manager.
<blockquote>Dear Bob,
We are terribly sorry to have offended <<print $band[$band_conflict]>> with our thoughtless promotions.
Please rest assured that we will make every possible effort to ensure the quality experience of all of our performers. I have instructed our marketing lead to withdraw all of the promotions and create new ones.
We trust this arrangement will be to your satisfaction. We sincerely hope to see you at Ozzipalooza.</blockquote>
Alex felt slightly sick in the stomach as John hit "send". What else would these people demand.
She knew that Mei Ling would not be happy, but it would be worth it to keep the band on side. After all, they were an important headline act.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_conflict = "Accommodate"; $busyturns_meiling = $busyturns_meiling + 2; $busymessage_meiling = '"As well as all of other other things you have me doing, I am organising the promotions recall at the moment," said Mei Ling, annoyed. "I really have no time at the moment."'>><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Band conflict" "Accommodate">>John dropped the message from the manager into the "Trash" folder of his email program.
"Problem solved!" he declared.
"I hope so," said Alex with a smile. "Let's hope they've forgotten about this already."
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_conflict = "Avoid">><<triggerevent "Band Conflict 3" 1>><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Band conflict" "Avoid">>John sat down at his computer and began to compose an email to the band's manager.
<blockquote>Dear Bob,
We understand that your client is unhappy with the presentation of the current advertisements for Ozzipalooza.
Recalling these advertisements would be very costly and time-consuming for our company, so we would like to offer you a compromise.
We will undertake to modify all future promotions so that they do not include <<print $band[$band_conflict]>> with Todd Stevens. We trust this arrangement will be satisfactory to all parties.
</blockquote>
Alex felt quite annoyed by all of this as John hit "send". It felt like a compromise of this nature was still unreasonable.
She knew that Mei Ling would not be happy, but it would be worth it to keep the band on side. After all, they were an important headline act.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_conflict = "Compromise">><<triggerevent "Band Conflict 3" 1>><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Band conflict" "Compromise">>John sat down at his computer and began to compose an email to the band's manager.
<blockquote>Dear Bob,
Sorry to hear that your client is unhappy with the presentation of the current advertisements for Ozzipalooza. Could we set up a Skype so that we can talk about the issue and come up with a solution that is mutually satisfactory?
</blockquote>
The next day, Alex saw that there was a message from Bob, who had proposed a time. She knew that because of the time difference, it was outside of office hours but she and John grudgingly agreed to the meet.
As the connection fired up, Bob appeared on the screen. He appeared to be a much more genial and happy-go-lucky man than the tone of his formal emails implied.
He, Alex and John exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes. Alex even got a laugh out of him when she joked that she was wearing her pyjamas under her desk at this late hour. They eventually got down to business.
"So, I understand that your client is unhappy with one of our fellow acts," said Alex.
"Look, let me be straight with you," he said. "I represent a lot of bands including <<print $band[$band_conflict]>>. They've got a massive chip on their shoulders at the moment about being seen to be edgy and relevant. And when we heard one of Todd Stevens' songs on the radio the other day and I mentioned they were performing together, they flipped out."
Bob continued, "Like many bands who have become world famous, it's gone to their heads. They're enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame while it lasts."
"So, what can we do to fix this?" said John. "We can't cancel Todd Stevens - he's a local favourite."
"Of course," said Bob. "Give me something that I can take back to the band so that they feel that they've won. Something that feels like a major concession, but isn't really."
Alex scratched her head, and then had a brilliant idea.
"Bob, as you probably know, we sell recordings of the live music from these festivals. It's in the contract. What if we sold two separate live music albums - Volume 1 and Volume 2 - and we made sure that <<print $band[$band_conflict]>> and Todd weren't on the same one."
"You can tell them you forced us to remove Todd Stevens from the live album," said John.
Bob smiled. "Yes! I think that would work. That's definitely something I can sell to them."
"Then, we're agreed!" beamed Alex.
John turned to Alex. For the first time, he smiled warmly and genuinely towards her.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $approach_conflict = "Collaborate">><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Band conflict" "Collaborate">>John walked over to Alex's desk. "I have received a message from the manager of <<print $band[$band_conflict]>>," he said.
Alex raised her eyebrow. "So, what's the verdict?"
<<if $approach_conflict eq "Force" and random(1,10) gt 3>>"They've backed down!" said John. "The email worked and so they are still going to be coming to Ozzipalooza."
"Sometimes, you just have to play a little bit hardball and stare down the barrel of a gun," said Alex.
John cracked what almost looked like a smile.
<<elseif $approach_conflict eq "Avoid" and random(1,10) gt 6>>"The news is good," said John. "Looks like they're still coming, and there's nothing in their message about any promotions."
"They must have thought better of it," said Alex. "Who would have thought - sometimes a problem like that just goes away by itself."
John cracked what almost looked like a smile.
<<elseif $approach_conflict eq "Compromise">><<if random(1,10) gt 2>>"They've agreed to the compromise," said John. "It will take Mei Ling a bit of time, but her team should be able to correct the promotions."
Alex breathed a big sigh of relief. "It's not exactly the most ideal outcome, but it's better than losing our headline act."
<<else>>"They've rejected the compromise," said John gravely. "We are going to need to go back to the original plan and get Mei Ling to make the changes to the promotions. It's going to be very costly."
Alex sighed deeply. This was the last thing that she needed, especially with Mei Ling being so busy with promoting the event. Still, at least they had their headline act.<<set $busyturns_meiling = $busyturns_meiling + 2; $busymessage_meiling = '"As well as all of other other things you have me doing, I am organising the promotions recall at the moment," said Mei Ling, annoyed. "I really have no time at the moment."'; $promotions_recall = "True">><</if>>
<<else>>John's face was dark. "They have decided that they are going to cancel their appearance at Ozzipalooza. They have cited an unspecified medical condition by one of the band members. This is truly terrible!"
"Our headline act!" exclaimed Alex. She gritted her teeth. "We must not give up. We might have lost <<print $band[$band_conflict]>>, but we still have a festival to organise."
"I'm afraid I have more bad news," said John. "You'll need to get Mei Ling to update the promotions to remove <<print $band[$band_conflict]>>, as well as issue an apology on the website. We don't offer refunds, so there are likely to be some very unhappy customers."
"This day just keeps getting worse and worse," said Alex.<<set $band_booked[$band_conflict] = 0; $band_droppedout = "True"; $busyturns_meiling = $busyturns_meiling + 1; $busymessage_meiling = '"Sorry, I am busy at the moment," said Mei Ling. "Can we talk again soon?"'>><<updatelog $id $playthrough "Band outcome" "Dropped out">>
<</if>>
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">>In the aftermath of the event, Ali had organised a debriefing with Alex. She knew that this must be important as he had scheduled an entire hour.
"Alex," he started. "Now that Ozzipalooza is behind us, the purpose of this meeting is to reflect on the job we did as a team."
Alex nodded.<<calculate_budget>><<set $net_profit = (Math.trunc(10000 * $inc_total / $exp_total) / 100) - 100>>
"Let me start by talking with you about our profits," he said. "After taking into account income and expenses, our net profit for this event was $net_profit%. In other words, <<if $net_profit <= -15>>we made a huge loss on the event. This is a disasterous outcome for our company."<<set $kpi_profits = 1>><<elseif $net_profit > -15 and $net_profit < 0>>we made a loss on the event. This is a poor outcome."<<set $kpi_profits = 2>><<elseif $net_profit eq 0>>we broke even on the event. This is an acceptable outcome."<<set $kpi_profits = 3>><<elseif $net_profit > 0 and $net_profit < 15>>we made a small profit on the event. This is a good outcome."<<set $kpi_profits = 4>><<elseif $net_profit >= 15>>we made a huge profit on the event. This is an outstanding outcome."<<set $kpi_profits = 5>><</if>>
Alex nodded as Ali continued.
"<<if ($sponsors_gold + $sponsors_silver + $sponsors_bronze) < 3>>It's a shame that you didn't recruit any sponsors beyond the two already recruited by Elke and Mei Ling. I'm a little disappointed by this, as it could have improved our profit margins.<<else>>It's good that you recruited some sponsors. That definitely improved our profit margins.<</if>>"
"<<if ndef $volunteers>>You know, it's a pity you didn't think to recruit some volunteers. We had to spend quite a bit of money on hiring a temporary workforce for the day, which could have been significantly reduced if we had a volunteer workforce.<<else>>Good job in recruiting the volunteers. That significantly reduced our costs in hiring a temporary workforce.<</if>>"
<<if ndef $insurance>>"I truly wish you had organised public liability insurance," said Ali. "As you probably heard, there was some vandalism at the venue. We are unfortunately going to be out of pocket for this."<<else>>"I'm very glad that you organised public liability insurance. As you probably heard, there was some vandalism. It should be covered by the insurance, so we won't be out of pocket."<</if>>
Total Profits Score: $kpi_profits / 5.
[[Next->Debrief 2 - Patronage]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "income_total" $inc_total>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "expense_total" $exp_total>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "kpi_profits" $kpi_profits>>"I now want to talk with you about patronage," said Ali. "As you would well be aware, getting the numbers is key to making this a profitable event."
He continued, "We sold a total of $tickets_sold tickets. <<if $tickets_sold < 3000>>I have to be honest, this is a very poor result. We could have done a lot more to promote the event and to drive up ticket numbers.<<set $kpi_patronage = 1>><<elseif $tickets_sold >= 3000 and $tickets_sold < 6000>>This is a poor result, considering the ticket sales of past festivals. I feel that we could have done a lot more to promote the event."<<set $kpi_patronage = 2>><<elseif $tickets_sold >= 6000 and $tickets_sold < 9000>>This is an acceptable result, taking into account the ticket sales of past festivals. We probably could have done a little more to promote the event."<<set $kpi_patronage = 3>><<elseif $tickets_sold >= 9000 and $tickets_sold < 12000>>This is a good result, especially considering past ticket sales."<<set $kpi_patronage = 4>><<elseif $tickets_sold >= 12000>>This is an outstanding result, especially considering that ticket sales have been declining over the past few years. This is the kind of result you would only have been in Ozzipalooza's golden years. Well done!"<<set $kpi_patronage = 5>><</if>>
Alex nodded as Ali provided more feedback.
"<<if $tickets_price eq 60>>The low ticket price definitely helped our patronage. My sense, however, is that we probably could have gone a little bit higher.<<elseif $tickets_price eq 90 or $tickets_price eq 120>>In terms of ticket price, I think you hit the sweet spot. They were expensive enough to generate revenue, but not so expensive as to deter customers.<<else>>The high ticket price definitely had an impact on our patronage levels. Yes it helped generate income, but my sense is that overall we were worse off setting it that high.<</if>>"
"<<if ndef $promotions_quality or $blitz_number < 1>>How on Earth were you expecting to run this event without any promotions? You should have gotten on to that as soon as possible.<<elseif $promotions_quality < 2>>It's good that you got the promotional materials designed, but these poor templates really detracted from our campaign. You really should have been keeping the graphic designer on a tighter rein.<<else>>You did a good job in getting the promotional templates finished. The cool design really helped our campaign.<</if>>"
Total Patronage Score: $kpi_patronage / 5.
[[Next->Debrief 3 - Customer satisfaction]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "finaltickets_sold" $tickets_sold>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "kpi_patronage" $kpi_patronage>><<nobr>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = 0>>
<<if $band_booked.count(1) > 0>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = $kpi_customersatisfaction + 1>><</if>>
<<if $band_booked.count(1) > 1>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = $kpi_customersatisfaction + 1>><</if>>
<<if $band_popular_n > 0>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = $kpi_customersatisfaction + 1>><</if>>
<<if $fooddrink eq "True">><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = $kpi_customersatisfaction + 1>><</if>>
<<if $band_total eq 8>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = $kpi_customersatisfaction + 1>><</if>>
<<if $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena" and (ndef $contingency_plan or $contingency_plan eq "No plan")>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = $kpi_customersatisfaction-1>><</if>>
<<if ndef $ticket_collectors>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = $kpi_customersatisfaction-1>><</if>>
<<if $venue eq "Burnley Park" and ndef $barriers >><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = $kpi_customersatisfaction-1>><</if>>
<<if $venue eq "Lexton Park" and ndef $transport>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = $kpi_customersatisfaction-1>><</if>>
<<if $kpi_customersatisfaction < 1>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = 1>><</if>>
<<if $kpi_customersatisfaction > 5>><<set $kpi_customersatisfaction = 5>><</if>>
<</nobr>>"I'd like to now talk about customer satisfaction," said Ali.
"What was the feedback like," inquired Alex.
<<if $kpi_customersatisfaction eq 1>>"Let me be very honest," said Ali. "They were extremely dissatisfied. There were number of issues they were unhappy with. <<elseif $kpi_customersatisfaction eq 2>>"They were quite dissatified," said Ali. "There were number of issues they were unhappy with. <<elseif $kpi_customersatisfaction eq 3>>"Feedback was mixed," said Ali. "There were number of issues they were unhappy with. <<elseif $kpi_customersatisfaction eq 4>>"On the whole, they were generally positive," said Ali. "There were a couple of issues they were unhappy with. <<elseif $kpi_customersatisfaction eq 5>>"They were extremely happy with the event," Ali said with a big smile. "You did a great job in putting it together. <</if>>Let me give you some more specific feedback."
<<if $band_booked.count(1) eq 1>>"It was great that we were able to get a famous international act. Our audience really loved that.<<elseif $band_booked.count(1) > 1>>"It was great that we were able to get multiple famous international acts. Our audience really loved that.<<else>>"It was a pity that we were unable to get any international acts to play at Ozzipalooza. That would have really improved customer satisfaction.<</if>><<if $band_popular_n > 0>> In particular, it was fantastic that we were able to secure a headliner that is very popular in Australia at the moment."<<else>> Next time, I recommend you also do some market research into which are the most popular bands in Australia and try to get them on your lineup."<</if>>
<<if $fooddrink eq "True">>"It's good that we had some food stalls set up. People do get very hungry at these events, and they usually forget to bring anything with them to eat."<<else>>"It's a pity we didn't think about setting up any food stalls. I think the customers really appreciate those, and people do get very hungry at these events."<</if>>
<<if $band_total < 8>>"People are very unhappy that we didn't have a full set of eight bands. They feel like they didn't get their money's worth, especially since past Ozzipaloozas have been a showcase for so many bands.<<else>>"The audience was happy that we had a full set of bands, exactly as they were expecting."<</if>>
<<if $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena" and (ndef $contingency_plan or $contingency_plan eq "No plan")>>"It was a real shame about the weather and the rain. You really needed to have come up with some kind of contingency plan. Many of our audience without their own umbrellas and raincoats were drenched. You can imagine they were pretty unhappy."<<elseif def $contingency_plan and $contingency_plan neq "No plan">>"It was a good thing that you came up with a wet weather plan. We really needed it with the afternoon downpour. I think we would have had a lot of dissatisfied people otherwise.<<else>>"I'm glad that we were undercover in that afternoon downpour. That could really have had a negative impact on our customers' satisfaction."<</if>>
<<if ndef $ticket_collectors or ($venue eq "Burnley Park" and ndef $barriers)>>"Our customers were really surprised about the way the event was managed. <<if ndef $ticket_collectors>>There were no ticket collectors. <</if>><<if $venue eq "Burnley Park" and ndef $barriers>>We didn't have any physical barriers in place. <</if>>This means that basically anyone could walk into the festival. The feedback we were getting was that they felt really ripped off when random people off the street came into the festival without paying."<<else>>"It was good that we arranged a proper entry process for the event. Feedback from our ticket collectors was that a lot of people tried to break in without paying."<</if>><<if $venue eq "Lexton Park" and ndef $transport>>"Our customers found it pretty difficult to get out to Lexton Park. The strong feedback we received is that we really needed to organise busses or some other transport out there. Alternatively, we could have the event closer to home."<</if>>
Total Customer Satisfaction Score: $kpi_customersatisfaction / 5.
[[Next->Debrief 4 - Social and Environmental Impact]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "kpi_customersatisfaction" $kpi_customersatisfaction>><<set $kpi_seimpact = 5>>"I want to talk about social and environmental impact now," said Ali.
Alex nodded as Ali provided feedback.
<<if ndef $waste and ndef $cleaning>>"First of all, we didn't have a waste management plan OR a cleaning crew. When we left, there was literally rubbish all over our venue for someone else to clean up. It's not a good look at all."<<set $kpi_seimpact = $kpi_seimpact - 3>><<elseif ndef $waste and def $cleaning>>"First of all, we didn't have a waste management plan. This means that people had nowhere to put their rubbish, so in most cases, they just dropped it on the ground. That means that our clean up crew had a very big job to do. It took a lot longer to clean up than expected, so the local authorities were not happy."<<set $kpi_seimpact = $kpi_seimpact - 1>><<elseif def $waste and ndef $cleaning>>"First of all, although we had a waste management plan in place, we had no cleaning crew to take away the rubbish. So we left all the rubbish for the local authorities to clear away. At least most of it was in bins. But it's not a good look.<<set $kpi_seimpact = $kpi_seimpact - 1>><<else>>"Our waste management plan and cleaning crew were very effective in keeping the venue in good shape. The local authorities were very pleased at how we handled this."<</if>>
<<if ndef $firstaid>>"We had no first aid crew on site," added Ali. "There were a couple of kids who had some bad drugs and overdosed. They had to be rushed away in an ambulance, which literally stopped the show. Unfortunately, it also generated some quite bad publicity for Ozzipalooza. Thank goodness there were no fatalities."<<set $kpi_seimpact = $kpi_seimpact - 1>><<else>>"I am very glad that we organised the first aid team. There were a couple of kids that had some bad drugs and overdosed, but we were fortunately able to treat them on the scene. That incident was well managed, as it could have resulted in some very bad publicity for us."<</if>>
<<if ndef $security>>"We neglected to organise a security force, apart from the temporary workers we had on staff who are not really trained to deal with these situations. As well as some phyical altercations, there was quite a bit of vandalism to the venue. The local authorities are not very happy with us."<<set $kpi_seimpact = $kpi_seimpact - 1>><<else>>"It's a good thing we organised a security force. They broke up a couple of physical altercations between our customers, and stopped some vandalism from occurring. There were no other serious incidents, fortunately."<</if>>
<<if ndef $firesafety>>"We failed to organise a fire safety plan for our venue. No incidents were reported, fortunately. However, the local council is very unhappy with us, as we promised that we would have one organised. As a result, our reputation has taken a hit and we've been fined."<<set $kpi_seimpact = $kpi_seimpact - 1>><<else>>"Thank you for organising the fire safety plan. While we didn't end up using it, it's good to know that we had a plan in place in case something went well. Feedback from the local council was positive."<</if>>
<<if ndef $traffic>>"I also heard reports from the council that they were very unhappy that we did not implement our traffic plan. There was significant congestion near $venue, leading to many motoring delays. There was also pandemonium for our customers in trying to find a park, as they had no-one to direct them."<<set $kpi_seimpact = $kpi_seimpact - 1>><<else>>"The council were very pleased with our traffic plan. We managed to avoid severe congestion near $venue. Customer feedback indicated that we did a good job in finding most people a place to park."<</if>><<if $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena" and ndef $toilets>>
"Finally, I have something truly terrible to report. We didn't provide any portable toilet facilities at $venue. So people were literally relieving themselves on the grass. The entire venue is filled with filth. I don't think they will ever allow ABC Events to host another event there again."<<set $kpi_seimpact = $kpi_seimpact - 3>><<else>>"The portable toilets worked well. Of course, nobody particularly likes them, but we organised enough of them for all of our patrons. Kenny did a very good job in getting them removed and all cleared away."<</if>>
Ali concluded, <<if $kpi_seimpact < 0>><<set $kpi_seimpact = 0>><</if>><<if $kpi_seimpact lte 1>>"Our reputation for our social and environmental performance is terrible, thanks to our mismanagement of this event. It's truly shocking how much we have been criticised in the media. I am doubtful that many venues will want to work with us again, unless very strict safeguards are in place."<<elseif $kpi_seimpact eq 2>>"Our reputation for our social and environmental performance is poor, thanks to our mismanagement of this event. We have received some quite bad coverage. Venues will be reluctant to work with us again in the future."<<elseif $kpi_seimpact eq 3>>"Our reputation for our social and environmental performance is mixed, thanks to this event. Venues will think twice about working with us in the future."<<elseif $kpi_seimpact eq 4>>"Our reputation for our social and environmental performance remains good. We'll likely retain our positive standing among the owners of different venues."<<elseif $kpi_seimpact eq 5>>"Due to our outstanding practices, we have enhanced our strong reputation for our social and environmental performance. We are now a customer of choice for many of these venues."<</if>>
Total Social and Environmental Performance: $kpi_seimpact / 5.
[[Next->Debrief 5 - Planning]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "kpi_seimpact" $kpi_seimpact>><<set $kpi_leading = 0>>"I'd also like to give you some feedback about how you led the team," said Ali.
Alex nodded, and continued to listen.<<if def $approach>>
"At the beginning of your time as Events Manager, you needed to make a very big decision, namely, which venue you would choose to host Ozzipalooza. To do this, you took <<if $approach eq "consultative">>a consultative approach, in which you asked the team their opinions but ultimately decided what to do. Your team had useful insights, but given the time constraints, I believe you made the right decision here."<<set $kpi_leading = $kpi_leading + 2>><<elseif $approach eq "authoritarian">>an authoritarian approach. On the one hand, I can appreciate needing to make a quick decision. On the other hand, you ignored any knowledge and insights your team had. They probably weren't that happy, even if they didn't show it. So, I would have taken a different approach."<<set $kpi_leading = $kpi_leading + 1>><<elseif $approach eq "group">>a group decision making approach. I can see why you wanted to do this, because it draws on the knowledge and insights of all of your team members. However, given the time pressures, I would have adopted another process to make the decision faster, particularly given the deadlock."<<set $kpi_leading = $kpi_leading + 1>><<elseif $approach eq "dictator">>quite a dictatorial approach. That is, you set up a group decision making approach and then overruled the group decision. This is very bad management. It's disingenuous because you are implying that the group can make the decision, when you have already made up your mind. It would have pissed them off to no end."<</if>><</if>>
"One of your other big challenges was managing Dougal," continued Ali. "Dougal as we both know is not exactly the ideal employee. Although he's not stupid, he's inexperienced and unaware of how he comes across to people. So what he really needs is a good manager to challenge his attitudes and be a good role model for him. For example, let's talk about when he wrote that memo. <<if $hb_style eq "Delegating">>I don't think you should have just left him to his own devices to write it. He really needed someone to show him what he needed to do and explain why he needed to write it professionally."<<elseif $hb_style eq "Selling">>You definitely made the right choice in being a good coach for him. Dougal really needed someone to show him what he needed to do and explain why he needed to write it professionally. Thanks to you, he is improving all the time.<<set $kpi_leading = $kpi_leading + 1>><<elseif $hb_style eq "Participating">>You chose to work with him to re-write the memo. While I think he could definitely use the role model, you also needed to work with him to change his *attitude*. He clearly doesn't quite get that that kind of informality is not acceptable in the workplace.<<elseif $hb_style eq "Telling">>You dictated to Dougal how to re-write that memo. He might have picked up one or two things from that lecture, but he would have felt absolutely humiliated, especially as you did it in front of his co-workers. I would have taken a very different approach.<<elseif $hb_style eq "No management">>You basically just did his work for him, without any kind of mentoring or feedback. I'll admit, it's a good short-term strategy. But in the long-term, Dougal is not going to benefit from you leaping in to do his job. You can't do everything, and you ultimately need to help your employees to become capable in their jobs.<</if>>
"I'd like to talk a little bit about John. I know that he hasn't been the easiest person to work with. <<if $approach_john eq "Relationship">>I wasn't aware of it at the time, but I now know that John really wanted to lead the Ozzipalooza festival. Elke and I didn't want to overburden him with this and the Summer Festivals project, but I guess there was a bit of resentment on his part. At any rate, I'm very glad that you adopted a relationship building approach and you managed to find some common ground."<<set $kpi_leading = $kpi_leading + 1>><<elseif $approach_john eq "Task">>For reasons I can't fathom, I understand that John took a bit of a dislike to you. I know that you tried to sort it out with him by calling him to task. If it were me, I probably would have taken more of a relationship building approach to get to know him a bit better. There's probably more to understand about him and where he is coming from."<</if>><<if def $approach_conflict>>
"Lastly, I heard that a couple of weeks ago, you dealt with a bit of a crisis. Namely, that one of our headline acts <<if $band_droppedout neq "True">>nearly <</if>> cancelled on us.<<if $approach_conflict eq "Force">>The way you approached the situation was to remind them of their contractual obligations, and use force to get the outcome that you wanted. As you might imagine, this was something of a risky strategy. Instead, I would have tried to work with them to find a mutually acceptable solution.<<elseif $approach_conflict eq "Accommodate">>The way you approached the situation was to acquiesce to their demands. This was the least risky option, but definitely the most costly. Instead, I would have tried to work with them to find a mutually acceptable solution.<<elseif $approach_conflict eq "Avoid">>The way you approached the situation was to avoid the issue and not respond to their requests. This is a risky strategy, because people detest being ignored and you are also breaking of regular channels of communication with them. Instead, I would have tried to work with them to find a mutually acceptable solution.<<elseif $approach_conflict eq "Compromise">>The way you handled this situation was to offer a compromise to them. This is probably a smart thing to do, as it is potentially less risky and less costly than their original proposal. But I have to say that their request was outrageous to begin with, and the compromise still quite unreasonable. Instead, I would have tried to work with them to find a mutually acceptable solution.<<set $kpi_leading = $kpi_leading + 1>><<elseif $approach_conflict eq "Collaborate">>The way you approached this situation was to work with them closely to find a mutually acceptable solution. You and John did a great job of talking to their manager and finding a solution that wasn't going to cost us anything. I really applaud your strategy.<<set $kpi_leading = $kpi_leading + 2>><</if>>"<</if>><<if $kpi_leading < 1>><<set $kpi_leading = 1>><</if>><<if $kpi_leading > 5>><<set $kpi_leading = 5>><</if>>
Total Leading Score: $kpi_leading / 5.
[[Next->Debrief 8 - Controlling]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "kpi_leading" $kpi_leading>>"And now, I'd like to talk about the future," said Ali.
Alex leaned in. She knew that all of this was building to something.
<<set $kpi_total = $kpi_profits + $kpi_patronage + $kpi_customersatisfaction + $kpi_seimpact + $kpi_planning + $kpi_organising + $kpi_leading + $kpi_controlling>><<if $kpi_total <= 10>>Ali continued, "I'm really sorry to have to tell you this, but we're not going to be renewing your contract for next year. While I'm grateful for all of your efforts, I feel like you badly let down the team in a number of respects. It was my mistake to assign you a project this large before you were ready."
"I understand," she said, tears welling in her eyes. After all the work she had put in to Ozzipalooza, it had come to this.
"I'm really sorry. I wish I had been a better mentor to you."
Alex stood up and left the room. She walked back to her desk and started throwing her personal things into a backpack. All eyes were on her as she cleared out her desk.
Mei Ling rushed up and offered to help, but Alex refused. She promised they would stay in touch, but now she didn't want to talk with anyone. Marco looked on sadly, while John surveyed the scene with an icy gaze.
Alex left the building, now alone. She wondered what the future would hold for her.<<elseif $kpi_total > 10 and $kpi_total <= 25>>Ali continued, "You've made quite a few mistakes during your time as Event Manager. Partly this is my fault, as I put you in a very senior position so early in your career. Also, I don't think I was a very good mentor to you after Elke left."
"I understand," Alex said, feeling uneasy.
"I'm going to renew your contract, but it's clear to me that you will need some more experience before you take on a senior role like Events Manager again. Therefore, I'm going to assign you to the Summer Festivals project for next year. You can report to John first thing on Monday morning. I've already told him that you're on his team, and he seemed very happy to take you on."
Alex's heart sank. This was not exactly the outcome that she was hoping for.
She walked out of the debriefing and back to her desk. She chewed on a pencil as she thought of what the future might hold.
"Welcome to the Summer Festivals project," came a voice from behind her. Alex spun around, suddenly realising that John had sidled up to her.
"You'll learn a lot on my team," John said. "You can see how a real event manager handles things."
He walked off with an uncharacteristic smile on his face, as Alex sank deeper into her chair.<<elseif $kpi_total > 25 and $kpi_total <= 35>>Ali continued, "You've done quite well in your time here. That being the case, I'd like to offer the opportunity to renew your contract for another year. If the Ozzipalooza project comes up again, then I would definitely consider you as the Events Manager again - although you will be competing with the other members of staff."
Alex smiled broadly. "Thank you so much, Ali! I'm really glad that you appreciate my work. I know I haven't done everything perfectly, but I have learnt so much and next time around I won't make the same mistakes twice."
"Glad to hear it!" said Ali. "Enjoy your weekend - you have definitely earned it."
Alex smiled as she left the room, glad to know that she had her job for another year. Although she had done reasonably well, she knew that there was room for improvement. She was determined that next time around, she would do an even better job.<<elseif $kpi_total > 35>>Ali continued, "You have done an outstanding job. I've spoken with the other Board members and they agree. We would like to offer you a permanent position here."
Alex was wide eyed. She had never expected this outcome.
"It... it's an honour!" she managed to get out.
"You've done a fantastic job across the board," said Ali. "Ozzipalooza was a big success, and the foundation are ecstatic with ABC Events. You're well on your way to becoming the new Elke. Arthur has personally asked for you to be put on the job again next year. I could hardly refuse him. Just please say yes."
"YES!" Alex exclaimed.
"Then it's settled," said Ali. "Do you have any plans for the rest of the afternoon? I hope not, because the rest of the team are throwing you a surprise party in honour of your success with Ozzipalooza. We're having it in the Board Room, and I've personally authorised the team to take out the wine from the locked cabinet."
As Ali and Alex walked towards the board room, she noticed a familiar figure standing down the hall.
"Elke! You're back."
"Hello Ms Permanent Ongoing Event Manager," Elke said, giving her a big hug. "Sorry I've been off the radar lately -- things have been crazy busy with Events Galore. Ali told me about your party, so I was able to get away for a couple of hours."
"I'm so glad to see you! I can't believe how things have gone here."
"Come on, you can tell me all about it. Mei Ling, Marco and John are waiting for us."
With a big smile, Alex walked into her surprise party and tried to act astonished. The corks popped, and the bubbly flowed freely.<</if>>
THE END
Total Score: $kpi_total / 40
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "kpi_total" $kpi_total>>Turns remaining: $turns ($turn)
Passage name: <<print passage()>>
User name: $s_name ($s_number)
ID: $id
[[Version: 0.14.2.->ChangeLog]]
<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a>.Version 0.14.2 (27 Sep 2017)
- Fixed a problem with the underlying database, which wasn't saving the correct identification
- Released Ozzipalooza under a Creative Commons Licence
Version 0.14.1 (17 Jul 2016)
- Introduced graphics for the organisational charts, as well as a downloadable Gannt chart
- Fixed bug in Mei Ling's dialogue (refers to 8,000 rather than 25,000)
- Fixed bug in Marco's dialogue, under Physical Barriers
- Recalibrated budget
- Added logging feature, so that all moves are saved to database
Version 0.14.0 (15 Jul 2016)
- Substantially shortened the introduction
- Meeting the Ozzipalooza foundation occurs at the beginning of turn 4
- Graphics now appear in a subfolder "Ozzipalooza/"
Version 0.13.13 (14 Mar 2016)
- Fixed some bugs in the epilogue
- Attempted to fix the bug in which Dave never completes the promotions (still may not work).
Version 0.13.2 (9 Mar 2016)
- Fixed the council approval bug.
- Added feedback if they submitted the planning approval, but not in time for the local council meeting.
- Crossed out the planning approval option once an application is in progress.
- Fixed a bug in which ticket sales were allowed to exceed 16,000 (and ticket sales were added to the budget twice).
Version 0.13.1 (3 Mar 2016)
- Fixed a bug with applying for a council permit (noise permit should not be required for Rod Laver Arena)
Version 0.13.0 (17 Feb 2016)
- Made Marco's section a bit more difficult, by removing requirements for the venue to be organised for:
- Ticket collectors
- Security
- Public liability insurance
- Stage equipment
- Volunteer workforce
- Food and drinks stand
- Merchandise stand
- Reorganised Marco's section, so that the venue is not first. The items that can be done without the venue being booked appear first in the list.
- Added requirements to Marco's portfolio, including:
- Obtaining planning approval from the local council
- A fire safety plan
- A traffic plan
- Obtaining signatures from community service providers acknowledging event
Version 0.12.0 (13 Feb 2016)
New features:
- John and Mei Ling now provide feedforward (likelihood of recruiting headliners and sponsors)
- The players get 0/40 if there is a catastrophic ending (0 tickets sold, 0 bands, no stage lighting)
- Noise permit now counts towards social impact
- Public liability insurance now counts towards profits (-1 if not organised)
Added requirements to Marco's portfolio, including:
- Obtaining planning approval from the local council
- A fire safety plan
- A traffic plan
- Obtaining signatures from community service providers acknowledging event
Revised dialogue:
- Changed Elke dialogue, for advice given in Marco's portfolio (reference to her list) and in Mei Ling's portfolio (removed reference to updating advertisements)
Bug fixes:
- Videos and posters now require promotional templates to be completed
- Fixed a bug where the number of advertising blitzes (for each specific type) did not properly accumulate.
Version 0.11.0 (11 Feb 2016)
New features:
- Upgraded to SugarCube 2.2.0.
Bug fixes:
- Tweaked Javascript code to work with the new version
Version 0.10.0: (9 Feb 2016)
New features:
- Added costs associated with the type of organisational structure
Bug fixes:
- Fixed the ticket collectors menu, where "Let's talk about something else" took you to the wrong menu.
- Fixed the "build a website" menu that got crossed off after phase 1.
- Fixed a bug where the game did not remember if the player had checked in with Dave.
Version 0.9.1: (8 Feb 2016)
- Changed the income and expenses, such that these are soft coded. All of the amounts are in the "StoryInit" passage. This will update the prices throughout the entire story.
- Fixed a bug in which Daze was incorrectly crossed out
- Changed the "isitdone" function to cross out an option if the variable in question has been defined (and holds any value).
- Fixed a bug with the sponsors.
- The game now remembers when you visit the Budget.
Version 0.9.0:
- Revised John's dialogue ("John successful"), so that it appears more certain that he recruited the headline act.
- Fixed a bug in which sometimes the timed events did not trigger.
[[Return|previous()]]<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>"We actually don't need to arrange a noise permit for Rod Laver Arena," said Mei Ling. "It's purpose built for these kinds of events and there are no businesses or residences nearby that would be affected by noise."
"Oh good!" Alex said. She was very thankful that this was one less thing that they had to organise.
<<set $noisepermit = "True">><<else>>Mei Ling quickly located the appropriate form from the council. She passed it over to Marco, who began looking at it intently as he chewed on his pencil.
"We need to do this," said Marco, "as it will be required for gaining planning approval. It's a bit of a complicated process. It's going to take at least a few days. Also, the council administrators are likely to take at least three weeks to review the permit once it is submitted. The application will cost $<<print $price_noisepermit>>. <<if ndef $venue_chosen>>"
Marco added, "We can't really get started on this before locking in the location and date of the venue," added Marco.
<<else>> Do you want me to get started on this now?"
Alex replied,
<<click "Yes, if you could make a start now, that will be great." "Noise permit 2">><<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "I am still working on the noise permit. Can we catch up later?"'>>
<<delayset "noisepermit" "True" 1 "Marco had finished filling out the application for the noise permit, and was now available for other duties. The application had been submitted to the local council, and was awaiting approval.">>
<<delayset "noisepermit_approved" "True" 4 "A letter from the local council indicated that the noise permit had finally been approved.">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Noise permit applied for" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Logistics]]John walked up to Alex's desk.
"I've just been on the phone with my counterpart from the New South Wales division," he said. "They've managed to find a really excellent band through their local networks."
"How do we know they are any good?" inquired Alex.
"They did an audition with them," said John. "I've got the video if you'd like to see it. They aced it."
Alex was a tiny bit sceptical, but after she saw the performance, she could definitely see their talent.
"What a great find!" she said to John. "I'm happy for you to add them to the national line up. That makes your job a bit easier."
"It's a good thing Ali went with the $structure structure," said John. "Otherwise, we might not have found this local talent."
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $band_total = $band_total + 1>>Mei Ling approached Alex's desk.
"Hey Alex," she said, "Do you have a moment?"
"Sure Mei Ling," replied Alex.
"I've just gotten off the phone with the head of marketing in our Queensland division. <<if $structure eq "divisional">>There seems to have been a bit of a mix-up. They've come up with their own logo and basic promotional templates. In other words, there's been a double-up in the amount of work that's been done."
"Oh no!" said Alex. "Does that mean we have to pay for it twice?"
Mei Ling nodded. "I'm afraid so. The trouble with our divisional structure is that sometimes we get these communication breakdowns. Ali's so busy -- it's hard for him to coordinate all three teams."
"That's a shame," said Alex. "An extra budget expense is the last thing that we needed. We should try to keep in better communication with the other divisions, even if the communication is informal."
"It's a good idea," said Mei Ling.<<set $promotions_templates_n = $promotions_templates_n + 1>>
<<elseif $structure eq "matrix">><<if ndef $promotions_print>>They've come up with some print promotions, based on our template. They are really good! It's one less thing we have to do."<<set $promotions_print = "True">><<elseif ndef $promotions_radio>>They've come up with some audio recordings that we can use for some radio advertising. I must say, I'm impressed with the voice quality. It's one less thing we need to do."<<set $promotions_radio = "True">><<elseif ndef $promotions_video>>They've come up with some promotional videos, based on our template. They are really high quality! It's one less thing we need to do."<<set $promotions_video = "True">><<elseif ndef $website>>They've come up with the shell of a website. It looks really good. We can definitely build on it. It's one less thing we need to do."<<set $website = "1">><<elseif $website eq "1">>They've come up with some materials for our website. They look really good. We can definitely use it. It's one less thing we need to do."<<set $website = "2">><<elseif $website eq "2">>They've come up with some social media materials for our website. They look really good. We can definitely use them. It's one less thing we need to do."<<set $website = "True">><</if>>
"That's great!" said Alex. "I'm really glad that we went with the matrix structure. It seems like we've really been able to capitalise on the talents of all of the different state teams."
<</if>>
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $kpi_planning = 0>>"I'd now like to talk with you about your performance as a manager," said Ali. "Do you remember the four core functions of management from your university degree?"
Alex thought back to the beginning of her degree and answered at last: "Planning, organising, leading and controlling."
"Great - I'm glad you remember," said Ali. "Let's talk about planning first. As you would probably recall, planning involves defining a long term objective, and determining a strategy for reaching it. You started off with the grand vision of what you wanted to achieve for Ozzipalooza, which you very articulately expressed to the Board."
Ali continued, "An important part of planning is prioritising what needs to be done, and in what order. For example, as so much depends on locking in the date and location of the venue, organising that is something you really need to do quite early. <<if ndef $booked_out>>I'm really glad that you made finding the venue a priority. Things could have gone very badly indeed if we hadn't got it organised."<<set $kpi_planning = $kpi_planning + 1>><<elseif $booked_out eq 1>>While you managed to get it done on time, I would have gotten on to it sooner. It could have turned out very badly if it had dragged on too much.<<set $kpi_planning = $kpi_planning + 0>><<elseif $booked_out eq 2>>You really left booking the venue until too late, despite my warnings. We were lucky to get Lexton Park, and even then it was Marco moving heaven and earth to get it booked. Ozzipalooza could have been without a home."<<set $kpi_planning = $kpi_planning - 1>><</if>>
"Headline acts are another thing you need to prioritise. These world famous bands tend to get booked out very quickly, so it's imperative that you get on to it ahead of time. <<if $band_booked.count(1) < 1>>Unfortunately, you didn't get on to this quickly enough, and we went without a headline act. Our audience weren't that happy. Next time, you really need to get on to this sooner."<<else>>I'm really glad that you successfully managed to line up a headliner. You definitely had your priorities right."<<set $kpi_planning = $kpi_planning + 1>><</if>>
<<if $band_total < 8>>"As I mentioned before, it's a shame that you were unable to organise a full set of eight bands. Next time, you really need to prioritise. You should have kept John busy every week, and quit going after the headliners if it seems like you are not going to get another one."<<else>>"As I mentioned before, it was great that you were able to get a full set of eight bands. You definitely kept John very busy, but I'm glad that you were able to manage it."<<set $kpi_planning = $kpi_planning + 1>><</if>>
<<if $tickets_onsale_turn >= 12>>"I think you waited too long to put tickets on sale. If you had started selling them earlier, we could have benefitted from a lot of extra time to promote them as well as word of mouth."<<else>>"I think it was quite a good thing we started selling tickets relatively early. It really helped us to benefit from the extra time."<<set $kpi_planning = $kpi_planning + 1>><</if>>
<<if ndef $sponsor_toosoon>>"It's a pity that you didn't approach any sponsors. They really could have reduced our costs. Next time, I'd leave a little more time for approaching them."<<elseif $sponsor_toosoon eq "True">>"Good job in approaching sponsors. However, I think you jumped the gun in trying to approach them before you had done much preparation. Next time, I would wait until you had a few more runs on the board -- such as organising a headline act -- before approaching them."<<else>>"Good job in approaching the sponsors. I'm glad that you waited until we had already achieved some of our milestones. I think that was some good planning."<<set $kpi_planning = $kpi_planning + 1>><</if>>
<<if $kpi_planning < 0>><<set $kpi_planning = 0>><</if>>Total Planning Performance: $kpi_planning / 5.
[[Next->Debrief 6 - Organising]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "kpi_planning" $kpi_planning>><<set $kpi_controlling = 0>>"Finally, I'd like to talk about controlling," said Ali. "Controlling is about monitoring and correcting work performance."
<<if $budget_checked eq 0>>"I'm quite annoyed that you never once asked me for a budget update. That's very disappointing, <<if $kpi_profits < 3>>as it might have helped you realise that costs were spiralling out of control."<<else>>and we are very lucky that we did not go over budget."<</if>><<else>><<set $kpi_controlling = $kpi_controlling+1>>"First of all, I'm very glad that you monitored the budget, <<if $kpi_profits < 3>>even though we ended up losing money. I think it probably would have been a lot worse if you hadn't been paying attention."<<else>>and I think this helped us to remain in a good financial position."<</if>><</if>>
<<if ndef $bands_checked>>"You really should have checked in with John about how you were doing with the bands. As well as giving you an update on the number you had recruited, John could have also made some educated guesses about whether he would be successful in approaching headline acts."<<else>><<set $kpi_controlling = $kpi_controlling+1>>"Good job in monitoring the bands situation with John. I trust that he was helpful in keeping you updated on the number of bands you had recruited, as well as making educated guesses about whether he would be successful in approaching headline acts."<</if>>
<<if ndef $sponsors_checked>>"With the sponsors, you really should have checked in with Mei Ling about how that was going," Ali added. "As well as giving you an update on the numbers of bronze, silver and gold sponsors, Mei Ling could have provided you with some insights about whether it was worth approaching any new sponsors. Next time, I would have kept a tighter rein on that."<<else>><<set $kpi_controlling = $kpi_controlling+1>>"With the sponsors, you did a good job in monitoring them with Mei Ling. I hope that she was helpful in providing some suggestions about whether it would be useful to approach a new sponsor."<</if>><<if def $promotions_feedforward>>
"With the promotions, you commissioned some basic designs from an external graphics artist. <<if $promotions_feedforward eq "True">>Mei Ling told me you did a good job in providing Dave with a detailed brief and making sure that he understood it. I think that saved a lot of time, as he knew exactly what to do. <<set $kpi_controlling = $kpi_controlling+1>><<else>>Mei Ling told me that you sent Dave off without much of a briefing. That could have potentially been very costly in time. <</if>><<if $promotions_concurrent eq "True">>I'm glad that you checked in on him while he was working on the project. If he had gotten it wrong, it could have caused delays that you really couldn't have afforded.<<set $kpi_controlling = $kpi_controlling+1>><<else>>I really would have checked in with him while he was working on the project. You could have picked up on any mistakes that he had made, which could have saved time.<</if>><<if $promotions_feedback eq "True">> At least you gave Dave some critical feedback towards the end. It blew out the time, but at least he eventually got the design right.<<set $kpi_controlling = $kpi_controlling+1>><</if>>"<</if>>
Total Controlling Score: $kpi_controlling / 5.
[[Next->The Finale]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "kpi_controlling" $kpi_controlling>><<set $kpi_organising = 1>>"I'd now like to talk about organising," said Ali. "Organising is basically the approach you take to mobilising and structuring the resources that you use."
"I remember," said Alex, recalling her first year textbook.
"Do you remember one of the first conversations that we had about how we would structure the team for the Ozzipalooza project? You persuaded me that we should go with a $structure structure. <<if $structure eq "functional">>In retrospect, I think this was a reasonably good choice for us. It was the least expensive because of economies of scale. Each department worked together fairly well. The only downside is that we weren't able to capitalise on some of the local knowledge in New South Wales and Queensland. On the whole, it wasn't such a bad choice.<<elseif $structure eq "divisional">>In retrospect, I think this was a reasonably good choice for us. It was a little more expensive than a functional structure, but we were able to tap into local knowledge in New South Wales and Queensland. I heard we even picked up a new band, which must have saved John a bit of work. It was a shame about the double-up with the promotions. But on the whole, it wasn't such a bad choice."<<elseif $structure eq "matrix">><<set $kpi_organising = $kpi_organising + 1>>In retrospect, I think this was a very good choice for us. It was a little more expensive than a functional structure, but we were able to tap into local knowledge in New South Wales and Queensland. I heard we even picked up a new band, which must have saved John a bit of work. I also heard that the marketing team was able to complement each others' efforts in terms of developing promotions. I'm really glad we went with that option."<</if>>
"You also did a good job in organising some key personnel for the venue," continued Ali. <<if ndef $ticket_collectors>>I'm surprised that you didn't organise any ticket collectors, however. Even though our tickets were sold online, we really needed them to make sure that people had paid."<<elseif ndef $volunteers>>One thing you might want to consider next time is recruiting a volunteer workforce. They can really save us a considerable amount of money to our budget."<<else>><<set $kpi_organising = $kpi_organising + 1>>In particular, I'm glad you managed to get the ticket collectors and volunteers organised. They would have saved us a considerable amount of money in our budget."<</if>>
"After organising the lighting and equipment, you had to hire a Stage Coordinator to manage the stage. <<if $approach_sc eq "Tony">>You decided to go with Marco's brother, Tony. Even though this was just a short-term job, this was a poor hiring process. As we found out on the day, Tony didn't have nearly as much experience as Marco described, and so we needed to do a lot of running around to help him. Next time, I would be a little more cautious about recruiting for important positions such as these."<<elseif $approach_sc eq "Adam">>You decided to go with John's colleague, Adam. Even though this was just a short-term job, I wouldn't have based my decision on just personal recommendations. Adam did an OK job, but as we found out on the day, he wasn't used to managing an event this size. Next time, I would set up a more rigorous recruiting procedure for important posisions such as these."<<set $kpi_organising = $kpi_organising + 1>><<elseif $approach_sc eq "Melanie">>You decided to go with the external candidate, Melanie. I applaud your choice -- she was a great hire. I think you did a very good job as manager setting up a rigourous interview process to pick the best candidate."<<set $kpi_organising = $kpi_organising + 2>><</if>>
Total Organising Performance: $kpi_organising / 5.
[[Next->Debrief 7 - Leading]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "kpi_organising" $kpi_organising>>In the aftermath of the event, Ali had organised a debriefing with Alex. She dreaded what would happen, given how badly it had all gone.
"Alex," he started. "Now that Ozzipalooza is behind us, the purpose of this meeting is to reflect on the job we did as a team. In short, it has been a total disater. We have forfeited any revenue coming from ticket sales. We are receiving complaints left, right and centre from our customers, sponsors and bands. Your management of your team has been truly appalling."
Alex's lip began to quiver. She had no words to defend herself.
[[Next->The Finale]]<<set $kpi_profits = 0; $kpi_patronage = 0; $kpi_customersatisfaction = 0; $kpi_seimpact = 0; $kpi_planning = 0; $kpi_organising = 0; $kpi_leading = 0; $kpi_controlling = 0;>>"What does planning approval involve?" asked Alex.
"Basically, before the event can go ahead, we have to apply for planning approval from the local council," said Marco. "A big festival like Ozzipalooza will draw in a lot of people, and the council has to know that we have planned appropriately."
"What does it involve?" asked Alex.
"It's a long and complicated application," said Marco. "And basically, we can only do it once we've got a lot of other stuff sorted out. Before we make the application, we will need to produce paperwork demonstrating that we have organised public liability insurance, signed agreements with all community service providers for the event, and have a noise permit approved. <<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>Actually, we probably don't need the noise permit, given that it's Rod Laver Arena.<<else>>The permit will take the longest, as we will need to wait for council approval.<</if>>"
Alex recoiled slightly. She couldn't believe how much work this would involve.
"Because of the scale of the event, it needs to be approved at a full council meeting. We can't just hand it off to a bureaucrat. By the time of the event, the council will also be expecting us to have achieved our plans for traffic safety, waste management, cleaning, security and medical emergencies. If we fail to meet any of these responsibilities, then we will be in breach of the approval."
"But we don't have to get all of that stuff sorted out now?" Alex queried.
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>"Correct," said Marco. "But in the meantime, we really need to get the location of the venue sorted out, so that we know which council we are dealing with."
<<elseif ndef $insurance>>"Correct," said Marco. "But in the meantime, there's no point putting in the application until we have applied for public liability insurance."
<<elseif ndef $signatures>>"Correct," said Marco. "But in the meantime, there's no point putting in the application until we have obtained the signatures from the police, fire department and ambulance services."
<<elseif ndef $noisepermit_approved and $venue neq "Rod Laver Arena">>"Correct," said Marco. "But in the meantime, there's no point putting in the application until we have successfully obtained a noise permit."
<<else>>"Correct," said Marco. "We just need to get the paperwork sorted for the application. However, there's something else I should point out. The application is going to take two weeks for me to prepare. And the local council only meets once every 6 weeks. Based on our schedule, they will meet 17, 11 and 5 weeks out from the event."
"That's useful to know," said Alex. She thought for a moment.
<<click "Can you get started on the planning approval application?" "Decision Point">><<set $busyturns_marco = 2>>
<<set $planning_approval = "True">>
<<set $busymessage_marco = '"Hey Alex," said Marco. "Right now I am preparing our application for planning approval. Can you come back later?"'>>
<<delayset "planning_application" "True" 2 "Marco had finished writing the planning application, which he submitted to the local council for approval. He was now available for other duties.">>
<<if $turn <= 1>><<set $council_meet = 3>>
<<elseif $turn > 1 and $turn <= 7>><<set $council_meet = 9>>
<<elseif $turn > 7 and $turn <= 13>><<set $council_meet = 15>>
<<else>><<set $council_meet = 21>><</if>>
<<set $meet_turns = $council_meet - $turn>>
<<triggerevent "Planning approval 2" $meet_turns>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Planning approval sought" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Booking]]Marco walked up to Alex's desk with a big smile on his face.
"Alex," he started, "I have some excellent news. I received a phone call today from the local council, indicating that our planning approval application has been approved. As far as they are concerned, the event is good to go!"
"That's wonderful new!" said Alex. "Thanks so much for all of your work on the application - it must have taken ages."
"Don't mention it," said Marco. "There's still a lot that we need to do. We submitted detailed plans to the council about waste, cleaning, security and other matters, and now we must ensure that we fulfill those promises."
"We will get it done!" said Alex confidently.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $planning_approved = "True">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Planning approval received" $turn>>"Elke wrote on her list that we needed to obtain signed agreements from all service providers," said Alex. "What did she mean by that?"
"Well," said Marco, "with a big event like Ozzipalooza, we have to inform important community services about what we are doing. In particular, we need to notify the police, fire service and ambulance service about the event to ensure that they have enough personnel on standby in case something goes wrong. We'll need to do it to gain planning approval from the local council."
"Oh," said Alex. "Will their signatures be difficult to get?"
"Not too difficult," said Marco. "However, they will press us to develop our security, fire and medical emergency plans. If we don't get these completed in time for the festival, they may withdraw their support."
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>He added, "We need to get the location and date of the event organised before we start on this."
<<else>>Alex nodded.
<<click "Start making the calls." "Decision Point">>
<<delayset "signatures" "True" 1 "Marco reported that he had notified the police, firefighters, and ambulance services about Ozzipalooza, and had obtained signed agreements from them. He was now available for other duties.">>
<<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Emergency service providers notified" $turn>>
<</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Risk Management]]"Can we talk about developing a fire safety plan?" asked Alex.
<<if $venue eq "Rod Laver Arena">>"Sure," said Marco. "Fortunately, Rod Laver Arena already has one. We can just obtain a copy of their plan, rather than having to devise one ourselves."
Alex breathed a sigh of relief that this was one less thing that they had to organise.<<set $firesafety = "True">>
<<else>>"Sure," said Marco. "It's going to be a hot summer, so we really do need this plan in case there is a fire. It would only take one stray cigarette butt to set the whole place ablaze."
"What do we need to do?" asked Alex.
"Basically, we have to work out an evacuation plan, hire some fire wardens, and zone particular areas as hazardous. In practice, it might mean that we set up designated smoking areas and instigate fire bans. We'll need to do it to get planning approval from the local council."
"How long will it take," asked Alex.
"Not long," said Marco. "I just need to scout out the venue and devise the plan. It should take about a week."
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>He added, "We need to get the location and date of the event organised before we start on this."
<<else>>Alex nodded.
<<click "If you could get started, that would be great." "Decision Point">>
<<delayset "firesafety" "True" 1 "Marco reported that had developed the fire safety plan. He was now available for other duties.">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Fire safety plan developed" $turn>>
<<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<</click>><</if>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Risk Management]]"Can we talk about developing a traffic plan?" asked Alex.
"Sure," said Marco. "We'll need to set up some wardens to direct people to the correct parking spots, as well as maintaining the flow of regular traffic. It's necessary to meet our commitments to the local council."
"How long will it take to organise?" asked Alex.
"I'd say about a week," said Marco. "I will need to have one of my team scout out the venue, as well as organise some wardens from our temporary workforce. In total, it should cost around $<<print $price_traffic>>."
Alex smiled.
<<if ndef $venue_chosen>>He added, "We need to get the location and date of the event organised before we start on this."
<<else>><<click "Make it happen!" "Decision Point">>
<<delayset "traffic" "True" 1 "Marco reported that he had developed the traffic plan. He was now available for other duties.">>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "Traffic plan developed" $turn>>
<<set $busyturns_marco = 1>>
<</click>><</if>>
[[Let's talk about something else.->Venue Risk Management]]Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Ali had summoned Alex for a meeting.
"Hi Alex," he started. "I just wanted to check in with you to see how you were going with everything. It's obviously a very big responsibility you have, and I'd be keen to know if there's anything I can do to help."
Alex and he discussed a few operational issues, and she began to feel a little bit better about some of the niggling questions that she had.
"I want to talk about the big picture now," said Ali. "How will we know whether the event is successful?"
Alex thought for a moment. "The event makes a profit?"
"Yes," said Ali, "but that's only one aspect. As you'd know, ABC Events has the mission of being Australia's premier events provider. We don't do cheap and nasty. We want to delight our customers, but also to be a good corporate citizen in looking after the local environment."
"So, it's a bit like a balanced scorecard approach?" said Alex.
"Exactly!" said Ali, "Although we use slightly different measures than a traditional balanced scorecard. To sum up, I'll be assessing the event in terms of the following things:
<ol><li>Profitability: Whether the event makes money.</li><li>Patronage: The number of customers we have attending.</li><li>Customer satisfaction: How much our festival goers enjoy the event.</li><li>Social and environmental responsibility: How well we do in looking after the local environment.</li></ol>
I'll also be looking at how well you perform as a manager, especially in terms of your ability to plan, organise, lead and control."
Alex nodded. She was suddenly reminded just how big an undertaking this job was.
<<checktriggerevent "Decision Point">><<set $structure = "divisional">>“I concur,” said Ali. “I think that local knowledge is key to this festival being a success, and any additional costs I think will be worth it in the end.”
Alex nodded, “Yes, I think it’s a good approach. So, how will the teams work in practice?”
“Well,” said Ali, “I was thinking that I could oversee all three state teams and make sure that each one is operating effectively. Alex, I would like you to head up the Victorian team. It’s a big responsibility, but I have every confidence in you.”
“Thanks Ali, I appreciate it,” said Alex. “Elke and I have worked really well together over the past few months, and I’m really excited about this project.”
Ali continued: “Right then – we are going to need to hire some more people to work across the three teams. Let’s start writing some position descriptions…”
[[Next->Meet the team, 1]]<<triggerevent "Divisional or Hybrid bonus band" 5>>
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "structure" "divisional">><<set $structure = "functional"; $price_centraladmin = 10000>>“I’m leaning towards that type of structure as well,” said Ali. “I think ultimately it will be more economical, even if we have to make sure each team is working well together.”
“It’s decided then,” said Ali. “I will oversee the three teams and make sure that they are all working together effectively. Alex, I’d like you to head up the Events team for this project. It’s a big responsibility, but I have every confidence in you.”
“Thanks Ali, I appreciate it,” said Alex. “Elke and I have worked really well together over the past few months, and I’m really excited about this project.”
Ali continued: “Right then – we are going to need to hire some more people to work across the three teams. Let’s start writing some position descriptions…”
[[Next->Meet the team, 1]]
<<updatelog $id $playthrough "structure" "functional">><<set $structure = "matrix">>“The hybrid structure seems like a good way to go,” said Alex.
“I agree,” said Ali. “I think it’s the best of both worlds. As long as the employees in these cross-functional teams work together effectively, I think it can work.”
“So, how will these teams work in practice?” asked Alex.
“Well,” said Ali, “I was thinking that I could oversee the three national office teams and the three state-based teams. We need to make sure they are operating effectively. Alex, I would like you to head up the national events team, and be the team leader for the Victorian team.”
“Thanks Ali, I appreciate it,” said Alex. “Elke and I have worked really well together over the past few months, and I’m really excited about this project.”
Ali continued: “Right then – we are going to need to hire some more people to work across these teams. Let’s start writing some position descriptions…”
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