Course Title: Plan and manage conferences

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2011

Course Code: BUSM6241C

Course Title: Plan and manage conferences

School: 650T TAFE Business

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5221 - Diploma of Business Administration

Course Contact : Sylvia Baroutis

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5469

Course Contact Email:sylvia.baroutis@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 30

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to plan, promote and coordinate conferences,ensuring follow up procedures are incorporated.

No licensing, legislative regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	BSBADM503B Plan and manage conferences
Element:	Coordinate conference proceedings
Performance Criteria:	4.1 Check conference facilities to confirm they meet agreed requirements. 4.2 Register participants in accordance with planned registration procedures. 4.3 Communicate to participants any late changes to the published program. 4.4 Make contingency arrangements to ensure the smooth running of the conference. 4.5 Ensure speakers' schedules are managed and their conference requirements met throughout the conference. 4.6 Manage administration requirements during conference in accordance with conference plan/schedule.
Element:	Follow up conference proceedings
Performance Criteria:	5.1 Record, report and/or follow-up conference outcomes in accordance with organisational requirements. 5.2 Prepare conference papers for publication and distribution within designated timelines. 4.3 Post-conference correspondence is prepared and despatched within designated timelines. 5.4 Finalise receipts and payments, and acquit conference funds in accordance with organisational procedures and audit requirements.
Element:	Organise conference
Performance Criteria:	3.1 Make conference arrangements in accordance with booking lead times and budget allocation/s. 3.2 Record acceptances, receipt fees and confirm participants within designated timelines. 3.3 Identify and cater for participants' specific needs. 3.4 Confirm program details and prepare conference papers in accordance with speakers' requirements and conference timeline. 3.5 Despatch pre-conference information to participants within designated timelines.
Element:	Plan conference
Performance Criteria:	1.1 Confirm purpose, required outcomes and style of conference with conference convenor/s. 1.2 Confirm conference facilities requirements, budget, and preparation timeline with conference convenor/s. 1.3 Identify speakers/presenters and/or prepare a call for papers in accordance with conference purpose and style. 1.4 Draft conference program in line with stated purpose, and balance choice of program elements to allow outcomes to be achieved. 1.5 Select, invite and brief speakers in accordance with conference program. 1.6 Identify participant target group and project numbers in consultation with conference organisers. 1.7 Plan conference administration requirements and tasks, processes and resources to ensure efficient management of conference data and resources.
Element:	Promote conference
Performance Criteria:	2.1 Establish a promotion strategy that reaches required number of target participants. 2.2 Prepare publicity material in accordance with the promotion strategy and budget allocation/s, and despatch within designated timelines.

Learning Outcomes

Details of Learning Activities

Learners will host a conference with a theme and with a link to a social action project.  Working from the Virtual Enterprise, a simulated business environment at RMIT, students will bring theory alive into practice and produce a real life conference that is planned and managed in small groups.  The learner is accountable for their own planning actions and weekly participation is required so that a successful conference transpires.  This course is co-delivered with BUSM6240C Manage meetings and EMPL5627C Ensure team effectiveness.

Some learning activities will include a self-directed learning approach.  Self-directed learning refers to organised teacher-directed learning activities that you will undertake independently, either as individuals or with other students.  This may include workplace research, library assignments, field work and work placements.

Teaching Schedule

Week	Content	Elements BUSM6241C Conferences	Elements EMPL5627C Teams	Elements BUSM6240C Meetings	Assessment
1	Overview of courses Assessment Learning activities Mode of delivery for units Learning hub and Toolbox
2	Planning: Form into conference sub-committees Conference theme and communication strategy for target audience Set goals, objectives and define tasks Schedule subcommittees and planning meetings	1.1, 1.4, 1.6	1.1 - 1.3 4.1 - 4.2	1.1 - 1.5 2.1 - 2.4
3	Planning: Determine conference purpose.  What is a social action project/triple bottom line? Team goals, individual roles.	1.2, 1.6, 1.7, 4.1	1.1 - 1.3 2.1, 2.2 4.1 - 4.3	3.1 - 3.3
4	Planning: Event promotion, prepare mailouts Toolbox	1.3, 1.5, 1.7, 2.2	2.1 - 2.4	1.1 - 1.5
5	Planning: Keeping records Staffing and volunteer management. Prepare mailouts to guests. Create budget.	1.3, 1.5	2.1 - 2.4 3.1 - 3.3	2.1 - 2.4
6	Planning, organising, coordinating: Prepare mailouts and marketing collateral Filing documents: checklists and filenotes	4.2	2.1 - 2.4	3.1 - 3.3
7	Planning,organising, coordinating Onsite management	4.2	2.1 - 2.4	3.1 - 3.3	Teacher observation
8	Promoting: Spectator management Importance of RSVP’s and registration processes	1.4, 2.1, 2.2	3.1 - 3.3	1.1 - 1.5	Teacher observation
9	Practical Placement Promote conference Organise conference	Self-directed learning 2.2 3.1 4.1, 5.2	Self-directed learning	Self-directed learning
10	Practical Placement Promote conference Organise conference	Self-directed learning 2.2 3.2, 5.2	Self-directed learning	Self-directed learning
11	Promoting and organising Coordinate subcommittees OHS risk assessments	3.4 3.5	3.1 - 3.3	3.1 - 3.3
12	Promoting: Confirmations and coordinating Chapters 21 and 22	3.2	4.1 - 4.4	1.1 - 1.5
13	Promoting: Confirmations using checklists Contingency planning Conference rehearsal/OHS risk assessment	1.7 3.5 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 5.2	4.1 - 4.4	2.1 - 2.4
14	Host conference: Monday 10 October 2011 Coordinate conference proceedings Follow up conference Event impact and evaluation	3.3, 3.4     4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 5.1	All elements	2.1 - 2.4	Teacher observation
15	Follow up conference Event impact and evaluation	5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4	All elements	3.1 - 3.3	Teacher observation Team member peer evaluation form Sub-committee report
16	Event impact and evaluation Follow up conference and review	1.7, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4	All elements	3.1 - 3.3	Individual report

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

Refer to Learning Hub for text, handouts and Toolbox

References

Other Resources

Refer to Learning Hub for assessments.

Overview of Assessment

Students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a particular unit of competency to be deemed competent.  Students are advised that they will be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.

Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievements of each competency.  Assessments may incorporate a variety of methods: direct questioning combined with a review of portfolios of evidence, review of authenticated documents from the training environment and demonstration of techniques.

In addition to the assessments, formative feedback is provided to the students throughout the duration of the course.

Assessment Tasks

Please note: You must demonstrate competence in all elements to be deemed competent in this unit. 

Refer to the four marking criteria guides on the Learning Hub.

Brief:
You will run a real conference in Week 14 - Monday 10 October 2011. As a class you will decide on a theme and apply the Community Fundraising Proposal and Guidelines from Seeing Eye Dogs Australia, a division of Vision Australia National Office: 17 Barrett Street, Kensington VIC 3031.  Phone 9381 6400.  Fax: 9381 6464, Email: info@seda.org.au, www.seda.org.au. This is your social action aspect of the conference. Your conference will be made carbon neutral as your business sustainability approach and is assessed with "Ensure Team Effectiveness". You will be responsible for planning, promoting, organising, coordinating and following up the conference.

You will form into subcommittees to manage the affairs of the conference.  All subcommittees have a fundraising goal to achieve:
1. Venue and OH&S
2. Speakers and protocol
3. Promotions/Publicity/Sponsorship
4. Budget/Coordination
5. Catering/Special needs

Conference Manager/Document Controller
This person is responsible for the Sub-committee report/portfolio of documents.  It is a co-ordinator role.  This person is elected at a full general meeting to take on the role of Conference Manager/Document controller to keep the conference proceedings on track. This person will have the qualities of efficiency, a can-do attitude and be organised with excellent interpersonal, leadership, liaison skills (particularly between each sub-committee) and document production skills. This person will have an eye for details and will ensure that weekly documents created by the committees, such as minutes, checklists and meeting documents are stored securely with back-up for hard and soft copies. This person will not be a member of a sub-committee.

The specific responsibilities of each sub-committee will be discussed in class. The scheduled group meetings will act as a communication channel between the coordinating activities of the subcommittees. This is an integral part of achieving a successful outcome for the conference.

Masters of Ceremony
Two students will be elected at a full general meeting to take on the role of Master of Ceremony.

Sub-committee Meetings
Each week within class time, sub committee meetings will run to keep the conference proceedings moving. Nominations for Chair and Minute Taker will be schedule for the semester. It is the Chair and Minute Taker’s joint responsibility to prepare the minutes of each meeting and the meeting documents. In order to make decisions about actions tabled at the weekly class meetings, sub-committee meetings will be held. A copy of the sub-committee reports and relevant documents such as checklists and to-do-lists are to be attached to the minutes of the weekly class meetings and submitted to the teacher.

Each sub-committee will invite a number of visitors to the Conference and the promotions subcommittee send the invitations.  It is proposed to target Careers Advisors from Secondary Colleges in Victoria and students, teachers and administrators in the Business Administration program and within the RMIT Business TAFE School. 

Each sub-committee will have a specific role to play in the Conference proceedings and will need to liaise closely with other sub-committees to ensure that efficient coordination and organisation of the conference takes place.

Note that in all group work it is expected that student participation is equal and evident.

Subcommittee Report – Due Week 15 
This report is streamlined and professional in appearance. It is a quality business folio with production to the highest standards. It will be consistent in font, design, use of templates, feature colour and style. All portfolio documents must be word processed and presented in a formal and professional manner with appropriate sections. Refer to RMIT Business Report/Writing Style guides on the Learning Hub.

The evidence to be produced for the conference activity is a portfolio of documents is created weekly in class and stored securely by the sub-committee in hard and soft copies. This portfolio must identify all aspects of the conference preparation and organisation for each subcommittee and cover all allocated topics.

Each subcommittee is responsible to collate their own portfolio of documents including: Job Description, Gantt Charts produced in MS Project, To Do Lists, Check Lists and all other relevant documents related to their subcommittee. For templates refer to the admin section of the Toolbox located on the Learning Hub.

The Conference Manager/Document Controller is responsible for collating documents relating to the overall conference: Job Description, Gantt Chart, To Do List etc and collecting completed portfolio of documents from each subcommittee.

A full copy of the portfolio is to be presented bound and must include:
• Title page
• Table of contents with page numbering
• All agenda’s and minutes of subcommittee meetings
• All weekly reports from subcommittees
• All documents created during semester including subcommittee Gantt charts.
• All letters of enquiry and confirmation according to sub-committee area and other supporting evidence eg. invitations, flyers, registration forms, nametags, emails, quotes, enquiry and confirmation letters, record of telephone conversations, etc.

Individual Report – Due Week 16

This is where you get to showcase your work as an individual.  You will produce an evaluation report in which you will describe in detail how the conference was planned, promoted, organised and coordinated and what you would do differently next time. Include:

1. Introduction – approx. 300 words
1.1. What the report is about
2. Topics – approx. 300 words per topic
2.1. Conference Planning
2.2. Conference Promotion
2.3. Conference Organising
2.4. Conference Proceedings
2.5. Post Conference
3. Evaluation – approx. 250 words
3.1. Observation of conference - include a qualitative and quantitative description
4. Appendices
4.1. Include all those documents that you produced during the semester. Sign them individually and collate note documents must include checklists.
5. Conclusion
5.1. Personal reflection of learning – approx. 500 words (what went well, not so well, what would you do differently next time ... )

The report should be presented in a formal format according to RMIT guidelines for the Presentation of Written Work.
Refer to the Learning Hub for the marking criteria sheet and details of the project requirements.

Peer assessment - Week 15 

This peer assessment will be undertaken by all students. This is where you get to have a say, anonymously, and rank your sub-committee colleagues according to how much effort they have spent on the conference planning/preparation etc.  Each member will assess their sub-committee peers in relation to: their attendance at weekly and sub-committee meetings, constructive participation and effort in weekly and sub-committee meetings and the members’ ability and willingness to work in a team. Refer to the document on the Learning Hub.

Teacher observation – Week 15

The student will be observed by the facilitator whilst undertaking the pre and post conference planning, promoting, organising, evaluating activities. Refer to the Learning Hub for the marking criteria guide.

Assessment Matrix

	Covering all critical aspects from competency	Peer evaluation	Subcommittee and Individual Reports	Teacher Observation
	Plan conference	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Promote conference	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Organise Conference	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Coordinate conference proceedings	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Follow up conference proceedings	Yes	Yes	Yes

Other Information

Assessments submitted late will attract a DNS/NYC grade.  Refer to Student Diary for Special Consideration/Extension of Time procedure.  If an Extension of Time is granted note that the grade given will be either NYC/CA.

Grading schedule:

CHD: Competency with High Distinction

CDI: Competency with Distinction

CC: Competency with Credit

CA: Competency Achieved

NYC/DNS: Not Yet Competent/Did Not Submit

Course Overview: Access Course Overview