Outlet Marketing

Here is the question
Pick any one of your properties retail outlets (F& B Outlet, Bar, Gift shop) and explore how this outlet uses point of sale promotions to acquire customers or increase revenues. Keeping in mind that revenue is a combination of unit sale and price per unit charges. Investigate a recent promotion used by the property investigate lead time, creative costs, printing costs. Ideally this would include a printed item. Explore how this promotion was evaluated for success.
Some definitions
Point of Sale That place where the transaction actually occurs. Examples of this include a server selling a drink or meal to a customer, or upselling a sale in a retail outlet or convincing a guest to booka later tee off time for a slighlty lower rate
Point of Sale Promotion This could be as simple as a table card promoting the wine of the day to a complex food promotion with door cards in room tent cards, elevator posters, special menus etc. Or it could have little collateral support be be a discount purchase time. This would include a dscount if you eat before a certain time or happy or hungry hour.
Lead time Explain not only the time it takes to put a promotion together but the design and approval process for the promotion and all of it's promotional requirements.
Creative Are the posters, menus produced in house or produce by a graphic designer or produced by head office.

Look at this as a process from the moment of conception to the development of promotional material, training of staff and perhaps most important how was sucess or failure measured. Is the measurement based on return on investment or increased customer count. Who is accountable for sucess and the measrement of it.

Maintenance & Preventative Maintenance

Every operation requires maintenance of its facility and equipment. Explore what strategies are undertaken to prevent equipment failure of a major system. Outline the details of the plan, estimate its cost and relate it to the cost of the equipment and potential cost of major repairs. The other component of any operation is maintaining the front of the house (guest used spaces). Explore with the operation how this space is maintained, how frequently it is updated or renovated. In this exploration investigate if the property has an ongoing budget or accrual for this expenditure and if so how this is calculated.

Some thoughts and definitions:
What equipment does your operation have that is critical to making money and obtaining guest satisfaction. Is it a grill , refrigeration, air conditioning, ari exchanger a dishwasher, laundry or some other piece of equipment the guest never sess but if it doesn't work they don;t get their meal or don't have a very nice stay with us. What does your company do to maintain these. Do they just get fixed when they are broken or is their a plan to service them before they break. What about light bulbs is there a plan in place just to replace them when they burn out or is replacement done to a plan to spread out the cost and prevent that one bulb burnt out over the ntrance canopy.

Front of the house is any area the customer sees in a public way, Lobbies, the dining room, public washrooms and the like. How are these maintained (Not daily cleaning but in depth cleaning) How often do they refresh the space, sometimes thi means new vinyl and new fixtures and sometimes this measn completly gutting and starting again.

Some hotels set aside and FF&E allowance (Furnitures, Fixtures and Equipment) in which they set aside a percentage of gross revenues to allow for future renos. Explore and see how you propoerty sets aside money for this type of activity.

Services and Facilities Market Segments

Explore the market segments your facility targets. Then with guidance from your co-op employer identify what the key five segments are. Once you have decided this explore the services and facilities that the property offers that support each of these five markets. Prepare a feature benefit analysis for each of these markets. Then prepare a SWOT analysis for the property keyed to these five key markets.

Definitions & Comments

So what is a market segment anyway. We can define markets in many ways but the most common definition is some characteristic of a customer that is unique to that customer in the purchasing behaviour of our products or services. In the hotel we oftern define this by purpose of trip and here are some common Markets (Many will have sub markets)
Corporate
Leisure
Weekend
Romance
Conferences (Associations)
Motorcoach

On the food and beverage side we can define the guest by the time of dya they use us or where they come from or demographicallywho they are (Demographics are a measure of who you are in such common areas as Sex, Age, Where you Live, Income) Some examples might be:

In-house diners (In a hotel)
Locals
Event diners (Brithdays, Annviersaries etc...)
Motorcoach
Families with youn children
Romance
Seniors

Now match your services and facilities to the markets you choose. For example meeting/conference guests need meeting rooms, guest rooms, AV equipment etc. But family guests might need a swimming pool and family breakfast menu

In food and beverage Event diners will need champagne and perhaps some expensive menu items where family guests will need a kids menu etc...

Now on to A Feature Benefit anlayis and here I will provide you with an example. For the family diners the feature is a Kid's Menu the benefits are, cost and portion reasonable food for youg kids perhaps even if the menu allows the kids to drayon on it an activity to entertain the kids so that the parents can enjoy their meal instead of always entertaining the kids

What is a SWOT analys for the Corporate guest staying at the Residence inn in Halifax
While many of these attributes will hold true in all makets they will change for tohers
Strength
Weakness
Opportunity
Threat

One strenght would be oversized well appointed rooms (Lots of potentail strenghts in here related to servicea appropriate to this market, Coffe maker, fridge etc.
Another strenght might be it's downtown location close to business
Close to bars and restaurants

Weakenesses
As an example as a leisure guest interested in shopping at Bayer Lake this hotel has a bad location
No in-house dining means you alwasy ahve to go out for a meal

Opportunity
Some facility or service that will generate revenue for the propoerty or attract a new clientel
In this case perhaps leasing space out to a massage therapist so one could add a space type event on weekends

Threat
The opening of a new hotel or competing service to yout property
The condition of the propeorty if it is long overdue for renovations
The quality of the management team if good practices are not in place

TRAINING GOALS

Either one of two techniques may be used to answer each of the training goals outlined below. When in an area that you are working in, it may be acquired by observation and experience. If this is not possible, make arrangements during your cooperative employment to interview a member or members of the appropriate department to gather the information you require. (Please cite sources) Please answer each of the following questions in some detail. This will take a significant amount of research including interviews of management and staff, observations of your facility’s operations and may include independent research. Your answers will require you to lay out your research, observations and conclusions. If the facility in which you are completing co-op does not allow you to complete the requirements of any question please make arrangements with another facility, with faculty’s prior approval, to make sure you explore all areas of investigation. (Hint each answer should be approximately one page in length.)

All Concentrations

1. Recount the hiring process you went through, discuss your orientation to the property, department and job. This should include an overview of the hours and types of training. Discuss task specific training and goals and targets set for you. Discuss difficulties you experienced and how you overcame them.
2. Explore the disciplinary process at your property, outline employer’s rights and obligations, employee’s rights and obligations as well as the process for appeal of a disciplinary action’s correctness and or severity. If yours is a unionized property explore the potential costs of the grievance, conciliation and arbitration process. Demonstrate your understanding of the process by creating an example of an employee who journeys through the full cycle.
3. Every operation requires maintenance of its facility and /or equipment. Explore what strategies are undertaken to prevent equipment failure of a major system. Outline the details of the plan, estimate its cost and relate it to the cost of the equipment and potential cost of major repairs. The other component of any operation is maintaining the front of the house (guest used spaces). Explore with the operation how this space is maintained, how frequently it is updated or renovated. In this exploration investigate if the property has an ongoing budget or accrual for this expenditure and if so how this is calculated.
4. Explore the market segments your organization targets. Then with guidance from your co-op employer identify what the key five segments are. Once you have decided this explore the services and facilities that the property offers that support each of these five markets. Prepare a feature benefit analysis for each of these markets. Then prepare a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats analysis for the organization keyed to these five key markets.

Food & Beverage and Hotel Restaurant

5. Pick any one of your properties retail outlets (F& B Outlet, Bar, Gift shop) and explore how this outlet uses point of sale promotions to acquire customers or increase revenues. Keeping in mind that revenue is a combination of unit sale and price per unit charges. Investigate a recent promotion used by the property investigate lead time, creative costs, printing costs. Ideally this would include a printed item. Explore how this promotion was evaluated for success.
6. In the area of Food and Beverage:
a. Ask to be allowed to witness a delivery of food items being received at the back door/receiving dock of your establishment. Describe the procedure you witness.
b. Ask where the items are taken to, and if they are not taken directly to the kitchen, describe what procedure is followed by the cooks to obtain the items to use in the kitchen.
c. What process is used for the wait staff to order and receive the menu item to serve to the guest?
d. How does your establishment ensure that the food items obtained from the kitchen are indeed paid for?
7. Examine the wine list at your facility (provide a copy). What is its; profit strategies, selling tactics, philosophy on wines, on food pairing, on pricing by the glass and on international coverage? Has the property established par stock levels for wines and bar inventory and if so explain how this was arrived at and provide an example of these “Pars”? What is the ratio of beverage to food sales in your establishment and discuss the significance of this statistic.




8. Investigate the linen or liquor inventory process at your facility. Establish how many “Pars” are in circulation, storage, for linen also in-house laundry? Discuss the circulation of linen or liquor (including food and beverage linen) is it smooth or are there any problems. For a laundry analysis explore with the appropriate Managers as to why the property either handles laundry in-house or contracts it out.
9. Explore the property’s revenue management system. Interview the appropriate person ( Restaurant Manager, Revenue Manager, Front Office Manager, Sales Team or equivalent) and explain their revenue management process, providing examples of this process and its application. Describe and demonstrate an understanding of this cycle from rate structure to daily price setting, from annual monthly budgeting , both for rooms revenue and room night forecast to illustrating monthly and biweekly forecasting. Consider all elements of the sales mix, is the property forecasting mix targets and what actions are they taking to achieve the overall as well as the individual, market segment financial and marketing objectives?
Ecotourism Concentration
5. Investigate the property’s environmental sustainability. What “green management” principles does the company incorporate into its business? Develop an environmental audit form and do a green management analysis (including recommendations) for the establishment.
6. Do the owner/operators and staff at the property consider the business to be an “ecotourism” operation? Based on your knowledge of Ecotourism, would you consider this property to be an “ecotourism” business? Explain why, or why not. If your analysis finds the company not to be an “ecotourism” operation, provide suggestions as to how it could become one.
7. Reflect on the property you are working for; could run this type of business? Outline the skills you would need in order to run this type of business. Which of these skills do you currently have? What skills are you lacking? Explain.

Oral Work Term Report

The oral presentation using a PowerPoint to support it will be scheduled upon your return to the campus. This will occur on the Tuesday, Wednesday of the week you return to classes. The presentation should be a minimum of 20 minutes in length. Visual aids (posters, photos, videos or overheads) may be used for enhancement. The evaluation of the talk will be based on your communication skills, personal attributes, and content. We request that students attempt to bring back a public relations photo of their property so we may post them for all students to see.

Where more than one student is working at a property a team presentation is encouraged on the following schedule
1 Student 20 Minutes
2 Students 20 Minutes
3 Students 30 minutes

Guideline(s)
• If a video is used it should be no longer than 6 minutes
• Overview of property Could be part of video
• Outline the details of the Operation (Rooms, F & B etc…) Could be part of the video
• Outline of Job (description ) No more than 2 minutes
• Critical events
• SWOT analysis
• Key issue and your solution
• Conclusion

Tuesday July 27, 2007 The Akerley Coop Bugle Issue Four



Visitations

Marc Simard is planning his visits for this year for the week of August 20th. He will sent out a detailed schedule once he contacts the HR people in each of the hotels
Business Levels Trending Up
It’s been a pretty solid year for Tourism in Metro Halifax this year. Each time we talk to a hotel they seem to be sold out. Ms. Mosher and Mr. Simard had site visit at the new Marriot Courtyard and they had difficulty showing any rooms as they were sold out
Monthly Reporting

Your report for July is due no later than August 15th and you are encouraged to send it to me by e-mail. Don’t forget to tell me how things are going as well.

Reflective Journals

Don’t give up. This is the time of year everything seems hum drum. Keep plugging at it. This time of the year you should be reflective on two primary areas. The first of course is critical events. But more importantly this is a time to reflect on leadership. Think about the examples and styles you have the opportunity to witness and then reflect on them and how you will either apply them in you own case or perhaps how this style won’t work or is even in your opinion a poor style (Don’t forget to reflect on the why’s) Hint look at today’s Blog for some insight for HR issues http://akerleychatss.blogspot.com/
Hey we are half way to return to classes! (Some Important NEWS for You!!!)

We expect this year we will we have four sections of Tourism Management students. So we are expecting nearly 120 eager and excited first year students on day one. Soon the kites will be flying.

This year “The NSCC Amazing Race" will be a NSCC event with more than 160 Tourism Management student’s participating from the all three Campuses. The event will be part of World Tourism Day. Keep your eyes peeled for information about that because you are invited to WTD as well.

For second years Co-op ENDS on Monday October 8th
and classes START at 8:30 on TUESDAY October 9th in B212 at 8:30 am.

We will start with a brief overview and then co-op presentations will go forward as per the attached schedule

A reminder that your co-op project is due on Monday October 15th so keep working on it over the summer.

Tuition
Check your mail for a letter from the College, tuition or tuition arrangements are due early in August.

If You Need Some Help !!!!!
Marc Simard is on vacation for the next two weeks Jul 27th until August 13th so call me only on my cell if you need me for an emergency 497-4577. I will NOT be checking e-mail. I will pick up messages daily after August 14th , 2006
Email marc.simard@nscc.ca

Tuesday October, 9 ,2007
Times Activity WHO
830 930 Briefing Ribeiro
Schedules
Booklist
Computers
Calenders
Paperwork
930 1130 Bookstore etc….
1130 1230 Lunch
1230 1300 Banff Springs Team One
1305 1325 Delta Barrington Team Four
1325 1345 Break
1345 1405 Club Maeva Team Two
1410 1430 Glen Arbour Team Five
1430 1440 Break
1445 1505 Hilton Garden Inn Team Seven
1510 1530 H.I. Select Team Eight

Wednesday October, 10, 2007
830 900 Delta Halifax Team Three
905 925 Lord Nelson Team Nine
925 935 Break
935 1005 Marriott Harbourfront Team Ten
1010 1030 Prince George Team Twelve
1030 1040 Break
1040 1100 Raddisson Team Thirteen
1105 1125 Rhubarb Team Fourteen
1125 1225 Lunch
1225 1245 78th Highlanders Team Fifteen
1250 1320 Marriott Harbourfront Team Eleven
1325 1335 Break
1335 1355 Westin Team Sixteen
1400 1420 WPBL Team Seventeen
1420 1425 Break
1425 1445 Fairmount Whistler Team Six
1445 1505 Sawridge Team Eighteen
1505 1525 HI HarbourView Team Nineteen
1525 1555 Boston Pizza Team Twenty
As of July/27/2007

Tentative Presentation Schedule
Team One
Levangie, Maris Hostess Banff Springs
Wagg, Kiya Hostess Banff Springs
Team Two
Torres, Migdonia Public Relations Club Maeva
Team Three
Kelloway, Erin G.S.A. Delta Halifax
Patruno, Tara G.S.A. Delta Halifax
McHugh, Lauren G.S.A. Delta Halifax
Team Four
Sarah Kelly Server Delta Barrington
VanHorne, Kelly G.S.A. Delta Barrington
Team Five
LeBlanc, Madisyn Server Glen Arbor
Team Six
Scott Cleghorn F&B Fairmont Whistler
Ritchie, Shaun Server Fairmont Whistler
Team Seven
Johnson, Kelly G.S.A. Hilton Garden Inn
Team Eight
Bass, Mary G.S.A. Holiday Inn Select
Team Nine
Covey, Sarah Reservations Lord Nelson Hotel
Team Ten
Levy, Tracey G.S.A. Marriott
Yelland, Chelsea G.S.A. Marriott
MacNeil, Rhodena G.S.A. Marriott
Ward, Erin G.S.A. Marriott
Team Eleven
Nickerson, Mandy Doorperson Marriott
Rossiter, Hali At Your Service Mariott
Team Twelve
McOuat, Pamela Hsekping Prince George
Team Thirteen
Hamilton, Kristopher Server Raddisson
Team Fourteen
Rondeau, Alana Server Rhubarb Bar & Grill
Team Fifteen
Boudreau, Kerri Server 78th Highlanders
Finn, Theresa Outlet Manager 78th Highlanders
Team Sixteen
Huiza, Andrea G.S.A. Westin
Team Seventeen
Bouges, Brittany G.S.A. WPBL
Team Eighteen
Amanda MacLeod Server Sawridge
Team Nineteen
Sam Lunn HI Harbourview
Team Twenty
Kelly Carew Boston Pizza

Monday May 28 2007 The Akerley Coop Bugle Issue Three

Monday May 28 2007 The Akerley Coop Bugle Issue Two



Co-op Work teams

See the attached page for a list of teams and properties for co-op presentations. I expect that this list will change slightly as the summer progresses but for the most part will stay as it is
Co-op reports
While you are encouraged to share your research and gather your data as teams you are required to submit all work individually except only for the co-op presentation
Monthly Reporting

Reports are due as follows
June 15th -May Hours
July15th -June Hours
August 15th -July Hours
September 15th -August Hours
All Hours with co-op submission
Make sure to include a one paragraph report on what is going on at your location.

Reflective Journals
Focus on your reflective journals this month should be based on job training or task training. Questions that might be asked are
1. What am I learning about my department?
2. What type of training is they using is it on the job or off the job?
3. Who is doing the training and what qualifies them to train me in this task?
4. What seems important to the Manager or the hotel?
5. Are the practices in place actually the same as what they are teaching me?
If You Need Some Help!!!!!

Then just call us contact us the following ways
Office Phone 1 888-339-1099
Wewill pick up messages frequently
Email wendi.dewey@nscc.ca harriette.cain@nscc.ca marc.simard@nscc.ca
Perhaps the best way to contact us . We check our e-mail frequently

Call In Date and Time
JUNE 14th & 15th It is important you call in and report on these dates and scheduled times. The schedule may be found at the end of this newsletter


Tentative Coop Work Presentation Teams

Team One
Fee, Julia Hostess Banff Springs
Levangie, Maris Hostess Banff Springs
Wagg, Kiya Hostess Banff Springs
Team Two
Torres, Migdonia Public Relations Club Maeva
Team Three
Carew, Kelly Server Delta Halifax
Kelloway, Erin G.S.A. Delta Halifax
Patruno, Tara G.S.A. Delta Halifax
McHugh, Lauren G.S.A. Delta Halifax
Team Four
Sarah Kelly Server Delta Barrington
VanHorne, Kelly G.S.A. Delta Barrington
Team Five
LeBlanc, Madisyn Server Glen Arbor
Team Six
Cleghorn, Scott Steward Farimont Whistler
Ritchie, Shaun Server Fairmont Whistler
Team Seven
Johnson, Kelly G.S.A. Hilton Garden Inn
Team Eight
Bass, Mary G.S.A. Holiday Inn Select
Team Nine
Covey, Sarah Reservations Lord Nelson Hotel
Team Ten
Benard, Vanessa Banquet Server Marriott
Levy, Tracey G.S.A. Marriott
Yelland, Chelsea G.S.A. Marriott
MacNeil, Rhodena G.S.A. Marriott
Team Eleven
Beals, Sattina Server Marriott
Nickerson, Mandy Doorperson Marriott
Rossiter, Hali At Your Service Mariott
Ward, Erin G.S.A. Marriott
Team Twelve
McOuat, Pamela Hsekping Prince George
Team Thirteen
Hamilton, Kristopher Server Raddisson
Team Fourteen
Rondeau, Alana Server Rhubarb Bar & Grill
Team Fifteen
MacLeod, Amanda Server Sawridge
Team Sixteen
Boudreau, Kerri Server 78th Highlanders
Finn, Theresa Outlet Manager 78th Highlanders
Team Seventeen
Jackson, Amber R.A. Sheraton 4 Points
Team Eighteen
Green, Brian MinBar Attendant Westin
Huiza, Andrea G.S.A. Westin
Team Nineteen
Bouges, Brittany G.S.A. WPBL


Ecotourism list to follow:


Call One
• Thursday June 14 9 am and 11 am Atlantic
o Simard
• Thursday June 14 between 1 pm and 3 pm Atlantic
o Dewey
• Friday June 15 between 9 am and 11 am Atlantic
o Cain
• Friday June 15 between 1 pm and 2 pm Atlantic
o Last Chance call in All Faculty

The Co-op Bugle

The Bugle Reports

The Bugle will be published on the fourth Monday of each month of Cooperative Education so as to keep us all in touch. You will see the latest Departmental news, and even any pictures (editor’s choice) you might send along digitally. You will find project hints and selections along the way. This newsletter will be posted at http://akerley-coop-news.blogspot.com/. At http://www.chatss.ca/
You will find a forum for use of coop students which we will check regularly. Any questions you have should be posted under the correct string and may be answered by peers or faculty. Don’t forget to keep up to date at http://akerleychatss.blogspot.com/

Monthly Reporting

Each Month you will be expected to submit your worked (paid) hours report. Please ensure that this information is either submitted via e-mail no later then the 15th of the following Month. This report is used to monitor your progress. Should the report not be received in a timely manner it will be necessary to contact your employer for follow up

Reflective Journals
While you are expected to maintain a reflective journal with daily entries, later in the summer at least a minimum of weekly entries, we would ask that you send a paragraph of commentary along with your hours report. We may publish key or exciting information in this monthly newsletter so that we can all keep in touch with each other over the summer. So include interesting anecdotes so that we can share them with all.

I Need Some Help

Then just call or contact me the following ways
Call 1 888-339-1099
Messages will be picked up frequently
E-mail
harriette.cain@nscc.ca
wendi.dewey@nscc.ca
marc.simard@nscc.ca
Perhaps the best way to contact us as we check our e-mail frequently





Have a great summer!!! Keep in touch!!!

Monday October, 2, 2005 The Akerley Coop Bugle Issue Four

Monday October, 2, 2005 The Akerley Coop Bugle Issue Four


Classes Starting Soon!
Coop ends on Monday October 9th and classes start at 8:30 on Wednesday October 11th in B210 at 8:30 am. Here follows your day one schedule. Please note that on Tuesday October 1oth Faculty are not on Campus and no classes are scheduled .However you are welcome to come in and purchase books from the book store etc…
Coop Presentations
See the attached list for your work groups and presentation times. This list may change yet but is probably a pretty good bet for now. All presentations will be held in room B210. This room is equipped with overhead, LCD and computer. To use the computer you must either e-mail the presentation to me at (marc.simard@nscc.ca) or bring a CD or memory stick with the presentation on it.

Hours Reporting
Submit a copy of your ROE and/or final cheque as documentation of the number of hours you worked at your co-op facility. This should be submitted with your co-op written project
The Project
Your written project is due on Monday October 16th. Please submit to Mr. Ribeiro or Mr. Simard in their first period classes
1. There are six main sections providing information in a formal report:
(a) Executive Summary- a synopsis of the purpose, main findings and
outcome.
Keep this as short as possible.
(b) Introduction- Background to the situation, including a history of the property and who the owners are. Also include the purpose and scope of the work term.
(c) Main Body- Identify a problem in the organization, define the
problem, outline information, suggest alternative ways to correct the
problem and choose the best solution to the problem, giving a
rationale for your choice.
(d) Conclusion- This section will contain personal observations about your work-term. Evaluate and explain in detail the relevancy of your co-operative education to your College education and current career objectives. Examine how this experience has affected your attitudes toward yourself, toward others and what strengths and weaknesses you have discovered in yourself. Explain some of the things that you have learned about people, their attitudes toward work, and how you relate to co-workers and supervisors.
(e) Appendix – This includes answers to all the questions as outlined in the training goals section of the hand-out.

Grading of the Oral Work Term Verbal Report



The oral presentation will be scheduled upon your return to the campus. The presentation should be a minimum of 20 minutes in length. Visual aids (posters, photos, videos or overheads) may be used for enhancement. The evaluation of the talk will be based on your communication skills, personal attributes, and content. We request that students attempt to bring back a public relations photo of their property so we may post them for all students to see.

Where more than one student is working at a property a team presentation is encouraged on the following schedule
1 Student 20 Minutes
2 Students 20 Minutes
3 Students 30 minutes

Guideline(s)
· If a video is used it should be no longer than 8 minutes
· Overview of property Could be part of video
· Outline the details of the Operation (Rooms, F & B etc…) Could be part of the video
· Outline of Job (description ) No more than 2 minutes
· Critical events
· SWOT analysis
· Key issue and your solution
· Conclusion
See your e-mail for dtails of teams and presentation times

Monday October, 2, 2005 The Akerley Coop Bugle Issue Four

Monday October, 2, 2005 The Akerley Coop Bugle Issue Four


Classes Starting Soon!
Coop ends on Monday October 11th and classes start at 8:30 on Wednesday October 12th in B210 at 8:30 am. Here follows your day one schedule. Please note that on Tuesday October 11th Faculty are not on Campus and no classes are scheduled .However you are welcome to come in and purchase books from the book store etc…
Coop Presentations
See the attached list for your work groups and presentation times. This list may change yet but is probably a pretty good bet for now. All presentations will be held in room B210. This room is equipped with overhead, LCD and computer. To use the computer you must either e-mail the presentation to me at (marc.simard@nscc.ca) or bring a CD or memory stick with the presentation on it.

Hours Reporting
Submit a copy of your ROE and/or final cheque as documentation of the number of hours you worked at your co-op facility. This should be submitted with your co-op written project
The Project
Your written project is due on Monday October 16th. Please submit to Mr. Ribeiro or Mr. Simard in their first period classes
1. There are six main sections providing information in a formal report:
(a) Executive Summary- a synopsis of the purpose, main findings and
outcome.
Keep this as short as possible.
(b) Introduction- Background to the situation, including a history of the property and who the owners are. Also include the purpose and scope of the work term.
(c) Main Body- Identify a problem in the organization, define the
problem, outline information, suggest alternative ways to correct the
problem and choose the best solution to the problem, giving a
rationale for your choice.
(d) Conclusion- This section will contain personal observations about your work-term. Evaluate and explain in detail the relevancy of your co-operative education to your College education and current career objectives. Examine how this experience has affected your attitudes toward yourself, toward others and what strengths and weaknesses you have discovered in yourself. Explain some of the things that you have learned about people, their attitudes toward work, and how you relate to co-workers and supervisors.
(e) Appendix – This includes answers to all the questions as outlined in the training goals section of the hand-out.

Grading of the Oral Work Term Verbal Report



The oral presentation will be scheduled upon your return to the campus. The presentation should be a minimum of 20 minutes in length. Visual aids (posters, photos, videos or overheads) may be used for enhancement. The evaluation of the talk will be based on your communication skills, personal attributes, and content. We request that students attempt to bring back a public relations photo of their property so we may post them for all students to see.

Where more than one student is working at a property a team presentation is encouraged on the following schedule
1 Student 20 Minutes
2 Students 20 Minutes
3 Students 30 minutes

Guideline(s)
· If a video is used it should be no longer than 8 minutes
· Overview of property Could be part of video
· Outline the details of the Operation (Rooms, F & B etc…) Could be part of the video
· Outline of Job (description ) No more than 2 minutes
· Critical events
· SWOT analysis
· Key issue and your solution
· Conclusion
See your e-mail for dtails of teams and presentation times

Co-op Bugle July 27th

Tuesday July 27, 2006 The Akerley Coop Bugle Issue Four

Visitations

While I have yet to visit all coop placements, I have spoken to most employers and spoken to many of you. Of course I am unable to see all of you as you work on many different schedules but I try to e-mail everyone to let you know I’ve been by.

I have been very pleased with the good words I have received about you & your desire to be in the industry and your effort on behalf of the hotel and our guests to Nova Scotia.
Business Levels Trending Up
While it’s been a slow start here in Nova Scotia, things are starting to pick up and the hotels are expecting better occupancy in August. Then comes the busiest month of the year, September.

Monthly Reporting

Your report for July is due no later than Tuesday August 15th and you are encouraged to send it to me by e-mail. Don’t forget to tell me how things are going as well.

Reflective Journals

Don’t give up. This is the time of year everything seems hum drum. Keep plugging at it. This time of the year you should be reflective on two primary areas. The first of course is critical events. But more importantly this is a time to reflect on leadership. Think about the examples and styles you have the opportunity to witness and then reflect on them and how you will either apply them in you own case or perhaps how this style won’t work or is even in your opinion a poor style (Don’t forget to reflect on the why’s

Hey we are half way to return to classes! (Some Important NEWS for You!!!)

We expect this year we will we have four sections of Tourism Management students. So we are expecting nearly 120 eager and excited students on day one. Soon the kites will be flying. This year “The NSCC Amazing Race will be a NSCC event with more than 160 Tourism Management student’s participating from campuses around the province.

For second years Co-op ENDS on Monday October 9th and classes START at 8:30 on WEDNESDAY October 11th in B208 at 8:30 am. We will start with a brief overview and then co-op presentations will go forward as per the attached schedule

A reminder that your co-op project is due on Monday October 17th so keep working on it over the summer.

Tuition
Check your mail for a letter from the College, tuition or tuition arrangements are due early in August.
If You Need Some Help !!!!!
I’m on vacation for the next two weeks Jul 29th until August 13th so call me only on my cell if you need me for an emergency 497-4577. I will NOT be checking e-mail. I will pick up messages daily after August 14th , 2006
Email marc.simard@nscc.ca

Return to Class Schedule
Tuesday 10-Oct-06
Open Day, Purchase Books, Lockers, Computer Log-ins, etc…
Wednesday 11-Oct-06

830 Welcome Back Briefing : Schedule, Class Lists etc…
900 Break
910 Algonquin
945 Carnival Cruise Line
1005 Delta Barrington (Team Nine)
1025 Digby Pines
1105 Innverary Inn
1120 Lunch
1230 Country Inn and Suites
1255 Halliburton
1325 Westin
1345 Delta Kananaskis
1415 Break
1425 Lord Nelson Hotel
1445 Shallow Bay Hotel
1505 Little Fish Restaurant
1530 Day One Complete
Thursday 12-Oct-06
830 Delta Barrington (Team Ten)
905 Holiday Inn Select
925 Prince George Hotel
955 Banff Springs
1025 Break
1035 Comfort Inn Campbellton
1110 Cambridge Suites
1130 Lunch
1230 Citadel Hill
1300 Chateau Whistler
1330 Inn on the Lake
1350 Delta Halifax
1420 Marriot Harbourfront
1440 RCR
1530 Day Two Complete
Friday 13-Oct-06
Regular Classes commence

Presentation Teams (Tentative)
Team One Algonquin
Boutilier, Teal
Ido, Maiko
Mattie, Sam
Williams, Allison
Team Two Banff Springs
Boutilier, Julie
King, Jessica
Team Three Carnival
Fernandez, Dan
Team Four Citadel Hill
Janes, Demmie
MacDonald, Janet
Team Five Country Inn
Beals, Ashley
Team Six Comfort Inn Campbellton
Bujold, Dominique
Team Seven Cambridge
Dauphinee, Amy
Team Eight Chateau Whistler
Poirier, Tara
Team Nine Delta Barrington
Cox, Amelia
Dexter, Jenn
Giles, Sara
Team Ten Delta Barrington
Larade, Celeste
Sedge, Amanda
Foote, Stephanie
Team Eleven Delta Halifax
Neves, Christine
Rogers, Marissa
Team Twelve Delta Kananaskis
Coleman, Heather
Donner, Chris
Grist, Kaily
Team Fourteen Digby Pines
Cook, Jenna
Pothier, Mark
Team FifteenHalliburton
Janes, Christine
Thibodeau, Donovan
Team Sixteen HI Select
Doucette, Craig
Team Seventeen Inverrary Inn
MacLellan, Kelly
Team Eighteen Lord Nelson
Langille, Rachel
Team Nineteen Little Fish Rest
MacDonald, Erin
Team Twenty Marriott Harboufront
Reynolds, Charlotte
Team Twenty-One Prince George
Meade, Sarah
Aytekin, Kerry
Team Twenty-Two RCR
MacKay, Carolyn
O’Neill, Becky
Team Twenty-Three Shallow Bay Hotel
Stone, Samantha
Team Twenty-Four Westin
MacDonald , Ashley
Team Twenty Five Inn on the Lake
David Morrison

Question Six Services and Facilities Market Segments

Explore the market segments your facility targets. Then with guidance from your co-op employer identify what the key five segments are. Once you have decided this explore the services and facilities that the property offers that support each of these five markets. Prepare a feature benefit analysis for each of these markets. Then prepare a SWOT analysis for the property keyed to these five key markets.

Definitions & Comments

So what is a market segment anyway. We can define markets in many ways but the most common definition is some characteristic of a customer that is unique to that customer in the purchasing behaviour of our products or services. In the hotel we oftern define this by purpose of trip and here are some common Markets (Many will have sub markets)
Corporate
Leisure
Weekend
Romance
Conferences (Associations)
Motorcoach

On the food and beverage side we can define the guest by the time of dya they use us or where they come from or demographicallywho they are (Demographics are a measure of who you are in such common areas as Sex, Age, Where you Live, Income) Some examples might be:

In-house diners (In a hotel)
Locals
Event diners (Brithdays, Annviersaries etc...)
Motorcoach
Families with youn children
Romance
Seniors

Now match your services and facilities to the markets you choose. For example meeting/conference guests need meeting rooms, guest rooms, AV equipment etc. But family guests might need a swimming pool and family breakfast menu

In food and beverage Event diners will need champagne and perhaps some expensive menu items where family guests will need a kids menu etc...

Now on to A Feature Benefit anlayis and here I will provide you with an example. For the family diners the feature is a Kid's Menu the benefits are, cost and portion reasonable food for youg kids perhaps even if the menu allows the kids to drayon on it an activity to entertain the kids so that the parents can enjoy their meal instead of always entertaining the kids

What is a SWOT analys for the Corporate guest staying at the Residence inn in Halifax
While many of these attributes will hold true in all makets they will change for tohers
Strength
Weakness
Opportunity
Threat

One strenght would be oversized well appointed rooms (Lots of potentail strenghts in here related to servicea appropriate to this market, Coffe maker, fridge etc.
Another strenght might be it's downtown location close to business
Close to bars and restaurants

Weakenesses
As an example as a leisure guest interested in shopping at Bayer Lake this hotel has a bad location
No in-house dining means you alwasy ahve to go out for a meal

Opportunity
Some facility or service that will generate revenue for the propoerty or attract a new clientel
In this case perhaps leasing space out to a massage therapist so one could add a space type event on weekends

Threat
The opening of a new hotel or competing service to yout property
The condition of the propeorty if it is long overdue for renovations
The quality of the management team if good practices are not in place


I hope this helps

Question Five Maintenance & Preventative Maintenance

Every operation requires maintenance of its facility and equipment. Explore what strategies are undertaken to prevent equipment failure of a major system. Outline the details of the plan, estimate its cost and relate it to the cost of the equipment and potential cost of major repairs. The other component of any operation is maintaining the front of the house (guest used spaces). Explore with the operation how this space is maintained, how frequently it is updated or renovated. In this exploration investigate if the property has an ongoing budget or accrual for this expenditure and if so how this is calculated.

Some thoughts and definitions:
What equipment does your operation have that is critical to making money and obtaining guest satisfaction. Is it a grill , refrigeration, air conditioning, ari exchanger a dishwasher, laundry or some other piece of equipment the guest never sess but if it doesn't work they don;t get their meal or don't have a very nice stay with us. What does your company do to maintain these. Do they just get fixed when they are broken or is their a plan to service them before they break. What about light bulbs is there a plan in place just to replace them when they burn out or is replacement done to a plan to spread out the cost and prevent that one bulb burnt out over the ntrance canopy.

Front of the house is any area the customer sees in a public way, Lobbies, the dining room, public washrooms and the like. How are these maintained (Not daily cleaning but in depth cleaning) How often do they refresh the space, sometimes thi means new vinyl and new fixtures and sometimes this measn completly gutting and starting again.

Some hotels set aside and FF&E allowance (Furnitures, Fixtures and Equipment) in which they set aside a percentage of gross revenues to allow for future renos. Explore and see how you propoerty sets aside money for this type of activity.

I hope this helps

Question three Outlet Marketing

Here is the question
Pick any one of your properties retail outlets (F& B Outlet, Bar, Gift shop) and explore how this outlet uses point of sale promotions to acquire customers or increase revenues. Keeping in mind that revenue is a combination of unit sale and price per unit charges. Investigate a recent promotion used by the property investigate lead time, creative costs, printing costs. Ideally this would include a printed item. Explore how this promotion was evaluated for success.
Some definitions
Point of Sale That place where the transaction actually occurs. Examples of this include a server selling a drink or meal to a customer, or upselling a sale in a retail outlet or convincing a guest to booka later tee off time for a slighlty lower rate
Point of Sale Promotion This could be as simple as a table card promoting the wine of the day to a complex food promotion with door cards in room tent cards, elevator posters, special menus etc. Or it could have little collateral support be be a discount purchase time. This would include a dscount if you eat before a certain time or happy or hungry hour.
Lead time Explain not only the time it takes to put a promotion together but the design and approval process for the promotion and all of it's promotional requirements.
Creative Are the posters, menus produced in house or produce by a graphic designer or produced by head office.

Look at this as a process from the moment of conception to the development of promotional material, training of staff and perhaps most important how was sucess or failure measured. Is the measurement based on return on investment or increased customer count. Who is accountable for sucess and the measrement of it.

Hope this helps.

Question Revenue Management Hints

Since there is little variable pricing on a demand basis in food and beverage ( I know there is some when you consider time of day pricing but it is not dynamic, in other words once that policy is set it will not vary because there are more or fewer customers in the food outlet today) therefore you are going to have to go to the front of the house to explore these questions. If you are working in a stand alone food and beverage operation you will need to connect with a local accomdations facility.

This question asks you to explore how, by whom and when annual prices for rooms are set. This is to explore the underlying strategy by market considering branding issues (External integrity conserns i.e. a full service hotel cannot offer campground proces without setting an undersireable image in the customers mind)

Once you have considered this, the next step is how are these rates applied on a demand or volume of request basis. Is the same customer given the same proce all the time, is it a vairable price and which customers recieve frim pricing vs variable pricing and why?

What is a fence and what are the fences for rates at this property. Perhaps most importantly what is the process, Who is making the decision and how often? Are some decision amde daily /hourly and some wekly or monthly. How are these variations in process communicated to the customers (In other words explore the distribution process)

The above is intended to flesh out the question not replace it. I hope this helps you to consider the question and what you need to explore all the issues it raises

Project Questions The Eight Explorations (Questions)

Either one of two techniques may be used to answer each of the training goals outlined below. When in an area that you are working in, it may be acquired by observation and experience. If this is not possible, make arrangements during your cooperative employment to interview a member or members of the appropriate department to gather the information you require. (Please cite sources) Please answer each of the following questions in some detail. This will take a significant amount of research including interviews of management and staff, observations of your facility’s operations and may include independent research. Your answers will require you to lay out your research, observations and conclusions. If the facility in which you are completing co-op does not allow you to complete the requirements of any question please make arrangements with another facility, with faculty’s prior approval, to make sure you explore all areas of investigation.

1. Recount the hiring process you went through, discuss your orientation to the property, department and job. This should include an overview of the hours and types of training. Discuss task specific training and goals and targets set for you. Discuss difficulties you experienced and how you overcame them.
   
2. Explore the property’s revenue management system. Interview the appropriate person (Revenue Manager, Front Office Manager, Sales Team or equivalent) and explain their revenue management process, providing examples of this process and its application. Describe and demonstrate an understanding of this cycle from rate structure to daily price setting, from annual monthly budgeting , both for rooms revenue and room night forecast to illustrating monthly and biweekly forecasting. Consider all elements of the sales mix, is the property forecasting mix targets and what actions are they taking to achieve the overall as well as the individual, market segment financial and marketing objectives?
   
3. Pick any one of your properties retail outlets (F& B Outlet, Bar, Gift shop) and explore how this outlet uses point of sale promotions to acquire customers or increase revenues. Keeping in mind that revenue is a combination of unit sale and price per unit charges. Investigate a recent promotion used by the property investigate lead time, creative costs, printing costs. Ideally this would include a printed item. Explore how this promotion was evaluated for success.
4. Explore the disciplinary process at your property, outline employer’s rights and obligations, employee’s rights and obligations as well as the process for appeal of a disciplinary action’s correctness and or severity. If yours is a unionized property explore the potential costs of the grievance, conciliation and arbitration process. Demonstrate your understanding of the process by creating an example of an employee who journeys through the full cycle.
5. Every operation requires maintenance of its facility and equipment. Explore what strategies are undertaken to prevent equipment failure of a major system. Outline the details of the plan, estimate its cost and relate it to the cost of the equipment and potential cost of major repairs. The other component of any operation is maintaining the front of the house (guest used spaces). Explore with the operation how this space is maintained, how frequently it is updated or renovated. In this exploration investigate if the property has an ongoing budget or accrual for this expenditure and if so how this is calculated.
   Explore the market segments your facility targets. Then with guidance from your co-op employer identify what the key five segments are. Once you have decided this explore the services and facilities that the property offers that support each of these five markets. Prepare a feature benefit analysis for each of these markets. Then prepare a SWOT analysis for the property keyed to these five key markets.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. In the area of Food and Beverage:
   a. Ask to be allowed to witness a delivery of food items being received at the back door/receiving dock of your establishment. Describe the procedure you witness.
   b. Ask where the items are taken to, and if they are not taken directly to the kitchen, describe what procedure is followed by the cooks to obtain the items to use in the kitchen.
   c. What process is used for the wait staff to order and receive the menu item to serve to the guest?
   d. How does your establishment ensure that the food items obtained from the kitchen are indeed paid for?
   
7. Examine the wine list at your facility (provide a copy). What is its; profit strategies, selling tactics, philosophy on wines, on food pairing, on pricing by the glass and on international coverage? Has the property established par stock levels for wines and bar inventory and if so explain how this was arrived at and provide an example of these “Pars”? What is the ratio of beverage to food sales in your establishment and discuss the significance of this statistic.
   
8. Investigate the linen inventory process at your facility. Establish how many “Pars” are in circulation, storage, in-house laundry? Discuss the circulation of linen (including food and beverage linen) is it smooth or are there problems. Explore with the appropriate Managers as to why the property either handles laundry in-house or contracts it out.