I was the project manager for the Habitat for Humanity Contra Dance fundraiser that was held on April 8, 2011. This event was organized through a group project in a different TLEP class I am in, but throughout the actual event (and planning stages) there were different aspects that I thought of that I learned through this class. The facility that we used was a vacant church building on E. Court St. (beside Mr. Spots). This facility was great for our purpose! First of all, it was completely ADA compliant. Going to the entrance there are a couple steps and a wheelchair ramp. Once inside it is a very open floor plan with a wheelchair accessible bathroom (included spacious room to fully turn a wheelchair around, sink with leg room underneath, and hand rails around the entire room). The facility also had great fenestration. We were able to leave all the windows and door coverings open to allow maximum light penetration during the event. There was also a built in stage that we took advantage of by having Dr. Long’s Root Cellar String Band set-up there. Without this class, I probably wouldn’t have noticed these things about this facility and how they relate to planning an event. Thanks!
Habitat for Humanity Contra Dance fundraiser
April 26th, 2011 · 2,004 Comments · Application, TLEP 4830
LOL with UAO feating Ross Matthews – extra credit
April 26th, 2011 · 21 Comments · TLEP 4830
I would describe the “First Spring Comedy Festival featuring Ross Matthews” as being surprisingly funny. The price was very reasonable, only $5 per student. The event was also very well advertised prior and the pre-selling of tickets was great! I had never heard of Ross Mathews before this event, but all of my friends are huge Chelsea Lately fans and talked me into going. I’m glad they did. When we first got to Anderson Arena I was shocked that there was so much security, but once we got inside I realized why. His fans are crazy! I would have never guessed he would have such an intense fan base. Personally, I thought that the comedians before his act were funnier than him though. But, I did catch myself laughing at various times. Especially when he started talking about weed and even mentioned security in it! I would really like to see UAO keep this as a tradition. I have always gone to their concerts and football tailgates so I’m pretty excited their trying some new events this year.
Tags:LOL with UAO·Reflection
Perry Field House Tour Reflection
April 18th, 2011 · 10 Comments · Facility Tours, TLEP 4830
One thing about the Perry Field House that I never thought about before the tour was seating. The field house has portable bleachers, which according to chapter 12 in the text means they are smaller units and are constructed of lightweight materials. They will have skids or a wheel system to make them easy to relocate from one site to another. We saw this when we entered the track room and there were bleachers pushed against the wall. The Perry Field House also does a great job incorporating various occupancy possibilities. It has the turf room which can be split in half, the track room with four or five volleyball/tennis courts in the middle, and the conference room. The field house has used this to their advantage by hosting various events such as track meets, gymnastics, wrestling, and intramural sports.
However, I was disappointed with the track. I would think that the track would be wider at the turns so the runners on the outside lanes are not against the wall. The material used for the track also should have been thought out more carefully, especially along the edges to make cleaning more practical. The signs for the field house was let me down. I find it hard to believe that they can not get new signs made for the appropriate rooms, as pointed out when we went through the offices.
Overall, I was very impressed by the field house. I had never been past the lobby so to see the different rooms was an all new experience for me. I think with proper upkeep and organization that the field house can sustain itself for years to come.
Perry Field House Tour Questions
April 17th, 2011 · 3 Comments · Facility Tours, TLEP 4830
1. How was this building built to accommodate all parties? ie. Ada compliancy
2. Are there any plans for renovation or upgrading?
3. Have you initiated any lean movements/practices? If so, what are they?
4. Can you briefly describe your Risk Management plan, and how well it is followed?
5. This facility is primarily for athletes, can other people use it?
6. Are employees cross trained or is there a sufficient amount of staff?
Current Research Critique
April 17th, 2011 · 2 Comments · Application, TLEP 4830
The scholarly article Association of Neighborhood Design and Recreation Environment Variables With Physical Activity and Body Mass Index in Adolescents by Morton Kligerman, MD, MPH; James F. Sallis, PhD; Sherry Ryan, PhD; Lawrence D. Frank, PhD; Philip R. Nader, MD deals primarily with the underlying assumptions that facilities may impose on the well being of the neighborhood. In the study, two recreation-based environmental variables were developed: one measured the shortest distance to the nearest public or private recreation facility and the other measured the total number of recreation facilities within the buffered areas. The cross sectional study was conducted with 98 white or Mexican-American adolescents (mean age of 16.2 years). Physical activity was measured with 7 days of accelerometer monitoring. Height and weight were measured to compute body mass index (BMI). Environmental measures were created using geographic information systems. A neighborhood walkability index was based on land use mix, retail density, street connectivity, and residential density. And the proximity to public and private recreation facilities was assessed. The results showed that boys were more active than girls, white participants were more active than Mexican-Americans, and those living in more walkable neighborhoods were more physically active. The walkability index also explained a similar amount of variance as sex and ethnicity, indicating a meaningful degree of explanatory power. With this said, perhaps proximity to recreation facilities is too limited an evaluation and it is necessary to assess characteristics such as fees and quality of parks, walking trails, and recreation centers. If this study is confirmed, the implication is that changing policies to favor the building of more-walkable new developments and increasing the walkability of existing neighborhoods could contribute to a long-term solution to the public health challenge of inactive youth. This article would be a primary source since the doctors who initiated the study followed through with the findings. It is also quantitative because it deals with various numbers, dates, and distances rather than opinions from participants.
The Olympics
April 6th, 2011 · 10 Comments · Application, TLEP 4830
According to the article Most-Watched Opening Ceremony Ever For Non-U.S. Winter Olympics, Vancouver definitely benefited by hosting the Olympic games. The entire article goes on to talk about the comparison of the total views for Vancouver (67.5 million) versus the total views of other cities, such as Torino (50.2 million) and Lillehammer (61.7 million). I think by having this sort of impact on viewers created a plateau for tourism in Vancouver. After the Olympic games in Vancouver, the city hosted many other events and programs that are listed in Jean Laidlaw’s article Vancouver after the Olympics – What to do next? This article shows directly the correlation that the Olympics had with the tourism industry in Vancouver.
Ancillary Areas
March 29th, 2011 · 2,205 Comments · Application, TLEP 4830
- Anti-bacteria flooring (that also captures odors)
- Anti-slip resistance flooring
- A lot of trash receptacles, variously spread out
- Adequate seating (benches vs. stools)
- Make sure it is ADA assessable
- Utilize maximum locker space
- Have a separate ‘grooming’ area with some privacy
- Having the right lighting, especially in the grooming area
- Provide a separate area with stalls and doors for people who want to dress privately
- Plenty of space to change without bumping into others
- Luxury is now expected, so high quality finishes and materials
- Use of carpet squares (if carpet is being used) that way the whole flooring doesn’t need change if damaged
- Have plenty of electrical outlets assessable, especially around mirrors
In Jessica Franchino’s blog, she talks about laundry room facilities rather looker rooms. I found her post to be very informative and creative since this room is a necessity for many facilities.
Ice Arena Management Reflection
March 15th, 2011 · 88 Comments · Facility Tours, TLEP 4830
In the beginning, I really wasn’t that thrilled to have a tour of the BGSU Ice Arena. I have gone to numerous BGSU Hockey games, and have even sold tickets through the Ticket Office for events so I felt that I already knew the facility pretty well, and also that it just isn’t that remarkable. However, I found Jamie Baringer to be very informative, and that this facility tour included more than I expected.
Regardless, the Ice Arena has had a lot of changes lately and I was excited to see a detailed view of this. I didn’t think that we would have the opportunity to see the new compressors, so I really liked that (probably the most). I also liked that Jamie talked about all the different aspects you must consider when making renovations. I was not aware that they had three very different options for the zamboni room. I was also very disappointed about how Jamie is not fully pleased with the outcome of the first phase of renovation. The Purchasing Department is still processing paperwork for this project, and were under the impression that it satisfied all stakeholders. Personally, I do not understand why the contractor would leave exisiting carpeting instead of replacing it with the rubber flooring. This should have been a simple change order and I doubt it would have “added” very much to the project considering entire costs for the renovations. And among the renovations that took place, I was also very excited to see the result for the lighting phase. I was very impressed at the different control settings that the new light system features, and how it will help conserve energy.
I also did not know there was the additional banquet room towards the back of the arena. I thought this was a nice feature to help promote community involvement. However, it is unfortunate that the room is outdated. I think if this room were to be remodeled and promoted through publicity, that there would be a high outcome in attendees.
Being familiar with the Ice Arena, I do wish that Jamie would have taken the class back to the coaches suite (instead of just having us look through a window). I think that this area is extremely nice compared to the rest of the arena and would give the class a better understanding of how beneficial it can be to renovate – and that you may achieve the same goals through renovation versus demolition and rebuilding. I also did not know about the club level seating that the Ice Arena is anticipating in the future, and am looking forward to seeing the progress the facility will take part in.
Tags:Ice Arena·Reflection
Questions for Ice Arena Management
March 14th, 2011 · No Comments · Facility Tours, TLEP 4830
- How difficult is it for your operations during the recent construction renovations?
- Have you initiated any lean movements/practices? If so, what are they?
- What is your projected goal for the BGSU Ice Arena?
- Can you briefly describe your Risk Management plan, and how well it is followed?
- What is the ice arena used for when there are not hockey games going on, ie in the summer?
- I have helped with the ticket office for various hockey games and the “room” for ticket sales is very insubstantial. Do you have any ideas for improvement that do not require demolition or renovations?
- How beneficial to daily operations is the new rink?
Technology
March 2nd, 2011 · 170 Comments · Application, TLEP 4830
Benefits of Technology in the Tourism, Leisure, and Event Planning field
- Organization – It is inevitable the different applications and databases that professionals can use. Excel, for example, is a great tool that Event Planners can use to keep track of budgets and cost analysis.
- Communication – Emails and messengers make it simple to communicate and send/share documents with others. Also, by having your own website you can list contact information, have surveys, and blogs for clients to interact with you.
- Information – Can be used to research new materials and programs, or innovate you to create new ideas.
Drawbacks of Technology in the Tourism, Leisure, and Event Planning field
- All in One – There isn’t any software available that has applications all in one. You have to use multiple programs for one task a lot of the time.
- Availability – Without a smart phone you have to carry a laptop around, and even then there isn’t always internet access available.
- Expensive – Costs the client more for event. More power, staff to program and install applications.
Strengths of using MS Outlook in the Tourism, Leisure, and Event Planning field
- Address Book – Can be synced to any phone. Allows for organizing and managing all contacts.
- Sub Folders – Helps to organize all files and emails.
- Calendar – Create and view colleagues calendars to allow for easy coordination for making appointments.
- V Card – Allows you to send an addressed “business card” as an attachment that the recipient can download and automatically be inputted into their address book.
- Address Group – Names the group and allows for you to add contacts to it so you can mass email specific groups in one click.
- Global Directory – Look up email addresses of people within your company all over the world.
Weaknesses of using MS Outlook in the Tourism, Leisure, and Event Planning field
- Mass Emails – At large corporations there are too many people with access to the program and it is easy to confuse certain address groups.
- Initial Setup – Very vigorous and difficult. Must know IP addresses and server names.
- Security – Easy to be hacked into unless appropriate firewalls are in place and constantly surveillanced.
- Unreliability – Everything is based on the internet, so if there is a power outage then everyone is without calendars and email.
- Not User Friendly – It is easy to click the wrong button and have lists changed, and not know how to change them back.
An area that I overlooked initially is the recent trend of tablet computers which I found on Casey Cooper’s blog. He did a great job recapping the functions of this form of technology.
Tags:MS Outlook·Technology