UNIT 2

Events

Conference services include the booking of conferences, meetings, or other events, as well as the
planning and provision of the services necessary for those events to be successful. Conference
services are also commonly referred to as meeting management, event management, event
planning, or event marketing. Conference services vary according to the event, but typically include
budgeting, lodging arrangements, catering, and audio visual equipment and support.
Conferences are often hosted by hotels with on-site conference facilities. These usually include large
and small meeting rooms, IT facilities, a ballroom, and audio-visual facilities for speakers or
presentations. Meals are usually handled by the hotel's own food and beverage department. These
conference services are all managed by on-site personnel and coordinated by the conference
services manager, who makes all the necessary arrangements when informed by the group of their
needs.
Choosing a conference facility is best accomplished by examining the needs of the group and what
they seek to accomplish during their event. Typical conferences include trade shows, company
training programs, or yearly awards ceremonies. Many hotel conference services planners also plan
weddings or small family events. The goal in hiring conference service professionals is to ensure that
all the group's needs are met and that the event goes smoothly without having to worry oneself
about the details.

Vocabulary Practice

1. Match the words in the box with a definition below. There are more words than definitions.

projector seating capacity annual autocue session

delegate reception interpreter spouse provisional

1 a conference participant
2 a formal social occasion
3 husband or wife
4 occurring every year
5 temporary
6 someone who mediates between speakers of different languages
7 a machine that shows a large image of a slide onto a screen

2. Match a word from column A with a word in column B to make word partnerships.
There is one word in column A which cannot be matched.

A B A B
laser access conference equipment
tie-clip event audiovisual metre
annual pointer stacking chair
layout microphone duration package
Internet square

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Now use some of the word partnerships (either their singular or plural forms) to fill in
these sentences below.

1 Our speakers can choose between a hand-held or a/an .................................. .

2 “How big is the room?”

“It’s a 6 by 4 room, so it’s 24.................................. .

3 From our latest catalogue you can choose from an attractive selection of
comfortable .................................... for banquet and conference seating.

4 Our basic .................................... starts at £49 per person/day. The minimum number
of attendees must be 10 people.

5 A/an ....................................... is a small device designed to highlight something of

interest by projecting a small bright spot of coloured light onto it.

3. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with the correct form of the word at the end
of the sentence.

1 The Conference Centre is ..................................... on the LOCATION

ground floor.

2 What about the estimated .....................................? Do you ATTEND

know how many participants are planning to take part?

3 This conference room can ......................................... up to 300

people. ACCOMMODATION

4 Some of the ...................................... have decided to come PARTICIPATE

with their spouses.

5 I’m phoning to .................................. the arrangements of the FINAL

conference.

6 The plenary room can be ................................. into three DIVISION

sections.

7 The technical equipment we offer includes computer RENT

.................................... .

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4. Fill in the gaps in the following conference programme with the words in the box
below. In some cases you have to use a word twice.

delegates venue registration provisional

presenter(2) coffee break closing session buffet lunch(2)
breakfast(2) refreshments

Travel Agents’ Annual Conference

(1)................................ Programme

Monday 16.00 (2)............................. and check-in

17.00-18.00 Opening ceremonies
(3)............................: Henry Greenhouse, chairman of
the Association of British Travel Agents – ‘Tourism
Industry and the Crisis’
(4)..............................: main auditorium, 1 st floor
18.15 Cocktail reception
19.00 Dinner
Tuesday 8.30 (5)...................................
9.30 Workshops
11.00 (6)...................................
11.30 Workshops
13.00 (7)...................................
15.00 Optional excursion: Guided tour of the city
or
(8)................................ are welcome to make use of the
hotel’s leisure centre
19.00 Dinner
Wednesday 8.30 (9)....................................
9.15 Workshops
10.00 Coffee and (10)...................................
11.00 (11).......................................
(12)....................................: Thomas Barter – ‘New
perspectives in selling methods’
12.15 (13)................................ and departure

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5. Match the room layouts with the pictures:
1. Boardroom Style 2. Cabaret Style 3. Classroom Style 4. Hollow Square
5. U-Shape Style 6. Theatre Style

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Reading Comprehension
TEXT 1 Exclusive Lounges

Par 1 London as a hub, where many of the world’s business travellers are forced to change their
connecting flights, is a source of much annoyance to businessmen from Ethiopia to Estonia.

Par 2 Heathrow has become such a depressing experience among frequent professional users that it
is now a national embarrassment. Something has to be done about the running of the place, its
shopping mall style, invisible customer services, mind-numbing security delays, its staffing levels and
in particular its labyrinthine corridors with their vile institutional decor. The only saving grace of this
hideous place is the profusion of excellent executive lounges which are a haven of peace and
comfort.

Par 3 The lounge for me is the best thing about flying. I have one or two all time favourite lounges
around the world. If I am lucky enough to be flying business class I prefer to arrive early, head
straight for the lounge and ask hopefully if there is a delay. To be honest I could happily spend all day
in a lounge that has unlimited Internet and bar access. Throw in the day-beds and dimmed lighting
you get in the Sanctuary section of British Airway’s Classic lounge, or the circular champagne bar in
its First Lounge and I am in heaven. Qantas even has the Toy Box, where children of all ages can play
in a safe toy filled environment.

Par 4 We live at such a pace these days. People come straight off the plane, into the car and off to a
meeting. In a world where every hour of time has to be accounted for, isn’t it nice to have inertia
imposed on you, especially when it comes in such luxurious surroundings? And yet I often see men
giving the nice ladies on the desk a hard time about when their flight will be departing. (By the way
have you noticed how often lounge reception is manned by glamorous middle-aged women? I think
some clever person has worked out that flying delays bring out the bad tempered little boy in many
businessmen and this mindset is best dealt with by calm elegant mother figures.) Rather than give
vent to frustration, why not give in to temptation and enjoy? It’s not as if you can’t be in contact with
the rest of the world – by phone, fax, email and conference line – if you really have to.

Task 1
Are the following statements true or false? Underline the parts of the text where the answer can
be found and write T for True or F for False.
1 Heathrow is a well-run airport.
2 The writer thinks flight delays can be a cause for celebration.
3 Qantas offers a segregated area for children on board.
4 Glamour alone is enough to calm irritated customers.
Task 2
Match words or expressions from the text with the following synonyms.
5 centre (par 1)
6 anger (par 1)
7 like a maze (par 2)
8 awful (par 2)
9 safe place (par 2)
10 add (par 3)
11 less bright (par 3)
12 inactiveness (par 4)
13 good looking and fashionable (par 4)
14 mentality (par 4)

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TEXT 2 Choose the correct answer from A, B or C.

Making the most of an international trade fair

Our experts share their tips on finding the best overseas events and getting the most out of them.

Where to be seen
UK-based trade associations and (1)_____ of commerce are good starting points for research into
potential overseas events. They have vast (2)_____ of international markets and trade shows and will
offer unbiased (3)_____ on the best events for your products and services.

Cost the opportunity

Next, it’s time to do the maths. What will attendance cost, and what sort of return on investment
should you (4)_____? You could get a better deal by sharing a stand and other expenses with other
companies (5)_____ from the UK.

Plan your presence

Weigh up the relative merits of having a stand, getting (6)_____ in conference sessions and attending
for part or all of the event. And don’t forget (7)_____ people you’re going. Promote your presence at
the show through media relations, show guides and social media.
If you are going to (8)_____ at the event, consider where your stand will be. Being present
doesn’t (9)_____ to mean having dedicated floor space. It’s important to be seen at these events, but
it isn’t necessary to take a costly stand to (10)_____. You can purchase day passes (it costs €35 for a
day pass at ITB) to attend on the key industry days and ‘work the floor’, meeting as many companies
as possible.

https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/feb/05/international-trade-fair-exporting-overseas-business

1) A) board B) chamber C) institute

2) A) experience B) experienced C) experiencing
3) A) advise B) advises C) advice
4) A) except B) expand C) expect
5) A) visited B) visiting C) visits
6) A) involved B) incorporated C) included
7) A) telling B) to tell C) tell
8) A) portray B) show C) exhibit
9) A) must B) have C) used
10) A) take apart B) participate C) delegate

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Listening

GreenWedding Pilot

Pre-Listening
You will hear an interview with Rebecca Lush who is planning to make her wedding as green as
possible. Before listening to her, look at the main items of her wedding checklist below. Give and
discuss your own green ideas on every item of the checklist.

Listening
Listen to Rebecca and complete her wedding checklist by notes on how she is planning to make the
arrangements green.

GREEN WEDDING CHECKLIST

Invitations:

Venues:

Guests’ arrival:

Honeymoon:

Wedding dress:

Wedding presents:

Portaloos (portable toilets):

Food:

Flowers:

Useful website:

Post-listening - Discussion

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 Compare your ideas with what Rebecca is doing / planning to do. Would / Did you make
any of the arrangements in a similar way when organizing your own wedding? Why?
 Look at the website Rebecca is recommending. What do you like/dislike about it? Why?

Writing Task

The memorandum
- frequently referred to as a memo – is a form of ‘internal letter’. It is only sent to
people within an organisation.

Memoranda are used to send instructions or directives, to provide information, to make requests or
suggestions, or to confirm facts and agreements originally agreed orally.
Most memoranda have pre-printed ‘memoheads’, like a letterhead, which display printed entries for
completion by the author or typist.

MEMORANDUM

TO DATE
FROM SUBJECT

 Different organisations display this information in various ways.

 Titles such as Mr, Miss or Mrs are not used.
 The date layout is exactly the same as that used in the letter: 12 October 2001
 The memorandum does not include a signature. Some managers, however, like to initial their
memoranda to show that the memorandum has been checked and may be safely despatched.
 Consider your relationship with the receiver.

See advice on memo writing style below:

Helpful tips
 Use factual, precise wording.
 Avoid slang and colloquial wording.
 Link facts logically.

 Is the memorandum making a request for help or cooperation?

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 o Ensure politeness throughout: ….it would be extremely helpful if; …it would be
appreciated….
o Avoid demanding words and phrases: must…have to…unless…
o Adopt instead: I would be grateful if…. , could you please…, may I ask you to…

 Are you trying to persuade someone to your point of view or to accept a

situation or to do something which may require extra work or effort? In this case
words which have a persuasive effect will be helpful:
o …in need of your particular expertise…
o …though demanding will greatly assist efficiency…
o …once fully in use, the system will greatly ease the workload of all office staff…

TASK
Ön Anne/Andrew Smith konferenciaszervező. Írjon egy feljegyzést a szállodaszakemberek számára
szervezett közelgő konferencia szekcióüléseit levezető moderátoroknak (session moderator) a
következő információkkal, kb. 120 szóban:

A konferencia zavartalan lebonyolítása érdekében kérjük, tartsák be az alább felsoroltakat:

 Az előadás előtt a moderátornak ellenőriznie kell, hogy a technikai berendezések működnek-

e.
 A moderátor feladata a szekciórésztvevők üdvözlése, az előadók bemutatása, az előadás
előírt időtartamának pontos betartatása és a közönség kérdéseinek moderálása.
 A szekcióülések közötti átjárási lehetőség érdekében az előadások fél és egész órakor
kezdődnek. Egy előadás időtartama 20 perc, a kérdésfeltevésé 5-8 perc.
 Egy-egy előadás után, mintegy összefoglalásként, a moderátornak lehetősége van
visszautalni az elhangzott előadás főbb pontjaira, és célszerű egy-két kérdéssel is készülni
arra az esetre, ha a közönség részéről nem hangzana el kérdés.

Monologue Questions
Give a 2-3-minute talk on either of the topics below.

1 Introduce what types of facilities and services make a hotel suitable for holding
conferences.
2 Describe the job of an event organiser.

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 Role Play (Situation)

Role A
You are Antal/Anita Bakos, the manager of Hotel Tópark. You are meeting a representative
of the European Society of Cardiology who is looking for a venue for their forthcoming
conference. Give him/her the necessary information.

 describe the location and size (110 bedrooms) of your hotel

 conference rooms: - natural light and air-conditioning
o 5 large rooms – 3 can be opened into a room covering for 300 people
o 4 small meeting rooms
o conference equipment: the usual AV devices, can go wireless
 restaurant, bar
o local and international specialities
o can cater for buffets, lunch, dinner
 other facilities
o wellness – indoor -outdoor
o sport
o gala dinner with entertainment can be arranged

YOU START.

Role B
You are Tom/Tina Sherwood the representative of the European Society of Cardiology and
looking for a venue to organize your forthcoming conference for 200 people. Find out if
Hotel Tópark meets your expectations.
Ask about

 the location of the hotel

 the size and number of conference rooms
 the conference facilities
 the catering facilities - you will need coffee breaks and gala dinner
 other facilities for free-time activities and entertainment

YOUR PARTNER STARTS.

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