UNIT 8. Meetings

Task 1. Read and retell the text.

Conferences and formal meetings are held in all organizations. They are directed and controlled by a chairperson — chairman or chairwoman. Much of the language used by the chairperson is very specific and stylized. The language of different meetings can be more or less formal. Some phrases are very formal and are used only by the chairperson to control the meetings.

For many years standard word "Chairman" was used even if the person in the chair was a woman. Some people used the phrase "Madam Chairman", others found that ridiculous and preferred to address "Chairwoman".

In the recent years the situation has become less clear. Now all of the following phrases are used: "chairman", "chairperson", "chair", "chairwoman".

All except the last may be applied to either a man or a woman, while the last is used only if the person is known to be female.

To address the person in the chair different phrases can be used, for example:

Mr Chairperson, may I...?

With the Chairman's permission...

With the Chair's permission I'd like to...

Probably the best and most correct and courteous course of action is to ask a person in the chair how he or she wishes to be addressed.

An effective chairperson should be flexible. When voting in the event of a tie (equal numbers of votes for and against the motion) the chairperson has the casting vote. In some meetings the members have to take a vote before making a decision. Formal proposals which are called "motions," may have to be tabled, discussed and seconded before a vote can be taken.

At some meetings a consensus of the members may be required.

If the meeting is formal an agenda is usually necessary. This document may be circulated in advance to all participants. The agenda must be organized in logical order. The conclusion on the items can be "to receive a report on...", "to confirm...", "to approve..." and others.

The agenda usually has such a formation:

1) minutes of the last meeting;

2) matters arising;

3) some items;

4) any other business.

Meetings of all sizes form a necessary aspect in the functioning of all organizations.

Business people spend quite a lot of time in meetings and meetings come in all shapes and sizes: ranging from formal committee meetings to informal one-to-one meetings.

There are several reasons why meetings are held:

— reaching decisions in a meeting means that all the participants can feel more committed to the decision;

— more information is available;

— different ideas can be contributed.

There are some drawbacks to meetings. They are the following:

— more time is required;

— there is more talk, sometimes irrelevant and repetitive;

— group pressure.

The more people there are at a meeting, the longer it may take to reach a decision.

One-to-one or small informal meetings also tend to be structured and planned. They are different from chance conversations in a corridor or over coffee. Small informal meetings may also take place or continue during a meal.

Task 2. Answer the questions.

1. What kinds of meetings can businessmen hold?

2. What are the reasons for holding meetings?

3. Are all meetings directed by a chairperson?

4. Are agendas necessary for all kinds of meetings?

5. How does the language of meetings differ from the day-to-day language?

6. How should people address a person in the chair?

7. Why should a chairperson be flexible?

8. In what situation can the chairperson use the casting vote?

9. What is the formation of the agenda?

10. For what can the agenda be circulated in advance to the participants?

Task 3. Formulate the questions so that the following sentences are the answers.

1. Yes, small meetings and chance conversations are different.

2. Meetings can have some drawbacks: they can take too much time and there can be some irrelevant talk.

3. Practically all businessmen hold meetings.

4. Reasons for holding meetings can be different.

5. No, small informal meetings can take place outside the office.

6. The formation of agenda is: minutes of the last meeting, matters arising, some items, any other business.

7. No, if it is a one-to-one meeting, there is no chairperson in it.

8. We can say, "Mr Chairperson", but it would be the best way of action to ask a person in the chair how he or she wished to be addressed.

9. No, only if there are many people at the meeting.

10. Yes, small meetings are usually planned as well

11. When there are equal numbers of votes for and against the motion.

12. The more people are present at the meeting, the more time it may take,

13. It depends on the situation.

14. Yes, the agenda may be circulated in advance to all participants of the meeting.

Task 4. Match the synonyms.

1. consider a. identical

2. test b. reject

3. polite c. phrase

4. announce d. drawback

5. refuse e. proposal

6. allowance f. decision

7. expression g. permission

8. support h. courteous

9. solution i. declare

10. motion j. check

11. disadvantage k. approve

12. similar 1. discuss

Task 5. Self-Assessment Test: Are the following statements True or False?

1. The person who is in charge of the meeting is the person who takes the minutes.

2. The best way to call a meeting is to inform each participant individually by phone.

3. An agenda should outline the order and amount of time to spend on each item at the meeting.

4. Engaging in small talk throughout the meeting is an effective way to keep the focus.

5. When someone agrees with a motion it is "seconded".

6. The person who is speaking during a meeting is the person who "has the floor".
7. A polite way to indicate that you want to make a comment during a meeting is to say: "If I could just come in here..."

8. When there is a tie vote, it is customary for the chairperson to ask one participant to reconsider his/her decision

9. During the closing remarks, the person holding the meeting should introduce new staff members or guest speakers.

10. Reminders are typically announced after all of the items on the agenda have been covered.

Task 6. Vocabulary Quiz

We ran out of time and were forced to ______the meeting.

a) accomplish; b) allocate; c) adjourn

If you have a _______please wait until Marie has finished speaking.

a) commence; b) comment; c) formality

The board members couldn't come to a ___________so they had to hold a vote.

a) consensus; b) designate; c); motion

b) Markus was away on business, so _________________was assigned.

c) a) a show of hands; b) apologies; c) a proxy vote

d) Before we __________I want to remind everyone to sign the attendance form on the way out.

e) a) wrap up; b) strategize; c) recommend

f) In his ______________the chairman thanked everyone for doing such a good job this month.

g) a) agenda; b) deadline; c) closing remarks

h) I'll _________________________as soon as all of the board members take a seat.

i) a) commence; b) brainstorm; c) verification

j) Since everyone was so _________________we were able to finish the meeting early.

k) a) participant; b) punctual; c) confidential

l) A __________________to eliminate all part-time positions was put forward at the meeting.

m) a) action; b) vision; c) motion.

Task 7. Translate into English

1. Встречи могут быть формальными и неформальными.

2. Обычно на собрании ведется протокол.

3. Повестка дня готовится заранее и утверждается собранием.

4. Если вы хотите выступить на собрании, вы должны получить разрешение председателя.

5. Председатель собрания избирается всеми присутствующими.

6. Председатель собрания предоставляет слово тем, кто хочет выступить.

7. Некоторые вопросы можно решить во время неформальной встречи.

8. Если вы не возражаете, давайте перейдем к следующему вопросу.

9. Иногда в целях экономии времени повестка дня сообщается участникам собрания заранее.

10. Недостаток собраний заключается в том, что они продолжаются довольно долго.

11. Он сказал, что такое решение было принято общим собранием.

12. Вы позволите мне сделать замечание?

13. Решение было принято после долгого обсуждения.

14- Цели проведения собраний могут быть разными.

Task 10. Find out information about these types of meetings and give examples of them.

1. brainstorming;

2. shareholder,

3. kick-off’

4. team;

5. board;

6. progress;

Task 11. Role play the following situations:

To do’ list for your executive assistant of the planned meetings:

1. Meeting to discuss autumn production schedules – Wednesday, 4^th August, 3.45 p.m.

Ask Sara to arrange:

Meeting room,

Data projector,

tea and biscuits,

Minutes.

2. Meeting to plan this year’s stand at ARKA trade fair – my office – Monday, 9^th Feb 10 a.m.

Get David to arrange:

Overhead projector,

Minutes,

Coffee and sandwiches,

Copies of designer’s drawings to Mike Conrad and Sally Major.

Task 12. Role play the following meetings:

1) You are invited to a brainstorming session to decide on a new single-sentence mission statement for you company. At first, arrive at the perfect solution. In the second part of the meeting, decide on a rough design for a poster that will illustrate your mission statement.

2) Your company has been left $50,000 in the will of a former employee. The will states that the money should be spent ‘on improving the lives of present employees’. Call a meeting to discuss how to spend it. Explain the point of the meeting and then try and come to a conclusion.

Task 13. Planning a conference.

FORMAT FOR PROPOSAL FOR HOLDING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

1. Topic of the Conference:

2. Venue:

3. Date:

4. Subject of the Conference:

5. The relevance and scientific / technological importance of organizing the conference:

6. Organizing Agencies:

7. Sponsoring agencies, if any:

8. Financial Implication

(i) On the Institution concerned

(ii) On MHRD

9. Number of National and International delegates expected to participate:

10. Are there any delegates from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

11. If so, complete details of participants from these countries such as name, parentage, nationality, date and place of birth, passport number, date and place of issue, validity, addresses etc.

12. Whether the subject matter of the conference is political, semi-political, commercial or religious in nature or related to human rights:

13. If so details thereof:

14. Whether the conference is proposed to be held in areas covered under protected / restricted / inner line regime etc.

15. If so details thereof:

16. Whether the subject matter has any bearing on external relations:

17. If so, details thereof:

Task 14. Reading 1.

Choosing an Intimate Conference Venue

So you're looking for a conference venue? Not the size of the Taj Mahal, but something just as impressive. A venue with the right amount of space, flexible catering, including accommodation and the right facilities.

This is where the elegance, style and the intimate nature of an independently owned hotel works well as a conference venue. These venues add their unique character and extraordinary service to your event. Finding the perfect environment sets the necessary tone, playing an important part in achieving your desired outcome.

Whether you're hosting a meeting, conference, workshop, training course or social occasion here are a few things to look for in a hotel venue.

Space

Does the hotel have the space you require? Whether the focus of your event is a meeting, banquet or an exhibit, space can be the a factor that is usually underestimated.

Avoid hiring a venue that is big enough to seat 200 when you're only hosting a 20-person meeting. You only want to consider venues that can handle the event you’re planning. It is advisable to schedule a visit with your potential host prior to the event ensuring the venue meets your space requirements.

In the case of an event where the number of guests is uncertain, make sure there are sufficient break-away rooms to avoid congestion.

Catering

Bear in mind that catering needs to meet the special dietary requirements of your guests. Hotels have a flexible menu and unlike a catering company, the kitchen is at hand when you need it.

Conference Styles

Check to see if the hotel can host various conference styles including a theatre for presentations, a classroom with a blackboard, a reception area and of course a boardroom.

Location

Find a centrally located venue, close to stations and some of the areas main attractions as well as being within easy reach of the airport. With easy access by rail, tube or road, your guests will arrive for your event in good time and ready for the day you have planned.

Equipment

Small details like air-conditioning make a huge difference. It helps a great deal if the hotel is equipped with latest audio-visual facilities, this way you can avoid lugging around your own equipment or having to rent from a supplier.

Another thing to check for is high-speed Internet or wireless Internet.

Accommodation

The one drawback with venues like convention or conference centres, is that you would need to use a nearby hotel for accommodation. If your event is extended by more than one day, a hotel becomes rather convenient. Depending on the number of guests, most hotels will provide a discount on accommodation.

The hallmark of an independently owned hotel is the unique ambience provided by the venue. Staging an event in the right setting is conducive to a receptive audience. The wrong venue, whether inappropriately large, under serviced or under equipped, can have undesirable results.

Consider one of your local hotels the next time you host an event.

Task 15. Reading 2.

The Pros and Cons of Holding Conferences

The image that most people have about conferences is large gatherings of people in an auditorium listening to speakers on a particular subject or company. These types of conferences still occur but are being replaced by video conferences and telephone conferences. There are various pros and cons for each of these types of conferences and one may be better suited to the type of organization that has the need to hold a conference than another.

The conferences that tend to be the hardest to organize are those that require all attendees to be in one location. Scheduling difficulties are obviously an issue but there are also a large number of extra costs that this type of conference incurs. The cost of transporting all the participants to the location has to be taken into account, as does the actual hiring of the conference’s location. Some companies may have their own conference facilities at their head office but the huge numbers that are often required to attend these conferences often means that a suitable venue has to be hired. Accommodation and meals are another added cost that makes these large conferences extremely expensive.

Many companies have moved away from these old-fashioned conferences due to many of the reasons I have outlined already. So what type of conferences do they have? Telephone conferences and, more recently, video conferences are the most cost effective solution. There is no need for special premises to be hired or for attendees to travel to a particular location with these conferences. Company employees from all over the globe can be brought together easily and effectively by holding telephone or video conferences. The technology that enables these conferences is being improved and updated constantly and the participants are able to be heard and seen as clearly as if they were in the same room, even if they are actually on the other side of the world!

The only downside of these types of conferences is that the organizer is likely to hold the conference at a time that is amenable to them and may involve participants in other time zones attending at an unsociable hour. This is a small price to pay for conferences that can be organized in a very short space of time. This makes them ideal for discussing urgent issues in a timely manner without having to wait until a scheduled conference can be put together.

The world is demanding rapid solutions to problems and businesses cannot afford to delay discussing issues until the next conference can be organized with all the participants meeting in one place. By holding video or telephone conferences it is easy to gather the appropriate people together and be able to thrash out ideas in a much more timely and effective manner.

Of course, there are always going to be some types of conferences that lend themselves to being held in one place. Political conferences and trades union conferences are two of the most common types that are held in huge auditoriums but I think that this is purely for the television coverage that they attract. The increase in many employees working remotely from home can only lead to a rise in the number of telephone and video conferences and lessen the need for single location conferences. Obviously, there is a downside to this, you no longer have an excuse to get out of the conferences that your flight was cancelled!

Task 16. Use the information above about choosing a venue and pros and cons of holding a conference and organize an INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE WITH THEME PARTY for 130 participants.

They require at least three speakers. This theme should cover the critical issues that affect hotel developers and operators. It has to highlight the supporting industries and their action plans to deliver an in-depth understanding of the present climate, as well as presenting a variety of potential options for future success.

Topics should include:

•Strategies to overcome obstacles to growth

•Business models for successful owner / operator partnerships

•Future projects and sustainable development

•Operational excellence for hotels

•Cross-sector value chain optimisation

•Project finance

That comprehensive hospitality event should cover all sectors of the Middle East hospitality industry.

Day one

•Finance and procurement

•Capturing your human capital assets

•Differentiation in the spa market