An Association of Marketing Students®

HOSPITALITY SERVICES MANAGEMENT
TEAM DECISION MAKING EVENT

PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTIONS

•	The event will be presented to you through your reading of the General Performance Indicators Evaluated, Specific Performance Indicators Evaluated and Case Study Situation. You will have up to 30 minutes to review this information and prepare your presentation. You may make notes to use during your presentation.
•	You will give an ID label to your adult assistant during the preparation time.
•	You will have up to 10 minutes to make your presentation to the judge (you may have more than one judge), followed by up to 5 minutes to answer the judge’s questions. All members of the team must participate in the presentation, as well as answer the questions.
•	Turn in all of your notes and event materials when you have completed the event.

GENERAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS EVALUATED

•	Communications skills—the ability to exchange information and ideas with others through writing, speaking, reading or listening
•	Analytical skills—the ability to derive facts from data, findings from facts, conclusions from findings and recommendations from conclusions
•	Production skills—the ability to take a concept from an idea and make it real
•	Teamwork—the ability to be an effective member of a productive group
•	Priorities/time management—the ability to determine priorities and manage time commitments
•	Economic performance indicators

SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE INDICATORS EVALUATED
•	Explain the nature of a promotional plan.
•	Develop promotional plan for a business.
•	Identify the elements of the promotional mix.
•	Explain promotional methods used by hotels/motels.
•	Coordinate activities in the promotional mix.
•	Describe the nature of target marketing in the hospitality industry.

CASE STUDY SITUATION

You are to assume the roles of marketing specialist for a large health club called Sunshine esort and Spa. The director of marketing (judge) wants you to work as a team to prepare a new promotion to increase senior citizen membership.

The Sunshine Resort and Spa is located on 640 beautiful acres on the southern East Coast approximately 43 miles south of a major metropolitan city. The resort features a variety of accommodations ranging from spacious hotel rooms and individual suites to luxurious two- and three-bedroom townhouses—each with its own personality. All accommodations provide an exquisite view of the ocean and the surrounding barrier islands. The restaurant facilities are excellent and offer a wide variety of culinary delights, ranging from local to international cuisine. The health spa provides a complete gym, exercise programs, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, physical trainers, medical/nutritional counseling, body wrap and massage treatments. The Sunshine Resort and Spa also offers an 18-hole championship golf course, professional golf instruction and miles of nature trails for members’ enjoyment.

Presently, the Sunshine Resort and Spa primarily caters to and attracts middle-aged members, ages 35 to 45. Annual revenue figures have dropped steadily. Senior citizens once accounted for 40% of the membership and 60% of the annual revenue. Senior citizens now account for only 15% of the resort membership and 25% of its annual revenue.

The marketing director (judge) has assigned your team the responsibility of designing a promotional package that will effectively increase senior citizen membership by 25%. You should describe how your promotional package would emphasize the new spa services, such as hydrotherapy and aromatherapy treatments, massage therapy, facial care, nutritional services, salon services and lifestyle management sessions.

Your team will present its promotional package to the director of marketing (judge) in a meeting in the marketing director’s (judge’s) office. The director of marketing (judge) will begin the meeting by greeting you and asking your team to present your program. After you made your presentation and have answered the marketing director’s (judge’s) questions, the director of marketing (judge) will conclude the meeting by thanking you for your work.

JUDGE’S INSTRUCTIONS

You are to assume the role of director of marketing for a large health club called Sunshine Resort and Spa. You have asked two of your marketing specialist (participant team) to work as a team to prepare a new promotion to increase senior citizen membership.

The Sunshine Resort and Spa is located on 640 beautiful acres on the southern East Coast approximately 43 miles south of a major metropolitan city. The resort features a variety of accommodations ranging from spacious hotel rooms and individual suites to luxurious two- and three-bedroom townhouses—each with its own personality. All accommodations provide an exquisite view of the ocean and the surrounding barrier islands. The restaurant facilities are excellent and offer a wide variety of culinary delights, ranging from local to international cuisine. The health spa provides a complete gym, exercise programs, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, physical trainers, medical/nutritional counseling, body wrap and massage treatments. The Sunshine Resort and Spa also offers an 18-hole championship golf course, professional golf instruction and miles of nature trails for members’ enjoyment.

Presently, the Sunshine Resort and Spa primarily caters to and attracts middle-aged members, ages 35 to 45. Annual revenue figures have dropped steadily. Senior citizens once accounted for 40% of the membership and 60% of the annual revenue. Senior citizens now account for only 15% of the resort membership and 25% of its annual revenue.

You have assigned your marketing team (participant team) the responsibility of designing a promotional package that will effectively increase senior citizen membership by 25%. The marketing team (participant team) should describe how the promotional package would emphasize the new spa services, such as hydrotherapy and aromatherapy treatments, massage therapy, facial care, nutritional services, salon services and lifestyle management sessions.

Your marketing team (participant team) will present its promotional package to you in a meeting in your office. You will begin the meeting by greeting the marketing team (participant team) and asking them to present your program. 

After the marketing team (participant team) presents the promotional package, you are to ask the following questions of each participant team:

1.	Why did you choose these types of promotional methods?

2.	How will your promotional package produce positive customer relations, such as generating goodwill and making customers feel valued and safe?

3.	What criteria will you establish to determine the length and effectiveness of this promotional campaign?

Once the marketing team members (participant team) have made their presentation and have answered your questions, you may conclude the meeting by thanking the team (participants) for their work.

You are not to make any comments after the event is over except to thank the participants. 

JUDGING THE PRESENTATION

The Management Team Decision Making events were created by DECA in response to the career opportunities available for participants in these occupational areas.

The participant team will first take a comprehensive exam based on knowledge of general marketing competencies. Participant teams with a career interest in one of the occupational areas will analyze a case situation related to a business in the chosen occupational area. The participant team will make decisions regarding the situation, then make an oral presentation.

The participant team will assume the role of a management team for the business represented in the case situation. The role of the judge(s) is that of an executive (if one judge) or executive team (if more than one judge) for the business.

Participants will be evaluated according to the Evaluation Form.

Participants will be scheduled for presentations at fifteen (15) minute intervals.

Please place the participant team’s name and identification number in the upper right-hand corner of the Evaluation Form (unless it has already been done for you).

During the first 10 minutes of the interview (after introductions), the participant team will present their analysis, decisions/recommendations, and the rationale behind the decisions. Allow the participants to complete this portion without interruption, unless you are asked to respond.

During the next 5 minutes you are to ask questions of the participant team to determine their understanding of the situation presented. Both members of each team should respond to at least one question. To ensure fairness, you must ask each participant team the same questions (questions are provided in the Judges Instructions). After asking the standard questions, you must ask other questions specific to the current participant team.

After the questioning period please thank the participant you will close the event by thanking for their input. Then complete the Evaluation Form, making sure to record a score for all categories. The maximum score for the evaluation is one hundred (100) points. The presentation will be weighed at twice (2 times) the value of the exam scores.

A score of “Exceptionally Well Done” in any category means that, in your opinion, the information is presented in a very effective way; in effect, nothing more could be expected of an employee.

A score of “Well Done” in any category means that, in your opinion, the information is presented well. Though there may be a few minor problems or omissions, they are not significant.

An “Adequately Done” score means that the information is presented adequately. It meets minimum standards of acceptability.

A score of “Little Value” in any category means that some major flaw has been noted that damages the effectiveness of the presentation. This may be a major omission, a serious misstatement or any other major flaw.

A “No Value” score means that the information presented is of no value. It is presented in such a way that it does not help the presentation at all.

We hope you are impressed by the quality of the work of these potential managers. If you have any suggestions for improving the event, please mention them to your event director.