Jorge Garrido

June 2016

Design for Innovation – University of Virginia

Visualization utilized in the Hospitality Industry

Challenge     I am a member of a registration team within the Meetings & Events department. We are  responsible for creating registration websites, managing the attendee registration  experience, organizing all travel arrangements, and delivering a clear event objective.  Each event has a unique set of opportunities, challenges, and return on investment for the  meeting participants and the company’s stakeholder(s). I was tasked with creating a  registration website for a company that was hosting their largest national sales meeting  since it was founded. It was projected to have around 6,000 attendees and the meeting  had a very complex agenda planned for this historic event. Our team set up a website  discovery call which ultimately helps our team discover what is required and what  additional information was needed. During this call, we were presented with a list of  essential tasks that needed to be individualized to the eight different types of attendees  participating. These included sponsors, VIPs, sales team members, non-sales team members,  executives, sales managers, as well as additional guests and staff.     These essential tasks included:

•  With each type of attendee, came specific admission fees and agendas. This  information ranged from air travel, hotel reservation procedures, and o dress codes  that were individualized per type of attendee.

•  Providing attendees with the opportunity to suggest event topics and content.

•  Develop a website and information compatible with the mobile event application

•  Individualize the website to have specific themes, headers, and banners for each  type of attendee.

This website needs to be developed and created in a specific way to meet all guidelines  above. We needed to build the website, develop tests, and make corrections based on  feedback from our clients within the short timeframe of twenty-five hours. Understanding  that this website can take up to forty hours to create, we did not want the limited time  frame to jeopardize the delivery of content. With that said, we strategically came together  to develop a plan that would allow us to deliver clear and concise data in a way that  would pertain to each individual in the website and mobile application.     Selection     The visualization tool allows event planners and essential staff members in the hospitality  industry to create and deliver ideas. Due to the efficiency of this tool, it is utilized and being  practiced more with events in the hospitality industry to promote creative thinking and  development. This innovative tool has been selected so our team could deviate away from  a data driven approach and focus more on delivering information that is not only clear and  concise but in a way that encourages creativity and individualization in the planning  process. Visual thinking or the visualization tool is very successful in this website building

process as it lays out the foundation for a successful event and creates mutual  understanding between our team and the stakeholders.     Application     After receiving the requirements for the registration website, I started the process by setting  up a meeting with the account manager and planner to gather and discuss the action  plan for the website. During this conversation, I suggested we begin by developing a  flowchart and visual aid to provide how all involved attendees would be linked and  incorporated into the website platform. By doing so, it allowed our team to help determine  a strategic action plan to ensure that our website was created not only efficiently but also  met the strict time restrictions that were allotted. After developing a clear plan, we  gathered among the whiteboard to identify the type of guests attending and what  information needed to be gathered while keeping in mind the involved stakeholders and  their needs. During this meeting, we discussed important information such as air travel, hotel  accommodations, session types, admission fees and payment. Each one of us represented  a different stakeholder of the client to incorporate their individualized needs, wants, and  challenges. By having a roundtable meeting, our team was able to collaborate on ideas  and create a mutual agreement of how each registration type should be presented within  the website. We organized these thoughts by including photos and symbols to help  differentiate between all attendee types and their particular needs. Understanding that we  had time restrictions, we were also able to streamline the process by creating a sample  format that can be individualized for each type of attendee. Not only was this efficient for  our team but it helped dramatically with the time needed to develop the site.     Insight & Approach     This was an eye opening experience for every member of our team. After reflecting on the  immense stress and time restrictions we had, we were able to deliver a product within 24  hours and were granted approval by our clients. Through this process, we were able to learn  how to arrange agenda sessions for multiple types of attendees that not only was efficient  but also was appealing to the eye. Although this had its challenges, each member of the  team was able to expand beyond their comfort zones and find new and innovative ways to  utilize the tool. In addition to the creative approach this tool provided to our team, we also  learned that it gave us the opportunity to critically think and broaden the way we deliver  content to our clients. Understanding that the hospitality industry is always undergoing  change and looking for new innovative ways, new methods and tools are always being  sought out. With that said, I believe that our team was not only able to demonstrate that this  tool can be effective for client delivery but it can be very successful in reducing the time  and labor required. In our case, not only did we save resources but we established  approximately eleven hours were saved during this production. In the future, our  department is looking forward to utilizing this tool to aid in the visualization production,  website delivery, and client satisfaction.


Jorge Garrido June 2016 Design for Innovation – University of Virginia Visualization utilized in the Hospitality Industry Challenge I am a member of a registration team within the Meetings & Events department . We are responsible for creating registration websites , managing the attendee registration experience , organizing all travel arrangements , and delivering a clear event objective . Each event has a unique set of opportunities , challenges , and return on investment for the meeting participants and the company ’s stakeholder(s ) . I was tasked with creating a registration website for a company that was hosting their largest national sales meeting since it was founded . It was projected to have around 6,000 attendees and the meeting had a very complex agenda planned for this historic event . Our team set up a website discovery call which ultimately helps our team discover what is required and what additional information was needed . During this call , we were presented with a list of essential tasks that needed to be individualized to the eight different types of attendees participating . These included sponsors , VIPs , sales team members , non - sales team members , executives , sales managers , as well as additional guests and staff . These essential tasks included : • With each type of attendee , came specific admission fees and agendas . This information ranged from air travel , hotel reservation procedures , and o dress codes that were individualized per type of attendee . • Providing attendees with the opportunity to suggest event topics and content . • Develop a website and information compatible with the mobile event application • Individualize the website to have specific themes , headers , and banners for each type of attendee . This website needs to be developed and created in a specific way to meet all guidelines above . We needed to build the website , develop tests , and make corrections based on feedback from our clients within the short timeframe of twenty - five hours . Understanding that this website can take up to forty hours to create , we did not want the limited time frame to jeopardize the delivery of content . With that said , we strategically came together to develop a plan that would allow us to deliver clear and concise data in a way that would pertain to each individual in the website and mobile application . Selection The visualization tool allows event planners and essential staff members in the hospitality industry to create and deliver ideas . Due to the efficiency of this tool , it is utilized and being practiced more with events in the hospitality industry to promote creative thinking and development . This innovative tool has been selected so our team could deviate away from a data driven approach and focus more on delivering information that is not only clear and concise but in a way that encourages creativity and individualization in the planning process . Visual thinking or the visualization tool is very successful in this website building process as it lays out the foundation for a successful event and creates mutual understanding between our team and the stakeholders . Application After receiving the requirements for the registration website , I started the process by setting up a meeting with the account manager and planner to gather and discuss the action plan for the website . During this conversation , I suggested we begin by developing a flowchart and visual aid to provide how all involved attendees would be linked and incorporated into the website platform . By doing so , it allowed our team to help determine a strategic action plan to ensure that our website was created not only efficiently but also met the strict time restrictions that were allotted . After developing a clear plan , we gathered among the whiteboard to identify the type of guests attending and what information needed to be gathered while keeping in mind the involved stakeholders and their needs . During this meeting , we discussed important information such as air travel , hotel accommodations , session types , admission fees and payment . Each one of us represented a different stakeholder of the client to incorporate their individualized needs , wants , and challenges . By having a roundtable meeting , our team was able to collaborate on ideas and create a mutual agreement of how each registration type should be presented within the website . We organized these thoughts by including photos and symbols to help differentiate between all attendee types and their particular needs . Understanding that we had time restrictions , we were also able to streamline the process by creating a sample format that can be individualized for each type of attendee . Not only was this efficient for our team but it helped dramatically with the time needed to develop the site . Insight & Approach This was an eye opening experience for every member of our team . After reflecting on the immense stress and time restrictions we had , we were able to deliver a product within 24 hours and were granted approval by our clients . Through this process , we were able to learn how to arrange agenda sessions for multiple types of attendees that not only was efficient but also was appealing to the eye . Although this had its challenges , each member of the team was able to expand beyond their comfort zones and find new and innovative ways to utilize the tool . In addition to the creative approach this tool provided to our team , we also learned that it gave us the opportunity to critically think and broaden the way we deliver content to our clients . Understanding that the hospitality industry is always undergoing change and looking for new innovative ways , new methods and tools are always being sought out . With that said , I believe that our team was not only able to demonstrate that this tool can be effective for client delivery but it can be very successful in reducing the time and labor required . In our case , not only did we save resources but we established approximately eleven hours were saved during this production . In the future , our department is looking forward to utilizing this tool to aid in the visualization production , website delivery , and client satisfaction .