This document outlines the planning and organization of a company's annual conference, including selecting the Washington State Convention Center as the location, preparing brochures and schedules, booking speakers, and ensuring necessary resources like projectors and sound systems are available. Extensive preparations are required to coordinate the various logistics and ensure all elements like transportation, accommodations, and permits are in order for the 3 day conference. Ethical and legal considerations must also be addressed in selecting the venue and throughout the planning and execution of the event.

1. Running Head: PLANNING AND ORGANIZING AN ANNUAL
CONFERENCE1
PLANNING AND ORGANIZING AN ANNUAL
CONFERENCE6
Planning and Organizing and Annual Conference
Affiliation
Student’s Name
The selected location of the annual conference is the
Washington State Convention Center. Preparations for the
organization as well as successful planning of the Company’s'
annual Ensuring that essential requirements and conditions are
set and met is critical in eliminating inconveniences as well as
possible paralysis that could emerge during the conference.
There following work must be done before the conference
commences;
The first and most important thing that must be done is the
booking of the location of the annual conference and payment of
any fees required in advance before the day of the conference.
Brochures documenting in a clear manner, the various aspects of
the agenda that is to be discussed during the annual conference
must be prepared. The target goals that aim to be achieved
through and by the end of the conference are to be pointed out
in the brochure as well. A brochure is expected to guide
everyone that attends the conference on the activities that are to

2. be undertaken. The identification of the various speakers during
the conference as well as the time when each is expected to
speak is also to be done before the conference begins. The topic
(s) that every speaker is to handle during the conference is to be
established and the speaker notified in advance to facilitate
efficient preparation of the speakers. Ensuring that the speaker
is notified on how each topic should align with the goals and
objectives of the conference is to be assured before the
conference commences (Nagel, 2004).
The doing of the work of organizing the conference is to be
contracted to an institution or a body that specializes in
conference preparation and preparation. The details regarding
the specifics of the conference are to be provided to the
conference organizing body. However, a team of individuals
from the company is to work closely with the organizers to
ensure that important details are paid attention to and adhered
to as well (Vasconcellos e Sá, 2000).
The Company’s Annual Conference is to take place over a three
days period. On each day, the activities that are to be
undertaken are to be pointed out. At the beginning of each day,
a detailed outline pointing out that which is to be done and what
roles the participants are expected to undertake is to be pointed
out. The major event is to be undertaken on the third day of the
conference with the closing remarks being delivered by
designated experts in collaboration with the top leadership of
the company (Allen, 2000).
There are a broad range of resources that are fundamental in
holding the annual conference. A projector is one of the
resources that is integral in the conference. Information being
discussed by the different speakers is to be projected for
purposes of easy note taking as well as follow-up by those that
attend the conference. A sound system that ensures that the
information being delivered by the speaker reaches everyone in
the audience is also required to be ready, working efficiently
and tested before the conference commences (Carter, & Curtis,
2010).

3. The selection of the location, the Washington State Convention
Center, was informed by different factors. The ease of
accessibility of the Convention Center is one of the factors that
influenced its selection. The availability of accommodation for
those attending the conference near the convention center also
influenced the choosing of the location of the convention
center. Moreover, the availability of quality and safe
infrastructure that is to support the various needs of the
conference, including washrooms and restrooms for the
conference attendants further influenced the decision (Allen,
2000).
Ethical and Legal Issues to consider regarding site
location
The observation of key ethical as well as legal issues is
fundamental to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest or a
violation of ethics. The aspects that ought to be considered
include;
Ensuring that there is a contractual agreement signed between
the owners or management of the convention center and
company’s representatives is one of the legal issues that ought
to be considered. A contractual agreement means that the
management of the convention center cannot lease the location
to another or a different company or organization during the
period which has been agreed upon and for the number of days
when the conference is to be held (Wieland, 2006).
An ethical issue that should be considered is the making of the
decision of choosing the location is the contribution of the
location towards the enhancement of sustainability of the
environment as well as other humanitarian incentives. The
chosen conference location should be that which contributes
towards community development, and that provides support to
facilitate environmental protection. The dealings should be
between the management of the company and that of the
conference location without any intermediaries being involved.
These are likely to work towards influencing the decision
arrived at concerning the choice of the location (Wieland,

4. 2006).
The notification of local authorities concerning the event and
the acquisition of any permits if necessary, to hold the
conference should also be considered in the selection of the
location for the conference. The local authorities should be
notified for purposes of ensuring that there is an assurance of
security provision as well as facilitation of operations that are
related to the conference in a smooth manner without
interference (Allen, 2000).
Actions to ensure that decision on location is done
ethically
Ensuring that decision on the location is done ethically can be
achieved through the documentation of the costs incurred
throughout the whole process through receipts of the different
costs from the players involved in planning and organizing of
the conference. Payment being done through formal channels is
expected to ensure that there are no cases of inflation in the
amount paid or kickbacks to favor the host of the annual
conference. The issuance of receipts to provide proof of
payments made would also help promote ethics in the selection
of the location (Wieland, 2006).
To make sure that the choosing of the location of the conference
is done in an ethical manner, a requirement of approvals and
permission being required from the management from either
side would be done. Any changes, especially by event
organizers, to include or make adjustments in the proceedings
of the conference or essential requirements is to be approved by
the management of the company. This is expected to deter any
plans since it would not only be difficult, but it would help seal
a loophole that would be easily exploited (Allen, 2000).
The decision concerning the location of the conference being
made ethically would also be assured through the creation of a
criterion concerning the requirements that ought to be met by
the location that is selected for the conference. The selected
location would subsequently be that which meets the set
requirements and not one whose selection is influenced by

5. favoritism or through a violation of ethics (Wieland, 2006).
References
Allen, J. (2000). Event planning: The ultimate guide to
successful meetings, corporate events, fundraising galas,
conferences, conventions, incentives and other special events.
Toronto, Canada: John Wiley and Sons.
Carter, M., & Curtis, D. (2010). The visionary director: A
handbook for dreaming, organizing, and improvising in your
center. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Nagel, A. (2004). Organizing for strategic management. Long
Range Planning, 17(5), 71-78. doi:10.1016/0024-
6301(84)90039-6
Vasconcellos e Sá, J. A. (2002). Organizing for Planning (The
Planning Department). The Neglected Firm, 124-131.
doi:10.1057/9780230599291_10
Wieland, J. (2006). Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
in Europe. Global Perspectives on Ethics of Corporate
Governance, 157-174. doi:10.1057/9780312376192_12
Running Head:
PLANNING AND ORGANIZING
AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE
1

6. Planning and Organizing and Annual Conference
Affiliation
Student’s Name
Running Head: PLANNING AND ORGANIZING AN ANNUAL
CONFERENCE 1
Planning and Organizing and Annual Conference
Affiliation
Student’s Name

7. Project Scope and Business Objective Worksheet
A. General Information
Provide basic information about the project including: Project
Title – The proper name used to identify this project; Project
Working Title - The working name or acronym that will be used
for the project; Project Manager- The Project Manager who is
responsible for the entire project; Other Agency – Other agency
that will be responsible for the management of the project;
Prepared by – The person(s) preparing this document;
Date/Control Number – The date the plan is finalized and the
change or configuration item control number assigned.
Project Title:
Project Working Title:
Proponent Secretary:
Proponent Agency:
Prepared by:
Date / Control Number:
B. Project Scope
1. Deliverables

8. Analyze the project scope and objectives outlined in the Project
Proposal and Charter to understand the Project Deliverables.
Answer these questions:
a) What are the Project Deliverables?
b) Where, when, and to whom are the Deliverables provided?
2.
Project Approach and
Solution
Analyze the project description and scope to understand the
solution and approach to the project. Answer the following
questions:
a) What is the process or technology solution proposed?
b) Who will perform the work?
c) When and where is the project executed?

9. C. Project Business Objectives
Using the objectives outlined in the Charter, list the objectives
and any additional detail as necessary to clarify what results the
project is intended to attain.

10. 3
GanttChartGantt ChartVersion 1.7.3© 2006-2014 Vertex42
LLC0HELP[Project Name][Company Name]Today's
Date:1/17/15Saturday(vertical red line)Project
Lead:[Name][42]Start Date:1/1/15Thursday[42]First Day of
Week
(Mon=2):212/29/1412/30/1412/31/141/1/151/2/151/3/151/4/151/
5/151/6/151/7/151/8/151/9/151/10/151/11/151/12/151/13/151/14
/151/15/151/16/151/17/151/18/151/19/151/20/151/21/151/22/15
1/23/151/24/151/25/151/26/151/27/151/28/151/29/151/30/151/3
1/152/1/152/2/152/3/152/4/152/5/152/6/152/7/152/8/152/9/152/
10/152/11/152/12/152/13/152/14/152/15/152/16/152/17/152/18/
152/19/152/20/152/21/152/22/152/23/152/24/152/25/152/26/152
/27/152/28/153/1/153/2/153/3/153/4/153/5/153/6/153/7/153/8/1
53/9/153/10/153/11/153/12/153/13/153/14/153/15/153/16/153/1
7/153/18/153/19/153/20/153/21/153/22/153/23/153/24/153/25/1
53/26/153/27/153/28/153/29/153/30/153/31/154/1/154/2/154/3/1
54/4/154/5/154/6/154/7/154/8/154/9/154/10/154/11/154/12/154/
13/154/14/154/15/154/16/154/17/154/18/154/19/154/20/154/21/
154/22/154/23/154/24/154/25/154/26/154/27/154/28/154/29/154

11. /30/155/1/155/2/155/3/155/4/155/5/155/6/155/7/155/8/155/9/15
5/10/155/11/155/12/155/13/155/14/155/15/155/16/155/17/155/1
8/155/19/155/20/155/21/155/22/155/23/155/24/155/25/155/26/1
55/27/155/28/155/29/155/30/155/31/156/1/156/2/156/3/156/4/15
6/5/156/6/156/7/156/8/156/9/156/10/156/11/156/12/156/13/156/
14/156/15/156/16/156/17/156/18/156/19/156/20/156/21/156/22/
156/23/156/24/156/25/156/26/156/27/156/28/156/29/156/30/157
/1/157/2/157/3/157/4/157/5/157/6/157/7/157/8/157/9/157/10/15
7/11/157/12/157/13/157/14/157/15/157/16/157/17/157/18/157/1
9/157/20/157/21/157/22/157/23/157/24/157/25/157/26/157/27/1
57/28/157/29/157/30/157/31/158/1/158/2/158/3/158/4/158/5/158
/6/158/7/158/8/158/9/158/10/158/11/158/12/158/13/158/14/158/
15/158/16/158/17/158/18/158/19/158/20/158/21/158/22/158/23/
15WBSTasksTask
LeadStartEndDuration (Days)% CompleteWorking DaysDays
CompleteDays Remaining29 - Dec - 1405 - Jan - 1512 - Jan -
1519 - Jan - 1526 - Jan - 1502 - Feb - 1509 - Feb - 1516 - Feb -
1523 - Feb - 1502 - Mar - 1509 - Mar - 1516 - Mar - 1523 - Mar
- 1530 - Mar - 1506 - Apr - 1513 - Apr - 1520 - Apr - 1527 -
Apr - 1504 - May - 1511 - May - 1518 - May - 1525 - May -
1501 - Jun - 1508 - Jun - 1515 - Jun - 1522 - Jun - 1529 - Jun -
1506 - Jul - 1513 - Jul - 1520 - Jul - 1527 - Jul - 1503 - Aug -
1510 - Aug - 1517 - Aug - 151Task Category
1[Name]1/2/151/15/15140%100141.1Sub Task level
21/2/151/6/1550%3051.2Sub Task level

12. 21/2/151/6/1550%3051.2.1Sub Task level
31/4/151/8/1550%4051.2.2Sub Task level
31/6/151/10/1550%4051.3Sub Task level
21/7/151/11/1550%3051.4Sub Task level
21/11/151/15/1550%4052Task Category
2[Name]1/1/151/18/151825%124142.1Sub Task level
21/1/151/5/15525%3142.2Sub Task level
21/4/151/8/15525%4142.3Sub Task level
21/9/151/13/15525%3142.4Sub Task level
21/14/151/18/15525%3143Task Category
3[Name]1/1/151/19/151950%139103.1Sub Task level
21/1/151/6/15650%4333.2Sub Task level
21/4/151/9/15650%5333.3Sub Task level
21/9/151/14/15650%4333.4Sub Task level
21/14/151/19/15650%4334Task Category
4[Name]1/1/151/18/15180%120184.1Sub Task level
21/1/151/5/1550%3054.2Sub Task level
21/4/151/8/1550%4054.3Sub Task level
21/9/151/13/1550%3054.4Sub Task level
21/14/151/18/1550%305TEMPLATE ROWS: Copy and insert
the entire section, or just the specific sub tasks, depending on
which level you want to use (formulas are different for different
WBS levels)1Task Category 11/1/151/7/1570%5071.1Sub Task
level 21/1/151/7/1570%5071.1.1Level 3
Task1/1/151/7/1570%5071.1.1.1Level 4

13. task1/1/151/7/1570%507
&L&8Gantt Chart Template by Vertex42.com&R&8© 2008
Vertex42 LLC
Work Breakdown Structure
Level 1: 1, 2, 3, ...
Level 2: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, ...
Level 3: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, …
The WBS is automatically entered, but the formulas are
different for different levels.
End Date
The ending date is calculated by adding the Duration (calendar
days) to the Start date minus 1 day, because the task duration is
from the beginning of the Start day to the end of the End day.
Start Date
Enter the starting date for this task. To associate the start date
with the end of another task, enter a formula in the start date
that refers to the end date of that task.
Terms of Use and Copyright:
See the Terms Of Use worksheet and the license agreement on
Vertex42.com. Copyright notices may not be removed.
Duration (Calendar Days)
Enter the number of calendar days for the given task. Refer to
the Working Days column or use a calendar to determine the
corresponding working days. The duration is from the beginning
of the Start date to the ending of the End Date.

14. When the duration is calculated, it is calculated as End Date
minus the Start Date plus 1 day, so that a task starting and
ending on the same day has a duration of 1 day.
Percent Complete
Update the status of this task by entering the percent complete
(between 0% and 100%).
Working Days
Counts the number of working days using the
NETWORKDAYS() formula, which excludes weekends. When
planning work based upon the number of working days, adjust
the Duration until the desired # of working days is reached.
Calendar Days Complete
This column is calculated by multiplying the Duration by the
%Complete and rounding down to the nearest integer.
Calendar Days Remaining
This column is calculated by subtracting the Days Complete
from the Duration.
HELP
- Modify the GREEN cells and the Tasks, and Task Lead
columns. Some of the green cells contain formulas, but those
formulas are just examples of ways to add automation and task
dependency. You can enter values manually into the green cells,
or use formulas.

15. - The Start Date that you choose determines the first week in
the gantt chart.
- Change the first day of the week via cell K8
- Use the slider to adjust the range of dates shown in the gantt
chart.
- The number of weeks shown in the gantt chart is limited by
the maximum number of columns available in Excel.
- Only 34 weeks (7 1/2 months) can be shown/printed at one
time, because each week uses up 7 columns.
Q: The Working Days column shows "###". How do I fix that?
You need to install the Analysis ToolPak add-in that comes with
Excel. Go to Tools > Add-ins, and select Analysis ToolPak.
Q: How do I make Task 2 start the day after the end of Task 1?
Use the following formula for the start date of Task 2:
=EndDate+1
where EndDate is the reference to the cell containing the end
date of task 1.
You can also use =WORKDAY(EndDate,1) to exclude
weekends.
Q: How do I add/insert tasks and subtasks?
Copy the entire ROW (or a group of rows) for the type of
task(s) you want to add and then right-click on the row where

16. you want to insert the new tasks, then select Insert Copied
Cells. You can copy rows from within the gantt chart, or copy
rows from the Template Rows.
Important Note: When inserting a new subtask after the last
subtask or before the first subtask, you will need to update the
formulas for calculating the Level 1 Start Date, %Complete and
Duration, because the ranges won't automatically expand to
include the additional row.
Q: How to I calculate the Start Date for a Level 1 task based
upon its subtasks?
Example: If Task 1 is on row 10 and the subtasks are on rows
11-14, use the following formula:
=MIN(D11:D16)
Q: How do I calculate the %Complete for a Level 1 task based
upon the %Complete of all of the associated subtasks?
Example: If Task 1 is on row 10 and the subtasks are on rows
11-14, use the following formula:
=SUMPRODUCT(F11:F14,G11:G14)/SUM(F11:F14)
Q: How do I calculate the Duration for a Level 1 task based
upon the largest end date of a sub task?
Example: If the Level 1 task is on row 10 and the sub tasks are
on rows 11-14, use the following formula

17. =MAX(D11:D14)-C10+1
Q: How do I change the print settings?
Select the entire range of cells that you want to print and then
go to File > Print Area > Set Print Area. Then go to File > Page
Setup or File > Print Preview and adjust the Scaling and Page
Orientation as desired.
Q: How do I exclude holidays?
The functions WORKDAY() and NETWORKDAYS() allow you
to include a list of holidays. See the Excel help (F1) for
information about how to use these functions. Gantt Chart
Template Pro includes a worksheet for listing all the dates of
the holidays that you want to exclude.
Q: How do I change the background color of the bars in the
Gantt Chart?
The colors used for the bars in the Gantt Chart are set using
Conditional Formatting. The simplest approach for Excel
2002/2003 would be to change the colors via the color palette.
Go to Tools > Options > Color tab. Or, you can select all of the
cells in the Gantt Chart and go to Format > Conditional
Formatting to change the colors.
Q: How do I use grouping?

18. [Feature unavailable when the spreadsheet is locked] You can
expand or collapse a group of rows using Excel's "Group and
Outline" feature. To define a group of rows, select the rows and
go to Data > Group and Outline and select Group ...
To unlock this spreadsheet, purchase Gantt Chart Template Pro:
http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/excel-gantt-
chart.html
HELP
©Gantt Chart Template© 2008-2009 Vertex42
LLChttp://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/excel-gantt-
chart.html
http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/excel-gantt-
chart.html
GanttChartProGantt Chart Template ProGantt Chart Template
Pro is similar to this free version,but it is unlocked, more
feature-packed, and includes otherbonus content such as sample
project schedules.Already spent a lot of time working with this
free version?That's okay. In addition to downloading the Gantt
Chart Template Profiles, you will be given the password for
unlocking this spreadsheet.Learn More About Gantt Chart
Template Prohttp://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/excel-
gantt-chart.html- View screenshots- Watch demo videosBenefits
and Features of Gantt Chart Template ProUnlocked (worksheets
are not password-protected)By unlocking the free version or
using Gantt Chart Template Pro, you will be able to useall of

19. the functions and features available in Excel, such as formatting
cells, insertingcolumns, and grouping rows.More Ways to
Define a TaskChoose from a larger set of template rows that
provide more options fordefining the Start date, End date,
duration, and dependency of tasks.Define a task based on the
…- Start date and End date- Start date and Work days- Start
date and Calendar days- Predecessor and End date- Predecessor
and Work days- Predecessor and Calendar daysEasily Create
Task DependenciesThough you can still use your own formulas
for creating task dependencies,the new Predecessor options
make it very simple. One of the demo videosdiscusses this in
detail.Exclude Holidays from Work DaysList holidays in a
separate sheet that you want to exclude from work days.Sample
Project SchedulesTo get a head start on defining your project
schedule, you can useone of the 3 sample gantt charts:- Home
Construction Project Schedule- Custom Software Project
Schedule- Website Development Project ScheduleNew Excel
2007+ Version (XLSX)In addition to Gantt Chart Template Pro
for Excel 2003, you will be able to downloadan XLSX version,
for Excel 2007 or later, that allows you to easily color-code
thebars of the gantt chart.Learn More About Gantt Chart
Template Pro
Learn More About Gantt Chart Template Pro
Learn More About Gantt Chart Template Pro
TermsOfUseTerms of Use© 2006 - 2014 Vertex42 LLC. All

20. rights reserved.This template is considered a copyrighted work
under the Unites States and other copyright laws and is the
property of Vertex42 LLC. The items listed below are additional
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http://www.vertex42.com/licensing/EULA_privateuse.html

23. Sheet1Work Breakdown Structure TableProvide basic
information about the project including: Project Title – The
proper name used to identify this project; Project Working Title
- The working name or acronym that will be used for the
project; Proponent Secretary - The Project Manager who is
responsible for the entire project; Other Agency – Other agency
that will be responsible for the management of the project;
Prepared by – The person(s) preparing this document;
Date/Control Number – The date the plan is finalized and the
change or configuration item control number assigned.Project
Title:Project Working Title:Project Manager:Other
Agency:Prepared by:Date / Control Number:Element
NumberWBS Elements Activity, Task, or
Sub-Task NameDefinition of Activity or Task
(Description)Responsible Person or GroupEstimated (E) or
Actual (A) Cost (Cross reference to budget)Project Phase (Cross
reference to schedule)