AN INTERGALACTIC RECEPTION  As a tactic to generate publicity and…

DeanTeamSandpiper26 AN INTERGALACTIC RECEPTION  As a tactic to generate publicity and…AN INTERGALACTIC RECEPTION As a tactic to generate publicity and press coverage that would distinguish Albuquerque and New Mexico from the surrounding Southwestern states and communities, a one-night festival style event was created for the convention and visitor’s bureau to capitalize on the science fiction/science fact assets of the destination. Not only is New Mexico home to the legendary Roswell Incident; Albuquerque is home to Lovelace Medical Centre where the first astronauts were tested as humorously depicted in the film The Right Staff. In addition, New Mexico has the Alamogordo Space Centre and the Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, and boasts the highest per-capital ratio of science fiction authors in the U.S. The event was an allvolunteer effort with all the goods, services, and exhibits donated in support of the bureau, including sponsorship by a local television station. The Albuquerque Intergalactic Reception featured a UFO landing strip; a dozen exhibits including the UFO Museum from Roswell, roving lunar robots from Sandia National lab’s Robotics Department, hands-on zero-gravity activities, and a full-scale model of the Mercury I Space Capsule; a science fiction book fair with book signings by several New Mexico writers; a portable inflatable planetarium; telescopes provided by the university’s astronomy club; food concessions and a beer garden; a disk jockey on a stage playing science fiction movie themes; an inflatable Moon Walk bouncy cage for children; a ‘Milky Way Mercado’ of souvenir vendors; and a special appearance by the star of a popular science fiction television program who signed autographs at the television station’s sponsor tent. The site was the uppermost level of the five-level parking structure adjacent to the convention centre because it was the largest and highest open space in the downtown area, and the parking authority wanted to promote the parking structure so more residents would use this facility. The first three levels of the parking structure were available as free parking for eventgoers and the fourth level was reserved for parking the event vehicles. All the staging, tenting, equipment, and exhibiting companies were notified in writing that the access to the event site was through the parking structure levels, which had a seven-foot clearance. Set-up day arrived and so did the truck delivering the portable toilets, which was too tall for the seven-foot clearance and the toilets had to be stationed on the ground floor of the parking structure next to the elevator because ‘tipping’ them was not an option, and directional signage had to be made to inform attendees of their new location. Despite the event organizer’s clear communication to all the parties involved regarding clearance limits and access to the event, the portable toilets were just the tip of the iceberg. The convention centre’s food concessionaire had to revise its catering operations that day because it realized its colourful concession wagons could not fit within elevator, nor could they withstand rolling them throughout the five levels of the parking structure route. The model of the space capsule had to be stationed on the street next to the parking structure because it could not fit under the seven-foot clearance. The Emergency Medical Technicians contracted to oversee the event had to walk up the five levels with their emergency gear because their ambulance was too tall for the seven-foot clearance. The first beer truck could not make it because it was too big for the seven-foot clearance. Nevertheless, the event was a success, attracting more than 2000 men, women, assorted aliens, and especially children, and generating more than $300,000 worth of national and international publicity coverage. And everyone on the event team, from participants to providers, soon made the low clearance into the running joke. If anything went awry, they just slapped their cheeks and cried, ‘seven-foot clearance!’ to lighten the load with a little laughter. Question: Discuss the operational challenges associated with the location and the access to the site.BusinessBusiness – Other