Thursday, October 31, 2019

Psychology assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychology assignment - Essay Example Sometimes it is defined as the ability of a person to cognitively manipulate information and problem solve. Many tests, such as the SAT and/or ACT, are designed to capture these cognitive abilities through appraising skills in arithmetic and reading. However, many psychologists and scientists alike argue whether this is a fair assessment of intelligence. One of the more encompassing theories of intelligence comes from Howard Gardner who developed the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Gardner proposed that there were seven â€Å"types† of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence. This theory into intelligence provided a good explanation for why those that have impaired cognitive abilities could still perform a concerto or create an artistic masterpiece (Shaffer, and Kipp 350-52). Raymond Cattell theorized another important component in which intelligence is commonly defined. He postulated two main components of intelligence: crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence. Crystalline intelligence consists of all the knowledge we have complied together in memory and is stored for future use. Fluidic intelligence refers to our problem solving ability and the ability/speed in which we are able to process information. These types of intelligences are inversely proportional, meaning that the older we get the more developed our crystalline intelligence gets and our fluid intelligence decreases (Sigelman, and Rider 227). This can show a trend in both the biological and environmental conditions resulting in intelligence in relation to the aging process. Psychology has been a field of study, which has been influenced by a wide variety of other disciplines such as biology, philosophy, and culture. This is because the field of psychology intertwines ideas from all of these areas, which prompted the questioning of whether the majority of psychological phenomenon was the resul t of the biologically driven concept or whether it was the result of the environment. Many different aspects of psychology are more driven by these components. Theories dealing in the sub-discipline of neuroscience and clinical disorders often are driven by the biology. Thoughts such as in many counseling theories and health psychology relate directly to the environment in which the individual is interacting with. Therefore, many have taken the middle ground by showing that psychology is influenced by epigenetic principles, which relies on the premise that both biology and environment equally influence the course of a person’s development. The beginning of the nature vs. nurture debate in regards to intelligence started with Francis Galton. He was a cousin to evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin. Galton followed the studies of his cousin and took a strong interest in his theories of natural selection and the involvement of the selection of traits. He also had knowledge in th e field of genetics where it was hypothesized that information and hereditary traits were past from parent to offspring through genes. Therefore, Galton hypothesized that no amount of schooling and studying could affect one’s intelligence due to the fact that keys of intelligence are passed through genetics and that this ran in families. Galton was the scientist who coined the term â€Å"

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, LTD Research Paper

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, LTD - Research Paper Example The entrepreneur is described to be a risk taker, but also with ability to turn the impossible into business opportunities. More on his mass investment in entertainment, transport, telephone services, and financial sector is elaborated. He also demonstrates his leadership skills, while dealing with his employees, customers, society, and his different businesses by close association, partnerships, and participation. Keywords: Business, Enterprise, Entrepreneur, Leadership Skills, Ideas, Motivation, Investment, Opportunities, Evolution, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Virgin Mobile, Music Label, Employees, Global Warming Introduction The ability to be a successful individual in society is viewed differently according to individuals, or a collective perception of people. Today everyone associates success with education, learning and gathering information, but opposing, excelling and living a satisfactory life needs the basics of wisdom, understanding and hard work, if not working smart. Sir R ichard Branson’s history exists to confirm this. People tend to strain in life, as they force themselves in situations where they do not fit; it is not really the sharpness of a student in class that determines his or her future. The idea is that, ‘people are totally different, with diverse abilities and interests’. ... He possesses the qualities of a great leader, which most businesses in the world lack, leading to their failure. Interest, Idea and Ambition in Business Different nations have various ways to nurture the young population in paths of their careers. At least academicians are now concentrating on this, unlike in the past where education was so generalized. Branson’s venture into business occurred in his childhood, at the age of 15 years, he began producing and selling magazines in his school, before dropping out at 17 years of age to fully participate in his business (Mills et al., 2007, p. 485). His entrepreneurial skills outweighed the impact of education in his life, but on the bright side he began nurturing his career early in life. He turned the business idea into a fact, hence bringing an impact into the market through his innovation and creativity. According to Schmidt and Ludlow, â€Å"Starting a magazine for young people, Student, he already had the idea that the concep t could cover many other products and services for young people: a student travel service, perhaps a bank† (2002, p. 130). His business venture in school was strategic, not that other individuals could not come up with another proposal, but because he took advantage of the market niche, combined with his wisdom and tactics to flourish at young age. Earlier on, he seemed to struggle with his studies especially with the rigid school rules, which most students also have to tolerate in the education systems. Convinced on his entrepreneurial step, he only got to begin with 4 dollars as his capital, with Jonny James as the only supporter, before his head teacher finally accepted his successful progress (â€Å"The success story,† 2008). His venture in business was humble,

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Modern Olympic Games Tourism Essay

The Modern Olympic Games Tourism Essay The modern Olympic Games are a major international event featuring summer and winter sports in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered to be the worlds foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Games are currently held biennially, with summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating, meaning they each occur every four years. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The IOC has since become the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority. The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Games for ice and winter sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability, and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. The IOC has had to adapt to the varying economic, political, and technological realities of the 20th century. As a result, the Olympics shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allow participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of the mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialization of the Games. World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games. The Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and organizing committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Olympic Games. The host city is responsible for organizing and funding a celebration of the Games consistent with the Olympic Charter. The Olympic program, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games, is also determined by the IOC. The celebration of the Games encompasses many rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. Over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympics in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second and third place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals: gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. The Games have grown in scale to the point that nearly every nation is represented. Such growth has created numerous challenges, including boycotts, doping, bribery, and terrorism. Every two years, the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute a major opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world. The Olympic Games program consists of 35 sports, 30 disciplines and nearly 400 events. For example, wrestling is a Summer Olympic sport, comprising two disciplines: Greco-Roman and Freestyle. It is further broken down into fourteen events for men and four events for women, each representing a different weight class. The Summer Olympics program includes 26 sports, while the Winter Olympics program features 15 sports. Athletics, swimming, fencing, and artistic gymnastics are the only summer sports that have never been absent from the Olympic program. Cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been featured at every Winter Olympics program since its inception in 1924. Current Olympic sports, like badminton, basketball, and volleyball, first appeared on the program as demonstration sports, and were later promoted to full Olympic sports. Some sports that were featured in earlier Games were later dropped from the program. Olympic sports are governed by international sports federations (IFs) recognized by the IOC as the global supervisors of those sports. There are 35 federations represented at the IOC. There are sports recognized by the IOC that are not included on the Olympic program. These sports are not considered Olympic sports, but they can be promoted to this status during a program revision that occurs in the first IOC session following a celebration of the Olympic Games. During such revisions, sports can be excluded or included in the program on the basis of a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the IOC. There are recognized sports that have never been on an Olympic program in any capacity, including chess and surfing. In October and November 2004, the IOC established an Olympic Programme Commission, which was tasked with reviewing the sports on the Olympic program and all non-Olympic recognized sports. The goal was to apply a systematic approach to establishing the Olympic program for each celebration of the Games. The commission formulated seven criteria to judge whether a sport should be included on the Olympic program. These criteria are history and tradition of the sport, universality, popularity of the sport, image, athletes health, development of the International Federation that governs the sport, and costs of holding the sport. From this study five recognized sports emerged as candidates for inclusion at the 2012 Summer Olympics: golf, karate, rugby union, roller sports and squash. These sports were reviewed by the IOC Executive Board and then referred to the General Session in Singapore in July 2005. Of the five sports recommended for inclusion only two were selected as finalists: karate and squash. Neither sport neither attained the required two-thirds vote nor consequently was they not promoted to the Olympic program. In October 2009 the IOC voted to instate golf and rugby union as Olympic sports for the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The 114th IOC Session, in 2002, limited the Summer Games program to a maximum of 28 sports, 301 events, and 10,500 athletes. Three years later, at the 117th IOC Session, the first major program revision was performed, which resulted in the exclusion of baseball and softball from the official program of the 2012 London Games. Since there was no agreement in the promotion of two other sports, the 2012 program featured just 26 sports. The 2016 and 2020 Games will return to the maximum of 28 sports given the addition of rugby and golf. The host city for an Olympic Games is usually chosen seven to eight years ahead of their celebration. The process of selection is carried out in two phases that span a two-year period. The prospective host city applies to its countrys National Olympic Committee; if more than one city from the same country submits a proposal to its NOC, the national committee typically holds an internal selection, since only one city per NOC can be presented to the International Olympic Committee for consideration. Once the deadline for submission of proposals by the NOCs is reached, the first phase (Application) begins with the applicant cities asked to complete a questionnaire regarding several key criteria related to the organization of the Olympic Games. In this form, the applicants must give assurances that they will comply with the Olympic Charter and with any other regulations established by the IOC Executive Committee. The evaluation of the filled questionnaires by a specialized group provides the IOC with an overview of each applicants project and their potential to host the Games. On the basis of this technical evaluation, the IOC Executive Board selects the applicants that will proceed to the candidature stage. Once the candidate cities are selected, they must submit to the IOC a bigger and more detailed presentation of their project as part of a candidature file. Each city is thoroughly analysed by an evaluation commission. This commission will also visit the candidate cities, interviewing local officials and inspecting prospective venue sites, and submit a report on its findings one month prior to the IOCs final decision. During the interview process the candidate city must also guarantee that it will be able to fund the Games. After the work of the evaluation commission, a list of candidates is presented to the General Session of the IOC, which must assemble in a country that does not have a candidate city in the running. The IOC members gathered in the Session have the final vote on the host city. Once elected, the host city bid committee (together with the NOC of the respective country) signs a Host City Contract with the IOC, officially becoming an Olympic host nation and host city. By 2016, the Olympic Games will have been hosted by 44 cities in 23 countries, but by cities outside Europe and North America on only eight occasions. Since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, the Olympics have been held in Asia or Oceania four times, a sharp increase compared to the previous 92 years of modern Olympic history. The 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro will be the first Olympics for a South American country. No bids from countries in Africa have succeeded. The United States has hosted eight Olympic Games, four Summer and four Winter, more than any other nation. The British capital London holds the distinction of hosting three Olympic Games, all Summer, more than any other city. The other nations hosting the Summer Games twice are Germany, Australia, France and Greece. The other cities hosting the Summer Games twice are Los Angeles, Paris and Athens. In addition to the United States, nations hosting multiple Winter Games are France with three, while Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Japan, Canada and Italy have hosted twice. Among host cities, Lake Placid, Innsbruck and St. Moritz have played host to the Winter Olympic Games more than once, each holding that honour twice. The most recent Winter Games were held in Vancouver, Canadas third Olympics overall. The next Winter Games will be in Sochi in 2014, Russias first Winter Olympics and second Olympics overall. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games, 24 Nov, 2012) London Wins By 15 July 2003, the deadline for interested cities to submit bids to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), nine cities had submitted bids to host the 2012 Summer Olympics: Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York City, Paris and Rio de Janeiro. On 18 May 2004, as a result of a scored technical evaluation, the IOC reduced the number of cities to five: London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris. All five submitted their candidate files by 19 November 2004 and were visited by the IOC inspection team during February and March 2005. The Paris bid suffered two setbacks during the IOC inspection visit: a number of strikes and demonstrations coinciding with the visits, and a report that a key member of the bid team, Guy Drut, would face charges over alleged corrupt party political finances. Throughout the process, Paris was widely seen as the favourite, particularly as this was its third bid in recent years. London was seen at first as lagging Paris by a considerable margin. Its position began to improve after the appointment of Lord Coe as the new head of London 2012 on 19 May 2004. In late August 2004, reports predicted a tie between London and Paris. On 6 June 2005 the IOC released its evaluation reports for the five candidate cities. They did not contain any scores or rankings, but the report for Paris was considered the most positive. London was close behind, having closed most of the gap observed by the initial evaluation in 2004. New York and Madrid also received very positive evaluations. On 1 July 2005, when asked who would win, Jacques Rogge said, I cannot predict it since I dont know how the IOC members will vote. But my gut feeling tells me that it will be very close. Perhaps it will come down to a difference of say ten votes, or maybe less. On 6 July 2005, the final selection was announced at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. Moscow was the first city to be eliminated, followed by New York and Madrid. The final two contenders were London and Paris. At the end of the fourth round of voting, London won the right to host the 2012 Games with 54 votes to Pariss 50. The celebrations in London were short-lived, being overshadowed by bombings on Londons transport system less than 24 hours after the announcement. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Olympics, 24 Nov, 2012) Why was London chosen? A lot of available land to regenerate Government was in favor Many hotels and restaurants Has the right facilities A good transport system In Europe, close to many spectators and potential athletes A good climate during July and August Pre Olympics Preparations for the Games Economics of the Games By almost any measure, staging the Olympic Games was big business. Revenue is generated from five principal sources: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Broadcast rights-the rights to broadcast the Games in countries around the world. In recent times, the rights for the United States accounted for about 50% and the rights for Europe accounted for 25% of the total broadcast revenue. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ International sponsorship-the rights for a company to proclaim itself an Official Sponsor of the Olympic Games on a worldwide basis in the four years leading up to the Games. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ticketing-the tickets to the individual Olympic events. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Domestic sponsorship-the rights for a company to proclaim itself an official sponsor of the Olympics within the country hosting the Games. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Licensing rights-the rights to use the Olympic logos and trademarks on items ranging from stamps and coins to t-shirts and stuffed animals. Preparing For and Managing the Games Using its allocation of the Olympic revenues, the host city London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games had to plan for, organize, and manage the 17 days of the Games, all within the contractual obligations set forth by the IOC. The major tasks included: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Staging the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony, and sporting events à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Arranging for the required stadia, arenas, training facilities, and equipment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Housing and feeding the athletes and officials à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Anticipating and solving potential transportation problems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Meeting the needs of the media à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Providing security to ensure a safe and peaceful Olympics Importantly, while the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games was responsible for arranging for the Games infrastructure, responsibility for actually providing that infrastructure rested with the host city and country. This included the stadia and arenas to stage the events, the Olympic Village to house the athletes, the national and international transportation systems to efficiently get people to and from the host city, and the local transportation systems to shuttle people to and from the events. If funds were needed to build this infrastructure, they typically were raised through taxation, lotteries, and private investment. Chris Townsend explained: The costs of any Olympics can be broken down into software or people costs and hardware or infrastructure costs. Software costs are the responsibility of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and include the expenses associated with planning the Games, housing the athletes, and running the events. In contrast, hardware costs are the responsibility of the host city and depend greatly on the existing infrastructure. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™ The 2012 Games Great Britain was no stranger to the Olympic Games. It was one of only four nations to compete in all 26 Olympic Games, holding third place in total number of medals won. It had successfully hosted the 1908 and 1948 London Games. And it had bid on the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Games. Winning the rights to the 2012 Games was far from certain, however, with Paris, New York, Moscow, and Madrid also in the final running. The process to select the host city consisted of a series of secret ballots, with each IOC member voting for the city of his or her choice. After each round of voting, if no city obtained a majority of the votes cast, the city with the lowest number of votes was eliminated, and the remaining cities advanced to a new round of voting. By most accounts, Paris was the favourite to win the rights to the 2012 Games. However, many believed the London bid was aided by the addition of Sebastian Coe to the London Bid Committee in 2004. Coe was the 1980 and 1984 gold medallist in the 1,500-meter run, was widely considered one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time, had served as a member of the British Parliament, and was widely respected both within and outside the Olympic community. In the end, the IOC apparently was impressed by the proposal that the London Bid Committee submitted. As announced on July 6, 2005, to the joy of its many supporters, London had won the rights to host the 2012 Games in a final, head-to-head ballot in which London received 54 votes to Pariss 50. The Plans for the 2012 Games The 2012 Games were scheduled to run from July 27 to August 12, with over 12,000 athletes from 205 countries expected to compete across 26 sports and 300 events. In a perfect world, the organizing committee knew, their decisions would satisfy many criteria. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ First, given the importance of ticketing to the Games bottom line, they had a strong incentive to maximize revenues. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Second, given that the entire world would be watching, they wanted to maximize attendance-not just at the Opening Ceremony and swimming finals, which traditionally were easy sells, but also at events like handball and table tennis, which were not. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Thirdly, the wanted to fill the seats with right people- knowledgeable fans who added to the energy and atmosphere of the event. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Finally, tickets had to be accessible not only to the worlds elite but also to average Londoners, many of whom lived around the corner from the Olympic park. With 7.9 million tickets up for sale, the LONDON ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES anticipated an average of 500,000 spectators per day to attend the Games, with up to 800,000 on the busiest days. It estimated that roughly 30% of all tickets would be purchased by Londoners, 25% by United Kingdom residents who lived outside of London, 20% by people from the rest of Europe, and 25% by people from the rest of the world. In addition, it expected 10,000 Olympic and political dignitaries to watch some or all of the Games, 20,000 journalists and media personnel to cover the Games, 60,000 security personnel to ensure safety, and 100,000 paid and volunteer workers to help run the Games. Location and Venues A key selling point in the London bid was the plan to build the centrepiece of the Games-the Olympic Park-in East London. As stated in Londons bid document: Great Games leave welcome legacies. Consistent with Londons long-term plan, the Games will stimulate vital economic and social regeneration in what is now a disadvantaged area. Creation of the Olympic Park will involve restoring large tracts of land in East London, with new green spaces and revived wetlands. The Olympic Village will become a desirable and socially diverse new residential area, providing 3,600 new homes in a community transformed by the Games. The intent was to develop 500 acres of existing industrial and waste land in East London into the Olympic Park. By 2012, this would include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium-for Opening and Closing Ceremonies and athletics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 17,500-seat Aquatics Centre-for diving, swimming, and water polo à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 12,000-seat London Velopark-for indoor track cycling and outdoor BMX cycling à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 12,000-seat Basketball Arena à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 15,000-seat Olympic Field Hockey Centre à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 17,000-bed Olympic Village After the Games, the plan was to reduce the size of several of the larger venues to fit with the surrounding community, to relocate several of the smaller venues to other parts of the country where they could be better utilized, and to convert the Olympic Village into 3,600 units of affordable housing, with an additional 5,400 new homes to be built later. The remaining sports would use existing venues located throughout London and the UK, including Earls Court (volleyball), Excel London (judo, weightlifting, wrestling), Hyde Park (triathlon), the Millennium Dome (gymnastics), Wimbledon (tennis), and Wembley (football). Transportation A second critical element of the London bid was a plan to make the 2012 Games the first public transport Olympics, with close to 100% of ticketed spectators traveling to the Olympic events by such means. To make this happen, existing transportation links to and from the East London area were to be expanded and upgraded, turning it into one of the best-connected Communities in the city. The most talked-about of these efforts was a 12-car subway shuttle called the Olympic Javelin, which would ferry passengers from Kings Cross Station, in the heart of London, to the Olympic Park in just 7 minutes. These efforts were expected to support the transport of up to 240,000 passengers per hour into and out of the Olympic Park area. In turn, to encourage spectators to use public transportation, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games had announced that the price of every ticket to an Olympic event would include the use of Londons public transportation network on the day of that event. Atmosphere finally, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games hoped to engage and excite the British public. While Sydney came to be called the Laid-Back Games, and Beijing had been unofficially dubbed the No Fun Games, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games wanted the legacy of the 2012 Games to be one of inclusiveness. Toward this end, Sebastian Coe noted: Whilst London will be the principal venue, it is the entire United Kingdom which will be the host. The London 2012 Games will be Everybodys Games. London 2012 will be the most accessible and participative Games ever. Putting on Everybodys Games, we are clear that our stakeholders are the 60 million people living in Britain. Delivering the 2012 games The two groups responsible for delivering the 2012 games were the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which staged the Games, and a quasi-governmental organization called the Olympic Delivery Authority, which built the infrastructure. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games forecasting budget was $3 billion. Roughly $1.2 billion of this came from its share of the broadcast revenues and international sponsorships. London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games was responsible for the rest, with a planned $1 billion coming from about 60 domestic sponsors, $650 million from ticket sales, and $150 million from licensing fees. The Olympic Delivering Authoritys total expenses were projected to run about $12 billion: $6 billion for the building of the Olympic park, $4 billion for the transportation upgrades, and the rest for smaller projects, contingencies and taxes. Roughly 60% of these funds came from national taxes, 15% came from London city taxes, and 20% came from the National Lottery. Selling tickets to the games Hired as head of ticketing in September 2007, Paul Williamson was no stranger to large sporting event. Previously, he had helped set ticketing guidelines for several FIFA World Cup Finals, the Cricket World Cup etc. He was well aware of the challenges that London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games faced: Ticketing for the FIFA World Cup was a great experience, but it pales in comparison to the Olympic Games. For a World Cup Final, you sell three million tickets to 64 matches played over 30 days in 10 or 12 major cities. The teams were all of very high calibre, the stadia were all well established, and football was the most popular sport in the world. With the Olympic Games, they were trying to sell almost eight million tickets to 26 different sports played over 17 days, with some sports wildly popular and others a complete mystery to the average person. In reality, they were running 26 world championships in a fortnight. While many ticketing issues were still up in the air, some had already been decided. In particular, it was known that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A total of 7.9 million tickets would be available for sale across all events. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In late 2010, international and domestic sponsors, the 205 National Olympic Committees, the International Federations, and other IOC affiliates could place requests for tickets- specifying how many tickets at each price point they desired for each event. All would pay full price for any tickets ultimately received and, collectively, these groups would receive no more than 25% of available tickets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In the spring of 2011, the general public could similarly place requests for tickets, via an online ballot, specifying the event, number of tickets, and price point they desired. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In the summer of 2011, ticket requests from both the IOC affiliates and the public would be processed and individuals would be informed as to whether they had obtained tickets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Later in 2011 and into 2012, any remaining tickets would be offered for direct sale. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ During the Games, tickets still not sold would be available for purchase at box offices throughout London. Williamson noted that those applying for tickets were requesting entry to a particular event within a certain price tier. Not until tickets were matched to requests, in the summer of 2011, would customers find out where they actually sat in the stadium or arena. Managing Ticket Revenues When it came to managing ticket revenues, Williamson and his team looked to the 2000 Sydney Games for inspiration: While the 2004 Athens Games and the 2008 Beijing Games were wonderful events, they do not provide a great ticketing benchmark for the London Games. Athens was hampered by the small size of the city and the limited capacity of the venues. And Beijing tried hard to make tickets affordable for its domestic population, resulting in ticket prices that were artificially low. But the Sydney Games were staged in large venues in the largest city of a wealthy, sports- loving country. People were willing to pay to attend events and the results reflected this fact. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games also viewed sufficient ticket revenues as vital to the legacy of the 2012 Games. As Chris Townsend noted: With so much money involved in the Games, it is easy to view ticket sales as a drop in the bucket. What is $650 million when the Olympic Delivery Authority is spending $12 billion to build the Olympic Park and the Olympic Javelin? But putting things in perspective. Last year, Manchester United generated about $150 million in ticket revenues over a nine-month season, while the New York Yankees sold $120 million in tickets over a six-month season. They were looking to bring in four to five times those amounts, which will have a major impact on the financial legacy of these Games. But Williamson knew that maximizing ticket revenue meant more than just charging high prices Peoples willingness-to-pay for a given event will depend on many factors. Theres an expectation about what a ticket should cost based on other sporting events in and around London. Theres the global appeal of a sport, with swimming and gymnastics being very popular around the world. Theres the local appeal of the sport, often driven by the host countries past success in that sport. Theres the event stage, with most people wanting to see those stages where the gold medals are awarded. And then theres a particular team or athlete that makes the difference. Williamson also reasoned that the pricing of tickets at past Games provided only limited guidance for the pricing of the London Games: First, every host city possesses unique tastes, culture, and atmosphere. While beach volleyball may be big in Australia, table tennis is king in China. Second, the reach of the Games varies by location. Given the difficulties in getting into China, tickets to the Beijing Games were largely limited to the Chinese. Given the proximity of London to the rest of Europe, they anticipate a much more international crowd. Third, this will be the first Games where ticketing will be done via the Internet, which may alter demand for some events. Finally, with the current global financial crisis, London 2012 is entering uncharted territories. Managing Attendance The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games also wanted to fill the many venues during the games. As stated in the London bid document, Great Games generate genuine enthusiasm. This will be demonstrated by full stadia across a wide range of events. Given that organizers expected close to five billion television viewers to watch some part of the 2012 Games, the last image the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games wanted broadcast to the world was that of half-empty arenas. Everyone at the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games understood the potential fallout from attendance shortfalls. Pinned to a nearby bulletin board were several articles from recent games. In reference to the 2004 Athens Games, one New York Times headline read, Summer 2004 Games: Seats May Be Empty, But Not the Beaches. And in regard to the 2008 Beijing Games, the Los Angeles Times proclaimed, Empty Seats Are a Mystery at Beijing Olympics. Williamson broke down the challenge of maximizing attendance into two parts. First, you have to get people to buy the tickets. Second, you have to get those who purchased tickets to actually use them. Neither of these was a trivial task. When it came to getting people to buy the tickets, Williamson had no illusions: You just cant sell every ticket to every event. The Opening Ceremony? Sure. The final day of track and field? Sure. Michael Phelps in any of the swimming events? Sure. But what about a preliminary round of handball, table tennis, or archery? The demand is just lower for certain sports. The reality is, there were three classes of events they managed. First, there was big four-swimming, artistic gymnastics, athletics, and the ceremonies-where demand historically far exceeds supply and which likely sold out at almost any prices. They expected about 40% of ticket revenues to come from these four sports. Second, there was football, with almost two million tickets across 58 mens and womens matches. If there was any single sport with which they obsess, it was football. On the one hand, football is the most popular sport in Europe, which worked in their favour. On the other hand, unlike the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic teams were largely limited to players under 23 years of age, eliminating some of the biggest names in the sport. They hope to generate another 10% of ticket revenue from football. Third, there were all the other sports, where supply historically exceeds demand and where they had to work hard to maximize sales. But the challenge did not end with merely selling the tickets. As the Beijing organizers discovered, ge

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Happy Trail Essays -- Descriptive Essay Examples, Observation

The Happy Trail    Sometimes people have a certain place to go to think about things. There are people that associate certain places with negative thoughts or feelings. I believe that people should have places to go that make them happy. Even though, there always seem to be places that make us cry and give us a feeling of great depression. Places in nature are very important to people and their ability to relax, to look at the beautiful scenery, and to have peaceful memories of the happier moments of their lives. I try to always associate nature with positive feelings and thoughts, and if it works for me I think everyone should try it. The truth is, I picture nature representing beauty, happiness, and memories.    Nature is a very beautiful thing in this world. Even at times when it seems as if nothing is beautiful. Whenever I go to the Mines of Spain Nature Preserve, in Dubuque, I think of my friend Karl. Walking on the trails reminds me of all the bugs that used to bother us as we journeyed to our special cliff. He used to jump up and down, waving his hands in the air as if his actions were going to make the bugs disappear. Of course the bugs were still there, and I had my laughs for the day! We would walk together on the trail slowly, and watch all the wilderness around us. There are so many trees and bushes, and during the fall there are the greatest colors of leaves imaginable. Occasionally we would see and hear an animal or two climbing the trees of crossing our path ahead. There are a few streams along this path. The water runs slowly and smoothly, even when in runs over the stones that are in the stream. Karl used to jump in and get both of us wet. It didn't matter how mad I got, becau se after I would l... ...ming weekend, and at times have thought of way to resolve a fight with a loved one. The scenery and quietness of the cliff would relax just about anyone. Maybe you, my reader, should find a place like this to go to, if you don't have one already.    When I climb the trail leading to my favorite place in nature, I am not only concentrating, but also I think o things such as what I will be doing the next day or week. In some cases I even think of what lies in my future. When I am angry with someone, I go there to try to become a rational thinker, and to try to see the other person's point of view. Once I am up on the cliff, I sit down and let the sun hit me. I take deep breathes and separate my thoughts from my feelings in my mind. It is still very quiet, and now I can hear my breathing in slow, soft rhythms and think about life, death, and happiness.    The Happy Trail Essays -- Descriptive Essay Examples, Observation The Happy Trail    Sometimes people have a certain place to go to think about things. There are people that associate certain places with negative thoughts or feelings. I believe that people should have places to go that make them happy. Even though, there always seem to be places that make us cry and give us a feeling of great depression. Places in nature are very important to people and their ability to relax, to look at the beautiful scenery, and to have peaceful memories of the happier moments of their lives. I try to always associate nature with positive feelings and thoughts, and if it works for me I think everyone should try it. The truth is, I picture nature representing beauty, happiness, and memories.    Nature is a very beautiful thing in this world. Even at times when it seems as if nothing is beautiful. Whenever I go to the Mines of Spain Nature Preserve, in Dubuque, I think of my friend Karl. Walking on the trails reminds me of all the bugs that used to bother us as we journeyed to our special cliff. He used to jump up and down, waving his hands in the air as if his actions were going to make the bugs disappear. Of course the bugs were still there, and I had my laughs for the day! We would walk together on the trail slowly, and watch all the wilderness around us. There are so many trees and bushes, and during the fall there are the greatest colors of leaves imaginable. Occasionally we would see and hear an animal or two climbing the trees of crossing our path ahead. There are a few streams along this path. The water runs slowly and smoothly, even when in runs over the stones that are in the stream. Karl used to jump in and get both of us wet. It didn't matter how mad I got, becau se after I would l... ...ming weekend, and at times have thought of way to resolve a fight with a loved one. The scenery and quietness of the cliff would relax just about anyone. Maybe you, my reader, should find a place like this to go to, if you don't have one already.    When I climb the trail leading to my favorite place in nature, I am not only concentrating, but also I think o things such as what I will be doing the next day or week. In some cases I even think of what lies in my future. When I am angry with someone, I go there to try to become a rational thinker, and to try to see the other person's point of view. Once I am up on the cliff, I sit down and let the sun hit me. I take deep breathes and separate my thoughts from my feelings in my mind. It is still very quiet, and now I can hear my breathing in slow, soft rhythms and think about life, death, and happiness.   

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Micromax Product Manager

Micromax is an Indian consumer electronics company located in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It is one of the leading mobile phone manufacturers in India as well as in the world. According to industry analysts, as of 2012, Micromax leads the Indian tablet market with a share of 18. 4%, ahead of Samsung and Apple, and is the third largest mobile phone vendor in terms of volume. In Jharkhand first showroom opened at LL03 HARIOM TOWER CERCULAR ROAD, RANCHI. From then the business has widespread all over Jharkhand but yet a lot of market opportunities are still left to achieve in this region. Since the owner of this showroom was first one to bring Micromax in Jharkhand thus he is only responsible to develop any business in required places. He is the owner of authorized Cnf (Carrying and Forwarding) of Micromax in Jharkhand. To modify the saturated market or decide a new market place, he suggested following duties and responsibilities to be performed as follows- * Investigate the economic conditions surrounding your small business activity such as industry trends and competition. Conduct extensive market research prior to starting up your business and continue gathering information throughout the life of the business. * Prepare a detailed business plan so you will not lose sight of your goals and objectives. * Secure sufficient financial resources for future development or expansion. * Contact professional advisors such as an accountant, banker and/or lawyer to provide expert information about your business. * Network with other small businesspeople; establish a support group. Remember, you are not alone. Attend workshops, trade shows, and seminars to keep up-to-date on changes in the industry. * Adopt a team approach; work with others in pursuing common goals. * Understand the skills and qualities you bring to your business. * Develop a situation analysis of your company including its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to assist in the development of a strategic plan for the future of the business. As we know the company is still in growth phase of PLC. Hence a product manager requires is to perform all his duty with proper routine and with honest. He is having following duties to be performed which he has classified according to preference or importance. Primary Duty In general, a business developer looks for ways to bring in more revenue to a company. This can mean anything from looking for new markets, partnering with other companies, selling new products to existing markets, or developing new products or services for a global market. The business developer must keep abreast of competitor's strategies, such as their marketing plans and new products. In addition, the developer must have an in-depth knowledge of his company's own products, marketing strategies and key demographics. Other Duties The company may give business developer responsibilities that come close to marketing and advertising. For example, the company may ask the developer to help the business create new products and market them as well. A business developer might also have to find new clients, negotiate with them and close those deals. Variation in Responsibilities The actual job responsibilities of a business developer depend on the needs of the company. In a large company, for instance, a developer may focus mostly on acquiring smaller companies that could take away market share. At a smaller company, the business development manager may spend most of his time obtaining corporate accounts and heading up product development projects. Considerations Anyone planning to enter into business should obtain some business development training. For instance, law firms often expect their associate lawyers to find new clients and generate six to eight billable hours each day. Business development training also prepares a worker for several other industries, such as sales and engineering. A successful developer needs strong analytical and research skills, people skills, and to know when to close a deal. In general, a business manager is responsible for running the business day-to-day. Whether, a managing director in a medium-sized company or a business unit director in a large corporate organization, this general management role is crucial to hold the business together, and to lead the changes which will ensure future success.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Unit Assign

As of now Maryland and New York are the sole two states that are using such a database, however only a small amount of fire arms have been recorded so far which is seriously impeding the possibilities and achievements one could get out of such a system. Paul Evans, Boson's police commissioner was quoted at a news conference stating â€Å"We think it would be a great law enforcement tool. † Evans said. While hoping for a bill to pass that would subject all fire arms sold state wide to be recorded in a database.Case and point being when law enforcement run tests on seized fire arms more likely than not they find that numerous crimes across efferent cities in one State can be linked to one fire arm that may have been sold or passed around sort of speak. This technology was first introduced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in 1 995, which was called the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, allowing law enforcement the ability to match shell casings and bullets found at crime scenes to the exact fire arm that ejected or expended said rounds.Summary Every barrel on a fire arm leaves unique scarring or markings on bullets or ejected shell casings that have been fired. These specific markings are much like human finger prints allowing law enforcement to make a match that is detrimental in solving and in turn preventing crime. The Massachusetts bill would require that gun makers shipping firearms into the state for sale a test- fired bullet and shell casing would come with it. The Massachusetts State Police would then record them as electronic images for storage in a computer.Evans expected a large amount of resistance from gun owners for requiring such a large national gun registry causing law abiding citizens who wan fire arms to feel as if they were being looked upon as criminals. Although this database would be quite small due to only recording new fire arms, Evans was quoted saying â€Å"We have to start somewhere. † A bill along the same lines is being introduced in Connecticut by state Representative Michael Lealer, and D-East Haven. State Senator Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, of California is also planning to introduce a like bill although Lealer is expecting a large amount of support.