What Is The Future Of The European Union?

What Is The Future Of The European Union? The future European Union what should it be? An integrated federal state, a free trade area, something else? Since the first enlargement of the European Community in 1973 northward, which saw the inclusion of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, the search for an ever closer union has been taking place. When EC recommended on 9th October 2002 that another ten countries should join in 2004, it is believed that the integration of Eastern Europe will push the European Union towards a new level, because it will provide a larger market, which will be the only way for the EU to compete in the new global economy. However, people cannot stop wondering, what the EU should be like in the future, as the new Europe will be highly diverse in all dimensions not only in the field of economics, but also geopolitics, and social conditions, political priorities. In this essay, it will look at the future EU, being a state with liberty, democracy and solidarity. Liberty has two meanings. To start with, in terms of The Single European Act, the chapter on the single market committed the EC to remove all internal barriers by the end of 1992, enabling the free flow of goods, services, capital and people in the member countries. There is little doubt that the internal market will become the prime focus of economic interest and activity over the next few years since it has given the EC a new lease of life. For example, potential microeconomic gains in welfare of some ECU 216 billion have been estimated for the EC, equal to some 5.3 per cent of GDP. A virtuous circle of benefits is expected, especially in the long term, from industrial reorganization, the reaping of economies of scale and through greater innovation. However, the enlarged Community is likely to experience greater internal problems since it now comprised a much less optimal grouping in its memberships. For example, doubts remain about whether sufficient structural funding will be forthcoming for the weakest Southern European economies to enable them to participate fully in EMU. It would appear that only a looser pattern of integration is compatible and suitable for the new Community in the future, particularly if it is to see continuing enlargement. Secondly, liberty requires openness and subsidiarity to be established as fundamental principles. citizens are informed of the remedies available if their rights, including fundamental rights, are not respected. These remedies include courts, ombudsmen and committees on petitions at all levels in the Union. A future Union should be a Union among the peoples of Europe, in which means decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizen. European citizens in all Member States want a well-managed European administration that is open, accountable and service-minded. In which means, it need to ensure the establishment of an open, accountable and service-minded administration through a European administrative law. Like a car being serviced and redesigned, but until we have arrived, we dont know what the roads and traffic conditions will be like. Hence, a second important condition for progress towards closer union is that since nobody knows for sure what the enlarged EU will be like, the work of the Convention should not be underestimated. Much of it is inevitably technical and legalistic. But a huge task of simplification is under way which will increase coherence, transparency and comprehensibility of the political and institutional structures of the EU. Complex and incoherent decision-making rules and multiple routes for law-making are all being radically streamlined. But simplification can be politically sensitive. For example, if the vast majority of decisions in future are to be made by majority voting, getting rid of each countrys veto, then the EU may stand a chance of not seizing up, but governments and their publics will have to decide if they are ready for this kind of pooling of so vereignty and joint decision-making. Certainly, increased simplicity and transparency will help the enlarged EU be more democratic and more in touch with the public than the current one. But much more is needed to build a democratic Europe. The European Council of heads of state and the European Commission (which with enlargement will have 25 commissioner) between them share, in effect, the tasks of a European government they share the executive tasks for European policy. Increased democracy must mean these bodies are truly accountable. Currently, the Commission is weakly accountable to the European Parliament. The European Council is accountable to none as a whole though its individual heads of state are accountable separately to their own national parliaments. More political control and oversight is vital. Democracy is also about active participation and debate of the wider public, with real opportunities for access and input. Yet these aspects are also largely being ignored or lacking- the convention is focused on the institutional and legal elements of a new constitution and so risks leaving to one side creative thinking on how to build participative democracy in European politics. It is not enough that a new constitution is simple and accessible that can only be the first step. Thirdly, the new Europe also risks failing to play a strong and progressive role in the world despite the rhetorical commitments of Europes political leaders. The EU of 25 countries and half a billion people may be an economic giant but a political dwarf just at a time when global challenges and uncertainties call more than ever before for a clear European voice. The future of Europe convention is drafting a statement of values and goals for Europes role in the world with welcome emphasis on multilateralism, tackling poverty and discrimination and promoting peace and prosperity. But these good intentions run far ahead of the EUs ability to deliver a single common voice and strategy on the international stage. Countries like Britain and France remain highly reluctant to act together, even when their views converge, wanting their own individual profiles on the global stage. And they are even more reluctant to undertake the in-depth political discussions that would be needed to come to common positions when their views diverge. Europes confusion and multiplicity of views over the Iraq crisis show how far we remain from having a common and coordinated European position whether in the UN or in dialogue with the US. With enlargement, diversity of interests and views in Europe will grow. At the Copenhagen summit this week, the EU will invite 10 new members to join in 2004. This should be a beautiful, historic moment reuniting the European continent and healing the post-war divisions. But it is only the first step in meeting the European and global political challenges that the new Europe must address. If it fails, then this moment will be seen as a turning point that marked the start of the EUs decline and not its new beginning. Therefore, the capacity of the members of the Community to overcome their differences and move towards a common defence and security policy will provide a critical test in the coming years of their commitment to closer union. The prospects for this depend very much on the willingness of a core group among them and in particular France, Germany and Britain to concert policies and action. More than anything else it is the path they take on this set of issues which will determine whether or not a real European Union emerges, for without substantial progress towards a defence union it will remain seriously incomplete. The Convention on the Future of Europe is now drafting a new constitutional treaty that will address many of these problems. But its deliberations are focused on current problems, with too little attention to the new challenges that enlargement will bring such as dealing with poor and potentially unstable countries along its new eastern border. The biggest danger to the timetable for enlargement is the unpreparedness of public opinion across Europe. Half of the EUs population favours enlargement on average, but support varies a lot between countries. That matters because the accession treaty has to be ratified by all the member-states parliaments and the European Parliament, as well as by the 10 candidates parliaments following national referenda. At present, the risk of outright rejection appears small. But acrimonious battles about the EU budget have done nothing to endear enlargement to the public. The EU is about to complete its biggest and most important project of the decade: the re-integration of the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe into the European fold. Institutional flaws and money wrangles should not be allowed to divert attention from the significance of this achievement. Moreover, The EUs decision-making frameworks need a thorough overhaul. The most obvious problem posed by enlargement is that of sheer numbers. With 25 voices competing to be heard, a real exchange of views will be next to impossible unless the EU undertakes further reform of the Council of Ministers and the European Commission. But the differences will be more than arithmetical. There will also be qualitative changes as the new members add their own priorities to the EUs agenda. The political balance will change as the new members weigh in on one side of the argument or the other on every issue. For example, Poland will join the UK in opposing tax harmonisation and supporting NATO, but it could be a friend of Spain on increasing the size of the EU budget. The suggestion for realising European Union depend on all members of the EC put their efforts toward this aim, hence the dream for an ever closer union will be achieved.

Human Life Cycle

The human life cycle is essential to the world's population. It allows individuals to create families that can change society in multiple ways and all those individuals that has the capacity to change the world has a mother. Every soon to be mother wants an easy pregnancy but most importantly hopes and prays for a healthy baby. Understanding pregnancy is important soley due to the fact its a major factor in the cycle of life. Pregnancy involves growth, development and a new beginning.A women that is becoming pregnant with a child is also known as conceiving, this process carried out by having sexual intercourse with a male. A female ovulate an egg cell, oocytes goes down a uterine tube. During sexual intercourse male sperm moves into the vagina, which is near the female's cervix, this occurs in the reproductive system. The sperm cell swims up the uterus and meets up with the oocyte and the process of fertilization occurs. During sexual intercourse many sperms swim towards the oocyte but only one sperm cell has the ability to fertilize the egg.During beginning fertilization of the egg the cytoplasm triggers lysosomes vesicles that release enzymes that hard the zona pellucida so that it reduces the chance of more than one sperm can penetrates the oocytes. The egg divided then undergoes meiosis ends. The nuclei of the egg and nuclei of the sperm unite the membrane falls apart and the chromosome mingles which complete fertilization. The sperm cell and egg cell each has 23 chromosomes and during fertilization it 46 somatic cell this cell is called a zygote the first cell of the future offspring.The Zygotes undergoes mitosis 30 hours after forming, cells division occurs rapidly. The rapid cell division is called cleavage. During cleavage tiny cells move through the uterine tubes during the time of implantation cells in the interface of the blastocyst. The cell surrounding the embryo is called the placenta this organ attaches to the embryo and uterine wall exchanges o f nutrients ,gasses ,waste between maternal blood and embryo blood. The beginning of the embryonic stage the of the offspring is called an embryo. Embryonic stage ends at eight week of the prenatal development . During this ime the placenta form and major organ develops and the major external body structure appears. The cell in the inner cell mass flatten embryonic disc with two distinct layers the connection stalk attached to the embryonic disc to developed placenta farther . Ectodermic cell gives the nervous system and portions of special sensory organ ,epidermis ,hair, nail, glands of the skin. Mesodermal cell form all type of muscle tissue, bone tissue, bone marrow . blood, blood vessel, lymphatic vessel, connective tissues internal reproductive e organ , kidney and epithelial lining of body cavities.Endodermal cells produced the epithelial lining of the digestive tract ,respiratory tract, urinary bladder and urethra . When the chronrionic villi develops the embryonic blood vess el appears. During the 4th week of development the flat embryonic disc is a cylindrical structure and head and jaws develops the hearts starts to beats and tiny buds which will become upper and lower limbs forms. At 5th to 7 week the head grow rapidly and become more rounded and face begins to develop showing eyes nose mouth and more human like.The upper and lower limbs elongate and figure and toes appears . By the end of the seventh week all the main internal organs are present ,the structure in enlarges and the embryonic become more human like appearance . End of 8 week until birth the offspring s called a fetus. Fetal stage is the end of the eighth week of the development and last until the birthing process during this time the fetus is growing very rapidly the body proportion enlarge at a considerable rate. The beginning of the fetal stage the head is larger than the limbs are short.During the third month the body length accelerates and the head growth slows. During the twelve w eek the external reproductive organ are distinguishable male or female. At the 4th month the body grows 20 cm the skeleton beginnings to ossify. The following month the skeleton muscles contracts and the pregnant woman may fell fetal movement, hair begins to appears on the head . During the 6 month the fetus gains weight and eyebrow and eyelash appear and the blood vessel in the skin give a red appearance in the fetus.During the last trimester the fetal brain cell develops rapidly . At the end of the ninth month 266 day the fetus is full term. The fetus is around 50 center meter and weight around 2. 7kg to 3. 6 kilogram everything is well develop and the fetus head is toward the cervix. Pregnancy ends with the birthing process, during this period rapid changed occurs. Progesterone starts to decline and it suppress the uterine to contracts, this stimulated synthesis of prostanglandin the uterine contracts.The cervix begins to thin and opens ,stretching of the uterine and vaginal tiss ues occurs. The nerves impulses to the hypothalamus which signals the posterior glands to release the oxytocin hormones this stimulates powerful contraction. During labor the rhythmic contraction begins ,the fetus is positioned head downward and labor contraction forces the head towards the cervix. The cervix begins to dilate and increase in oxytocin is release. As labor continues the abdominal muscles contracts and forces the fetus through the cervix and the vagina to the outside.After the delivery of the neonatal the placenta separates the uterine walls and is expelled the birth canals. Bleeding occur after the expelling which is called the after birth. Pregnancy involves a lot of different change in the body for the mother and the baby. This occurs from unite of the male and female and a miracle of life begins. The changes happen in a very rapid speed each day different development occurs . The beginning of a new family occurs between the individuals mother, father, child. This i s only the beginning of the life journey, for the child. 1002 words

The True Story About Essay Topics for Eurasia That the Experts Dont Want You to Know

The True Story About Essay Topics for Eurasia That the Experts Don't Want You to Know Introducing Essay Topics for Eurasia Enlargement presents a historic chance to unite a continent which has been divided for many decades. Due to that, women shouldn't be shunned out on any activities that they'd love to do, but they have to be empowered and given resources to help them. The geography of Eurasia is likewise an ultimate aspect. All countries should use the exact same currency. Among the landlocked nations in Asia are also Bhutan, Laos, Nepal and Mongolia that can be found in the inside of the continent and don't have accessibility to any ocean. GEOGRAPHY Russia, the biggest nation in the world, occupies one-tenth of all of the land on Earth. A big workforce and plenty of pure resources have driven economic shift. It was a crossroad for several of the big long-distance trade routes. The growth in innovation caused the growth of technology and steel weapons. Monsoons along with the significance of trade networks remained an extremely important continuity during this period period. Who Else Wants to Learn About Essay Topics for Eurasia? While the benefits are comparatively larger for the possible members since they start from a lower economic base, there are gains for either side. Just choose suitable option or request our competent aid. To the tool great decision in merely a strategy. Consequently, value your time and take pleasure in the training. Admitsee crunched the very best college admissions officers actually wish to submit. The applicants will also gain from access to a single sector. It resulted in a lot of physical environmental alterations. In addition, we offer to alleviate a number of the pressure that includes intense academic studies in addition to give you some spare moment. The Basic Principles of Essay Topics for Eurasia That You Can Benefit From Starting Right Away Folks are, once more, leaving. Women were solely to blame for the occurrence of evil on the planet. Because of that, they need to empowered and equipped to be able to deal with the new conditions they find where they end up finding home. Moreover, the people could exchange innovations and diseases. Some people can call me selfish. You want something which can help you need something which will catch people's attention and put together. Not able to pull the finest and the brightest people. All About Essay Topics for Eurasia Essay writing is just one of many ways a kid has the ability to express himself or herself. Just be certain that your essay doesn't sound simply factual. Don't compose an argumentative essay if you don't believe it yourself. Writing quality essays is the principal use of our services. Your kid was requested to compose an essay as part of a school project, or as a type of essay contests for children, and you might find it challenging to think of persuasive essay topics. Thus, a teacher or mentor must produce topics that captivate a youngster's interest. American teenagers essay is an extensive subject that can be focused on several different elements which affect the teens, their issues and assorted areas in which teenagers have gained recognition. We've provided very distinctive and general topics essay which are usually assigned to students in the school. Doctors responded with a succession of changes are to thank for the growth of contemporary science. Let's get back issues from the start of this essay. For instance, if you're writing about this issue about elite athletes, you could argue that Michael Jordan is an elite athlete on account of the skills he has. Topics on health undoubtedly concern us all, that is the main reason why one needs to be extra careful when writing on these. You can decide to use the outcomes of this survey to compose an essay on women empowerment. Following are several types of essay topics for students that are categorized in many sections so you can easily chose the topic depending on your need and requirement. Students can do not an important portion of work inside this essay writing your assignment and discern. In the event the student cannot discover a particular study, this info shouldn't be included.

The Taming Of The Shrew By William Shakespeare - 1612 Words

Many women do not like being controlled. In the past, women were oppressed because they were not allowed to work and control aspects of their lifestyle, such as working themselves, rather they were forced to marry and depend on their spouses. William Shakespeare chose to present this concept through Katherina’s character in the play The Taming of The Shrew. Throughout the play, Katherina is seems to be untamable due to the manner in which she is first introduced, her attitude changes too abruptly for it to be convincing, and that she is either putting on an act or she s just scared. In the first scene when Katherina was introduced, it was made clear that she is not a submissive person; she is in fact very abrasive. In the Elizabethan era, it is custom that if a family had two daughters the one that is older would have to marry first. In this story, several men want to marry Katherina however she does not want to be wed. During their first interaction with Katherina, her suit ors are instantly aware of her temper. Katherina then tells her father she does not want to be embarrassed in front of the men. Hortensio makes a comment about her temper which Katherina responds to with ‘’I faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. I wis it is not halfway to her heart† (1.1.62-63). This shows that Katherina does not have any intention of marrying any of the men interested in her. Katherina s decision not only affects her, but her sister Bianca. Bianca is not able to marry anyoneShow MoreRelatedThe Taming Of The Shrew By William Shakespeare1316 Words   |  6 Pagespatriarchy, and have conquered in achieving a worthy opinion of their genders. In the taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare expresses the Elizabethan views of oppressive gender roles and the expectations of the submissive behavior of women. This play is about a man named Petruchio who is trying to tame a â€Å"shrew† Katharina .The play is misogynistic, which is apparent th rough the constant need for Petruchio to tame the shrew, Katherina, women’s dependence on men, and the ownership of women in the play.Read MoreThe Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare1321 Words   |  5 PagesFrom youth we have been showered with tales of true love’s kiss and of Prince Charming breaking the Evil Queen’s curse. Time and again, we are made to see the power of love. In the play, â€Å"The Taming of the Shrew† by William Shakespeare, the renowned playwright takes love deeper than just passion. Shakespeare goes under the surface of love, all the way to its core. The story truly begins as Baptista Minola’s two daughters are readied for marriage: Bianca the sweet and innocent; Katherina the shrewdRead MoreThe Taming Of The Shrew By William Shakespeare Essay1990 Words   |  8 PagesThe Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare was written in the latter years of the Elizabethan Era. In this play, Shakespeare looks at the themes o f womanhood, patriarchy, courtship, and marriage, which are topics prevalent in Elizabethan Era. Amongst citizens, the topics hold strict beliefs in the public space. This play that illustrates a woman with such self-control and individualism, get forced into the life of a weak woman beholden to her husband. A once strong and domination female characterRead MoreThe Taming Of The Shrew By William Shakespeare1097 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen prevalent throughout literature. The play The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare, examines this theme by detailing the female-pursuits of 3 men, Lucentio, Hortensio, and Petruchio, and their respective methods of â€Å"seduction†. While Lucentio lies in order to attract Bianca and Hortensio elects to marry a woman simply for her wealth, Petruchio, to the surprise of the other male characters, marries a foul-tempered and sharp-tongued â€Å"shrew†, Katherine. After their wedding, Petruchio, a selfishRead MoreThe Taming Of The Shrew By William Shakespeare1181 Words   |  5 PagesThe Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare will appeal to Kalidasa because most of his plays are based on Puranas and this play can be used to show the values of Hindu Puranas and respect toward the deities. Hindu Puranas, ancient Indian literature about myths and legends, like Mahabharata teach the society about deed, religion, respect, knowledge, and royalty. Kalidasa can use Shakespeare’s play to reteach Mahabharata’s values, since the play presents themes of wealth, gender role, religiousRead MoreThe Taming Of The Shrew By William Shakespeare1255 Words   |  6 PagesIn the play The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, it focuses on two sisters who must get married however, the oldest must get married first. Here, Shakespeare presents to the audience, Katharina Minola. Katharina is portrayed as an outspoken and stubborn woman. In the play, Kate cannot find a husband because of her aggressive person ality, the men speak negatively about her and believe she is not a fit woman to marry. Although, in the play it may seem like Kate will never find a husbandRead MoreThe Taming Of The Shrew By William Shakespeare Essay1596 Words   |  7 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, it is an epic battle of the sexes. In the era that this play was written (Elizabethan), women were told what to do, how to act, and who to be. That is why Katherine is such a fascinating yet confusing character in this play. In this piece, the protagonist Kate is very complex and has many different, unique sides to her personality, which is frowned upon in this time. Before Katherine even spoke in this play she was this horrible, shrewish girl. WhenRead MoreTaming Of The Shrew By William Shakespeare Essay2088 Words   |  9 PagesPetruchio’s Change In the play Taming of the Shrew, written by William Shakespeare, many characters are reshaped and given new personality traits. Petruchio is known as being a cocky man who intends to help tame a shrewish young lady named Kate. There are many critics that believe Petruchio is solely obnoxious and a bully but through out his interactions with Kate it is shown that he truly cares about the well being of others. Of course at the beginning of Petruchio’s plan to tame a young ladyRead MoreEssay on The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare1088 Words   |  5 Pages The Taming of the Shrew, written by William Shakespeare, is historical proof that flirting and temptation, relating to the opposite sex, has been around since the earliest of times. Because males and females continue to interact, the complications in this play remain as relevant and humorous today as they did to Elizabethan audiences. This is a very fun play, full of comedy and sexual remarks. Its lasting impression imprints itself into the minds of its readers, for it is an unforgettableRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Taming Of The Shrew889 Words   |  4 PagesIn many accounts, William Shakespeare’s Taming Of The Shrew, is often criticized for its seemingly misogynistic themes; such as the thought of â€Å"taming† a woman, thus making her completely submissive to her husband. While in the opening of the play, Katharine, ill-tempered but seemingly impenetrable, gets pulverized by Petruchio’s contradicting her words, and also saying disgusting jokes in an int ense verbal arguement. In another example, one of the other main characters, Bianca, was bet on by several

The Mayas Lifestyle Essay - 1244 Words

The Mayas Lifestyle The Life of the Ancient Maya’s The Maya’s were an ancient civilization that faced many difficult tasks in their everyday lives that needed to be completed in order for survival. The Mayan tribes existed from about 400 BC until around 1524 when they were taken over by the Spanish conquistadors (Sharer p.3). They occupied three separate areas of land. The Southern area covers present day Guatemala. The central area stretched from what is now Tabasco to northern Guatemala. Finally the central region makes up a lot of the southern portion of Mexico (Coe p.31). The Maya’s believed that the universe was not the first, but the 7th. Floods destroyed all the other worlds. This one began on 4 Ahaw 8 Kumk’u†¦show more content†¦Also if a man was walking down the road the women had to step aside out of his way and turn their backs (Sharer p.119). The men continued to live in the group houses until they were appointed or found a bride (Sharer p.120). Before the men were married though they were only allowed to paint themselves in black paint but, once they were married they were allowed to paint themselves in every color and were expected to tattoo their bodies (Thompson p.118). The bride’s father was expected to pay for the entire ceremony. Most times marriages were arranged while the children were s till young (Sharer p.120). The Birth of children was one of the most looked upon ceremonies amongst the Maya’s. When a baby was born his mother would wash him right away and then fasten him to a cradle. This served as a baptism (Laughton p.98). The â€Å"Shaman† who conducted the ceremony determined each child’s â€Å"paal kaba† given name (Sharer p.118). When male babies were about 4 months old and 3 months for girls, the â€Å"Hetzmek† was performed. This was a ceremony celebrating the first time that the baby is carried at the mother’s hip (Sharer p.118). At age 4 girls were given a red shell to tie around their waist. Boys wore a white bead. These accessories were worn until the child reached puberty (Sharer pgs.118-119). When the Maya went through puberty he was considered an adult. At this time he was given 2 names, one from the mother and one from the father. Only the father’s wereShow MoreRelatedOn The Pulse Of The Morning Summary1078 Words   |  5 PagesChristine’s View of a Good Speech: Maya Angelou’s, On the Pulse of the Morning On January 20th, 1993, African American poet, Maya Angelou, delivered On the Pulse of Morning at the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton. She made history that day by not only being African American but the second American to deliver a speech at a presidential inauguration. On the Pulse of the Morning signifies evolution, growth, and freedom for our country. Maya uses eternal motifs such as a tree, river, andRead MoreDisplacement, a Theme in Maya Angelou ´s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings1603 Words   |  6 PagesThe feeling of displacement leaves a painful hole in ones heart. Whether a person is a male or female, white or black, lives in the North or South, or young or old, displacement takes a toll on their character and personality. Maya Angelou creates a theme of displacement in her novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelous novel has been critiqued by many notable scholars for being a classic autobiography. The critics note the importance of the setting to sho w universal displacement and the useRead MoreEssay on Collapse in Maya Society1119 Words   |  5 Pagesfirst millennium A.D., the lowland Maya empires disintegrated after 750 years of prominence (Handout 1). Warfare, the growing population, resource depletion, and climatic fluctuations contributed to the downfall of the Classical lowland empires (Schele and Freidel 321). 500 years later, the scattered Maya that remained would again face a crisis as the Spanish conquistadores invaded Yucatan, conquered, and began to rule. Though the Spanish conquest of the Maya brought a new religion and diseasesRead MoreMaya Angelous Influences Essay1236 Words   |  5 PagesMaya Angelou’s Influence Maya Angelou is terrific performer, singer, filmmaker, and civil-rights activist. She is a phenomenal woman, one thing that she does best is writing. She is still living today, I believe her legend will never die. If one would talk to her, he or she would think she has lead a normal, happy life. Her life is blissful now, it was not always perfect. Maya beard enough emotional stress in a time frame that most people do not experience in a lifetime. Her experiences and theRead MoreMaya Civilization Collapse1311 Words   |  6 PagesThe example of societal collapse in which I will be making reference to throughout this essay is the Maya civilization. The Maya civilization is, â€Å"probably the best known of all early American civilizations.† (Fagan, 1995) It was at its strongest point between AD 300 AND 900. Around AD 900 was the time of its collapse. This civilization was developed in a densely, tropical forest on either highlands or lowlands. Today to visit a Mayan site, peopl e would go to the modern Mexican state, capital cityRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings And Tim O Brien s The Things They Carried942 Words   |  4 Pages beliefs, and general lifestyle. Every author who has ever written anything from a letter to a friend to a novel has their own personal writing style unique to their author that can be observed through their works. Maya Angelou s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried are no exception to this rule, and each show the similarities and differences in the author s personality. There are many similarities between the style of writing in Maya Angelou s I Know Why theRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings1386 Words   |  6 PagesSings is an autobiography written by Maya Angelou as she grew up in the mid-20th century, where being a black girl and facing racial issues in society, had to overcome many problems that show the larger issue of the time period. I chose this book over the other nineteen memoirs because of the strong recommendations I received from my fellow class mates, and because of my interest in racial issues during the terrible times of segregation. Life was not fair, and Maya Angelou had to face a lot during theRead MoreA Brief Look at the Mayan Civilization Essay example1548 Words   |  7 PagesOlmec were the Maya people. The Maya can be analyzed in terms of their culture. This civilization came about in Mesoamerica around 250 AD with a great influence coming from that of the Olmec. The first 650 years of the Maya civilization’s ex istence was known as the Classic Period. They created a remarkable society of more than 40 cities in the region which is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, and northern Belize. The cities contained mostly ceremonial centers and majority of the Maya lived a rural agriculturalRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Maya Angelou1420 Words   |  6 PagesThe first and main character is Maya Angelou who is a young black girl displaced by her birth parents who grew up in Stamps. Growing up known as the â€Å"ugly† child, she keeps to herself and is closest to her older brother Bailey. Maya faces the difficulties of being black and female in America. She is important to the novel because she is smart, likes to learn, and strong for her age. 2. The second character is Maya’s brother Bailey. He is her closest companion and they share everything withRead MoreMaya Angelou Poetry942 Words   |  4 PagesMaya Angelou is considered by many to be the foremost poet of her age. While the themes of her literature are largely connected, her delivery is varied. In her poetry, she has used wit, sarcasm, imagery, and diverse rhythm. Angelou has used these techniques and the recognition it has provided for her, to fight for the civil rights of African Americans and women. After examining the life of Maya Angelou, it is easy to see that much of her work focuses on the significance of African Americans and women

Designing a Syllabus Free Essays

From the theories given above, we conclude that when designing a syllabus, curriculum, school mission and students’ needs should be taken in consideration in order to achieve learning objectives. As stated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Kosova (MESTK) â€Å"In order to achieve the targeted aims and objectives of particular grade English language curriculum and to cover the topical content of particular grade syllabus, teachers should select and use materials of appropriate level from textbook(s) and other sources (online magazines and newspapers, TV, video, Internet). These materials should be primarily dedicated to teenagers and young adults. We will write a custom essay sample on Designing a Syllabus or any similar topic only for you Order Now It remains in the teacher’s domain to select teaching materials that may be type and profile appropriate, which (s)he may use either as alternative or as supplementary material in the English language program.Although it is estimated that within a school year, approximately 8 content areas should be covered, it is the teacher’s responsibility to plan the number of topical areas (units) and the composition of it, in accordance with the total amount of hours dedicated to English in different types of vocational schools. In addition, teachers may plan an amount of 20 – 30% of overall teaching materials, which (s)he may use with a particular profile of learners in order to cover specific professional needs and meet the requirements of particular vocational schools. These could be a selection of specific texts/materials suitable for the particular type/profile of vocational schools (e.g. texts in medical field, technical field, business, catering†¦). Apart from this, teachers may use supplementary materials to suit the learners’ needs, that is, their background knowledge (or lack of it), their interests and motivation. Supplementary materials (video tapes, documentary films, drama activities, projects, contests and quizzes, and similar), may be used either within regular English classes, or within additional activities planned by the vocational school curriculum (choice subjects, extra-curricular activities, and similar).† The above citation can be found on the website of MESTK under the section of vocational schools curriculum. However, the difference between general schools and vocational schools’ curriculum is made only by the part cited in this paper. I.e. English language taught in professional schools despite different study domain, is not treated as ESP program but the burden falls on the teacher who, besides the units that are envisaged to be included in the program, is obliged to select additional materials which are profile appropriate. Scholars as Dudley-Evans and ST John (1998) describe the teacher as the material selector, researcher, and an evaluator as well as syllabus designer. They continue their argument emphasizing that these roles cannot be fulfilled if the learners’ needs are not analyzed beforehand. ESP teachers have to complete all the roles mentioned above in order to achieve the harmony between, students’ needs, study domain and the curriculum designed by the Ministry of Education. 2.5 Using textbooks in the lesson Textbooks have an essential role in language classrooms in all types of educational situations. It is a kind of media used by both students and teachers. When using a textbook teacher is assured that everyone in the class is getting the same amount of knowledge and that they are equally evaluated and tested. Course books provide a diversity of learning resources since they make a set of workbooks, cassette tapes, or CD-ROMs, and a teacher’s guide. Richards (2010) claims that there are also some disadvantages in using textbooks; for example, they may not reflect students’ needs. Each textbook aims to occupy the global market and so it is unable to serve everyone’s needs. There are innumerous textbooks which are designed for teaching-learning process but not all of them are categorized as good textbooks. As the result, before choosing a textbook, teachers should really understand about needs, interests, abilities, and level of the students. Similarly, Harmer (2007) declares that the most important part of the use of textbook is to adopt the needs of the students. Bertin (2003) proclaims that it is a special skill that teachers should have in order to choose the textbook that suits language level, content, activity and the logical order of the textbook. In English for foreign learners (EFL) classes, a course book is the key to language teaching, language learning as well as it is a window to particular language culture. Nevertheless as Dickins (1994) clarifies, that the resources evaluation literature tends to focus absolutely on the analysis of the product. This means that teachers themselves carry out the evaluation of textbooks in order to conclude which materials best suit their purposes, schools mission and students’ needs. Despite its special importance, regarding features mentioned above, a textbook should be selected and evaluated carefully before used in the class. Cunningsworth (1995) proposes four criteria for analyzing textbooks:o â€Å"Coursebooks should correspond to student’s needs. o They should match learners’ uses (present or future). Selected textbooks should equip learners with the knowledge that will effectively serve them for their purposes.o They should take in consideration students needs and facilitate their learning process.o They should have a key role as a sustention to learning. Their role is similar to teachers. They negotiate between the target language and the student.† How to cite Designing a Syllabus, Papers

Peninsula hotel Marketing Plan free essay sample

†¢Executive Summary Set in the heart of the â€Å"Magnificent Mile†, The Peninsula Hotel Chicago is ideally situated for visitors to experience all that the city has to offer. On the doorstep of Chicago’s premier business and shopping district, the hotel is located in the center of the city’s most exclusive shops and steps from the historic Water Tower. The Peninsula Chicago has 339 luxurious and spacious guestrooms and suites furnished in a magnificent classical style. The Peninsula Hotel property is renowned for its convenient and strategic location within the city. Also synonymous with the brand are the high level of personal service guests receive, and the comprehensive business facility available in luxurious settings. The Peninsula Chicago is targeting rich businessmen, repeat executives and leisure travelers by offering them great discounts in order to bring the occupancy and revenue up for the second quarter of 2011. By analyzing the marketing environment and completing the SWOT analysis the hotel can create specific strategies in order to meet the marketing objectives. The action plan will organize and distinguish the activities during the second quarter within the marketing team. Our marketing plan is structured to enable us to achieve the strategic goals we have set for ourselves in terms of increasing overall revenue as a result of differentiating our products and services from the competition. Our marketing team will ensure that the plan is implemented to the best of their ability and with the highest levels of efficiency and accuracy. All figures will be monitored on an ongoing basis in relation to projections versus actual. The ongoing plan will be altered or manipulated as necessary in order to react to and, wherever possible, anticipate external changes to the environment. II. Environmental Analysis †¢The Marketing Environment Competitive Forces Five Star Alliance classifies Peninsula Hotel as the only hotel in the Super Luxury category in the city of Chicago. The Peninsula Chicago, a Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star award-winning hotel, sits along the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago. The 339-room property blends The Peninsulas exemplary East meets West graciousness and trademark sophistication with Midwestern hospitality. Ample indoor and alfresco dining options are offered to delight the most demanding pallets, and The Lobby is the perfect location to enjoy traditional afternoon tea and weekend evenings of jazz. Another highly acclaimed feature of The Peninsula is its spa. At The Peninsula Spa, guests are treated to ESPA holistic treatments, complemented by an extensive offering of amenities, including an indoor pool with stunning views of the city, relaxation lounge with fireplace, fitness center, yoga room, and ‘Naturally Peninsula Spa Cuisine’. Having acquired these prestigious recognitions, does not excluded The Peninsula from having any direct competitions. For discreet and gracious service, one can always count on The Peninsula main rival, The Four Seasons. Despite being classified under classic luxury category by Five Star Alliance, The Four Season has won other highly praised awards like Conde Nast Award Winner, Travel Leisure Award Winner, Mobil Award, Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report survey, for the sixth time in 10 years. Having said that, due to the specific target market or niche (which will be further explained in this paper), this classic beauty does not necessarily appeal to the younger generation. This is a challenge shared by both hotels, The Peninsula and The Four Seasons. Built in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic Club, an exclusive mens club for members of the Shrine Organization, Intercontinental is a beautifully ornamented historical tower with an unmatched location that opens to North Michigan Avenue. Unlike The Peninsula and The Four Seasons, Intercontinental hotel is historic yet hip, refines yet comfortable, cultures yet casual. In spite of the image, a young business traveler who is still untested or have not experience Intercontinental Hotel before would have a more grandeur point of view of the hotel. A traveler as such may opt for Trump International Hotel for its youth appeal. Unlike the heavy masonry facade of Intercontinental Hotel, the Trump Int. is a soaring composition of polished stainless steel with gleaming tinted glass. The architecture is meant to resonate with the Donald Trump Empire which is larger than life. This could be a blessing or a curse for Trump as a brand. To create a brand base on legacy, can mean that it might just be temporary. Ultimately, time will test the brand longevity behind the product and service. Another hotel with less contrivance is Park Hyatt. Integrating understated elegance with contemporary luxury, Park Hyatt Chicago is a seamless blend of warmth and innovation is a sophisticated atmosphere. The stunning lobby feels like a sleek, modern art gallery adorned with paintings by famous German painter Gerhard Richter’s and furnished by famous Chicagoan architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. Some might say that it is evident that Park Hyatt Chicago is portraying an image that is coined by most boutique hotel by customizing to a certain ecstatic and taste. A more typical example of an elegant boutique hotel in Chicago would be Elysian Hotel. The entire concept of Elysian hotel is based on the glamour period of the 1920s and 30s. The overall architecture palette of dramatic black and white serves as a beautiful backdrop of this hotel. Located in the rich neighborhood of Gold Coast and away from most Chicago attraction can be a selling or losing point of Elysian Hotel. †¢Boutique hotels possess a major competition in the future as the current demographics seeks for something unusual, eclectic and fresh. †¢Product positioning will be expensive for peninsula. Other boutique hotels like The James and The Wit would further lower their prices because they can afford to do it as it costs less for them to do so. Economic Forces The general economic condition of the country is poor. The country is in the midst of recovering from the worst economic recession of recent history. The financial industry and real-estate turmoil has spilled into almost every industry in the country; this is no different for the hospitality industry. Furthermore, the city of Chicago is infamous for having the highest taxes in the country and highest gasoline prices in the country as well. Consumers are having a difficult time making ends meet and staying up-to-date with their current debt and financial obligations. While government officials remain optimistic, consumers are hurting financially and seem pessimistic on the outlook of the near future. Political Forces / Legal and Regulatory Forces In March 2011, the Legislative Action Summit (LAS) will be held in Washington. Congress, with over 100 new members this term, will have the opportunity to meet and hear from the lodging industry’s top executives along with the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA). The purpose of the LAS is to create relationships and educate lawmakers on the importance the lodging and hotel industry has on the economy: annual sales exceeding $127 billion and travel-related wages over $186 billion. Also important to note, nationally, the travel and tourism industry is one of the top ten employers in 49 states: including Illinois. Illinois state taxes are one of the highest in the nation; city taxes (the taxes Chicago imposes) are the highest of any city in the country. Gas prices in Chicago also ranks number one in the country. In 2009 travel volume fell 13 percent compared to 4. 3 percent nationally. However, hotel-motel tax receipts were up nearly 7 percent in 2010 and industry executives believe it will rise another 2 percent in 2011; Elmhurst-based hotel consultant Ted Mandigo agrees with this estimate. Signs of recovery have been observed, mostly with the spending of the wealthy. Luxury hotel business and luxury social scene catering has held steady during the recession and shows signs of slow improvement while the corporate market has faltered. Chicago’s hospitality industry depends on both local and visitor markets. Hotel occupancy rates in the city are rising from the tough times of 2009. Further evidence of recovery can be seen by the resurrection of plans to construct a luxury hotel at McCormick Place. At the Peninsula Chicago, five Christmas tea buffets for children were held rather than the previous two, due to high demand. Plans to develop a luxury hotel in the former IBM building at 330 N. Wabash Ave are also being revived. Still, industry executives believe a hospitality industry comeback will likely be drawn out and take time. With the debt the city is in, the financial landscape continuing to look unstable, and a Mayoral election around the corner, caution must be exercised. Technology Technology is changing the way we live our lives and do business; the same goes for the hospitality industry when it comes to technology. In-room check-out and financial balances viewed on the television are common. Blackberry has launched an app to help managers manage rates when they do not have access to a computer (RTSuites being the popular App). Online bookings have increased as much as 25 percent in some hotels due to video features online such as Vbrochures and virtual tours. Sales and Marketing departments have had significant increases of visitors to their websites that feature â€Å"Video Syndication† as well as positive customer feedback on the use of technology on their website. Mobile technology seems to be the focus of many hotels on the technology front: Apps for Blackberry, Smart Phones, and the IPad have grown exponentially. A growing focus has been placed on social media outlets as well; which has gained the attention of hotel executives and marketing departments throughout the hospitality industry. Socio-cultural It is important for hoteliers to bring the generations together and begin to serve their different habits, patterns and needs. †¢Offer choices that give customer options rather than pre-determined packages. Create experiences versus tours. This allows individuals or multi-generational groups to determine what best works and appeals to them. †¢Adopt a universal design approach that includes lower beds, brighter lighting, larger fonts, and walk-in showers that are all easier to use, yet hip, cool and high-tech so that younger consumers are drawn to their design. †¢High-tech guestrooms must become the norm rather than the exception. Today, it’s all about Internet access, wireless environments, and flat-screen TVs on the walls. But hoteliers must strive to keep up with the relevant technology that is not only expected from the business traveler, but also the leisure and younger sets. The continual widespread adoption of technology by the public will continue to have impact on the consumer expectation of their hotel experience. †¢While there will be an increase in health travel offerings targeting the aging population such as medical spas, the offerings should also include elements of adventure, spirituality, or stress management that will appeal to younger markets. †¢And finally, consider creating a panel of half a dozen or more people from different age and cultural groups who are willing to talk with you on a regular basis about their concerns and experiences, while giving you honest feedback on your products and services. Sustainable Group International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) and Accor = revealed that 90% of hotel guests preferred to stay in a hotel that cared for the environment Regulation of the tourism industry by governments in the form of planning restrictions, mandatory =Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and laws relating to business practice has exerted pressure on hotels to adopt sustainable environmental practices. NGOs and other pressure groups = Tourism Concern, World-wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Equations and Friends of the Earth have also exerted pressure on hotels to become increasingly concerned about their environments. †¢Target Market The Peninsula Chicago counts with 339 luxurious rooms and suites with amenities such as marble bathrooms and 50† plasma televisions which positions the hotel among the most luxurious in the city. It holds a remarkable reputation and has won awards such as the Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond recognition. Room rates at the Peninsula Chicago vary according to season and availability but they can go all the way from $395 to $8,000 per night. To complement the experience, the Peninsula counts with acclaimed wine and dine establishments and amenities well suited for each population cluster that is being targeted. In order to better understand the manner in which the Peninsula has picked its market, we first must identify, analyze and understand their product and firm. In addition, it is necessary to identify a segment of the population that is best suited for the operation and finally we must identify all gaps or missing targets. To identify the target market for the Peninsula we need to understand the benefits offered by the firm and connect them with a specific segment of the population to whom these benefits are akin. When a specific population decides to purchase a hospitality experience it is mainly to satisfy the following needs: comfort, prestige, price, recognition, attention, romance, quiet and safety. Once the benefit has being paired with the needs that are being satisfied, then the target market has being properly identified. Identification The Peninsula Hotel is a five star, five diamond award winning hotel in Chicago. It is located downtown in the famous Michigan Avenue or The Magnificent Mile. It is a luxury hotel targeted to a very small cluster of the population, the most privileged one. The Peninsula goes forward to offer one of the most exclusive and prestigious lodging in the country dividing its attention into four groups in order to best suit their specific needs and wants. The four groups are as follow: 1. Business Travelers: The Peninsula Chicago offers a great venue for prestigious business travelers as it is located in the center of economic and financial districts in the city. Also, the hotel offers amenities such as free Internet and high technology rooms to complement the business traveler’s stay and make it most comfortably. Together with offering a number of characteristics that facilitate making business, the Peninsula also offers a series of amenities to take care of the wellness of the traveler. Such amenities are the spa and the fine dinning award winning facilities at the hotel. The Peninsula offers outstanding accommodations that best suit all kinds of business travelers. The productive, the entertainer, the stressed one, or which ever the kind, the rooms, spa, fitness center, meeting rooms, and dinning facilities at the hotel are efficient enough to make the traveler feel exceptionally well treated. The Events and Meetings part of the operation offers elegant spaces through out the hotel to carry out flawless business meetings. The hotel also offers private offices and board rooms with exceptional views of the windy city. 2. Leisure Traveler: The Peninsula Chicago offers a sense of luxury and graciousness derived from its Asian heritage. The operation as a whole encompasses luxury and elegance that is transferred to the travelers through all the hotel facilities. The Spa, wellness center, fitness center, cafe, restaurants and bars offer the most exclusive leisure travelers a delightful experience when visiting Chicago. For leisure travelers, The Peninsula offers a program especially designed to best attend all the needs of the traveler and families. The Peninsula Academy is a program that offers an insight into the most delicate side of the Asian culture. A chef, a tea ceremony and a kids program are part of this academy offered as a way to give out the most personalize experience to the guest. 3. Family Travelers: The Peninsula welcomes travelers with families and offers a complete stay capable of successfully satisfying travelers of all ages. Aside from the preciously mentioned The Peninsula Academy, the hotel also counts with large suites with up to three bathrooms, such quality is highly important when traveling with children. The concierge at the hotels offers information regarding transportation and advise on to where to enjoy family leisure time in the windy city. Another exclusive feature are the amenities such as video game consoles, crayons, books, cribs and baby sitting arrangements, and others which are especially created for the comfort of parents traveling with children. 4. Dinning and Entertainment: This hotel counts with four different restaurant, a bar and a cafe wine bar. All establishments offer an above average food that has being awarded throughout the years all together with the recognized Chefs cooking it. 5. Celebrations: Another big percentage of the Peninsula’s main target is the cluster population within its target market that wants to host an event. The venue at the Peninsula offers a luxurious environment to host elegant parties. All celebrations can be further divided into four occasions: a. Weddings: The most demanded celebration hosted at the hotel are weddings which start at a rate of $50,000 regardless of the number of guests. All dining menus can be chosen from the four restaurant and bars at the hotel. Together with the booking of a venue for the wedding, benefits such as a personal wedding planner, special rates for guests and complementary changing rooms for bride and groom are included. The hotel counts with four venues for wedding celebrations. b. Meetings: Corporate meetings are the largest percentage of the meetings hosted at the hotel. The spacious rooms well distributed in 2 floors create a sensation of privacy. Also, all parts of necessary for a meeting are given by the hotel, such as audio-visual equipment. c. Events: In this section all the rest celebrations are embraced at one, here all birthday parties and bar mitzvah among others are offered the same benefits as weddings and meetings. Those benefits being: personal planner, accommodation, special rates, etc. d. Venues: The luxurious Peninsula offers four different venues inside the hotel to host all types of celebrations. III. SWOT Analysis A. Strengths The Peninsula is one of the few 5 star hotels in Chicago and with that not only comes high status but high standards of service and food. The Peninsula offers personalized professional service that other hotels cannot measure up to. Guests that are looking to be pampered and have an extraordinary experience look to stay at hotels such as The Peninsula. This works in the favor for The Peninsula because this hotel is known for its exquisite standards and guest service. Another strength of The Peninsula is its prime location. It is located on Michigan Avenue in the heart of the Magnificent Mile. The guests who can afford to stay at the Peninsula hotel would not settle for a destination anything less than perfect. By having this prime location it permits the hotel to cater fully to any need the guest may have. One of the most important strengths is that they are consistent and recognized globally for their hospitality. According to an article by the Preferred Hotel Group, The Peninsula Chicago was rated #16 for ‘Top 100’ in the world and #2 for Top 100 hotels in the United States. (2010, Preferred Hotel Group Press Release). By being honored with these ratings The Peninsula Chicago is able to say they are one of the best in the business and can back it up. By having these ratings they will attract guests who are looking to stay at a hotel for just the name. All of these strengths combined is what allows The Peninsula to attract guests and meet their needs. B. Weaknesses One of the major weaknesses of The Peninsula is their high cost which then leads to an overall smaller target market. Especially in an economic downturn there are less people who are willing to pay the high cost so business overall at The Peninsula will suffer. Along with high cost comes a high expectation. This unfortunately can work as a weakness for The Peninsula because if they were to underperform they may lose money and loyal customers. Also, in these tough economic times The Peninsula has been forced to lower their costs in order to bring in business. This allows for a mixed target market which may skew the appearance of The Peninsula when the economy recovers. The knowledge of these weaknesses allows The Peninsula to understand the importance of high guest service as well as having a specific target market no matter how small it may be. C. Opportunities Consistency within service and performance Consistency is a great opportunity for the hotel to gain loyal clientele. If the customers experience outstanding service this will influence them to come back or seek out the same brand when travelling to a new location. Negative consumer’s experience will make them stop coming back to the same brand. One of the opportunities would be to create special rates or packages in order to attract consumers. Bundled packaging and promotions are great which provide bargains. Since the Peninsula Chicago offers spa services and dining, it could be a possibility to create a bundled package to incorporate hotel stay plus one of the spa treatments and some of the dining options. Awareness of the upcoming holidays In April, May and June there are holidays such as Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, so these days will be an opportunity to for some potential revenue. In addition, wedding season starts in the end of month of April, so this is something to focus on and expand on for luxury brands. Facebook Advertisement/Social Media Hotel brands must approach using Facebook as a valuable asset. Target markets can be reached with extremely low effort and high effectiveness. Social Media sites such as Facebook are able to do this by capture user provided data that creates a niche consumer. The concept of a condo-hotel Offering a five star living for potential consumers is a new way to attract a new target market. Lately five star hotels are joining forces with real estate developers, so the owners of luxury residential properties have access to the spa, bellboys walking the dog, guaranteed reservations in restaurants, or 24/7 room service. Negotiation on prices with suppliers Just like the hotel market is competitive so are those that supply the hotel. Now is the time to bulk up on supplies and negotiate with them or find others willing to satisfy hotel needs at a highly competitive cost. Narrow the market focus Target the guest segments that are still most likely to travel and pay a premium for the luxury experience. Marketing to the previous guests and loyalty club members with special offers is a great way to reinforce the special bond the hotel already has. Providing comprehensive new edge service Technology and partnerships have made it possible to provide services in a one stop shop. The Peninsula could start offering services such as car rental, restaurant reservations, or sightseeing venues all within a kiosk. It’s a small gesture but many guests would recognize the convenience and foresight in service provided. D. Threats The current economic conditions have caused customers to watch how they spend their money. The fact remains that their prices are quite high as well. It has also caused price wars between luxury hotel brands. In order to combat these, Peninsula needs to stay unique with their service and bundling their hotel packages with other amenities offered i. e. The Spa. This will give the guest a more unique experience and a sense of better value for the money. Corporate spending has either been reduced or eliminated by many organizations which have affected how much and where money is being spent on lodging. With as many rooms that are vacant they can reassess corporate rates and offer creative discounts for booking in advance or volume discounts. Competition from other hotel brands, like Four Seasons, Elysian, Park Hyatt, and Trump entering the market will try to take away customers with creative ideas and in general become a new product offering within the market. Reevaluating current loyalty programs and promotion of reduced rates for returning guests to show customer value will help combat this. In accordance with the above, there is also a high risk that there is a surplus of room availability. Consumers with have more choices and ability to choose hotels due to competition luring them away with similar marketing tactics. Terrorism has become a major factor in the decision for individuals to travel. Chicago has continually become the focus of such threats. Emphasizing the hotels ability to handle these situations and having highly trained security personnel on site bring peace of mind to guests. E. Matching strengths to opportunities/ converting weaknesses to threats The Peninsula has many strengths that can be matched to its opportunities that will then create capabilities. The Peninsula is clearly known for its high status and high standards of service these strengths matched with the opportunity of marketing for upcoming holidays and special deals allows The Peninsula to increase awareness not only about their property to a wide variety of people but about the services that they can offer. Due to the state of the economy it may be difficult to completely change the weaknesses into strengths but it is a long process that can begin now. For instance, The Peninsula has been dropping its hotel rates allowing for a mix of demographics and since they originally have had a smaller target market broadening this has skewed the image of the hotel. By keeping the price at an appropriate rate, and when the economy improves raising the rates completely, The Peninsula will be able to keep their dominant high profile status that allows them to attract certain guests who stay just for the name. There are a great number of factors in today’s environment that has created numerous threats for The Peninsula. With The Peninsula being within the luxury hotel sector the most obvious threat is the state of our economy and the high end pricing structure they currently have. As consumers watch how they spend their money the choices they make will be based on what brings the most value. To turn this threat into an opportunity, The Peninsula can start offering promotions or bundling of services/amenities in their hotel packages. This will help attract new clientele while giving an opportunity for existing customers to try these services and possibly retaining them to be repeat users of them. Another effect of the weak economy is that there is less spending by corporations on lodging. In order to counteract this result The Peninsula can reassess how they calculate corporate rates by offering discounts based on volume or booking in advance. Since there are vacant rooms on a higher scale than normal this would help fill them and possibly spread the word to other businesses due to the word of mouth from partners of the corporations taking advantage of the newly assessed rates. Although it is tough to run a company in hard times it will not stop competition from entering the market. It would help in this situation to create a feeling of loyalty from customers by offering reduced rates for returning guests or reevaluating current loyalty programs. Unfortunately, the times have created a fear of terrorism and with The Peninsula situated in large metro cities it is a cause for concern. The Peninsula will be able to create confidence in guests by instilling within them that they have the proper personnel and procedures to handle or prevent any of these situations IV. Marketing Objectives †¢Increase non-member guest visits to The Peninsula Spa by ESPA featuring the hotel’s 10 year anniversary in Chicago by April 30th, 2011 by 5%. †¢To increase events sales revenue by 7% in the month of April through June †¢Increase weekday occupancy by 6% compared to the second quarter of 2010 †¢Increase revenue at The Terrace restaurant by 5% for the second quarter in comparison to the second quarter of 2010 †¢Increase online bookings by 3 % in the second quarter of 2011. V. Marketing Strategies †¢Target Market The target market for the Peninsula Chicago is divided upon five categories. Their operation can be suited to satisfy the following: first class business traveler, high class tourist and leisure traveler, traveler with family, event celebration host and wine and dine connoisseur. Consequently, their target market specifications vary according to each category. With the five objectives listed above we have focused on both business and leisure travelers. By targeting our strategies and communication mixes to business and leisure travelers there may be overall improvement in the second quarter of 2011 compared to last year’s second quarter. Although the Peninsula’s Target Market is very well differentiated and specifically analyzed accordingly to their wants and needs in addition to demographics and behavior, it is still of high importance to go more in depth in order to understand the customer’s justification for usage of the product and the overall operation. Demographics at the Peninsula Chicago Race Age Income Education Geographic Business Traveler Mostly white, unless Geographic’s change 35-55 70,000-400,000 Masters, PhDs Worldwide Leisure Traveler Mostly white, unless Geographic’s change 25-65 70,000-400,000 College Graduate Worldwide Psychographics and Product Usage according to Behavior at the Peninsula Chicago Interest Activities Opinions/Attitudes Usage Rate Loyalty Business Traveler Business Politics Public affairs Work Relaxation Wine and dine Strongly opinionated. Passionate about his or her interests. High High depending on the perks offered by the Hotel or competitors, accordingly Leisure Traveler Travel Entertainment Health and well-being Sports Travel Outdoors Attractions Spa Wine and Dine Very relaxed, looking for a positive source of energy and enjoyment of their free time High Moderate Competitive Set Chicago is highly populated with hotels. The amount of luxury hotels within the Chicago loop is fairly large. Therefore, they all share the same geographic position and closeness to the major attractions and entertainment venues in the city. Also, all of the luxury hotels offer amenities out of the ordinary. In addition to their location, the hotels physical appearance is generally very luxurious offering top of the line appliances. Being all so similar in concept, the characteristics that differentiates them among each other is their service quality. In the Chicago area the luxury hotels competing for the same or fairly similar target market are the following: Elysian Hotel, Trump International Chicago, The Ritz-Carlton Chicago and The Four Seasons Chicago. †¢Marketing Mix Increase non-member guest visits to The Peninsula Spa by ESPA featuring the hotel’s 10 year anniversary in Chicago by April 30th, 2011 by 5%. †¢Pricing strategy- Re-attract potential customers who have previously used the facilities as periodic guests by reducing membership fees from $1,500 to $750 for individuals and fees for couples from $2,000 to $1,000. -Communication mix: Personal selling to people that are already members in order to get them to come in and spread the word. Referrals from current members will include a $100 ESPA gift card for both parties. †¢Promotion strategy- Further attracting local (greater Chicago area) residents by promoting a 10th anniversary 10 day private membership at The Peninsula Spa by ESPA for $110 including (including use of fitness facilities and half-Olympic length swimming pool. Referrals from current members will include a $10 ESPA gift card for both parties. After purchasing the ten day membership, if a guest would like to sign up for a traditional membership, the $110 will be applied to the initiation fees or the first month’s membership dues. -Communication mix: An ad will be placed on the website in order to attract new customers and remind the current of new opportunities. A PR blitz will also be done in magazines to inform the public about the 10th Anniversary promotions available. I would like to only use Vanity Fair and Vogue (Full page, glo