Family Day Event
Corporate family engagement event for Tech Today & Future employees
Featured image courtesy of Unsplash and used only for display purposes.
Context
Tech Today & Future, a global managed IT and cybersecurity services company, initiated its first workplace Family Day event to strengthen employee engagement and community. As the nominated project manager from HR, I was tasked by General Manager Julieta Azevedo Ferreira and HR Director Jane Patel to deliver a fun, informative, and safe event for employees and their families. The event would include technology demonstrations, first aid training, and safety workshops, taking place both indoors and outdoors at the local office building with a $10,000 budget for catering and supplies.
Note: In this coursework scenario, I assumed the role of project manager to apply PM principles in a realistic business context.
Methodology
This project followed a traditional waterfall project management approach with clearly defined phases: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. The methodology emphasized structured planning through a project canvas, proactive risk management, stakeholder communication, and formal change control processes. Given the fixed deadline (October), defined scope, and limited budget, this linear approach provided the clarity and control needed for a first-time company event.
Process
The project began with creating a project canvas to capture objectives, stakeholders, deliverables, and constraints. I developed a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to organize all activities and tasks, including venue setup, communications coordination, catering management, and other event logistics.
Risk management was prioritized early, identifying two key risks: overcrowding at check-in and potential weather disruption to outdoor activities. Mitigation strategies included multiple check-in stations to distribute attendees and securing weather-resistant tents while monitoring forecasts.
Throughout execution, I held regular stakeholder meetings with the GM, HR Director, Health and Safety Manager, and other department heads to report progress and address concerns. When a change request emerged—Jane Patel (HR Director) wanted to provide souvenirs for children 10 years old and under—I followed a formal change management process: documenting the request, assessing scope/schedule/budget impact, and implementing after securing approval from both Jane and the GM.
The event concluded successfully with no risk incidents, meeting all objectives for employee engagement and family participation.
Artifacts
- Project Canvas – Captured project objectives, stakeholders, activities, timeline, budget, and identified risks.
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – Detailed breakdown of all event activities and tasks across venue, catering, programming, and logistics.
- Risk Log – Documented identified risks with likelihood, impact ratings, and mitigation actions.
- Stakeholder Meeting Updates – Status reports covering scope clarity, volunteer team progress, and risk mitigation.
- Project Change Request (PCR) – Formal documentation of the souvenir request including impact analysis and approval.
- Final Status Report – Project closure documentation with outcomes, lessons learned, and final communications to stakeholders.