Scenario Description: The headquarters of the Nexus Corporation needs to hold a teleconference to announce several new corporate-wide initiatives they are going to implement soon. The CEO presses the intercom button on his desk to buzz his secretary.
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| Role | Dialog |
| Narrator | The headquarters of the Nexus Corporation needs to hold a teleconference to announce several new corporate-wide initiatives they are going to implement soon. The CEO presses the intercom button on his desk to buzz his secretary. |
| CEO | Ursula, schedule a teleconference for tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. UTC time. All international office heads are required to attend. Have the IT Department make the necessary teleconferencing arrangements. I want them checked and double-checked. I want this meeting to go off without a hitch. |
| Ursula | It will be done, sir. Is there an agenda you wish sent out with the meeting invites? |
| CEO | Just say the purpose is to announce new corporate-wide initiatives that will be implemented soon. This meeting is to give them a heads-up of what is coming so they can prepare their staff members before-hand. |
| Ursula | Understood, sir. |
| Narrator | Ursula schedules the meeting on her Outlook calendar as follows: Date: February 1, 2017 Time: 10:00 a.m. UTC Subject: Corporate-Wide Meeting of All Office Heads – Mandatory Attendance Agenda: To announce new corporate-wide initiatives that will be implemented soon in order to give office heads a heads-up of what is coming so they can prepare their staff members before-hand. CC: CEO, VP, Corporate Secretary, IT Department Head, Press Secretary |
| Ursula | And send (as she clicks the Send button). Okay, it’s off! |
| Narrator | Ursula picks up the phone and hits her programmed key for the IT Department Head. |
| Terry | IT Department, Terry Holtz speaking. |
| Ursula | Hi, Terry. I just out a meeting invitation for tomorrow. You were CC’d on it. |
| Terry | Yes, I’m looking at it on my computer right now. What do you need? |
| Ursula | I’ve reserved Conference Room 1. I need you to make sure all the equipment is set up and ready to go for the meeting tomorrow. The CEO said he wants everything checked and double-checked so there won’t be any issues tomorrow. You know he doesn’t like to be embarrassed by unforeseen technology problems in the middle of his meetings. |
| Terry | That’s understandable. Okay, Conference Room 1. Have it ready to go by meeting time tomorrow! |
| Ursula | That’s it. Thanks! (hangs up) |
| Narrator | Terry calls a couple of IT technicians to his office. They enter together and stand there attentively. |
| Terry | Gentlemen, I need you to prepare Conference 1 for an international teleconference meeting tomorrow. I want everything to go by the numbers with no hitches. Clear? |
| Techs 1 and 2 | Crystal clear, sir. (they reply in unison) |
| Terry | Okay. Let me know when everything’s been set up and tested satisfactorily. Lock up the room when you’re done so no one can mess it up before the meeting starts. Dismissed. |
| Tech 1 | Yes, sir. Let’s go, Charlie. |
| Tech 2 | I’m with you. |
| Narrator | Ursula picks up the phone and hits her programmed key for the Press Secretary. |
| Julie | Press Secretary’s Office, Julie speaking. |
| Ursula | Hi, Julie. This is Ursula. |
| Julie | Hi, Ursula. What’s up? |
| Ursula | I just out a meeting invitation for tomorrow. You were CC’d on it. I need you to take care of the usual arrangements – bottled water, sodas, coffee, lunch. |
| Julie | Got it. How many attendees? |
| Ursula | Plan for a maximum of 10 people. |
| Julie | It shall be done. Anything else? |
| Ursula | Nope. That’s it, Julie. |
| Julie | Okay. I’d better start making arrangements. See you later. (hangs ups) |
| Narrator | In Conference Room 1, the two IT techs are checking out the equipment. |
| Tech 1 | Okay, presentation laptop is good to go – good Internet connection, latest software updates, plugged into the wall, 100% charge. |
| Tech 2 | PowerPoint projector is all set. A spare bulb is available, the lens focus has been set, the remote control has a new battery, and I just tested everything sat. Anything else we need to do? |
| Tech 1 | Let me think… No, that should do it. Let’s head back to our office. Be sure to close the door and lock it per instructions. |
| Tech 2 | Consider it done. (They exit and he locks the door behind him.) |
| Narrator | The technicians go back to their desks. Tech 1 calls his boss. |
| Tech 1 | Boss? Conference Room 1 is all set for tomorrow. Door is locked. |
| Terry | Excellent. Thank you. (tech leaves) |
| Julie | Cafeteria Manager? Yes, I need to arrange for catering service in Conference Room 1 tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. for 10 people. Coffee, water, sodas, and pastries for breakfast. Hot lunch at 12:00 pm. Okay? Great. Thanks. Bye. |
| Narrator | The meeting time has arrived. Everyone is in attendance in Conference Room 1. The CEO is about to make the phone call to start the conference call. |
| Automated Conference Call System | Please enter your conference telephone number: (beep-beep-beep, beep-beep-beep, beep-beep-beep-beep) Please enter your meeting access code: (beep-beep-beep-beep-beep) If you are the leader of this conference call, press “1” now: (beep) You will now be connected to the conference call. |
| Narrator | The CEO hears some beeps from the conference call speaker as other offices connect to the call one by one. |
| CEO | Okay, sound off in alphabetical order, please, so I know who’s on the call so far. |
| Narrator | Over the speaker he hears: Beijing, Bonn, Moscow, Oslo, Paris, Seoul, Taipei. |
| CEO | Great! We’re all present. Okay, I know everyone’s busy so let’s get started. |
| Narrator | The CEO proceeds to announce and explain all the corporate initiatives. He uses the PowerPoint projector to show his slides without incident. Everything goes very smoothly. They break for lunch and then continue for another hour. There is a final question-and-answer session, and the meeting ends around 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). |
| CEO | Okay, gentlemen. Thank you for your attention and for attending this meeting. This meeting is adjourned. |
| Narrator | The CEO hits the red button on the conference call speaker to hang up the phone. The line goes dead. All the attendees leave the room and go back to work. |
Vocabulary
- teleconference: a conference with participants in different locations linked by telecommunication devices.
- corporate-wide: extending throughout or involving an entire corporation.
- buzz: to phone someone.
- go off without a hitch: to go as planned, to happen without difficulties.
- agenda: a list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting.
- heads-up: a message that alerts or prepares : WARNING.
- unforeseen: not anticipated or predicted.
- attentively: in a way that is attentive (= listening carefully or giving careful attention).
- by the numbers: Exactly as the rules, directions, or plans dictate.
- in unison: simultaneous performance or utterance of action or speech.
- satisfactorily: in a way that fulfils expectations or needs; acceptably.
- programmed key: is a single computer keyboard key capable of being programmed to perform a specific task.
- good to go: ready or prepared to leave or to start doing something.
- all set: completely ready or wholly prepared.
- that will/should do it: used in informal speech to tell someone that one does not want or need anything more.
- catering service: the activity of providing food and drink for a large number of people.
- sound off: express one’s opinions in a loud or forceful manner.
- without incident: without any unexpected trouble.
- adjourned: break off (a meeting, legal case, or game) with the intention of resuming it later.
- goes dead: turns off completely; to stop working especially because of not having electricity.
