The Scenario: Your manager has asked you to help plan your company's participation at a local trade show. You have $3000 to spend on the booth space and product brochures. Use what you know about solving inequalities to prepare a proposal that meets the budget.
The Project: Use the information provided in the Performance Task to learn more about the costs of renting a booth space and printing product brochures. See what you can discover about each of these tasks before you write your proposal showing your manager how you've prepared for the tradeshow and stayed within budget. The questions below will help you gather information and get your tradeshow planning off on the right track. As you proceed through the questions, check in with your teacher to discuss any ideas, potential problems, or questions you may have about the project.
Choosing a Booth Location: Your manager is sending two people to work at the conference. She wants a booth that will give your company good visibility for no more than 35% of the total budget ($3000). The conference coordinator just told you there are only five booths left. Which booth will you choose?
Step 1: Understand the Problem
What do you know?
1. List three things you know about the requirements of the booth space. (3 points: 1 point for each requirement)
What is the question asking?
2. Summarize what you are being asked to do. (2 points)
Step 2: Plan How to Solve the Problem
Define each quantity.
3. How much money are you starting with? (1 point)
4. What variable will you use to represent the cost of the booth? (2 points)
Step 3: Solve the Problem
Write an inequality.
5. Write the inequality that shows how much money you can spend on the booth. (2 points)
6. Simplify the inequality that shows how much money you can spend on the booth. (2 points)
7. What does this tell you about how much you can afford
to spend on a booth? (2 points)
8. Which booth did you select, and how much did it cost? (2 points)
9. Explain why you chose this booth location. Talk about location, staffing, and cost. (4 points)
10. How much money will you have left after you rent this booth? Show your calculation. (2 points)
Printing Brochures The trade show is less than three weeks away. Your manager wants to be sure you have plenty of color brochures in time for the show. She said there will be nearly 4100 attendees, and that the brochures should cost no more than $1900. You were told to call Sofia for help ordering the brochures.
11. List three criteria for the print order that you know are important to your manager. (6 points: 2 points for each piece of information)
12. List four pieces of information you learned from talking to Sofia. (8 points: 2 points for each piece of information)
Step 2: Plan How to Solve the Problem
Define each quantity.
13. What variable will you use to represent the number of brochures? (1 point)
14. What is the cost of each brochure based on the number you need to order? (1 point)
15. Will there be extra costs? Why or why not? (1 point)
16. How much are the extra costs? (1 point)
17. How much money can you spend on the brochure order? (2 points)
18. Write an expression that shows the cost of the brochures. (2 points)
19. Write an inequality to show how much you can spend on the brochure order. (2 points)
Step 3: Solve the Problem
Solve the inequality.
20. Solve your inequality for the number of brochures. (2 points)
21. What does this tell you about how many brochures you can order? (2 points)
22. Fill out this order form to complete the brochure order. (14 points: 2 points for each table cell).
23. Explain how you decided on the number of brochures to order and whether to opt for the rush order delivery. (2 points)
Your Proposal Now it's time to show your manager the plans for the trade show. Impress her with a job well done by showing that you met the criteria for booth space and brochures, all while staying within the overall budget.
24. Complete the report below so your manager knows the decisions you've made and understands how the budget has been spent. Enter the following on the order form:
A description of each item. (2 points for each cell)
The reasoning you used to make your decision about that item. (2 points for each cell)
Cost of each item order (1 point for each cell)
Total cost of plan (2 points)
Money remaining (2 points)