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About Think Tank IV
Welcome… On behalf of Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel and Tourism’s (BEST) Education Network it is my distinct pleasure to invite you to participate in the fourth BEST Think Tank “Sustainability and Mass Destinations: Challenges and Possibilities” June 30-July 4, 2004 at the University of Southern Denmark in Esbjerg, Denmark. As with the previous three Think Tanks, this Think Tank will focus on incorporating sustainability into tourism and hospitality education, and innovatively highlight attempts towards more sustainable tourism practices in mass tourism destinations.
Think Tank Purpose BEST Think Tanks are part of an ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism, education and training. A total of eight educational modules have been produced during our first three Think Tanks on: public strategic management private strategic management meetings and events policy and planning marketing human resources development operations transportation

Think Tank Definition

The term "think tank" can be defined as either a structure or a process. As a structure, a think tank is defined in terms of an organization or group focused on the resolution of a particular problem or task, particularly in the reams of science and technology. As a process or technique, it is defined as an in-depth consideration of issues and challenges whose relevance reaches beyond the individual person or program and the immediate time frame.

Process

The conference will take place over four days and includes a combination of plenary speakers and break-out sessions devoted to module development.

The first day is dedicated to paper presentations (See Call for Papers). During the following three days, participants will be divided into groups and each group will be lead by a facilitator. Each day, the groups will be involved in several sessions of discussions on given topics (see Agenda) using the NGT format. The following day, all groups will meet in an assembly format and report their results. On the last day of the Think Tank, a summary and resolutions will be drafted.

The process used in most think tanks is identical to the Nominal Group Technique (NGT).

NGT is a structured workshop/meeting/process for generating ideas similar to brainstorming, but where individuals produce ideas in isolation. NGT also enables groups to equitably prioritize the ideas produced. The NGT provides an alternative to the more familiar technique of brainstorming.

In selecting which problems to deal with and in what order, often the person who shouts the loudest has the most authority. NGT is useful in such situations where individuals feel vulnerable due to a dominant personality, social pressure, or when there are others in the group who inhibit them for whatever reason. Because NGT reduces the pressure on individuals, it is proven that under some conditions, it can be more effective in generating ideas than if the group members were allowed to interact as in a typical brainstorming session.

The NGT Process

1. The process begins with a carefully considered statement of the problem, which is read out by the facilitator.
2. The facilitator then asks the team to restate the problem or issue in their own words. This stage of problem formulation by the team is important to ensure that it is fully understood before continuing
3. Each team member then engages in silent generation of ideas and views over a set period of time (usually between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on the scope of the problem). Discussion during this period is not encouraged.
4. Once this is completed a round robin session collects one idea or suggestion from each team member. The facilitator can ask for clarification, but may not judge or criticize ideas. The ideas are written onto a chart, so that they are visible to the group.
5. The round robin continues until the ideas begin to dry up. When all team members pass on a round it is time to stop. Once all the ideas have been collected, the facilitator leads a discussion to clarify and rephrase the ideas. This ensures that the entire group is familiar with them. Related ideas can be grouped or merged together in this stage.
6. The final stage is to select and rank ideas. This is achieved by giving each group member six votes to cast as the ideas are read out. This gives each individual an equal stake in the chosen idea. The outcome is not only a set of six ideas in order of priority, but also group consensus.

Venue 

The University of Southern Denmark has four campuses located in the southwestern part of Denmark – i.e. Funen and Southern Jutland. Reaching even further south, the university offers a number of joint programmes in co-operation with the University of Flensburg just across the Danish-German border. Contacts with regional industries and the international scientific community are strong. The University of Southern Denmark is an outstanding research and educational institution with deep regional roots and an international outlook http://www.sdu.dk/indexE.html.

The University offers a wide range of traditional disciplines as well as a broad selection of business and engineering studies. In recent years the number of programmes has been considerably expanded. We are particularly proud to include a BA and Master in International Tourism and Leisure Management http://www.humaniora.sdu.dk/negot/turisme/index_e.html

Contact

Dr. Janne J. Liburd, University of Southern Denmark.

Email: liburd@sitkom.sdu.dk

Phone +45 6550 1576

Fax +45 6550 1091