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Management. Any other use is prohibited.

UVA-QA-0834
Apr. 10, 2015

The Virginia Festival of the Book

The Virginia Festival of the Book (VFOB) was jointly founded in 1994 by a group of community supporters
and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH). Originally planned to comprise a dozen panels and a
few dozen authors, the first festival, held in March 1995, grew to offer fifty-five events and feature one hundred
authors. Within five years, more than 10,000 people would attend VFOB programs.1

Celebrating its 21st year in 2015, the festival, which is held over five days each March and promotes itself
as a celebration of books, reading, and literacy, has annually welcomed more than 20,000 attendees to
Charlottesville, Virginia. In 2014, it presented more than 200 programs featuring more than 400 participants.
Its community-based origins still held: programs took place in 78 local venues across Charlottesville and
Albemarle County and more than 60 community partners sponsored or hosted programs.

Festival Programs

A typical 90-minute VFOB program featured three or four authors who had written books on a similar
topic and a moderator who introduced the authors and their work. The moderator would typically lead the
discussion, take questions for the authors from the audience, and keep track of time. The program usually
ended with author book signings.

In addition to the more than one hundred such programs, each year the festival offered a number of
ticketed events. The tickets might be free (and simply necessary for crowd control in cases of limited capacity),
moderately priced (to recoup costs), or more expensive (to raise operating funds for the VFOB). Authors
participating in the festival ranged from internationally recognized names to debut novelists, and they wrote in
all genres, including fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, poetry, mystery, romance, and science fiction/fantasy.

The VFOB was one of 13 programs produced by VFH, which was the largest of the fifty-six state (and
territory) humanities councils affiliated with the National Endowment of the Humanities. VFH, a nonprofit
corporation, was also affiliated with the University of Virginia. The Virginia Center for the Book, a VFH
program and the presenter of the festival, was the Virginia affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the
Book. 2

1 Virginia Festival of the Book, http://vabook.org (accessed Apr. 1, 2015).

2 Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, “Center for the Book,” http://virginiahumanities.org/bookcenter (accessed Apr. 1, 2015).

This field-based case was prepared by Yael Grushka-Cockayne, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, and Jane Kulow, Director of the Virginia
Festival of the Book. It was written as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation.
Copyright © 2015 by the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
sales@dardenbusinesspublishing.com. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by
any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.

Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management, Spring 2015

 This copyrighted document is intended for use in Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s Fundamentals of Project Planning and
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Page 2 UVA-QA-0834

Project Goals and Priorities

Figure 1. VFOB work breakdown structure.
The planning for each year’s festival would
VFOB Project
typically begin on May 1 of the previous year. In
2015, the festival dates were scheduled for March
18–22. The planning would include tasks in 13 Applications Logistics
categories: applications; book fair; book sales;
committees, community, and partners; festival
schedule; in-school and youth programs; logistics; Book Fair Moderators, Introducers
moderators and introducers; participants;
publicity; sponsorships; ticketed events; and
volunteers. Figure 1 offers an overview of the
work breakdown structure. Exhibit 1 provides a Book Sales Participants

more detailed task breakdown strucuture.

There were five key milestones to hit: Committees, Community Publicity

Partners
• September 23: Announce ticketed events
• September 25: Tickets and book fair Sponsorships
tables go on sale Festival Schedule

• October 1: Deadline for submission of

program proposal Ticketed Events
In-School & Youth
• January 15: Schedule is published online Programs

• March 18: Festival begins Volunteers

Source: Created by case writer.

Project Plan

Overall, the project plan consisted of 164 tasks. Of these, only five tasks were critical, as shown in Figure
2. See Exhibit 2 for a complete Gantt Chart of the tasks.

Figure 2. VFOB critical path.

Source: Created by case writer.

Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management, Spring 2015

 This copyrighted document is intended for use in Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s Fundamentals of Project Planning and
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Page 3 UVA-QA-0834

Case Dicussion Questions

1. Given the crucial path in Figure 2, how long will the project take?
2. Of the 164 tasks, which tasks should Jane Kulow, the Director of the Virginia Festival of the Book,
focus her attention on?
3. How can we reduce the duration by 5 days, in order to meet the festival start date?

Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management, Spring 2015

 This copyrighted document is intended for use in Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management. Any other use is prohibited.

Page 4 UVA-QA-0834

Exhibit 1
The Virginia Festival of the Book
Complete Work Breakdown Structure
VFOB Project

Milestone: Sept 23 Applications Book Fair Book Sales Committees, Community Festival Schedule In-School & Youth Logistics Moderators, Introducers Participants Publicity Sponsorships Ticketed Events Volunteers
Announce ticketed events Partners Programs
[Fall Foreword] Change participant + Confirm prices for table Meet with booksellers, Develop programs, Secure tent, catering, etc. Recruit moderators - Confirm available dates Promote applications are Secure major sponsors Develop wishlist of Recruit volunteers for
Milestone: Sept 25 Tickets program applications as rentals, update offer feedback, planning Meet with Leadership including participants, Write schools & youth for 9/23/2014 ticketed experienced moderators, with participants live - social media, emails prior to Fall Foreword authors office help in VFOB
+ Book Fair tables go on needed sheet, and send to B'fast committee to begin host +/or venue, time, organizations about event announcements participating authors, VFH to publicists, postcards to planning, coordinate tasks
Assign booksellers to Confirm travel Secure major sponsors Present wishlist for
sale previous exhibitors planning date, place hosting programs staff publicists for vols
Publish applications events Secure venues for all needs/offers with prior to 12/31/2014 approval
Milestone: Oct 1 Deadline Prepare EventBrite page Meet with Pub Day Proofread, edit all Prepare school contests - regular events Prepare detailed participants Update publicists Update lists of volunteers
Assess submissions Reconfirm booksellers at Secure major sponsors Develop access paths to
for submissions for table rentals main venues Committee to begin participant bios writing, poster design; Secure venues for all instructions for Confirm event plan with spreadsheet with names prior to printed programs authors via publicists, etc. from previous Festival
Recruit authors for planning send information to moderators from previous Festival
Milestone: Jan 15 regular events Edit exhibitor info and add Reconfirm booksellers at Write program ticketed and headliner participants, as needed Promote table purchases Recruit authors for Meet with volunteer
schools prior to teacher events
Schedule published to Book Fair event on all major events - ticketed Prepare lists and descriptions Write email templates for Prepare materials for Update publicists for Leadership Breakfast ticketed events coordinator to schedule
Coordinate events with prof dev days
li schedule & headliner invitation for Advisory moderators to use author mailing spreadsheet with names and plan trainings
Milestone: March 18 partner organizations Confirm and publish Confirm travel needs of Write email templates for Confirm authors for
Festival begins Committee meeting online schedule by Select authors for offers and offers made to from BEA
Edit exhibitor info for list Confirm book pre-orders Send copies of books to Collate, pack and mail table hosts to use ticketed events Mail volunteer postcard
Read books J 15 to local schools participants
to print on Book Fair and distribute books Recruit readers for Develop content for moderators materials to authors Design and print 80k reminders re training and
Send acceptance or f Write table hosts to Prepare text + photos for workdays
Design and print Book Reading Circle printed program Meet with school Arrange flights Send moderators bookmarks
rejection letters to Confirm changes to encourage promotion website to go live
Fair flyer Discuss submissions with representatives program and author info Design and print magnets Recruit drivers
applicants Confirm production Arrange trains schedule as needed Proofread all sponsors' Set up EventBrite page for
community partners schedule with Daily Coordinate in school for each event
Design and print Crime Confirm lodging with Design and print call for and hosts' names ticket sales Schedule meeting of
Track receipt of books Progress presentation schedules
Wave flyer Select authors for participants Assign jobs for Festival submissions postcards drivers
Write applicants if no for BEA and mailing Confirm ticketing needs of Organize logistics to offer
Design and print community partner hosted Update all non-schedule Confirm school programs and VFH staff at major Run volunteer
book received Send lodging list to sponsors books for sale
StoryFest flyer events content for printed and authors events
Design, print, and mail Prepare Site boxes and
program Coordinate Banquets with Publish ticket sales +
Develop flyers for other Confirm details with Send reminders to postcards to promote Event envelopes
Omni (three main ticketed Book Fair tables page,
topical programming community partners schools re contests ticket sales
Edit online schedule events) 9/25/2014 Prepare information for
tracks Meet with Adult program information for printed Facilitate poster contest + Design, print, and mail hospitality coordinator
program Confirm BEOs with Confirm logistics with
Prepare lists of exhibitors, committee to share Letters about Literature postcards to promote
Print badges and authors, publicists as Revise evaluation form as
sorted by table name, highlights, request contest arrangements Festival
Produce schedule sheets needed needed and copy, bright
promotional support credentials; purchase
booker's name, and table in Word for site posters Write advertising for Daily colors
lanyards Confirm names for tables
number Progress
Update committee lists for at each of three banquets Purchase supplies for site
Update dated banner with
Assign tables and put printed program, after Create audio PSAs to boxes, volunteers, info
new Festival dates Print tickets
assignments on Omni 3/1/2015 promote ticket sales table
atrium map Confirm City Council Distribute tickets
Pull calendar year VFOB Create audio PSAs to Update information
events re broadcast +
donor list, after 3/1/2015 promote Festival binders for site
recording by City
Release program content Send deadline reminders coordinators and info
Contact BookTV re table
to Daily Progress to publicists, partner
broadcast + recording of
organizations
Proofread all pages from VFOB events Update cellphone list with
Daily Progress Write and distribute press VFOB staff, site
Confirm details with coordinators
Print daily schedule with release re ticketed events
BookTV
space for introducers, & headliners
Copy materials for event
moderators, volunteers Communicate
Write and distribute press envelopes: onsite report,
cancellations as needed
release re additional introduction scripts,
Update website schedule to 1.Moderator
headliners trolley schedule, maps,
with changes as needed 2.Bookseller 3.Site
'time remaining' cards
Update all maps with Coordinator 4.Volunteer Write and distribute press
venue locations Coordinator 5.Website release re schedule live Write introduction scripts
6.Daily Progress 7.Venue
Produce bio sheets for Promote Book Fair - letter Produce name badges for
8.Travel - driver + or
each event envelope to literary magazines participants
hotel
Produce posters for each Write enewsletters Prepare main site
site - affix schedule throughout development attendance charts
sheets of Festival
Prepare updated program
Approval final Daily Write social media posts charts
Progress schedule for throughout development Secure parking passes
printing of Festival for volunteers
Design and print Festival Organize author
posters transportation chart and
Design and print featured drivers
event posters Deliver event
Distribute magnets envelopes for non-main
site programs
Distribute bookmarks
Distribute posters
Distribute programs
Check postage balance
for mailing postcards
Plan and produce press
event to promote full
schedule - invitations,
materials, food, media
packets, etc.

Write and send City and

County proclamations for
approval
Attend City Council and
County BOS meetings to
hear proclamation
Deliver banners and other
signage

Source: Created by case writer.

Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management, Spring 2015

 This copyrighted document is intended for use in Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s Fundamentals of Project Planning and
Management. Any other use is prohibited.

Page 5 UVA-QA-0834

Exhibit 2
The Virginia Festival of the Book
Complete Project Gantt Chart

Source: Created by case writer.

Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management, Spring 2015