Our company E227 Global Solutions has hosted an annual tech think tank convention for the past 10 years. Over the past 3 years the company has been expanding the conference to include robotics and a section in medical technology. After much effort, planning, and negotiation, the company has secured a high-profile keynote speaker for the next convention. The planning committee couldnt be more pleased with the potential for the next convention to gain national and possible international attention. A few days ago, one of the convention planners received a letter from Maribel Rivera, one of our conventions long-time attendees, requesting to be the keynote speaker at this years convention. Her small company has recently made in-roads in developing technology that may change the way we interact with our electronic devices. Ms. Rivera explains that she wants the keynote speaker role for the visibility it will provide as she seeks to promote this new technology and recruit the right talent to take the technologys development to the next step. Maribel Rivera has supported and promoted our convention since its inception and has presented but not in a keynote capacity in 8 of the past 10 years. One of those years, she stepped in at a moments notice to present when one of the scheduled presenters cancelled a day before his scheduled presentation. Riveras company has also utilized our manufacturing facility to produce electronic components and collaborates regularly with our research and design team. Our company values the relationship we have developed with Ms. Rivera, and we wish to maintain a strong working relationship with her. SCENE: Three people from the planning committee are meeting to discuss plans. The committee leader, Ariel McCarthy, shares the news of the letter with the other two committee members. Ariel McCarthy: Thanks for attending the meeting, team. Our first order of business has changed from the itinerary I sent earlier today. We have an e-mail that we have to discuss. Maribel Rivera wants to be a keynote speaker. Jakob Watson: Thats a problem. We wanted to focus this year on robotics and medical technology. Shavonne Reedy: I received an e-mail from Dr. Robert Binter today, too. He affirmed that hes going to be the keynote speaker, and he has his presentation ready. Ariel McCarthy: Dr. Binter is going to bring this years convention a lot of good attentioninternational attention. He has a stellar reputation in the medical technology community, and anything he says makes the news in exactly the places where we want to be seen. Shavonne Reedy: I think we all agree that were going to stick with our plan and keep Dr. Binter. Jakob Watson: Dr. Binter is the best choice to take our convention to the next level, but we dont want to sever ties with Maribel Rivera. Ariel McCarthy: Weve done a lot of business with her over the years. Shavonne Reedy: How many times has she stepped in and filled a presentation slot for us when someone else had to cancel? Jakob Watson: Several times. Our conventions been going for 10 years, and I think shes been to almost all of them, even when it was a small group of people in a hotel conference room. Ariel McCarthy: Right, our event has really grown, but we dont want to leave our familiar faces behind. Maribels company has been a good customer, too, for our manufacturing facility. Shavonne Reedy: We dont want to leave dollars behind, either, just to promote the convention. Lets not forget her involvement with our research and development team. Her company does a lot to support our efforts there. Ariel McCarthy: Yet we want to expand our horizons beyond the past and go with Dr. Binter and his medical technology presentation. What should we say to Maribel Rivera?
