Key Elements in Organizing an Event When organizing an event, it is essential to have a clear grasp of five key elements:
People
Matters
Time
Location
Resources
1. People: The organizer was, of course, the labor union. The participants included union members and their family members.
2. Matters: The event was the annual union self-improvement activity—namely, the union trip held once a year.
3. Time: Regarding the event date, since members work in the service industry and tend to be busiest on holidays, holding the activity on a weekday was the most appropriate choice. Weather conditions were also taken into consideration when selecting the most suitable season.
4. Location: After discussion and resolution at the board of directors and supervisors meeting, Shanlinxi was chosen as this year’s theme and destination.
5. Resources: How do we get there? What means of transportation will be used? How will meals be arranged? All of these matters are handled by the Secretariat, as financial affairs do not fall within my scope of responsibility.
I. Planning: Planning for the annual self-improvement activity (union trip) of the Tainan City Foot Reflexology Practitioners’ Labor Union began six months in advance. The process went through multiple stages, including proposals by the board of directors and supervisors, voting, resolutions, implementation, revisions, and re-implementation. After overcoming numerous challenges, the plan was finally approved. On December 17, 2025, the self-improvement trip to Shanlinxi organized by the Tainan City Foot Reflexology Practitioners’ Labor Union was successfully completed, bringing the event to a satisfactory conclusion.
I. Planning (Rewritten Version): Preparation for the annual self-improvement activity of the Tainan City Foot Therapists’ Union—the union trip—commenced six months ahead of schedule. The planning process involved board proposals, voting, formal resolutions, execution, revisions, and subsequent execution. Despite many difficulties, the final plan was approved. On December 17, 2025, the Shanlinxi self-improvement trip organized by the Tainan City Foot Therapists’ Union concluded successfully, marking a successful completion of the event.
III. An Unexpected Journey: When it comes to well-known Tudigong (the God of Land) temples in central Taiwan, Zinan Temple in Zhushan Township, Nantou County, is undoubtedly the most renowned. While passing through the area, we made a special stop to pay our respects, praying for smooth union affairs and successful work in the coming year. We also offered prayers of gratitude to Bó-gōng (the God of Land), thanking him for blessing us with safety and peace throughout the year.
Most concerning was that on the day before departure, television news suddenly reported incidents of falling rocks in the Alishan area. These were related to aftershocks following the major Hualien–Taitung earthquake that struck at 7:58 a.m. on April 3, 2024. It was unexpected that aftershocks were still occurring three to four months later.
.However, all activity arrangements had already been finalized and could not be canceled or extended at short notice. With no other option, we decided to forgo entering the mountains and instead chose Fenqihu, located on the mountainside. Thankfully, the event proceeded very smoothly that day. Having gained experience from organizing our first activity, we now have greater confidence in planning future events, and longer-distance, two-day, one-night trips can also be included in our considerations.