Team: #86199741

2017 2 : JET LAG

 #86199741

Contents
1.0 Abstract 2
2.0 Introduction 2
2.1 Assumptions 2
3.0 The General Model 3
3.1 Factors Considered: 3
3.1.1 Time Zone and Climate 3
3.1.2 Relative Effect on Productivity by each Factor: 4
3.1.3 Determining Weightage. 4
4.0 Meeting Place Algorithm 6
4.1 Initial Recommendation excluding time zone and temperature weighted factors: 6
4.2 Recommendation Including the temperature and time zone factors. 9
5.0 Cost Consideration 9
5.1 Accommodation Cost Model: 9
5.2 Travel Cost: 10
5.3 Meeting Place Cost 11
5.4 Total Cost Function 11
6.0 Scenario 1 11
6.1 Stage 1: Initial Recommendation 11
6.2 Stage 2: Including the temperature and time zone factors. 14
6.3 Cost for Scenario 1 15
7.0 Scenario 2 16
7.1 Stage 1: Initial Recommendation 16
7.2 Stage 2: Including the temperature and time zone factors. 18
7.3 Cost Consideration 19
8.0 Evaluation (strength and weakness) 20
9.0 Conclusion: 20
10.0 References 21

1
 #86199741

1.0 Abstract
International meetings are held to motivate investigations, share knowledge and agree to significant treaties.
This involves rigorous collection of data and requires efficient participant interaction. Due to the importance
of efficiency of these meetings, it is imperative that all participants maintain a maximum productivity. While
the effects of distance travelled, time zone and climate change on participants may need to be considered
when deciding on the best meeting location; there is also a financial aspect which needs to be considered by
The International Meeting Management Corporation (IMMC). A decision must be made to determine the
meeting location that maximises the productivity of all participants and results in the lowest cost.
In this paper, we developed a model to determine an optimal location for holding the meeting given the initial
location and number of participants primarily based on Jet lag, change in time zone and change in
temperature.
Furthermore, as a secondary criterion the cost of the travel arrangement for all participants must be assessed
as the IMMC has a limited budget. The cost will be based on 3 primary components; travel cost, Building
hiring cost and accommodation cost. All of these factors have been considered when modelling our algorithm
and each will be discussed in detail. The results for scenarios 1 and 2 that are obtained through the algorithm
and will be presented after the general case.

2.0 Introduction
While the experience of attending an international meeting might be exhilarating for the participants, the
underlying complexity of proposing an optimised meeting location involves removing the negative effects of
jet lag, determined by three major factors listed below in decreasing order of importance.
Distance Travelled (determined by weighting of the number of people)
Change in Time zone
The Change in the Climate in terms of the 3 most important factors; temperature, humidity and wind.
Costs are considered as a secondary criterion, taking into consideration the limited budget of IMMC.
The aim of the model is to create an algorithm that recommends a specific city as potential meeting locations
such that they maximise the overall productivity, while remaining within an affordable budget. In extending
this, the model uses weighted factors to provide a guideline as to what must be done so that best location can
be determined.

2.1 Assumptions
1) All factors that change from individual to individual such as diet and activity are ignored as this model is a
simplification.
2) It is given that there are no visa problems or political limitations. (i.e. any city or country can be a
potential meeting location.)
3) When calculating the distance travelled by the participants,
a) Earth is assumed to be a perfect sphere of radius 6371 km;
b) The distance of actual flight routes is ignored, but rather a simplified straight line distance between
two cities is considered.
4) A simplification of time zones has been considered, ignoring the minor variations between each individual
time zone. (i.e. all time zones are uniform.)
5) In terms of effects of changing climate, humidity and wind have been ignored.
a) Ignore humidity. The justification is that humidity is a direct variation of temperature (i.e. at high
temperatures, water evaporates so that the amount of water vapour in the air is high. This decreases
the capacity to hold more water vapour, hence increasing humidity.)
b) Ignore wind effects. The reasoning for this is that the meeting is held indoors, hence the effects of
wind are considered negligible.

2
 #86199741

6) For each of the factors, an assumed relevant loss of productivity of participants and a weighting factor
have been assigned.
7) IMMC only pays the accommodation cost and travel expense for the planned time period. If participants
follow the planned routine, it is not necessary for them to pay any extra costs. But if a participant is to
arrive earlier than planned, they will have to pay for their accommodation.
8) When considering the cost as a secondary criterion, it is assumed that the meeting location has been
determined according to the algorithm and costs are minimised for that specific journey, taking into
account the customer satisfaction rating, since a higher customer satisfaction can offset some loss of
productivity.

3.0 The General Model

The International Meeting Management Corporation (IMMC) is planning to hold a meeting with individuals
arriving from all parts of the world and taking part in intensive work for 3 days. The IMMC has requested an
algorithm that recommends a meeting location where the productivity of the participants is maximized. The
productivity of the participants is influenced by the jet lag experienced. The factors determining the severity
of the Jet Lag experienced are those listed below in decreasing order of importance.
Change in Time zone (travelling East or West)
The Change in temperature
Furthermore, as a secondary criterion the cost of the travel arrangement for all participants must be assessed
as the IMMC has a limited budget. The cost will be based on 3 primary components; travel cost, a meeting
location cost and accommodation cost. All of these factors have been considered when modelling our
algorithm and each will be discussed in detail. The results for scenarios 1 and 2 that are obtained through the
algorithm will be presented after the general case.
Since the Jet lag is influenced mostly by the distance travelled it is not unreasonable to conclude that the
productivity of the participants will be maximized if the travelling distance is minimised. For this we have
constructed the Minimal Distance Algorithm. The outcome of this step will identify the preliminary potential
location for the meeting which will be used as a reference to refine the model further incorporating the other
factors listed below.
Within the second stage, the model will be rerun with a changed weightage incorporating the influence of the
other factors listed below:
1. Time Zone (time zone difference and local time of departure)
2. Climate (change in temperature)

3.1 Factors Considered:

3.1.1 Time Zone and Climate
A change in the climate and time zone influences the productivity of the participants in a negative manner.
This is because both disrupt the bodys homeostasis. A change in climate causes a thermoregulatory problem
and a change in the time zone causes a disruption of the circadian cycle (natural body clock.)
3.1.1.1 Time Zone:
A time zone is a region that follows a uniform standard time. There are 24 time zones constructed on
earth. When travelling to the west, the passengers are moving back through time zones and are effectively
increasing their day. When travelling east, the passengers are travelling forward through time zones and
so decreasing the duration of their day. The Human Bodys physiology is regulated by neurotransmitters
such as melatonin. These neurotransmitters are affected by sunlight over a 24 hour period (circadian
rhythm). Traveling across time zones changes the amount of sunlight that a human body receives over a
24 hour period and disrupts the circadian rhythm. A disruption can profoundly affect body temperature,
digestion heart rate, state of mind etc causing productivity to decrease until a full recovery is made.
According to Thomas Reilly PhD, DSc, FErgS, FIBiol; Endogenous (internal) circadian rhythms such as core
temperature are relatively slow to adjust whereas Exogenous (outer) rhythms such as social interaction
recover quite quickly. Furthermore; it is agreed by most researchers along with Thomas Reilly that

3
 #86199741

travelling west has a smaller effect on the bodys circadian rhythms than travelling east. This is explained
to occur because the body is able to extend its circadian cycle from 24 hours to 28 hours (while travelling
west) quite easily but find it difficult to shorten the cycle. Furthermore, while travelling west, Reilly states
that a 2 to 3 hour change (movement across 2 to 3 time zones) has a very small impact on the traveller.
Therefore from this research it is reasonable to conclude that travelling always effects our circadian cycle
but there are two main factors that determine the shock caused to our rhythms;
- What direction the participant is travelling; Travelling West causes a smaller shock whereas travelling
East causes a larger shock
- The number of Time Zones passed.
Therefore in general as the number of travelled time zones increases, the disturbance caused to our circadian
cycle increases meaning productivity decreases.
3.1.1.2 Climate
Climate is defined as the weather conditions prevailing in an area over a given time period. The weather
conditions around humans affect their activity as the external environment influences their internal
environment. The internal environment of the human body must be kept constant and the values for
essential controls such as temperature; pH etc. must be maintained within a narrow range. The main way
travelling effects the body is through disrupting thermoregulation. The body temperature must be kept
constant at 37 degrees Celsius. This is done by adjusting with the outside temperature, humidity and
wind. Thus the bodies of people living in different climates have adjusted to varying external weather
conditions. Travelling causes these conditions to change and the thermoregulatory function of the body to
be disrupted. In general, the greater the change in the weather conditions the larger the disruption caused
to the body meaning a greater decrease in productivity. The main factor to be considered in relation to the
change in climate is the total change in temperature.
3.1.2 Relative Effect on Productivity by each Factor:
From our research we identified that the Jet Lag experienced after travelling was most greatly affected by the
change in time zone. It was agreed that the productivity of an individual can be reduced up to 50% on the day
following arrival at the destination. This has been set as a benchmark in this model. A change in time zone
causes our bodys circadian rhythm to be disturbed causing our body functions to be disturbed leading to
fatigue and tiredness. The factor that least effects productivity is Climate. This is because we can easily change
the climate around us due to the various technologies available such as Air conditioning and Heaters.
Nevertheless, the small exposure to a new climate that occurs in the transition period from the destinations
airport to the hotel/accommodation does cause our bodys thermoregulation to be disturbed. The effect of
these 2 factors on the participants productivity varies but it is agreed that the change in time zone causes a
greater decrease in productivity. Therefore the effect of change in time zone and change in temperature on
the participants productivity is in the ratio of 4:1 respectively.
3.1.3 Determining Weightage.
3.1.3.1 Number of Participants:
a. Our algorithm finds the centre point between all starting locations where the total distance
travelled by all the participants is minimised. But in cases where more than one participant is
travelling from a city, it is logical to make the meeting location closer to them as this will decrease
the travelling distance for more than 1 participant and although the travelling distance for a
participant from another country will increase there will be a net loss of total travelling distance.
b. We have incorporated this idea into our algorithm through the use of a weighting factor. The
weighting factor will influence the position of the initial meeting recommendation. The weighting
factor for minimising distance travelled is related to the number of people starting from a given
location. It is assigned as outlined in Table 1.1

4
 #86199741

Table 1.1
Number of People Number of People
Weighting Factor
(NPWF)
1 1
2 2
3 3
. .
N n

3.1.3.2 Change in Time zone

a. The influence of time zones will be incorporated into the algorithm through weighting factors. Each
change in time zone will be assigned a factor which will be incorporated in the original weightage
(NPWF) used for determining the preliminary location as detailed below:
b. This process will be carried out in the second stage of our algorithm. After an initial
recommendation has been found; the direction of travel and change in time zone will be recorded
per participant. Now this data will be compared to a range we have formed to identify the factor to
be used:
Table 1.2
Time Zones Decrease In Productivity (%) Factor Assigned; Time Zone Factor
Travelled () 1
= ( ) 100
3

Travelling East Travelling West Travelling East Travelling West

02 20% 10% 0.067 0.033

24 30% 20% 0.100 0.067

46 40% 30% 0.133 0.100

6+ 50% 50% 0.167 0.167

We have researched that the productivity/efficiency of an individual can be reduced up to 50% by a

significant change in the time zones. The effect of changing time zones is more severe in travelling
eastwardly direction. We have assumed that a change in time zone more the 6 will reduce the
productivity of the participant by a maximum of 50%. This reduction in the productivity of an
individual will only be applicable for the 1st day of the conference as it is noted that the effect of
changing times zones is nullified within 24 hours. Therefore; we have multiplied the decrease in
productivity by 1/3 that is 1 day out of 3 days of conference.
3.1.3.3 Climate: Temperature
a. Like with a change in time zone, the influence of a change in temperature will be incorporated into the
algorithm through weighting factors.
b. This process will be carried out in the second stage of our algorithm. After an initial recommendation
has been found; the direction of travel, Change in time zone and change in temperature will be
recorded per participant. Now this data will be compared to a range we have formed to identify the
factor to be used:

5
 #86199741

Table 1.3
Change In Temperature () Decrease in Productivity (%) Temperature Factor
1
= ( ) 100
3

05 0 0.0000
5 10 5 0.0167
10 15 10 0.0333
15 20 15 0.0500
20+ 20 0.0667

From the research conducted it was noted that a change in the temperature causes a very small
change in productivity. This is because human have developed a multitude of technologies to alter our
surrounding temperature. Thus the maximum decrease in productivity for a significant change in
temperature (20+) is only 20%.
We have set the decrease in productivity to 0% for a change in temperature of 0 5. Our reasoning is
that such a insignificant change in dealt by the body on a daily basis as the earth rotates on its axis and
so such a small change in temperature will not cause any decrease in productivity.
We have found that it takes the body roughly 24 hours to acclimatise. This means the effect of the
change in temperature only lasts for the 1st day of the meeting. Therefore when calculating the factor
we have multiplied the decrease in Productivity by 1/3; that is 1 day out of 3 days of conference.
3.1.3.4 Combined Factor of Change in Time Zone and Temperature.
a. The combined factor will be a weighted factor of the values given in tables 1.2 and 1.3 in the ratio of
4:1.
b. Thus the following equation can be used:
= ( 0.8) + ( 0.2)
Where is the Final Factor.
3.1.3.5 Combining the Final Factor and NPWF
To combine the NPWF and the Final Factor we will multiply the NPWF with 0.5 and add it to the Final
factor for each participant. The result will be the final combined factor which we shall call the Iteration
Factor

4.0 Meeting Place Algorithm

4.1 Initial Recommendation excluding time zone and temperature weighted factors:
a. All latitude and longitude data must be converted into radians. The equation for converting degrees

into radians is 1 = rad. Now the Latitude and Longitude can be arranged in a table for ease of
180
access.

Latitude Longitude
1 1
2 2
3 3
. .

6
 #86199741

b. A simple weighting factor is assigned to each of the starting location based on the number of people
that are travelling from that location. For example if the majority of the participants are travelling from
the same location (A) , the final destination should be closer to A as this will maximize productivity.
Record the weighting factors for all the starting locations as. 1 , 2 (Note; if there is no weighting
set each weighting factor to 1.)
c. A total of the weighting factors must be calculated. This can be done following the equation below.

= 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + +
=1

d. The latitude and longitude (present as radians) are converted to Cartesian (x,y,z) co-ordinates. The
formulas used are given below:
= cos( ) cos( )
= cos( ) sin( )
= sin( )
e. Now the Cartesian coordinate as well as the weighting factor for each starting location should be
recorded in a table for ease.
Starting Weighting Lat Long Cartesian Coordinates (x,y,z)
Location Factor
X co-ordinate Y co-ordinate Z co-ordinate
A 1 1 1 1 1 1

B 2 2 2 2 2 2
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
Z

f. Now the combined weighted Cartesian co-ordinate is calculated using the following equation:

=1
=1
=1
=
=
=
=1 =1 =1

g. Now the Cartesian co-ordinates are converted to Latitude and Longitude for the midpoint.

arctan ( ) , > 0


arctan ( ) + , < 0 and 0


= atan2(, ) = arctan ( ) , < 0 and < 0


+ , = 0 and > 0
2

, = 0 and < 0
2
{ undefined, = 0 and = 0

arctan ( ) , > 0


arctan ( ) + , < 0 and 0


= atan2(, ) = arctan ( ) , < 0 and < 0


+ , = 0 and > 0
2

, = 0 and < 0
2
{ undefined, = 0 and = 0
Where (hyp) = 2 + 2

7
 #86199741

h. The longitude and Latitude is now converted from radians to degrees. The equation used to do so is;
180
= ( )

Therefore the Geographic Location Longitude and Latitude are given below:
180
() = () ( ) =

180
() = () ( ) =

i. The latitude and Longitude for all starting locations must now be re-recorded in degrees.
Location Latitude (degrees) Longitude (degrees) Weight
A 1 1 1
B 2 2 2
. . . .
. . . .
Z

j. Take each longitude value from step i and find a new longitude value relative to the geographic
midpoint locations longitude. This can be done using the following equation:
= =
If the Relative Longitude lies outside the range -180 to 180 then add or subtract 360 degrees to bring
it back into the range.

k. Now calculate the new weighted latitude and longitude.

(1 1 + 2 2 + + ) =1
= =
(1 + 2 + + ) =1
(1 1 + 2 2 + + ) =1
= =
(1 + 2 + + ) =1
Where the W is the weighting factor and RL is the relative longitude calculated above in step J.

l. Now to find the Recommended Meeting Location; Use the latitude calculated in step K; . The
longitude for the recommended meeting location is given by:
= +

If this value lies outside the range of -180 to 180 then add 360 to bring it back into the range.
m. If the recommended meeting location is in an inhabitable zone such as water or mountains. Create a
circle of a suitable radius around the recommended meeting location. The radius depends on how far
from suitable land is the recommended meeting location.
n. After this circle is constructed. The latitude and longitude of all the major cities that lie within that
circle should be recorded. These values can be used to find the distance between the recommended
meeting location and all the cities being considered. These distances can be calculated using the
following equation:

= arccos ((sin(lat n ) sin(lat x )) + (cos(lat n ) cos(lat x ) cos(long x long n )))

Where D = distance.

8
 #86199741

Point N is the original recommended meeting location/point

Point X is a city inside the circle being considered.
o. Each of the distances can be calculated using a spread sheet to speed up the process. After each
distance is calculated. The distances must be arranged in ascending order. Now the city that is the
shortest distance away from the original recommended meeting location is chosen.
p. This is the final recommendation of this algorithm.
Note:
The IMMC can exclude cities they believe cannot be suitable locations for the meeting. This will
result in the next nearest suitable city being recommended by the algorithm.
If the original recommendation is for a city that is believed to be unsuitable the algorithm should
be rerun from steps M to P. At the end of step P another city will be recommended.

4.2 Recommendation Including the temperature and time zone factors.

a. For the 1st recommended location measure the temperature and time zone. Now calculate the change
in temperature and change in time zone for each of the participant when they travel from their
original location to the 1st recommendation.
b. Now calculate the combined factor (iteration factor) as explained in Combined Factor of Change in
Time Zone and Temperature.
To combine the NPWF and the Final Factor simply add the NPWF and the Final factor for each
participant. The result will be the final combined factor which we shall call the Iteration Factor
c. Rerun the algorithm with the Iteration factor substituting with the NPWF that was initially used. The
algorithm may now recommend a new location different from the 1st recommendation.
d. This is the final recommendation of this algorithm.

5.0 Cost Consideration

There are three aspects to the cost that has to be paid by the IMMC. These are the travel cost for each
participant, the accommodation of each participant and the cost of holding the meeting itself.

5.1 Accommodation Cost Model:

1. IMMC only pays the accommodation cost and travel expense for the planned time period. If participants
follow the planned routine, it is not necessary for them to pay any extra costs. But if a participant is to
arrive earlier than planned, they will have to pay for their accommodation.
2. When considering the cost as a secondary criterion, it is assumed that the meeting location has been
determined according to the algorithm and costs are minimised for that specific journey, taking into
account the customer satisfaction rating, since a higher customer satisfaction can offset some loss of
productivity.
3. We are assuming that each participant will arrive and be allowed into their accommodation 20 hours
before the 1st meeting commences (local time). This shall provide 2 hours to unpack, 12 hours of rest, 2
hours to dress on the next day, 2 hours spare and 2 hours to move from their accommodation to the
meeting location.
4. After the final meeting is complete each participant will be allowed a 5 hour period to travel back to their
accommodation, pack their belonging and check out of the accommodation. This means as the last
meeting will end at 5pm, the last participant should check out of their accommodation no later than 10pm.
Each participant will then take a return journey to their original starting location. Therefore the
accommodation for each participant will be hired for a total of (20 + 24 + 24 + 24 + 13 ) 99 hours.
5. Each participant will be provided with food during the 4 days. However to manage their travel
arrangements from their accommodation to the meeting location a further 250USD has been given.
6. All the relevant information regarding the accommodation costs is provided below

9
 #86199741

Numbe Hours Rate Cost Per Cost of All Allowance Total Total
r of hired per Participant Participants per Allowance Accommodation
partici - hour Participant Cost
pants
P 99 hrs $ 99 (99) $250 250P (99) + 250

From the information above the total accommodation cost is calculated to be$(99) + $250. The only
variable that can be altered is X that represents the rate per hour. Although an obvious way to minimise costs
may be to choose the lower rate/hour. We must consider that the average consumer rating of the
accommodation must be above some minimum standard so as to not affect the productivity of participants.
Finding the suitable Hotel:
a. The rating for each hotel and its rate per hour can be determined using the following website:
https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ . In this website the consumer rating system is based on 5 stars. If
accommodation is given 5 stars it is perfect. As the level of stars decrease, the level of consumer
satisfaction decreases. Thus it is reasonable to conclude that a minimum of 3.5 stars must be achieved.
b. Using the Trip advisor website, a table can be constructed listing the names of the hotels, their rate
per hour and the consumer rating.
c. Using this all hotels achieving a consumer rating higher than 3.7 or below 3.5 stars should be
removed.
d. Now the cheapest hotel can be chosen as all hotels have a rating of above 3.5.
e. Now using the accommodation cost formula the total cost of accommodation ( ) can be determined;
= $(99) + 250

5.2 Travel Cost:

Once the Meeting Place Algorithm has been used a final destination is known and the initial location of all
participants is known. To minimise costs we will assume that the IMMC books flights for its participants 6
months in advance.
There are multiple options available but to minimise costs we will assume that all participants will travel via
economy. Now it is reasonable to believe that the effects of Jet lag and the discomfort from travelling can
increase if the travelling experience during a flight was not good. Thus the IMMC must consider an airline
that has a minimum consumer rating. Again for this model we recommend using
https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/.
Finding a suitable Flight:
a. TripAdvisor uses a consumer scoring system known as flyscore. It ranges from a score of 0 to 10 with
0 being the worst score possible and 10 being the best. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that the
minimum score required is a 6.5 that is recommended by the website as having a very good score
based on the quality of the aircraft, amenities, flight duration and Trip Advisor reviews.)
b. Now all flights that have a flyscore below 6.5 and above 6.6 are excluded from the search.
c. For the remaining flights; each flight meets our criteria of having a flight score above 6.5 and so the
final check is the departure and arrival date. If no flight is matching the departure and arrival date
required for that particular participant then the search may be broadened to a flyscore range of 6.5 to
7 etc.
d. Once a list of suitable flights is found; the cheapest flight can be selected as it meets the criterias of
having a flyscore above 6.5 and has an appropriate arrival and departure date.
e. This process must be completed for each participant
f. The flight cost for each participant must be recorded 1 , 2 , 3 , .
g. Now a summation of the flight cost must be completed. The following formula may be used;

10
 #86199741

=
=1

Where is the Total Flight Cost.

Note:
- In cases where the flight score is poor across all flights then the cheapest flight should be considered.
- In cases where there are no airports in the starting location; the participant will catch a flight from the
nearest airport. For example, in the case of Zutphen the nearest airport is at Amsterdam Netherlands
and so the participant from Zutphen will depart from Amsterdam.

5.3 Meeting Place Cost

The cost of the meeting place cannot be determined without the help of an online website. We believe the best
website to be https://www.meetingsbooker.com/
We believe this to be the best website due to the many parameters it covers for the IMMC or any organization
trying to arrange a meeting.
a. You start by filling out the name of the city, the number of participants and the duration.
b. After searching a list of possibilities is shown to the organizer and using filters the cheapest meeting
location can be determined.
c. The cost is shown in local currency and when a meeting place is booked the current rate of the USD
can be used.
d. Thus a value is obtained for the maximum meeting place cost. Let represent this cost.

5.4 Total Cost Function

The total cost of organizing the meeting to the IMMC is given by the following function:
= + +

= ((99) + 250) + ( ) + ( )
=1

If all the steps given above are followed then the values for will be minimised and so the total
cost of the meeting will be minimised.

6.0 Scenario 1
The requirements for the 1st meeting are that there are 6 participants. One each from Monterey, Zutphen,
Melbourne, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Moscow.

6.1 Stage 1: Initial Recommendation

1. The Latitude and longitude of all starting locations is converted to radians.
Starting Location Latitude and Latitude (Radians) Longitude (Radians)
Longitude
1. Monterey 36.6002 N, 0. 6387939 N - 2.127463856 E
- 121.8947 E
2. Zutphen 52.1427 N, 6.1961 0.9100617969 N 0.1081423458 E
E
3. Melbourne -37.8136 N, - 0.659971822 N 2.540083389 E
144.9631E
4. Shanghai 31.2304 N, 0.5450733067 N 2.12011602 E
121.4737 E

11
 #86199741

5. Hong Kong 22.3964 N, 0.3908909206 N 1.991586483

114.1095 E
6. Moscow 55.7558 N, 0.9731222871 N 0.656546
37.6173E

2. Weighting factor:
As this is the 1st iteration the only factor considered is the number of people moving from the starting
locations. Therefore, as each starting location has only 1 participant; the weightage factor is 1 for each.
3. Weighting Summation:
The sum of the weighting factors in this case is 1 multiplied by 6. Therefore the summation of the
weightage is 6.
4. Conversion to Cartesian Co-ordinates:
Each of the latitude and longitude must be converted to x, y and z Cartesian co-ordinates. The
equations used to do so are:
= cos( ) cos( )
= cos( ) sin( )
= sin( )
The results are arranged in the table below:
Starting Weighti Latt (rad) Long (rad) Cartesian Coordinates (x,y,z)
Location ng
Factor X co-ordinate Y co- Z co-ordinate
ordinate
Monterey 1 0. 6387939 N -2.127463856
E -0.42418 -0.68161 0.596228
Zutphen 0.9100617969 0.1081423458
N E 0.610112 0.066237 0.789542
Melbourne - 0.659971822 2.540083389
N E -0.64685 0.453548 -0.61309
Shanghai 0.5450733067 2.12011602 E
N -0.44645 0.729288 0.518481
Hong Kong 0.3908909206 1.991586483
N -0.37767 0.843916 0.381012
Moscow 0.9731222871 0.656546
N 0.445735 0.343476 0.826647

5. Weighted Cartesian Co-ordinate

The weighted Cartesian Co-ordinate can be calculated using the equations given below:

=1
=1
=1
=
=
=
=1 =1 =1

Co-ordinate Types Weighted Co-ordinate

X -0.13998
Y 0.292576
Z 0.41647

12
 #86199741

6. Conversion to Latitude and Longitude:

The latitude and longitude can be calculated using the arc tan function given below:

arctan ( ) , > 0


arctan ( ) + , < 0 and 0


= atan2(, ) = arctan ( ) , < 0 and < 0


+ 2 , = 0 and > 0

2 , = 0 and < 0
{ undefined, = 0 and = 0

arctan ( ) , > 0


arctan () + , < 0 and 0

= atan2(, ) = arctan () , < 0 and < 0

+ , = 0 and > 0
2

2, = 0 and < 0
{ undefined, = 0 and = 0
= 2 + 2
Therefore H is calculated to be 0.324338
Latitude Longitude
0.661317 2.017047

7. Conversion from radians to Degrees.

Latitude 37.8907 North
Longitude 115.5693 East. Let this be called the longitude Geo
Now this longitude will be used in the next step.

8. Relative Longitudes calculation:

The relative longitude for each city should be calculated using the formula below:
= . If any of the values lie outside -180 or
180 degrees; add 360 to bring the value back into the range
Longitude of Initial Location Longitude Geo Relative Longitude
- 121.8947 E 115.5693 East 122.536
6.1961 E -109.3732
144.9631E 29.3938
121.4737 E 5.9044
114.1095 E -1.4598
37.6173E -77.952
9. Now a new weighted relative longitude should be calculated using the following equation.

13
 #86199741

(1 1 + 2 2 + + ) =1
= =
(1 + 2 + + ) =1
Where the W is the weighting factor and RL is the relative longitude calculated above in step 8.
Therefore the Longitude calculated is -6.825133 East.

10. Now to find the Recommended Meeting Location; Use the latitude calculated in step 9; . The
longitude for the recommended meeting location is given by:
= +
= 115.5693 6.825133 = 108.7441667

If this value lies outside the range of -180 to 180 then add 360 to bring it back into the range.
11. Thus the 1st recommendation is:
Latitude 37.8907 North
Longitude 108.7441667 East
This location is on a road called the G65 Baomao Expy in China. The closest city is Yulin in Shaanxi.
The airport at the location is called the Yulin Yuyang Airport.

6.2 Stage 2: Including the temperature and time zone factors.

1. Recording Change in time zone and temperature:
Now for the 1st recommended location we must record the temperature and time zone. Using this we
can calculate the change in temperature and change in time zone for each participant when they travel
from their original to the 1st recommendation.
Note:
- Original Temperature is the average temperature at the starting location during the time period of the
meeting (Mid- June.)
- Final temperature is the average temperature at the recommended location during the time period of
the meeting.
- The time zones are given relative to Greenwich Mean Time
Participant Original Final Change in Travelling Original Final Smallest
Temp Temp Temperature West/East Time Time Change
zone Zone in Time
zone
Monterey 14.5 21.1 6.6 West -7hr +8hr 11 hr
Zutphen 15 6.1 East +1hr 7 hr
Melbourne 11 10.1 West +10hr 2 hr
Shanghai 23.5 2.4 West +8hr 0 hr
Hong Kong 25.1 4 West +8hr 0 hr
Moscow 23 1.9 East +3hr 5 hr

14
 #86199741

2. Assign factor and calculate final Combined Factor:

From tables 1.2 and 1.3 we know that the following factors must be assigned to each participant.
Participant Time Zone Factor Temperature Factor Combined Factor
Monterey 0.167 0.0167 0.13694
Zutphen 0.167 0.0167 0.13694
Melbourne 0.033 0.0333 0.03306
Shanghai 0.033 0.0000 0.0264
Hong Kong 0.033 0.0000 0.0264
Moscow 0.133 0.0000 0.1064

Equation used for Final factor is:

= ( 0.2) + ( 0.8)
Where is the final factor.
3. Combine the Final Factor with the NPWF.
To combine the NPWF and the Final Factor we will multiply the NPWF by 0.5 and add the Final Factor.
This final combined factor will be called the Iteration Factor.
Location Number of Participant Final Factor Iteration Factor
Monterey 1 0.13694 0.63694
Zutphen 1 0.13694 0.63694
Melbourne 1 0.03306 0.53306
Shanghai 1 0.0264 0.5264
Hong Kong 1 0.0264 0.5264
Moscow 1 0.1064 0.6064

4. 2nd Recommendation:
Now stage 1 of the algorithm will be rerun with the weighting values for each participant being
substituted by the corresponding Iteration Factor. Thus a 2nd recommendation will be calculated. For
scenario 1, the 2nd recommendation is:
28.39081 N and 109.545909 E. This is a location along the G65 Boamao Expy near Erduozhai. The
nearest large city with an airport is Changde located at 30.5728 N, 104.0668 E
This is the final recommendation of this model. However, given the limitation of the model, this can be
refined further by rerunning the algorithm.

6.3 Cost for Scenario 1

The total cost algorithm is given below

= ((99) + 250) + ( ) + ( )
=1

Using the appropriate websites listed in the Cost Model the hotel chosen for the participants in Changde is the
Changde Sheraton Wuling Hotel which charges $227 for 4 days of stay and has a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5.
Therefore the rate per hour is $2.37 USD. As each participant is given a 250 dollar allowance: the total
Accommodation cost is given by (99) + 250 where X is the rate per hour and P is the number participant.
This is calculated to be $2904.56 USD.

15
 #86199741

Now the cost of the flights must be considered. For this the cheapest flight is chosen for each participant as no
flight to Changde received a rating higher than 6.4. (All prices are as accessed on 4/04/2017.)
Participant Location Number of Participants Flight Cost
Monterey 1 $1297.40
Zutphen 1 $1288.3
Melbourne 1 $601.5
Shanghai 1 $621.63
Hong Kong 1 $627.1
Moscow 1 $451.17
Therefore the total flight cost was the sum of all individual flight costs which is calculated to be $4887.10
. As the hotel recommended (Changde Sheraton Wuling Hotel) already has meeting rooms available, the cost
of the meeting room hire is 0.
Therefore the total minimum cost calculated is $7791. Therefore according to our minimal cost model it will
cost the IMMC $7791 USD to hold a meeting at Changde for 3 days and allow participants 20hrs resting time
and 5 hours to check out.

7.0 Scenario 2
The requirements for the 2nd meeting are that there are 11 participants. 2 from Boston, 2 from Hong Kong
and 1 from Singapore, Beijing, Moscow, Utrecht, Warsaw, Copenhagen and Melbourne.

7.1 Stage 1: Initial Recommendation

Due to a page limit existing for this report we shall not be showing calculations for the second scenario but
will give all relevant weightings and factors as well as Outputs.
1. Convert The Latitude and longitude of all starting locations to radians.
2. Assign a weighting Factor to each location. The weighting factor = n; where N is the number of
participants from that location.
3. Find the sum of the weighting factors.

=1

4. Now convert the longitude and latitude for each starting location to Cartesian Co-ordinates.
= cos( ) cos( )
= cos( ) sin( )
= sin( )
5. Calculate a weighted Cartesian Co-ordinate using the equations given below:

=1
=1
=1
=
=
=
=1 =1 =1

16
 #86199741

6. Convert the Weighted Cartesian Co-ordinate to Latitude and Longitude using the equations given
below:

arctan () , > 0

arctan () + , < 0 and 0

= atan2(, ) = arctan () , < 0 and < 0

+ 2 , = 0 and > 0

2 , = 0 and < 0
{ undefined, = 0 and = 0

arctan () , > 0

arctan () + , < 0 and 0

= atan2(, ) = arctan () , < 0 and < 0

+ 2 , = 0 and > 0

, = 0 and < 0
2
{ undefined, = 0 and = 0
= 2 + 2
7. Convert the longitude and latitude from radians to degrees.
180
1 = ( )

8. Calculate the Relative Longitude for each starting location using the formula given below
= .
Where the longitude recorded is the longitude of the initial location and the longitude Geo is the
longitude determined after step 7.
If any of the values lie outside -180 or 180 degrees; add 360 to bring the value back into the range
9. Now a new weighted relative longitude should be calculate using the following equations:
=1
=
=1
Where the W is the weighting factor and RL is the relative longitude calculated above in step 8.
Therefore the Longitude calculated is
10. Now to find the 1st recommendation, use the latitude calculated in Step 7. The longitude for the
recommended meeting location is given by
= +
= 49.474171
= 32.021289
If this value lies outside the range of -180 to 180 then add 360 to bring it back into the range.
This location is called Saleh Kutah and is in Iran. The nearest city with an airport is the city of Ahvaz in
Iran with the co-ordinates 31.3183 N, 48.6706 E. Thus Ahvaz is the initial recommendation of this
algorithm

17
 #86199741

7.2 Stage 2: Including the temperature and time zone factors.

1. Recording Change in time zone and temperature:
Now for the 1st recommended location we must record the temperature and time zone. Using this we
can calculate the change in temperature and change in time zone for each participant when they travel
from their original to the 1st recommendation.
Note:
- Original Temperature is the average temperature at the starting location during the time period of the
meeting
- Final temperature is the average temperature at the recommended location during the time period
(January.) of the meeting.
- The time zones are given relative to Greenwich Mean Time
Participant Original Final Change in Travelling Smallest
Temp Temp Temperature West/East Change
in Time
zone
Boston -1 12.5 13.5 East +8:30
Singapore 27.5 15 West -3:30
Beijing -2.5 15 West -3:30
Hong Kong 16.5 4 West -3:30
Moscow -8.5 21 East +1:30
Utrecht 2.5 10 East +2:30
Warsaw -2.5 15 East +2:30
Copenhagen 1 11.5 East +2:30
Melbourne 20 7.5 West -5:30

2. Assign factor and calculate final Combined Factor:

From tables 1.2 and 1.3 we know that the following factors must be assigned to each participant.
Participant Time Zone Factor Temperature Factor Final Factor
Boston 0.167 0.033 0.1402
Singapore 0.067 0.05 0.0636
Beijing 0.067 0.05 0.0636
Hong Kong 0.067 0 0.0536
Moscow 0.067 0.0667 0.06694
Utrecht 0.100 0.0167 0.08334
Warsaw 0.100 0.05 0.09
Copenhagen 0.100 0.033 0.0866
Melbourne 0.100 0.0167 0.08334

Equation used for Final factor is:

= ( 0.2) + ( 0.8)
Where is the final factor.

18
 #86199741

3. Combine the Final Factor with the NPWF.

To combine the NPWF and the Final Factor we will multiply the NPWF by 0.5 and add the Final Factor.
This final combined factor will be called the Iteration Factor.
Participant NPWF Final Factor Iteration Factor
Boston 2 0.1402 1.1402
Singapore 1 0.0636 0.5636
Beijing 1 0.0636 0.5636
Hong Kong 2 0.0536 1.0536
Moscow 1 0.06694 0.56694
Utrecht 1 0.08334 0.58334
Warsaw 1 0.09 0.59
Copenhagen 1 0.0866 0.5866
Melbourne 1 0.08334 0.58334

4. 2nd Recommendation:
Now stage 1 of the algorithm will be rerun with the weighting values for each participant being
substituted by the corresponding Iteration Factor. Thus a 2nd recommendation will be calculated. For
scenario 1, the 2nd recommendation is:
Amarah is located in Iran with co-ordinates: 31.865608 N and 46.856207 E. Thus as amarah does not
have an airport the nearest city with an airport must be considered. This city is Ahvaz that is 162 km
away. The location of Ahvaz is 31.3183 N, 48.6706 E
This is the final recommendation of this model. However, given the limitation of the model, this can be
refined further by rerunning the algorithm.

7.3 Cost Consideration

The total cost algorithm is given below

= ((99) + 250) + ( ) + ( )
=1

Due to a maximum page limit on this paper we have not included the individual flight cost and have just
included the name of the Hotel recommended, the meeting place recommended, the accommodation cost, the
travel cost and the meeting place cost.
The Hotel recommended for the second scenario is Ahvaz Pars Hotel. The rate per day is $256 and so the rate
per hour $11. The number of participants is 11 people. Therefore the accommodation cost is $14 729. As the
Ahvaz Pars Hotel already includes a meeting place; the Meeting Place cost ( ) is $0.
Participant Location Flight Cost
Boston *2 1742.86
Singapore 1128.43
Beijing 2054.30
Hong Kong *2 2786.86
Moscow 966.43
Utrecht 618.43
Warsaw 530.43
Copenhagen 778.43

19
 #86199741

Melbourne 2593.43
As the Ahvaz airport only accepts domestic flights. All participants will first travel to Dubai International
Airport and then to Ahvaz Airport. This secondary flight cost has already been considered for the above.
Therefore the total flight cost for the 11 participants is $ 13 199.60 USD. Therefore the total cost for the 2nd
scenario is $ 27 928.60 USD.

8.0 Evaluation (strength and weakness)

Whilst it acknowledged that the productivity is affected by a number of factors including Jet lag, time zone
change and climate, the quantitative assessment of the effect of these factors on the productivity is difficult to
determine. Therefore the model has made a number of assumptions in this regard which may require further
validation.
The weightage used in the model has strong bias towards the geographical locations and the number of
participants. This combined with the qualitative assessment of the effect of other factors on participant
productivity may influence the confidence level of the output given by the model.
The model does not take into account the sum of the significant qualitative factors such as law and order and
the political, social and economic stability of the destination.
As detailed in this paper the final location is not significantly different then the preliminary locations obtained
through stage 1 of our algorithm that determines the centre of minimum distance based on weighting
(number of participants NPWF). This method in itself takes care of the majority of factors such as jet lag and
Time zone difference. This is important when the problem states that each participant contributes equally.
Another strength of our proposed algorithm is that during stage 1 it indirectly reduces the number of time
zones travelled per participant as the number of time zones passed is directly proportional to the distance
travelled;

9.0 Conclusion:
After considering the various factors that influence the productivity of participants and consequentially the
productivity of the meeting: we proposed that the location shall be selected so that the effect of these factors
is minimised. It is recognised that the effect will be minimised if the destination chosen is equidistance from
each participant. Since each participant is expected to contribute equally then a certain weightage has to be
assigned commensurate with the number of participants leaving from a particular location in identifying the
destination.
This is done using our Meeting Place Algorithm as detailed in this paper. The algorithm is run in two stages. In
the first stage the algorithm uses only the Number of Participant Weighting Factor (NPWF.) The conclusion of
this stage presents a preliminary recommended location which is used as a reference for determining the
effect of the other factors such as changes in temperature and time zone. The second stage of the algorithm
incorporates the effect of the changes in the time zone and temperature by assigning a combined multiplying
factor. Then this multiplying factor is combined with the NPWF by first multiplying the NPWF by 0.5 and
adding on the combined multiplying factor. The result is the iteration factor that is substituted into the 1 st
stage of our algorithm. Now a second location is recommended. A qualitative assessment is completed where
the nearest city with an airport is selected. This city is the final recommendation presented at the conclusion
of stage 2 of the Meeting Place Algorithm
Using the model, for the 1st scenario we recommend the IMMC to hold the meeting at Changde located at
30.5728 N, 104.0668 E. It is noted that Changde has a domestic airport and good hotels and therefore is
likely to meet the logistical requirements of holding a meeting. According to our minimal cost model it will
cost the IMMC a minimum of $7791 USD to hold a meeting at Changde.
For the 2nd scenario we recommend the IMMC to hold the meeting at Ahvaz located at 31.3183 N, 48.6706 E.
The minimal total cost for the 2nd scenario was calculated to be $27 928.60 USD.

20
 #86199741

10.0 References
1. https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ (time zone)
2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmartin/2016/05/14/the-best-u-s-airlines-for-customer-
satisfaction/ (airline customer satisfaction rating)
3. https://www.uia.org/about/meetings-research (importance of international meeting)
4. https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ (hotel information- for accommodation cost)
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone (time zone concept)
6. http://ocw.usu.edu/Forest__Range__and_Wildlife_Sciences/Wildland_Fire_Management_and_Pla
nning/Unit_4__Temperature-Moisture_Relationship_4.html (climate factors)
7. http://www.weatherzone.com.au/world/ (temperature for different cities)
8. http://www.gps-coordinates.org/ (latitude and longitude for cities)
9. https://www.qantas.com/au/en.html (airline information)
10. http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/au/home (airline information)
11. https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_AU.html (airline information)
12. https://geomidpoint.com/calculation.html (calculation of geometric mid point)
13. http://www.traveller.com.au/why-is-jet-lag-worse-when-flying-east-gqehul (effects of travelling
east/west)
14. https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/maths-ref-sheet.pdf (basic maths
reference)
15. Biological rhythms and exercise. Thomas Reilly, Greg Atkinson, James M. Waterhouse. Oxford
university press, 1977.
16. https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ (time zone)
17. https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmartin/2016/05/14/the-best-u-s-airlines-for-customer-
satisfaction/ (airline customer satisfaction rating)
18. https://www.uia.org/about/meetings-research (importance of international meeting)
19. https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ (hotel information- for accommodation cost)
20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone (time zone concept)
21. http://ocw.usu.edu/Forest__Range__and_Wildlife_Sciences/Wildland_Fire_Management_and_Pla
nning/Unit_4__Temperature-Moisture_Relationship_4.html (climate factors)
22. http://www.weatherzone.com.au/world/ (temperature for different cities)
23. http://www.gps-coordinates.org/ (latitude and longitude for cities)
24. https://www.qantas.com/au/en.html (airline information)
25. http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/au/home (airline information)
26. https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_AU.html (airline information)
27. https://geomidpoint.com/calculation.html (calculation of geometric mid point)
28. http://www.traveller.com.au/why-is-jet-lag-worse-when-flying-east-gqehul (effects of travelling
east/west)
29. https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/maths-ref-sheet.pdf (basic maths
reference)
30. Biological rhythms and exercise. Thomas Reilly, Greg Atkinson, James M. Waterhouse. Oxford
university press, 1977.

21