πŸ„ BeachBusters

AQA A-Level Business (2026) | 3.2.1 People management

🎸 Welcome to BeachBusters!

You're the new HR Director for one of the UK's most exciting music festivals. BeachBusters attracts 80,000 fans over 3 days to a stunning coastal location. But here's the challenge: you need to hire, train, and manage over 1,000 temporary staff to make it happen.

🎸

Mel O'Dee

Creative Director
Mel wants an amazing festival experience and happy staff who create good vibes.

πŸ’°

Sandy Shores

Finance Director
Sandy watches the budget closely and wants cost-effective HR solutions.

πŸ”§

Gary Stagewell

Festival Operations
Gary has run 20+ festivals and knows what works (and what doesn't!).

🎯 Your Mission

Guide BeachBusters through 5 critical phases (the 12-month planning cycle) to build and manage a workforce of over 1,000 people. Your decisions about recruitment, training, employment contracts, and staff welfare will determine whether the festival succeeds or fails.

⚑ What You'll Learn

  • HR Objectives - Balancing employee costs, engagement, skills, and business competitiveness
  • Workforce Planning - Number and skills of employees needed
  • Recruitment Methods - Internal vs external, agencies, job centres
  • Employment Contracts - Permanent, temporary, zero-hours, flexible working
  • Training & Retention - Keeping staff engaged and reducing labour turnover
  • Redundancy & Dismissal - Managing contract endings and workforce reductions

⚠️ Warning: Staff Engagement Matters!

If Staff Engagement drops below 60%, you'll face automatic consequences - no-shows, resignations, and quality problems. Keep your team happy or watch your festival fall apart!

Ready to build your festival crew?

πŸ–οΈ The BeachBusters Challenge

BeachBusters is facing its biggest test. After a rocky post-COVID comeback, this year is make-or-break. You need to:

  • Recruit over 1,000 temporary staff for the 3-day event
  • Find the right mix of permanent managers to lead them
  • Balance costs, quality, and staff engagement
  • Navigate real HR challenges like no-shows, training needs, and legal requirements

πŸ“Š Your Starting Position

πŸ’° HR Budget

Β£450,000
Your total budget for salaries, recruitment, and training

πŸ‘₯ Team Size

12 permanent staff
You'll need 1,000+ temporary workers by festival time

⚑ Staff Engagement

65/100
Moderate engagement - needs improvement to avoid problems

🎯 Success = Festival Vibe Score

At the end, we'll calculate your Festival Vibe score:

Festival Vibe = (Staffing & Skills Γ— Staff Engagement) - (Budget Overspend Γ— 2)

High scores mean you hit your targets with happy, skilled staff. Low scores mean chaos, complaints, and potential losses!

πŸ„ The 5 Phases

  • Phase 1: Workforce Planning (12 months before) - Set HR objectives and start workforce planning
  • Phase 2: Recruitment (6 months before) - Find and hire your team
  • Phase 3: Training & Engagement (2 months before) - Prepare your workforce and keep them motivated
  • Phase 4: Crisis Management (Festival week!) - Deal with last-minute challenges
  • Phase 5: Post-Festival Review - Learn lessons, recognise staff and plan for next year

Ready to start Phase 1?

Festival Planning Timeline
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5
πŸ’° HR Budget
Β£450,000
πŸ‘₯ Team Size
12
⚑ Staff Engagement
65/100
🎯 Skills Level
60/100

πŸŽ‰ Festival Complete!

πŸ“‹ Copy Your Results

⚠️ Confirm Your Choice