In times of uncertainty and with an increasing number of incidents occurring globally, risk management has emerged as one of the key priorities when planning for an event.
Safety is a big issue for all organisations, from event planners and meeting venues to hotels that are part of any event. Most have developed an internal risk management plan, but as the list of threats to the industry continues to grow, there is a need to ensure that these processes are transparent, consistent and up-to-date.
When a crisis hits, even the best planned things can take a turn for the unknown. Laying the proper groundwork that includes establishing clear roles, training, building relationships with the authorities and maintaining a relevant risk management plan will help to build confidence when the situation goes out of control.
Risk management strategies are more successful if there are two separate teams on the ground for events. One team should be responsible for focusing on the successful delivery of the conference or event with a separate team dedicated to implementing the emergency response plan when required. In case of a major crisis, an Emergency Operations Centre will be activated for immediate support.
Destination and event management company, Pacific World, worked with Biz Events Asia to build the following checklist for crisis management:
A group of guests were scheduled to arrive from the United Kingdom to Koh Samui when reports of rising flood waters raised questions of whether the event should be cancelled.
The situation was closely monitored amid discussions with the hotels and suppliers. Eventually, the Pacific World team advised the client to relocate the event due to the flooding being too close to the hotel.
The entire programme was mirrored in Hua Hin within a day’s notice after negotiations with the hotel chain to relocate to a sister property.
In another scenario, bomb blasts prompted the organising team to review the impact on an upcoming programme.
Meetings were set up with the convention bureau and metropolitan office to map out the locations that were affected. For the safety of the client, the event was eventually relocated as investigations into the blasts were still underway.
While a situation is unfolding, maintain contact with the local authorities such as the convention bureau, airport and the metropolitan office.
It is important to keep to the facts of what is happening and know the security measures that are in place. If the event is to proceed, event planners have to be mindful of the evacuation plans for airline assistance and evacuation transport routes.
Bert Chamrernnusit, Country Manager, Pacific World Thailand said, “Building a strong relationship with the local authorities has always been one of our priorities and ultimately we have the same goal – to ensure the well-being of our guests during their stay in the country. Communication lines were always clear, allowing us to quickly obtain first-hand information so that we could move into our next actions.”
Have you got a good crisis management strategy in place?
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