Meetings and Events

If you take all precautions possible when planning your meeting or event, you shouldn't have any of the moments mentioned in this week's quote. While you cannot plan for every contingency, you can prepare yourself to deal with any disruption if you follow the advice in this week's articles and do everything you can to manage risk.

A risk management plan can help you with many of the contingencies that could arise. (Item #1)   Since you can't do away with all risks, you do ensure that you can manage them should they occur. (Item #2)   Start with this checklist, add your own items, and then use it when you're planning. (Item #3)  

Liquor at meetings is always a concern; see these steps to limiting your liquor liability. (Item #4)   Your organization, and even individuals, could be at risk of liability exposure if you're not aware of all the laws that could land you in trouble. (Item #5)   Meeting planners need to be risk managers. (Item #6)  

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments & insights regarding business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like us to cover, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Risk Management Plan for Events

An event is full of uncertainties like power failure, equipment failure, medical emergency, brawl, stampede, fire, sponsorship withdrawal, last minute turned down by an artist etc. How will you deal with all these contingencies without a well thought out risk management plan?
http://www.eventeducation.com/risk-management-events.php

2. Managing the Risks of Special Events

Special events can present a wide variety of additional risks to a public entity. Often the risks are linked to: uncommon or first time activities, complex activities and mixed crowds, temporary sites and services, involvement of partner and supporting organizations, and reliance on inexperienced staff and volunteers. Skillful management of the event and supporting activities, including the risks, requires through knowledge of the event, adequate controls and financing for losses that may occur despite all of the attention to risk.
http://www.sportrisk.com/2011/05/12/managing-the-risks-of-special-events/

3. Event Risk Management Checklist

Below is a checklist that is designed to assist event organizers in their risk management. The list is by no means exhaustive. On the other hand, many items may not apply to small events or may have to be re-interpreted to suit the particular circumstances. Some items are repeated under more than one category.
http://www.equestrian.org.au/site/equestrian/national/
downloads/content/attachments/riskmagt/4_EFA_Event_Risk_Mgt_Checklist.pdf

4. Seven Steps to Limit Liquor Liability

A company hosts an event at which alcohol is served. An attendee overindulges, gets in his car, and drives straight into oncoming traffic on the highway, killing a family of four. Surviving relatives sue for damages, naming everyone connected to the event in the suit, including the host facility, the caterer, and the host organization. How do you avoid a tragedy like this?
http://meetingsnet.com/checklists/7-steps-limit-liquor-liability

5. Liability and Meeting Planning

Liability issues should be of very significant concern to all planners and suppliers: 1. We often deal with large numbers of people; 2. We live in a litigious society where law suits are common; 3. We often deal with contracts that can involve significant liability exposure; and 4. There are numerous laws that expose planners and suppliers to significant liability. We all are at risk of liability exposure, either through the organization we represent or, even, personally if we are negligent in performing our jobs.
http://www.corbinball.com/articles_legal/index.cfm?fuseaction=cor_av&artID=498

6. From Meeting Planner to Risk Manager: Convention Risk Management and Insurance 101

The general litigation explosion that has hit our society in recent years certainly has not missed the meetings industry. A meeting planner is now not only responsible for booking guest rooms and meeting space, choosing menus, and hiring speakers, but also for protecting the sponsoring organization from risk and ensuring, to the extent possible, the safety and well-being of the participants once they get to the meeting. In short, meeting planners are also risk managers.
http://pcma.org/Convene/Issue-Archives/October-2003/From-Meeting-Planner-to-Risk-Manager.htm