Meetings & Events

For today's meeting and event planners, disruptions usually come as no surprise and many have planned on how to handle them. If you don't have a contingency plan for your meeting or event, it should be an action item on your list. This issue will help you pull things together, whether you are just beginning or updating your plan.

If you don't have a contingency plan for your meetings/events, you should put this at the top of your to-do list. (Item #1)   Assessing and managing risk is the best way to begin. (Item #2)   We can all learn about contingency plans from the insurance industry. (Item #3)  

Here's some advice on various strategies to use if things go awry. (Item #4)   Your venue should be just as invested in contingency planning as you are. (Item #5)   These tips can help keep everyone safe and secure. (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. Natural disasters point up the need for disaster preparedness

With so many storms, floods and other natural disasters making the headlines recently, it's little wonder that the need for contingency planning for meetings is greater than ever. Meeting planners who have felt the impact of natural disasters on their events say having a contingency plan is no longer optional-it's a must.
http://www.meetingsfocus.com/ArticleDetails/tabid/162/ArticleID/16141/Default.aspx

2. Manage Risk: Create a Plan

As meeting planners, one of our most important roles is to take responsibility for our attendees. It's an awesome burden. There are many things that are out of our control, such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms and lightening, winter storms and extreme cold, extreme heat, fires, hazardous materials incidents and terrorism. Here are some ways to assess and manage your risk.
http://www.rejuvenatemeetings.com/2009/12/09/manage-risk-create-a-plan/

3. Preparing for Disaster: What You Can Learn From Insurance Companies' Meeting Continuity Plans

With Hurricane Sandy just miles away, this insurance company put its contingency plan to work. To begin with, the agency emailed each employee a file that contained a claim-reporting form, claims contacts at commercial and personal insurance companies, and contact information for damage restoration firms. Via phone, Morris and his in-office staff trained non-agent employees to do claims reports. "After our meeting, all the non-agents were ready to take down claims information," Morris says. Meeting planners for any kind of company or association can learn valuable lessons from their peers in the insurance business.
http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Event-Planning/conference-management/Articles/Preparing-for-Disaster--What-You-Can-Learn-From-Insurance-Companies--Meeting-Continuity-Plans/

4. Contingency Plans for rain, snow, late performer, etc…

Good event planning takes into consideration some of the common things that might go awry. If you have contingency strategies in place your team will more easily be able to navigate through the changes and support each other in the decision making, should the need arise. As with most elements of event planning, a lack of attention to details can turn common hurdles into frustrations and "urgencies" that could have been avoided.
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/studentprograms/eventplanning/contingency

5. Contingency Planning: A View from the Venue Side of the House

Contingency planning seems to be gaining acceptance as a needed practice among corporate and association meeting planners. But it is not only the responsibility of the planners to make contingency planning a standard practice. It is also imperative that the supply side of our industry be just as engaged.
http://meetprepared.blogspot.com/2009/03/contingency-planning-view-from-venue.html

6. Ten Tips for Keeping Your Meeting Attendees Healthy, Safe, and Secure

All companies and associations have a Duty of Care-a moral and legal obligation to protect their employees and meeting attendees from risks and threats. When employees travel internationally, fulfilling this often-unknown obligation can be quite complex.
http://meetingsnet.com/association-meetings-resources/10-tips-keeping-your-meeting-attendees-healthy-safe-and-secure