Meetings and Events

Anyone who's ever planned or managed an event knows that things go wrong. No matter how well you plan, how careful you are, some things just are not in your control. For this reason, you really must have a plan for dealing with the unexpected glitches, disasters and other interruptions that could possibly derail your event. Take some hints on what your plan should include from this week's articles.

Tragedies can happen anywhere, including at your event; have you answered all the "what if" questions? (Item #1)   If you're not familiar with the force majeure clause, this article will help you understanding this important tool. (Item #2)   This article reveals what we can learn from the tsunami tragedy in Japan. (Item #3)  

If your last off-site meeting was a disaster, here are some tips for a success next time. (Item #4)   This conference company provides a look at the top five conference disasters they've dealt with. (Item #5)   If a crisis interrupts your meeting, can your organization respond effectively? (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. Event Tragedies Can Happen

For event producers, last year's Love Parade tragedy in Germany should have us all looking at our events and how well we are prepared and what steps we are taking to protect the health and well being of our attendees. Every event, no matter size or scope should have a plan. Event planners need to ask questions of ourselves and the venues, hotels and even transportation companies we use. The question starts with "What if" and goes from there.
http://plannerwire.net/tag/event-disasters/

2. When Disaster Strikes

The aftermath of recent large-scale disasters such as the Gulf Oil Spill and Hurricane Katrina have reinforced the importance of careful planning for the unexpected when negotiating meeting contracts. If disaster strikes, will you be able to cancel your meeting without liability for cancellation fees? A key tool in managing the risk of such challenging circumstances is the force majeure clause.
http://www.smartmeetings.com/event-planning-magazine/2011/02/when-disaster-strikes

3. Learn a Lesson from Japan: Does your Meeting have a Crisis Plan?

It is a horrific thing that happened in Japan -- hundreds dead and missing, cities destroyed, and nuclear power plants in peril. Hopefully, none of us will ever encounter something so massive and unfortunate in our lives. However, this got me thinking about the meeting industry. We hold events all over the world and without a crisis plan for our events, many of us could be in a "micro peril" situation of Japan.
http://blog.aveventsolutions.com/blog/news-and-tips/lets-learn-our-lesson-from-japan-does-your-meeting-have-a-crisis-plan

4. Ten Off-Site Meeting Mistakes to Avoid

Your intentions were good. You wanted to get your employees away from their desks for the day and in a more relaxing place where everyone could chill out, have some fun, and maybe even bond a little. Except that it didn't quite go as planned - last year's off-site meeting felt more like a trip to the dentist. Everything that could go wrong did.
http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development-leadership/11139-1.html

5. Top 5 Conference Disasters

The true test of an event planner is whether you can put the fire out without people knowing a situation arose at all! Thanks to Murphy's Law, it's pretty much a given that something you don't expect to happen, is going to happen. No matter how prepared you are, you must always be ready to think on your feet, think outside the box and act fast. Here is a list of FTF's top five best "I can't believe that happened" moments.
http://blog.ftfnews.com/bid/50438/Top-5-Conference-Disasters

6. Handling Crisis Situations for your Meetings

Crises can wreak havoc on any type of meeting planned by an association or corporation. Even worse, meeting-related crises occur at a time when staff and volunteer leaders are already stretched to the limit with onsite responsibilities. How does an organization respond?
http://www.conventionplanit.com/meeting-resources/attendance/handling-crisis-situations-for-your-meetings/