Meetings & Events

If your job includes planning for and/or running meetings and events for your organization, you might want to pay careful attention to this week's articles. If your continuity plans don't cover everything they should, your organization could find itself on the wrong end of a lawsuit. Even worse, its reputation could be seriously damaged. Read on...

It's a new era for contracts & liabilities. (Item #1)   Remember that a misstep for your nonprofit may damage not only your revenue stream, but also your fine name. (Item #2)   Evolving business gives rise to new ethical dilemmas. Be sure you're not saying one thing and doing another. (Item #3)  

Liability issues should be of very significant concern to all planners and suppliers. (Item #4)   The safety and security of attendees is your responsibility; here's how you can reduce risk (Item #5)   Identifying and assessing the numerous risks involved in an event can be an overwhelming prospect. (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. New era of risk management for meeting, event and incentive travel

It's been a rough ride these past few years for the meeting, event and incentive travel industry. As a result, we can't presume that it will ever be "business as usual". We've learned quite a bit from these events and much has changed. These changes require us to operate differently today, especially when it comes to the areas of contracts, liabilities and bankruptcies.
http://www.maritz.com/~/media/Files/MaritzTravel/White-Papers/New-Era-of-Risk-Management.ashx


2. Swimming With Sharks and Other Perils of Special Events

'Tis May, 'tis May, the merry month of May, when thoughts turn to sports competitions, street fairs, music festivals, parades and other special events. It's a wonderful time of year to promote a nonprofit's name, encourage participation of a new crop of volunteers, and perhaps earn some unrestricted funds to support programming. In all this excitement, make certain that you allot enough time - yes, dare we say it - to evaluate the risks, as well as the opportunities, associated with your special events.
http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/library/articles/workplace-safety0502.shtml


3. Do the Right Thing

Meeting planners have a duty to be sensitive to the challenges of the area playing host to their meeting. In a drought, for example, the meeting is using up the resources of the city and the facility and planners need to make attendees aware of what they can do to decrease the impact. Today's meeting planners may find themselves facing ethical situations brought about by economic conditions as well. For example, threatening cancellation or other retribution if a supplier fails to accept a lower price.
http://www.mpiweb.org/Archive?id=22030


4. Liability and meeting planning

Why should meeting planners be concerned about liability? They often deal with large numbers of people; live in a litigious society where law suits are common; often deal with contracts that can involve significant liability exposure; numerous laws that expose planners and suppliers to significant liability. In addition, they all are at risk of liability exposure, either through the organizations they represent or, even, personally if they are negligent in performing their jobs.
http://www.corbinball.com/articles_legal/index.cfm?fuseaction=cor_ArticleView&artid=498§ionCode=art_legal


5. Take Charge of Attendee Safety

Securing attendee safety means taking some critical steps to assess the safety and security of all aspects of your meeting and minimize risk for every off-site event you plan-both domestically and internationally. In fact, crisis preparedness and risk management are becoming increasingly important aspects of the planning process, and for good reason.
http://meetingsnet.com/risk-management/attendee-data/take_charge_safety0429/


6. Risk, by the numbers

Not only do meeting professionals have a legal responsibility to prepare a risk-management plan, which includes financial considerations, they also have an ethical responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for everyone involved in their events. A thorough risk-assessment process demonstrates due diligence on the part of the planner and paves the way for a risk-management plan that is easy to implement and communicate to all those involved in the event's execution.
http://www.pcma.org/Convene/Issue-Archives/April-2010/Meeting-Management-Risk-Assessment.htm


Quote of the Week:

"Safety doesn't happen by accident."
-- Author Unknown


Contact Us:

Attainium Corp
15110 Gaffney Circle
Gainesville, VA 20155
www.attainium.net