Event Crisis Management: Protecting Your Conference in Uncertain Times

Sherry Russ Sills, CMP Director, Event Operations IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events (MCE)

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Leaner Outcomes

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Identify important elements of a good event crisis management plan

Incorporate helpful risk management tools to have at your disposal

Consider additional elements and resources for your plan when involved in an event

Up Front

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You cannot always stop a crisis

–You can plan for the consequence

You cannot be reactive to every issue

–You can be proactive to limit the consequences

Often how you react is the determining factor in

recovery

Crisis Management

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Simply put a crisis is… – A change which may be sudden or evolving over time that

results in an urgent problem which must be addressed immediately

– While they are unpredictable, they are not always unexpected

Management of a crisis is… – The process of identifying and coordinating an organized

and systematic response as necessary

A significant part of crisis management is about managing the messaging going out in situations that don’t lend themselves easily to routine communications

Today’s Environment

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Terrorist Threats

Demonstrations Civil Unrest

Natural Disasters

Pandemics

It’s a Mess Out There!

Attendee becomes seriously ill or dies Exhibitor/attendee has an accident Attendee disruption with abnormal or violent behavior, harassment (physical or verbal)

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Crisis Emergencies

Natural disasters before or during a conference Act of terrorism occurs Pandemic is declared Disruption to infrastructure

Law enforcement/gov’t. officials request conference information Legal action is taken just prior to a conference, effectively closing the conference Vendor non-performance/cancellation

All require a need for priority and urgency of action

Principles of Emergency Mgmt.

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Preparedness – Activities in building awareness and assessing the risk of potential

disasters

Mitigation – Aimed at reducing vulnerability, activities performed in advance to

reduce impact, potential loss or damage

Response – Activities occurring during or immediately following a disruptive

event to minimize the immediate impact(s)

Recovery – Activities to minimize long-term impacts and return the

situation/system to the ‘new’ normal

When You Are Exposed

Procurement Site Inspection

Pre-Event

Actual Event Post Event

Risk Management Crisis Management

• Potential Risks

What happens if…

• Preparedness Level

• Prevention Capabilities

• Response

Enacting Procedures

• Investigation

• Assistance

• Communication

Risk Management Important Throughout the Total Event Process

What’s At Risk

People – Attendees, employees, volunteers, speakers, vendors and others

Property – Real property (i.e. hotel) and personal property (i.e. computers, audio/visual equipment)

Intangibles – Proprietary information and brand reputation

Revenue loss

Exposure to legal damages

When a crisis is well-managed, the impact to the organization can be minimized

Who You Are Responsible For ?

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Sponsors

Event staff/ volunteers

Clients

Exhibitors

Suppliers

Attendees

Procurement-Force Majeure Clause

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Allows one or both parties to call a halt to their obligations due to circumstances or unforeseen forces beyond anyone’s control

IEEE includes three conditions in this provision in all contract templates

– Allowance for partial performance

– Broad scope of coverage….’or other situations beyond control of the parties’

– Broad definition…’commercially impracticable’

Force Majeure doesn’t protect

the IEEE investment in a meeting should it be cancelled in part or in full

Event Cancellation Insurance

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In 2013, IEEE implemented a blanket event insurance coverage policy for all IEEE 100% financially sponsored events

– Allows for potential return of all or a portion of fees for attendance, exhibition, and sponsorship

– Allows for potential payment of incurred expenses and retention of anticipated profit

Coverage addresses cancellation, postponement, relocation

– In all cases, the conference must partner with IEEE’s office of Risk Management & IEEE’s insurer carrier before decision points on how to act

All other conferences (not wholly owned by IEEE Societies) continue to have the option to purchase individual Event Cancellation Insurance policies

Site Visit Inspection

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Meet with the hotel security staff – review standards and procedures,

specialized training, etc.

Know what is going on locally over your event dates – other events at the chosen facility

– Potential union strikes or labor disputes

Site Visit Inspection

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Identify and document local resources – Who is in charge of managing at the

venue

– Evacuation routes

– Emergency preparedness plans

– First-aid qualifications and resources

– Connections to local emergency services teams and agencies

Write a summation of your visit and include in the plan – share with the core planning team

Develop a Pre-Conference Plan

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Include safety and security measures in your RFP and site selection process

Establish relationships with CVB, venue contacts, and IEEE contacts

Include the plan in your pre-con with the core team

Document all your key contacts and know how to reach them day or night –Contracted vendors –Conference webmaster and owner of social media sites –Key local organizing committee members –Conference chair –Key financial sponsor stakeholders

On Site Preparation Communications List

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Prepare a Communications List (Phone, Email) – IEEE EERT Team, other key staff, facility contacts,

emergency provider list for event destination

– Full attendee list along with emergency contacts

– Rooming list of hotel(s)

– Webmaster contact information as well as social media sites and personnel responsible for management

On Site Preparation Communications List

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Include Facility-specific emergency information – Floor plans with emergency exits, medical services, and

first aid stations

– Internal extensions to call in case of emergency

– Location of nearest hospital, urgent care, and pharmacy

– Incident report procedure

– Evacuation location

We All Have a Leadership Role

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Do everything possible to ensure the safety of our volunteers, organizers, exhibitors, attendees, suppliers

We are all in positions that could make us the ‘first reporters’ of a problem

– In the early stages we need to assess what information is crucial and what information we need to gather

– We don’t have the capacity to respond to all situations autonomously

We all have an obligation to help safeguard the organization from the adverse consequences of a crisis

IEEE Event Emergency Response Team EERT@ieee.org

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Core team of first responders who –Regularly review risk management planning and communications with key groups within IEEE

–Monitor over 30 national and global news bulletins regularly and compare against conference database for upcoming events in potential impacted areas

–Conduct outreach to key stakeholders and organizing teams of potentially impacted events

–Developed a set of best practices and templates for posting on the conference organizers website

IEEE Event Emergency Plan Template

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An emergency response plan should be created for each event and should be –Simplistic –Easy to follow and enact –Communicated often to key stakeholders and players (i.e. exhibitors, attendees, vendors)

–Tied to IEEE’s business practices such as risk management, business continuity management, and overall crisis communications planning

Prepare an Event Emergency Mgmt. Team Contact List

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Contact Role Responsibility Work Mobile

Sherry Russ Sills, CMP

Director, Event Operations, MCE EERT team lead

Activate the IEEE Event Emergency Response Plan/Team

+1 732 562 3980 eert@ieee.org

+1 908 566 8167

Marie Hunter Sr. Director, MCE IEEE Sr. Staff representative for events

Activate the IEEE Event Emergency Response Plan/Team

+1 732 465 5889 eert@ieee.org

+1 732 354 6501

Rich Jannuzzi Director, Business Operations, MCE

Activate the IEEE Event Emergency Response Plan/Team

+1 732 562 3858 eert@ieee.org

+1 732 710 7389

Conference Lead Hired Conference Staff and General Chair

First Responder and serves leadership role in event location/enacts plan and engages IEEE

Facility Lead Convention Services Mgr. Security Mgr.

First Responder and serves leadership role in event location & follows the plan and engages IEEE

OTHERS… as determined during plan development

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A CRISIS OCCURS NOW WHAT?

Preparation is Key Event Emergency Response Cycle

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Pause and think

Reach out to core team

Establish crisis level

Put together immediate plan

Act

Regroup and revise strategy as needed

Evaluate process for future events

Pause

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You are on the front line and are our first responder representing IEEE

– Hold all responses until facts are known and you have engaged the IEEE Event Emergency Response Team (EERT) – Response and recovery process vary widely

depending on the severity and scope of the realized risk

– Do not discuss issues pertaining to possible negligence or potential liability

– Do not give statements – May respond with: ‘We are aware of the

situation and will get back to you when we have more information.’

P R E P A R E

Reach Out to IEEE Event Emergency Response Team - EERT@ieee.org

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Core Team includes representatives from MCE – Sherry Russ Sills, EERT Team Lead

– Marie Hunter, EERT Team Advisor

– Julie Amodeo, EERT Team Member

– Rich Jannuzzi, EERT Team Member

Core team will – Assess level of crisis with key partners as needed

– Legal

– Risk Management/Insurance

– Corporate Communications

– Communicate to leadership

– Advise you on next steps

P R E P A R E

Core Team Hierarchy Relationship Diagram (eert@ieee.org)

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MCE

IEEE Staff

Leadership

IEEE Volunteer Leadership

IEEE Corporate

Comm. IEEE Legal

IEEE Risk Mgmt.

If a member of staff leadership team is onsite at the conference, advise them of situation and that you have enacted the emergency protocol plan.

Establish Crisis and It’s Level

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Is the health and safety of meeting attendees, organization staff, and volunteers at risk

Is it local, regional, national, global in nature

Can the event continue to operate without interruption if XX happens

Will the occurrence affect the hotel, convention center, or the organization’s headquarters

Can the hotel, convention center, or vendor continue to provide services needed for the meeting

Will continuing have any negative impacts on the brand

Items To Be Considered P R E P A R E

Types of Crisis/Levels of Response

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Choose messaging based on crisis

– Advisement to protect the attendees

– Incorporation of brand messaging assessments

Finalize communication and messaging strategy

– Staff/volunteer should refer all crisis questions to a central source

– Deliver messages that are clear, simple, and consistent

– Tailor messages to audiences

Implement, monitor, and create a reporting schedule

Schedule meeting for regroup for updates

Implement any additional next steps

Put plan into Action

Put Together Immediate Plan

P R E P A R E

Action

Put the plan into action

Work with your local contact

Obtain immediate emergency assistance

– Medical

– Local authorities i.e. policy, fire, etc.

– Do everything possible to ensure the safety of our volunteers, exhibitors, vendors, and attendees

If needed, arrange for local support for individuals impacted by the situation

Cooperate fully with any immediate investigation of an incident

Do not discuss issues pertaining to possible negligence or potential liability

P R E P A R E

Recovery: Regroup and Revise

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Keep lines of communication open with EERT team and local groups

During crisis, monitor situation, questions, and conversations and revise strategy as needed based upon

–Local, national, and global news updates –Attendee questions –Organizing committee conversations

Address any follow-up actions

Close out issues related to crisis

P R E P A R E

Evaluate Process

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Assess success and failure

Feed learning into future planning

P R E P A R E

Final Points

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Building a plan is not going to be the silver bullet

Training is not just important, it’s the difference between demonstrating leadership vs. chaos in time of need

Use your resources – BUT remember, every meeting is different

Summary

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You are the front line representing IEEE

EERT@ieee.org is the core team for outreach when a crisis occurs

Remain calm, respond to facts, and enact the plan

Do everything possible to ensure the safety of our volunteers, exhibitors, and attendees

Work in coordination with facility staff and local authorities when needed

Address any recovery actions

Follow up with EERT for evaluation

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The Conference Education Program

Center for Leadership Excellence (CLE) https://ieee-elearning.org/CLE/

MCE Conference Education Program http://www.ieee.org/mce-education

Conference Organizer Education

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Website On-Demand eLearning Courses & Webinar Playbacks

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IEEE Center for Leadership Excellence (CLE) http://www.ieee.org/cle

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Core Education Programs – Roles Center for Leadership Excellence (CLE)

Conference Chair – IEEE Conference Application and

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Process

– IEEE Conference Sponsorship

– Managing Your Conference's Finances

– NetSuite For Conferences

– Conference Audit

– IEEE Conference Publications

– Technical Program Development

– Preparing Your Conference Proceedings

– CrossCheck for Conferences – Plagiarism Detection Tool

– Conference Publication Tools – PDF eXpress, PDF eXpress Plus & eXpress Conference Publishing

– Proactive Approach to Managing Quality

Treasurer – Managing Your Conference's Finances

– NetSuite For Conferences

– Conference Audit Process

Technical Program Chair – Technical Program Development

– CrossCheck for Conferences / Chinese

– Proactive Approach to Managing Quality

Publications Chair – IEEE Conference Publications Program

– Preparing Your Conference Proceedings

– CrossCheck for Conferences (Chinese)

– IEEE Conference Application and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Process

– Conference Publication Tools – PDF eXpress, PDF eXpress Plus & eXpress Conference Publishing

– eCopyright Form

Our Next MCE Webinar

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Topic: Mobile Apps for Conferences – The Latest Trends in Audience Engagement

Date: Thursday, February 18, 2016

Time: 11:00 am

Description: Join us and gain an understanding on how your conference can use mobile apps to increase its value proposition to both attendees and sponsors. IEEE MCE Preferred Partner, EventMobi will discuss how to use gamification, polling & surveys to enhance networking and engagement opportunities with your audience. See how IEEE OUs have partnered with EventMobi on their conferences.

IEEE Conference Organizers’ Newsletter Stay Informed

Monthly publication from MCE sent to all Conference organizers

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– Latest conference practices

– IEEE policy changes

– New services available

– Industry information

– Upcoming webinars

Subscribe at: http://www.ieee.org/mce-confnews-subscribe

Interested in Other Conference Education Topics Email us Your Suggestions

Kevin W. Hanft Senior Manager Conference Organizer Engagement & Education 445 Hoes Lane Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA

Phone: +1 732.562.5598 E-Mail: k.hanft@ieee.org

John Tracy Program Manager Conference Organizer Engagement & Education 445 Hoes Lane Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA

Phone: +1 732.562.5486 E-Mail: j.t.tracy@ieee.org

mce-education@ieee.org

Resources

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IEEE Conference Insurance Program https://www.ieee.org/about/volunteers/risk_insurance/conference_insurance.html

IEEE Event Cancellation Insurance FAQs https://www.ieee.org/about/volunteers/risk_insurance/event_cancellation_insurance_faqs.pdf

IEEE Event Crisis Management Team EERT@ieee.org

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Core Team*

EERT Team Lead: Sherry Russ Sills, CMP Director, Event Operations, MCE

(O)+1 732 562 3980 (M)+1 908 566 8167

Rich Jannuzzi Director, Business Operations, MCE

(O)+1 732 562 3858 (M)+1 732 710 7389

Julie Amodeo Director, Customer Relations & Operations, MCE

(O)+1 732 465 7817 (M)+ 1 917 518 5498

Marie Hunter Sr. Director, IEEE MCE

(O)+1 732 465 5889 (M)+1 732 354 6501

*Core team is the central clearinghouse for recording, advising, and communications and will engage Legal, Corporate Communications, and Risk Management offices as warranted.