Risk Management

Hurricane. Terrorist attack. Outbreak of avian influenza. Staff strike. Missing participants. Your heart beats fast again? Organize meetings today have more worst case scenarios that should be provided for in the past. September 11 completely changed our idea of ​​risk management and bird flu was not something that meeting planners considered a year ago. Last May, two participants at a conference in California disappeared during a trip Saturday tour. Fortunately, this story had a happy ending, but what else? It is not necessary to have a plan for every situation that might occur, but some thought and planning can help reduce the risk and help things running smoothly, if a situation arises.

Make a plan

The first step is to draft a plan for risk management, including planning for risks such as natural disasters, incidents, situations of technology (eg power failure) and the risks caused by humans (eg, a speaker is not -show). Risks specific to the destination, the place, the participants and the program should be included. The plan should outline the responses to different situations, the responsibilities of staff members, facility staff and security assumptions and how the media will be managed.
The risk management plan should be reviewed and revised annually and new risks arise.

How to minimize the risk

The three best ways to minimize the risk include an inspection, the contract and insurance.

Site Inspection

During the inspection, it is important to know what kind of local emergency plan they have - including evacuation plans, what kind of training their staff and the type of emergency equipment that is located on the site. In the event of an emergency, find out which staff members have CPR / First Aid, and how they can be quickly identified. To avoid a disaster on allergy, make sure the food will be labeled the buffet and breaks.

Contracts

All contracts, including those with speakers and performers - should include clauses of force majeure - that is, what will happen Should a situation arise that is beyond the control of either party. This should include things such as strikes, wars, threats or acts of terrorism, weather, travel advisories or epidemics. Even a catch all provision that will cover anything that was not listed.

Insurance

It 's important to understand your commercial general liability coverage for each event. If you are going to have to take place off site, be sure you are covered if you are temporarily away from business premises. Also find out if there are any exclusions of the policy, such as physical activity or alcohol use. It may not be worth it for every event cancellation insurance to pay for the event so that each event carefully to determine what is best for you.

Need help with your risk management plan? Contact Designing Events in info@designingevents.com or 866-867-1933 .......