Mastering the Art of Risk and Crisis Management in Corporate Events

When hosting a corporate event, planning for the unforeseen is as crucial as the event itself. By having a well-thought-out risk and crisis management plan, you can divert chaos, retain your attendees' trust and protect your reputation. 

Here are some practical strategies to keep your corporate events secure and crisis-free.

Understanding Risk Assessment

Before your corporate event kickstarts, it's essential to understand your event's potential hazards and vulnerabilities. Regularly revising your risk assessment plan can help you better prepare for uncertainties.

• Has the venue passed all safety and fire regulations?
• Are there enough emergency exits accessible?
• Do we need security and is the agency we use reliable?
• What will occur if your venue cancels on you?

Considering these aspects will help minimise threats, putting you a step ahead in securing your corporate event.

Setting up a Crisis Management Team

A dedicated crisis management team can significantly impact your response time during a crisis. These individuals are the backbone of your event's security, trained to handle emergencies efficiently. 

For small events, like seminars and presentations, this can just be as simple as having a team come together and play a game of what-if. What if the venue cancels? What if our email provider goes down and we can’t send reminders? What if the print doesn’t arrive on time? What if our facilitator is sick or their flight is cancelled?

• This team or meeting often includes a range of event planners and marketers, and can result in an evolving list of things to consider.
• For some events, it may include monitoring the event, communicating with emergency services, and handling the situation until professional help arrives.
• A crisis manual, outlining the responsibilities of each team member, is a key tool to keep on hand.

Robust Communication Channels

An effective communication strategy plays a vital role in managing crisis situations. Without it, circulating necessary information can be challenging, leading to panic and misinformation.

Ensure that the crisis management team, venue staff, and attendees remain connected throughout the event. Make use of mobile applications designed for event communication or two-way radios to maintain smooth communication.

There are too many risks

The trouble with risks, is there is an unlimited amount, so being able to determine which risks are worth planning for is a bit of an art, and depends on your time and company.

The best way is to list the risks in a table, and have a column for the Risk, Description, Likelihood of Occurrence (out of 10) and Impact of Occurrence. 

This will give you a table you can use to prioritise risks by potential damange/improvement to your event.

Risks aren’t just negative

It is a common misunderstanding that risks are problems. There are plenty of risks that may result in your event being a major success. 

When playing that game of ‘what if?’ try having a round or two of positive risks. For example, what if a customer comes along to your event and tells everyone how good you are? The impact would likely be more sales at your event. So why wouldn’t you try to manufacture this by finding and inviting a customer, or providing some sort of referral option for them on the day.

Debriefing and Learning

Lastly, debriefing post-event is a vital step in refining your crisis management strategies. Analyse what worked and what didn't, and update your plan for better preparedness in the future.

Planning for risk and crisis at corporate events may seem daunting, but with proactive measures and a reliable team, you can ensure a secure and successful corporate event.