«
»

Chat Recap: Natural Disasters and Your Events – How to Prepare

For those of you new to chat (or for those of you who are slower, like me), I thought it might be nice to try and condense our #eventprofs chat into bite-sized chunks. Below, I’ve outlined the major points in our conversation since there were a lot of great suggestions and links. I’ve tried to condense it all into a format that should be digestible. Please see the Eventprofs Wiki for the full archive. I’d love to hear your feedback about the format and the conversation!

Participant List:
andrewsmith127, attendinteract, BillyKirsch, BlissfulSeed, BrianHunt04, carrieferenac, Clean_the_World, conniepgilbert, dc2fla, EmilieBarta, ericlukazewski, ESIPAQWG, eventsforgood, executiveoasis, HBK317, heidithorne, IAEE_HQ, joyce_ma, justinlocke, kerriholland, lizkingevents, mexiaPR, michellebruno, MPITheresa, OccasionsMpls, Outdoor_Movies, perfectmeeting, PinkDeb, planetplanitbiz, POPevent, PYMVanessa, rheitke, roblcollins, RogLewis, RuudWJanssen, samueljsmith, The180Group, TheEventsGuru, thehubtalks, tracibrowne, TweetMyWedding

The Topic:

lizkingevents: Thanks for tuning in, everyone. Let’s get started. Disaster and Events – Has anyone had direct experience 2 share? #eventprofs

The Definition:

justinlocke: well, define “disaster” #eventprofs
lizkingevents: @justinlocke I think to start, we are looking at natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanos, floods #eventprofs
justinlocke: i was playing a boston pops show once and the cannons were pointed the wrong way and pretty much knocked us all off the stage. #eventprofs

Our Experiences:

eventsforgood: I don’t have any personal experiences to share specifically, although I have been stuck on an island w/ a hurricane 4 a wedding! #eventprofs
heidithorne: We had outdoor event in June that had a microburst thunderstorm that destroyed the field. #eventprofs
heidithorne: Didn’t have a rain date since we would run “rain or shine.” But with 60mph winds gusts, no go! #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: The key I think is 2 consider what u do when any disaster hits – so far I have seen SARS, Avian Flu & Foot & Mouth disease #eventprofs

Good Advice:

heidithorne: We are considering a Plan B location for next year’s event. Anyone else have experience with that scenario? #eventprofs
carrieferenac: Advice for meeting planners in a disaster: Be proactive with the media. They’ll love you for it, and you’ll get exposure. #eventprofs
TheEventsGuru: always have contingency plans for natural areas, think through all what-if’s…then dance, pray, sing , eat… whatever works! #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: when in burning platform situation, look at those that step forward = those that step back, them create cris mngt team #eventprofs
heidithorne: @TheEventsGuru Agreed! We’re going to try sun dancing! #eventprofs
The180Group: @justinlocke: in high risk areas we always have backup generator power in case of power hiccups #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: crisis = test of the relationships… better be solid before the crisis… build + rehearse plan B #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: Look at the event from every angle of going wrong & start 2 work out contingencies where practical from there – #eventprofs
TheEventsGuru: I’ve done allot out’dr events, and planning is key & keepin up on man-made & Natural updates using tech! #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: ask for the crisis contingency mngt plans/xperience of subcontractors + discuss at pre-conf mtg..involve police, fire marshall #eventprofs
tracibrowne: remember…no one thought a tornado would rip thru downtown Atlanta… #eventprofs
Outdoor_Movies: Being prepared and having everyone along the chain informed of the plan: Management, vendors, security, everyone. #eventprofs
Outdoor_Movies: I’m also in emergency services, firefighter, and have seen many events where people didn’t know the plan or how to execute it #eventprofs
justinlocke: may sound silly, but when I am doing something outdoorsy I will actually hire a witch doctor to get good weather. can’t hurt. #eventprofs
BrianHunt04: my company has invested in a accident preparedness plan that we take and review with all hotels prior to program #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: when working abroad or with teams you don’t know, simulate a crisis before one happens to test the strenght of the rubber band #eventprofs
eventsforgood: Planners should always have a risk management plan and a crisis management plan. #eventprofs
andrewsmith127: Simply put, events are an exercise in Murphy’s Law… ask Zeus for help… and be ready to roll w/the punches. #eventprofs #eventprofs
carrieferenac: #eventprofs Someone just told me it’s not about the problem… but how you solve it.
TheEventsGuru: Pre-planning will enable the best, & planning your response will save headaches later! Cmplete comm plans & actionable timeline #eventprofs
executiveoasis: Agreed. Clear emergency procedures are important for every event, incentive trip or retreat. #eventprofs
executiveoasis: For retreats with activities involving risk e.g. abseiling, we engage doctor with medivac on alert for the day #eventprofs
BrianHunt04: What i comes down to is being prepared on your side and making sure the venue is ready and preped. #eventprofs
conniepgilbert: pre-planning is so critical, but in some cases ur experience in damage control on the fly… may be the only solution #eventprofs
tracibrowne: we saved money by inviting the local fire department to our event to give kids firetruck rides and talk about smoke detectors #eventprofs
tracibrowne: Secret tip – Firetrucks have generators on them – side bonus #eventprofs
eventsforgood: First aid and emergency planning should be in the event program – or exhibitor kit. #eventprofs
rheitke: We call it War Gaming: Practice potential scenario responses. Prepare a Plan B for everything. Have the right gear. #eventprofs
tracibrowne: A key to planning is figuring out who on your event team is not prone to panic/is cool under pressure have them lead crisis team #eventprofs
Outdoor_Movies: I see new potential doing emergency management at events #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: @tracibrowne – Also have the right person 2 handle the media #eventprofs
carrieferenac: In a crisis… it’s key to name point people. Who is in charge? Who is speaking to media? Who is communicating with attendees? #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: some actually enjoy the burning platform + far outperform on Adrenaline…others (u least expected) freak out in meltdown mode #eventprofs
tracibrowne: skilled in crisis mgmt – very diff thn reg PR RT @planetplanitbiz: – Also have the right person 2 handle the media #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: during crisis also have 1 epxert/person offsite that can consult/guide/maintain overview without onsite stress… #eventprofs
executiveoasis: We give our contact blank medical profiles (returned in sealed confidential envelopes) to bring to event & shred after. #eventprofs

Technology:

heidithorne: @TheEventsGuru Yep, tech is a lifesaver! Could have utilized more in our case. #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: don’t rely (just) on twitter for emergency comm! whales up… #eventprofs
heidithorne: Problem with using tech is that some groups are not that tech savvy, i.e. not on social media (sometimes no email either!). #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: make sure users are not first timers with tech tools when asked to use them… rely on tried + tested (from user perspective) #eventprofs
heidithorne: So when you have a non-tech savvy outdoor event scenario, you need to rely on signage and other communication channels. #eventprofs
The180Group: @heidithorne: I find the 40+ crowd has little patience to learn new technologies like twitter. Generally speaking. #eventprofs
heidithorne: @The180Group Agreed! Part of our group is 60+. Very challenging for communication at times! #eventprofs
michellebruno: I can see social media playing a big role in handling a disaster and disseminating info quickly #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: @michellebruno – Sm is gr8 for getting the message out – we canx event due to snow & sm was the key catalyst – #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: @michellebruno if ur team geotags locations using mobile apps instantly u can map out where they->see http://www.glympse.com/ #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: Do SM & crisis mgt policies work together? they will need 2 soon #eventprofs
tracibrowne: We have to be careful not to rely on SM to get word out during a crisis, networks very unreliable depending on how widespread #eventprofs
tracibrowne: @lizkingevents we have trouble using mobile phones at bio & that’s just because there are a lot of people there, network jammed #eventprofs

Insurance/Contracts:

planetplanitbiz: Crisis mgt is part of our knowledge base along with ins – so I see a lot of event disasters – last one being the volcanic ash – #eventprofs
TheEventsGuru: RT @eventsforgood: Did you have force majeure clauses in contracts? Yes, always try to CYA! Seen 2 mny cses where did not! #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: @tracibrowne – Many people still believe that it will never happen 2 them & only the savvy buy cover in my exp – #eventprofs
tracibrowne: @planetplanitbiz the cost is so minimal compared to the value…I appreciate the advice you gave me! #eventprofs
tracibrowne: Curious to see how many purchase insurance so they can give back sponsor/exhibitor money even tho contract says don’t have to #eventprofs
heidithorne: @tracibrowne As a Board member, I am going to suggest additional insurances on next outdoor event. #eventprofs
eventsforgood: @TheEventsGuru @heidithorne @planetplanitbiz Did you have force majeure clauses in your contracts? #eventprofs
BrianHunt04: Back up is always key and FM is important to have in each contract #eventprofs
RogLewis: I have always carried third party planner insurance to protect myself in case of disaster and bad outcomes #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: @eventsfor good – I would recommend having a look at a Cancellation insurance (protects the money) #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: @the180Group – canx cover covers all those unexpected circs that we can’t imagine – but contracting is gd 2 – #eventprofs

Supporting Links:

planetplanitbiz: Hi Liz – Take a look at this post 2 help – http://bit.ly/caMufK #eventprofs
lizkingevents: RT @planetplanitbiz: This was also useful for keeping the event going – http://bit.ly/bwPQSk #eventprofs
heidithorne: In planning ahead, I think it was @CypressMedia that directed me to the http://www.dryday.com website for weather. #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: @eventsfor good – Some Canx ins information – http://bit.ly/ctKB0K #eventprofs
BillyKirsch: Good video on Creativity & Innovation, every problem is an opportunity http://bit.ly/TLNFU #ASTD #eventprofs
RuudWJanssen: RT sorry 4 broken link again/ If u r looking for a good guidline for crisis mngt from IAPCO check here: http://ht.ly/28LDB #eventprofs
planetplanitbiz: from @mexiaPR -for event PR crises – http://bit.ly/cQvVEL #eventprofs

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Liz

Liz King is a technology-integrated event planner and award winning blogger. As the owner of Liz King Events, she runs an innovative firm that creates dynamic branding events integrating the use of social media. Planning events from soup to nuts, she works with her team to create and sustain your event brand and enhance attendee engagement. Liz is also a co-founder of the Event Technology Showcase PlannerTech. As the owner of Liz King Events, she has been featured as a speaker at the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, National Association of Colleges and Employers, ExpoWest/Supply Expo and several other events as an expert on the topic of social media and events. She has also been featured in Connect Meetings Intelligence and Convene Magazine, among others.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

Related posts:

Tags: , , , ,

This entry was posted on Friday, July 9th, 2010 at 10:29 pm and is filed under Event Professionals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • http://www.PromoWithPurposeToday.com Heidi Thorne

    Liz, thanks for distilling the chat into helpful chunks! Appreciate all you do for the industry and #eventprofs!

  • http://www.tradeshowinsight.com Eric Lukazewski

    Liz, this is brilliant! Fantastic job, thanks for the hard work you do as a moderator.

    • http://www.lizkingevents.com Liz

      Thanks for your comments, Eric and Heidi. The #Eventprofs community has been such an amazing resource for me, I try to give back in any little ways that I can. I’m glad you both find it useful :) I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve learned from each of you!

  • Lindsey Rosenthal (@eventsforgood)

    Liz, I think this is a fantastic way to format a recap of the #eventprofs chat, especially ones as busy as this was last week! I can imagine though that it probably took at least 20-30 minutes of work to pull out the vital information. Do you think it was worth the effort?

    • http://www.lizkingevents.com Liz

      Thanks, Lindsey! I think it was definitely worth the effort because the chat archives can be quite overwhelming, especially for people who aren’t familiar with the #eventprofs folks and can get lost in the conversation. I initially decided to do it for myself so I could re-read all the great tips, but then figured it made sense to share with everyone else too. I don’t know that it’s always necessary, but especially for tip-filled chats like this one, it’s worth the time. You’re right – it did take 30+ minutes :)

  • Christine Melendes

    Hi Liz,
    I’m sorry I missed this chat. I was in Las Vegas for a monster tradeshow (at a previous job) that started on September 10, 2001 (exhibitor move in was earlier). When I went to bed that night we were well on our way to having the most successful event in the history of that particular event.

    When we awoke on September 11 – the world was a completely different place and so was our tradeshow! Not only did we have to handle the issues of being far away from our families, but of making sure our attendees and exhibitors were all safely in Vegas or accounted for.

    A clear line of command is the only way to go. We worked extensively with the local media to communicate with our attendees and exhibitors and tapped into the communications of each of our hotel partners (vm blasts to rooms, TV announcements, etc.). It was something else, to say the least.

    I hope I never experience something like that again – but if I do I know that we can get through it!

    Christine

    • http://www.lizkingevents.com Liz

      Thank you so much for your story. That day was an awful thing to go through and I can’t imagine balancing your personal and professional situations in a time like that. I think you are right that it’s all about open communication lines and emergency plans. While we don’t like to believe that these things will ever happen, we should always prepare for the worst. Thanks for sharing!

  • http://twitter.com/lizkingevents/status/243381789199044608/ Liz King (@lizkingevents)

    Chat Recap: Natural Disasters and Your Events – How to Prepare http://t.co/ptTbaFSn #eventprofs