This document discusses emergency preparedness and risk management for event planners. It defines event risk as anything that could negatively impact an event's outcome. It identifies common risk types and discusses who is responsible for managing risk. The document outlines four risk management strategies - avoid, reduce, retain, transfer. It provides examples of risk reduction strategies like compliance documents and insurance. The document concludes by discussing developing a risk assessment and action plan to address risks.

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Emergency Preparedness: Risk Management for Events
AENC Event Planners Summit, January 11, 2016
Christy Marcinkowski, CMP

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Goals for Today
 Learn what event risk is
 Determine who “owns” risk
 Learn 4 strategies of risk management
 Define, rate and rank some common
risks
 Learn how to mitigate risks
 Learn the consequences if risk isn’t
properly mitigated
 Hands On – Develop a Risk Management
Plan

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What is Event Risk?
Risk is anything or anyone that could
impede, threaten, influence or interfere with
the successful outcome. Risk is the potential
for loss; financially, physically,
psychologically, legally or ethically. (1)

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TYPES of Event Risk?
• Financial
• Legal/Regulatory
• Business
• Strategy
• Reputation
• Market
• Cyber

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Who “Owns” Risk Responsibility?
 Meeting Planners?
 Management?
 Owners/Board?
 Facility?
 Compliance?
 Security?
 Attendees?
 Others?

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Risk Management Strategies
 Avoid
Eliminate elements, requirements,
practices, options, adjusting as
needed concept, specs and
procedures.
 Reduce
Develop strategies to minimize
potential consequences.
 Retain
Planner makes a conscious
decision to accept it and
consequences. Monitor and re-
allocate resources.
 Transfer
Shift the responsibility to a third
party through insurance or
waivers

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Risk Reduction Strategies
 Compliance Documents -
Examples:
Approved Floor Plans
Occupancy Permits
Certificates of Insurance
Indemnity Waivers
Others?
 Insurance Coverage
Examples:
Business Interruption
Event Cancellation
Weather
Others?

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Assessment Questions
 Does this put someone at risk physically or psychologically?
 Where might the risk occur?
 Under what circumstances?
 What is the probability of the circumstance?
 Worst-case Scenarios?
 Who might the risk harm?
 To what degree?
FEMA

9. + Risk Assessment
 What are expectations of attendees?
 Would the occurrence harm outsiders? To what degree?
 Has due diligence been covered?
 Do attendees, vendors, staff and planner feel safe?
 Has this risk occurred when this event was held in the past?
 Has this risk occurred at past events in general?
Assessment Questions
Sources provided at the end of the presentation

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Action Plan to Deal With a Risk
 Determine “ownership”
 Meet to determine possible
solutions and conduct the risk
assessment
 Decide on a course of action
and an action plan
 Develop a communications plan
 Implement
 Evaluate/Assess

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Next Steps – After I Leave Here
 Conduct a risk assessment and identify gaps
 Develop risk mitigation plans for the highest level risks
 Address gaps through company standards
 Create or update your existing Meetings Management
Policy
 Implement or update your meetings management
technology

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Questions

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Sources/Resources
 Debi Scholar, CMM, CMP, GLP, GTP, CTE, SSGB, CTT, CBST Director,
Managed Meetings Strategies, American Express Meetings and Events
 Dr. Linda M. Robson, Assistant Professor, School of Hospitality Management,
Endicott College for PCMA Convening Leaders 2014
 FEMA’s Emergency Management Guide for Business & Industry –
www.fema/gov/business/guide/index/shtm
 US Environmental Protection Agency Risk Assessment –
http://epa/gov/riskassessment/basicinformation.htm#risk
 Barbara B. Oliver, “Swimming With Sharks and Other Perils of Special Events –
http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/library/articles/workplace-safety0502.shtml
 http://www.eventeducation.com/risk-management-events.php