The success of a conference depends not only on meticulous planning, but also on the ability to anticipate and manage the unexpected.
Putting in place a robust crisis communication plan is a crucial step in ensuring the event’s resilience in the face of any incidents. But it is also part of a professional, responsible approach to the various audiences involved: delegates, speakers, teams and service providers. prestataires.
Conference: preparing for the unexpected
The crisis communication plan goes far beyond traditional communication activities.
It must include an analysis of potential risks, specific measures to be taken in the event of an emergency, and clear procedures for internal and external communication.
Why have a crisis communications plan for a conference?
A crisis can have a major impact on your event, or even threaten its survival. And the financial stakes can be high in the event of compensation claims. Your brand’s image among your various audiences can be significantly damaged.
Identify, analyse and assess potential risks
Identify possible scenarios such as technical breakdowns, security problems, last-minute programme changes, as well as weather hazards, social demonstrations, strikes, transport problems, accidents, health crises, etc.
Once again, planning for the worst and preparing for it is absolutely the right thing to do to ensure that your event runs smoothly.
Emergency communication at a conference: the emergency protocol to be deployed.
Once you have identified the main crisis situations you might face, create a summary document indicating 3 alert levels: low, moderate and critical.
For each situation, indicate the response scheme in a grid:
- Alert level,
- Contact person,
- Decision-maker,
- Action protocol (who does what),
- Spreading the word ,
- Budget to be committed
- Targets to be avoided ,
- Result to be achieved ,
- Feedback and assessment.
Summarise all the useful contacts in a list for distribution to the whole organisation: internal, service providers, partners, etc.
Set up a crisis unit that can meet in an emergency and has the authority to take decisions.
Reduce internal threats.
There are 2 types of crisis: those emanating from the external environment, and internal threats. With a bit of foresight, it’s easier to prevent the latter from happening, so you can concentrate on potential external crises.
Critical skills at the heart of a conference emergency communications plan
A critical skill is expertise held by a single person in the company.
These skills can be technical, organisational or strategic. In the absence of such a manager, who is the decision-maker? What should we do if our audiovisual manager or IT manager is suddenly unable to attend?
Take the time with your HR Manager to list the staff with critical skills involved in organising your conference and, for each of them, identify the resources to be put in place in the event of unforeseen absence.
There are a variety of solutions, all of which can be combined and implemented as a preventive measure: a temporary solution, training, skills sharing, outsourcing.
Intensify preventive safety measures and ongoing training for teams
Train your teams in lifesaving techniques by organising specific training sessions and simulation exercises.
Before opening, organise a site visit and identify emergency exits and assembly points.
Legal protection and insurance, essential tools for anticipating the crisis
A visit from the safety committee is an opportunity to go into certain subjects in greater depth and to enhance your crisis communication protocol. The forces of law and order and the police department are also valuable sources of information for adopting the right attitude when faced with certain difficulties: strikes, social demonstrations, threats, climatic events, etc.
Talk to legal experts to check that the protocols you are planning are in line with the law. This will help you to identify and control the risks involved in speaking out.
Don’t forget to check the validity of your insurance policy and what it covers, and keep it available at all times. When it comes to crises, responsiveness is a powerful asset!
Crisis communication at a conference
You have identified and assessed the various risks, and devised measures to correct them. All that remains is to communicate effectively using the various tools at your disposal.
Spread the word and prioritise internal communication.
In a crisis, it is essential that a single, consistent story is heard. Prepare clear, well-argued language.
Give your teams as much background information as possible, without jeopardising the confidentiality of your conference organisation.
It is important that all employees have priority access to information relating to the crisis in order to avoid spreading rumours and causing unnecessary stress.
It is also crucial to enable them to answer the questions they may be faced with, by controlling the situation and its environment.
Use precise language, understandable to all staff, to ensure that your message remains unambiguous and clear.
Use communication tools to suit the timing.
Once you have defined your message, you can deploy an effective communications strategy using a range of channels to get it out in the best possible conditions.
- Slack messaging or equivalent: internal mobilisation, explanation and language elements.
- SMS: alert or emergency message to conference delegates.
- Social networks: real-time communication with followers.
- Press relations: official statements, detailed explanations, education, wide distribution.
- Website: alert message and real-time information to reassure all audiences.
- Email: cold communication, explanation and feedback internally, with partners and externally.
The media: a powerful channel for crisis communication at a conference
It’s not always useful to publicise a crisis. Some situations can be managed internally, without the delegates knowing.
If this is not the case, the media are information relays that must be mobilised to defuse problems. Whether it’s a press release, a press briefing or conference, it’s up to you to tailor the way you address the gravity of the situation.
Be factual and sincere. Provide verified information and make regular updates if necessary.
The protocol put in place beforehand enables you to know who will be speaking in front of the media: communications manager, sales director, managing director, etc. Depending on the subject, several people may be involved and must be available.
A crisis communication plan is an evolving tool. It frees your mind to concentrate onwelcoming your delegates in the best possible conditions. Once your event is over, remember to enhance it with the comments made during the post-event debriefing.
