How can you integrate your venue's emergency response procedures with your crisis management plan?

1 Know the venue's emergency response procedures

Before you book a venue, you should ask for a copy of their emergency response procedures and review them carefully. These procedures should cover the types of emergencies that may occur at the venue, such as fire, medical, power outage, security, or weather. They should also specify the roles and responsibilities of the venue staff, the communication channels, the evacuation routes, the emergency equipment, and the contact information of the local authorities. You should compare these procedures with your own crisis management plan and identify any gaps or conflicts that may arise.

3 Train and brief your event team

Before your event, you should train and brief your event team on both your crisis management plan and the venue's emergency response procedures. You should make sure that your event team understands their roles and duties in case of an emergency, as well as the expectations and guidelines of the venue staff. You should also provide your event team with the necessary tools and resources, such as emergency contact lists, radios, flashlights, and maps. You should conduct a rehearsal or a simulation of an emergency situation and test your event team's readiness and coordination.

4 Monitor and update your situation awareness

During your event, you should monitor and update your situation awareness constantly. You should keep an eye on the event environment, such as the weather, the crowd, the equipment, and the venue conditions. You should also keep in touch with the venue staff and the local authorities and receive regular updates and alerts. You should be prepared to activate your crisis management plan and the venue's emergency response procedures if needed. You should also be ready to adapt and improvise if the situation changes or escalates.

5 Evaluate and debrief your event performance

After your event, you should evaluate and debrief your event performance in relation to your crisis management plan and the venue's emergency response procedures. You should collect feedback and data from your event team, the venue staff, the attendees, the media, and the stakeholders. You should analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your event planning, execution, and recovery. You should also identify the lessons learned and the best practices that you can apply to your future events. You should also thank and acknowledge the venue staff for their cooperation and support.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?