What criteria should you use to evaluate a crisis management plan for an event?

1 Risk assessment

The first step in creating a crisis management plan is to identify the potential risks that could affect your event and rank them according to their likelihood and severity. You should consider the location, duration, size, type, and audience of your event, as well as the external factors that could influence it, such as weather, politics, social media, or competitors. A risk assessment will help you prioritize the most critical scenarios and prepare contingency plans for them.

2 Roles and responsibilities

A crisis management plan should clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each member of your event team, as well as the external stakeholders that you may need to communicate with, such as venue managers, suppliers, media, authorities, or emergency services. You should assign a crisis manager who will coordinate the response and decision-making, as well as a spokesperson who will handle the public relations and messaging. You should also establish a crisis communication protocol that specifies how, when, and to whom you will communicate during a crisis.

3 Resources and equipment

A crisis management plan should also include a list of the resources and equipment that you will need to cope with a crisis, such as backup generators, emergency kits, radios, phones, laptops, or internet access. You should also identify the sources and costs of these resources and equipment, and ensure that they are available and accessible at your event site. You should also have backup plans in case your primary resources or equipment fail or are insufficient.

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?