By Jessie States
A SPECIAL SECTION BROUGHT TO YOU BY MEETING PROFESSIONALS INTERNATIONAL
The team that works on assessing the risks associated with any given meeting or event include both internal and external professionals from a variety of your stakeholder groups. Be all inclusive; have buy-in and input from subject matter experts.
For this, as with all things, a team approach is essential. Preparedness reduces legal liability, and the more awareness and input you get, the better prepared you will be. Your team will include facility and event personnel (internal stakeholders, security, operations, facilities, technology/communications and equipment).
Following these, you will find additional members based on event size, components, threat, attendees, weather and geography in the following areas: lodging, transportation, audiovisual/staging, law enforcement, fire department, medical services, emergency management and utilities/public works.
Consider these tips for constructing your team.
- If there are multiple jurisdictions involved, ensure that they are all included.
- Having an assessment is better than no assessment at all. Create one and continue to build on it.
- Smaller events/venues may not have the resources that large events bring. Regardless of what is available to you, put a team together.
- The first time will be time-consuming, but after developing an outline, it will go more quickly.
Your team should conduct the risk assessment and prepare a written report as necessary for each event. This is the beginning of a continuous journey. All other plans will base their response on this report; it will be a guide to what needs to be addressed in what order and what expenditure.
Jessie States is the Director of the MPI Academy at Meeting Professionals International.
