CONTINGENCY PLANNING

EINTROEVM

M.Aldana ‘17

Events management includes preparing for the best that could happen, as well as the worst.

Any plan stands the risk of uncertainty, and event plans are not exempt.

No amount of preparation can provide a hundred percent assurance that things will go on as planned.

The best way is to identify what could go wrong, eliminate or minimize the chances of this occurring, and be prepared in case the problem still persists.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Safety and security are two of the primary considerations of event attendees, particularly in the light of present time uncertainties.

The event manager should be prepared to identify risks and potential problems at the event; how these potential problems and threats may be avoided; and how to minimize the effects should problems occur despite efforts to prevent them.

Always cool under pressure, the event manager should nonetheless, be in control of crisis situations.

It is important to have precautionary and contingency measures in place at any event, and anticipate budget inclusion for these.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Though often misconstrued as synonymous, safety and security differ.

Safety refers to protection of people from harm.

Security refers to protection of property from damage or loss.

Nonetheless, both are genuine concerns than an Event Manager must seriously plan for, fund, and cautiously address.

In any event, the organizers must always learn, prepare and take to heart their responsibility to protect people; property; reputation; and revenues.

SAFETY AND SECURITY TEAM

Create a safety and security team to help assess risks and potential problems at the event.

This team must have the authority to develop an emergency management plan.

The team evaluates the likelihood of risks, safety and security breach, and operational problems.

SAFETY AND SECURITY TEAM

Among the areas or elements of the event that must be evaluated for safety, security and risks are: Design of the venue and event site

Stage and other structures

Special effects

Electrical connections

Crowd control

Transportation

Sanitation facilities and waste management

RISK ASSESSMENT

Protection of people at the event is always top priority.

Those who will need protection are the attendees and the workers at the event.

The aim is to maintain a safe and healthy event environment.

At the same time, also be conscious of protecting property – those of the attendees, the venue, the suppliers, the host, and the event management team.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Identifying and addressing “significant risks” is a responsibility of the event management team.

Significant risks are those which are seen to be reasonably likely to happen and severe enough in outcome to warrant serious consideration.

Risk assessment should be done by competent staff who are knowledgeable about the event, the activities, the expected participants, and the venue.

HAZARD

Is something that has the potential to cause harm or injury to people, or loss or damage to property.

Hazards could be physical (a vehicle), biological (food contamination), chemical (carbon monoxide emitted by the exhaust), ergonomic (muscle pain due to working for long hours), or psychosocial (violence).

RISK

Is the potential for that hazard to become a reality.

An event manager must be able to understand that while many elements in the event may be hazardous, it is in the context in which these elements arise that would spell whether or not these are actually a risk.

5 STEP APPROACH IN RISK ASSESSMENT

Identify the hazard

Assess the risk

Develop controls

Implement controls

Monitor and review

VENUE AND EVENT SITE DESIGN

Have the Safety and Security Team survey the venue and event site before the event to determine the potential hazards.

If corrections are necessary, have these put to order before the event.

The Event Manager walks through the event site before the event begins, periodically during the event, and after the event.

Visualize how each of the event activities will proceed, determine potential hazards for each activity, plan how to prevent these, and, similarly, prepare a contingency plan in case the worst happens.

VENUE AND EVENT SITE DESIGN

Brainstorm and identify how the risk can be eliminated.

Seek the help of venue management for necessary corrections.

Discuss any precautionary measures with venue management.

Be aware of the venue’s fire safety and evacuation plan. Secure a copy of the plan and have members of the S&S team learn these. Aside from the S&S, identify event staff who will help implement the evacuation plan. Make sure all are properly trained to guide attendees to safety.

Discuss measures to take in case of a bomb threat or a terrorist attack.

VENUE AND EVENT SITE DESIGN

Check if there is a medical clinic or First Aid station within the venue. Determine its capability to handle possible emergencies.

Provide the S&S team a list of possible emergency numbers: Ambulance service

Hospital/medical facility

Fire department

Police

Bomb squad

Search and rescue team

Security personnel

The first 30 minutes of an emergency situation are the most dangerous; therefore it is imperative that the appropriate emergency response agency is contacted, and will immediately arrive at the scene.

ASSIGNMENT

List down all possible risks that can happen at the 2017 Travel Expo.

Research on the following important numbers: Ambulance service/Hospital

Medical facility nearest (clinic)

Fire department

Police

Bomb squad

Security personnel

STAGE AND OTHER STRUCTURES

Inspect the stage and other structures that are built or installed for the event.

Check for defects that may cause harm to workers, performers, and other people.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

If special effects and pyrotechnics will be used for the event, work only with licensed and experienced providers.

Invite the supplier to check the event site for feasibility of using the effects plan before finally deciding to contract their services.

Require the supplier to have safety measures and equipment ready.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

Meet with the venue management regarding the event’s electrical power requirements.

Together with the event’s Electrical Engineer, determine the power requirements to stage the event according to the event plan, and evaluate power supply.

Use only well-insulated cables and wires, discard cables with exposed wiring.

Cables and electrical connections must be neatly laid out to prevent people from tripping over.

CROWD CONTROL

The main purpose of events is to gather people, but bringing a lot of people together can pose problems.

When people are grouped together, the crowd takes a personality of its own.

During the planning stage, the Event Team must already visualize hoe the crowd is likely to behave – from entrance to exit.

UNSAFE CROWD MOVEMENTS

Crowd Crush Is caused by the compression of a crowd from a big space to a smaller and smaller area

Crowd Craze Or crowd pressure is caused by over-excitement, a competitive rush or push of a crowd

towards a person or object

Crowd Surge Is the compression of a crowd towards a particular direction

Crowd Collapse When people at the front of the crowd rush forward causing some of them to trip and

fall

Crowd Panic Refers to the out-of-control movement to escape a real or perceived danger

TRANSPORTATION

Work only with reputable transport companies that maintain vehicles in good running condition.

Plan to have enough vehicles on-hand to accommodate all participants, and the event organizer.

Never overcrowd or overload transport vehicles.

SANITATION FACILITIES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

Clean surroundings keep people safe not only from accidents but also from illness.

Congestion in a crowd invites the easy spread of disease.

This emphasizes the need to have a good crowd control and human traffic plan.

PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

For events that have the potential to be commercially viable if video-recorded, include prohibition of cameras and video recording devices at the event.

INCIDENT REPORTS

Require event and security personnel to file an incident report regardless of the severity of the incident.

PROBLEM ANALYSIS AND CONTINGENCY PLANNING

For every event, prepare (1) a plan to prevent safety violations and accidents from happening (Prevention); (2) a plan which will minimize the effects of these problems in case these will still do happen despite preparations made to prevent them (Contingency); and a Crisis Management Plan, in case the situation escalates to a full-blown crisis situation.

The key is to identify potential problems, preventive action, and contingent action.