Letter from the Chair – Keeping Your Attendees Safe

The Olympics just finished in Grand Olympic style and no major safety and security issues surfaced (that we know of). Let’s be honest, we have all had a Lochte at one time or another at our events, haven’t we? In a world that is getting more complex, intense and intricate, safety and security are on our mind all the time and becoming a major player in our strategic planning for our events.  

According to a recent MPI Meetings Outlook report, 44 percent of meeting professionals are anticipating changes in the industry related to security concerns, and 48 percent are expecting rising costs to security to help keep their attendees safe. And that’s not all: Meeting professionals are also taking extra steps to deal with the Zika virus. Identity theft. Flooding. Wild fires. These global health issues weigh heavily on the meeting professional.

This is why Risk Management is one of the 10 domains in the Certified Meeting Professional’s body of knowledge. While attendee and stakeholder safety has always been of paramount concern to those producing meetings and events, the current social, economic and political climate have taken these issues to a new level. Do you have an emergency response plan in place? Do you have an evacuation plan should the worst happen? Are your staff and volunteers trained on your emergency procedures?

The Convention Industry Council and its member organizations are taking these concerns seriously. For instance, The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) just announced its full support to provide industry guidelines and standards created by the industry, for the industry, to the Safety Act Office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

CIC is also presenting a keynote address on this topic during the upcoming 2016 CMP Conclave, where Former Secret Service Agent Jonathan Wackrow and former Hotel Safety Security Executive Clarence Izzard will provide guidance on what event planners need to know to implement security methods at their meetings and events. 

Managing risk is a complicated but necessary skill for all those who plan meetings and events. Keep up on the latest tools available to us through APEX initiatives and our industry organization initiatives like what IAEE is doing or get your continuing education for the CMP through the CMP Conclave and other industry conferences. We on the CMP Governance Commission are keeping a close on this area to see how we keep the CMP body of knowledge updated and fresh to help you be the best you can be and plan safe and great events.  

Peace,

Janet