Lately, it seems we’re never chronologically too far away from a mass tragedy, whether intentional injury from humans or the whims of Mother Nature. Thankfully, the meeting and event community intersected with fewer (and less severe) mass shootings and terror attacks in 2019 than in some recent years. It was horrible that someone opened fire during the Toronto Raptors’ celebratory parade—as many of you were keenly aware since it happened while the World Education Congress was in town—but miraculous that with nearly 2 million people along the route there were no deaths. Two high-profile incidents:
- Nine killed, 27 injured during a shooting in Dayton, Ohio’s Oregon Historic District, a neighborhood known for its entertainment and nightlife
- Three killed, 17 wounded during a shooting at the 85,000-attendee Gilroy Garlic Festival in California
We’d all like to think that strides are being made to limit violence across the meetings landscape, but you must, as the old adage goes, hope for the best but plan for the worst. As meeting professionals, we rely on bringing people together—and their safety is your responsibility, whether or not you’re ready to fully accept that.
Crowd-Sourced Insights
During the course of MPI’s quarterly Meetings Outlook survey this year, we queried our Business Research Panel on a few uncharted aspects of safety and security while onsite.
It turns out that most respondents have not had a stakeholder arrested while onsite. While that’s excellent news, it is concerning that 28 percent and 26 percent of respondents, respectively, have had a stakeholder arrested onsite for disorderly conduct or drug/alcohol-related offenses. Even more concerning: The vast majority of meeting professionals (70 percent) admit that they do not have a policy in place to deal with such a situation. The No. 1 reason given for not having a formal policy was that these incidents are too rare to justify creating a formal process.
In the Fall edition of Meetings Outlook, we learned that although the specific gun laws at a destination or venue don’t play a major role in the site-selection process for many meeting professionals, those who do consider such laws really care about it, with 91 percent of that group saying a destination or venue with strict guns laws is more attractive.
“How much do gun laws at a destination/venue affect your site selection?”
15% A great deal
16% A moderate amount
21% A little
49% Not at all
The State of the Industry
Meeting professionals cited “safety and security” as one of the greatest challenges facing the industry in our annual “State of the Industry.” However, with so many valuable voices and important topics demanding inclusion in that report, there’s always more material than we’re able to fit in print. Here’s some of that extra insight from MPI members.
What new safety/security measures have you implemented, and what results have you seen?
“I personally have been emphasizing duty of care amongst the team and hope to have discussions with leadership. We’ve always had general emergency procedures and a communications plan in place. We are also always very cognizant of the news in areas we are meeting concerning any demonstrations or unrest. Our attendees have been encouraged to download our travel app, which allows them to receive travel alerts of any happenings, be it manmade or weather-wise.”
Tiffany Graham, CMP
MPI St. Louis Area Chapter
“I have encouraged more badge-check requirements at entry for all functions, and I continue to counter the notion of ride-share services for attendee transportation.”
Lisa Meller, CMP, CIS, CED
MPI Orange County Chapter
Further Reading from The Meeting Professional
“Get in a Risk Management Frame of Mind”
By MaryAnne Bobrow, CAE, CMP, CMM, August, Pg. 24
Lack of planning on your part won’t avert an emergency—it’s time to create and/or update your emergency management plans.
“Safety is the Top Priority”
By Scott T. Carroll, September, Pg. 20
A discussion with an entertainment insurance expert on mitigating risks, how the industry has changed and asking the right questions.
“Be Prepared”
By Alan Kleinfeld, MTA, CMM, CMP, September
Strides have been made to ensure attendee safety and security, but much work remains.
“Taking Another Look at Data Security and Privacy in Events”
By Michelle Bruno, September
As the meeting industry transforms digitally, more data is produced and processed by more suppliers. It’s time to look at where your vulnerabilities lie.
Safety & Security Certificate Programs & Education
The following live, online certificate programs are US$499 for MPI members ($699 for non-members).
Event Crisis Communication: Learn how to develop a communications plan that encompasses auditing vulnerabilities, training spokespeople and establishing a means of communication.
Emergency Preparedness for Events: Learn about onsite risk management—including identifying stakeholders, mitigating risk and implementing an emergency planning process—and how to create post-event reports to learn and improve tactics.
Additionally, the MPI Academy has more than 20 safety- and security-related courses available on-demand for MPI members at no cost ($34.99 each for non-members).
