Swine Flu and the Meetings Industry

Posted by Bruce MacMillan, CA on 4/27/2009 8:33:15 PM www.mpiweb.org

The rapidly developing global news story concerning the swine flu outbreak should be monitored closely by all meeting and event professionals. The situation is very fluid at moment, with new information, facts and misunderstandings emerging almost hourly as information gets gathered and analyzed. We want to help you stay connected to the facts as the evolve.

At this early stage in the outbreak, timely and accurate information is crucial to dealing with the torrent of information that could impact the professional lives and businesses of our members. To that end, today we participated in two conference calls with members of US Travel to structure key messages and primary channels of communication for this stage of the outbreak. Conversations and communications protocol are also being developed in Canada and Europe and I have personally reached out to our partners in Mexico.

It's no surprise that media around the world are capitalizing on this story, fuelling concerns beyond what the current facts suggest may be necessary at this time. Our ability to bring order to chaos as quickly as possible is vital and through industry and community collaboration, our response now can make a difference. The US Travel website will be a primary resource at this stage in the outbreak and the team at US Travel in collaboration with meeting industry organizations will be synthesizing relevant information to share across our industry and beyond. An MPI web resource has been created for our community with resource materials and will shortly have Web 2.0 connection tools for conversations. This has been updated with information from US Travel.

In conjunction with our industry partners around the world, we will continue to provide you and our chapters with timely and relevant information on a regular basis. We ask that you review it and share accordingly in order to ensure everyone has the most accurate information possible.

In the meantime, a key source of up-to-date information for you, your families/friends and your business is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Swine Flu resource.

Comments

[Andrew Walker]

Crisis Response Spotlight: Swine Flu Pandemic and the Meeting Professional

Posted by Brad A. Goldberg on 4/29/2009 5:30:59 AM www.mpiweb.org

I was quoted yesterday in a PlannerWire article about what to consider when deciding whether to cancel or continue a meeting potentially impacted by the Swine Flue pandemic. After sharing my thoughts with the article's writer, it struck me that we could be doing more as meeting professionals to educate each other in crisis response and management, so that everyone is empowered to handle scenarios like the one we find ourselves in right now.

Decision-making during a crisis requires a number of key elements. Each element contributes to the overall process, but in vastly different ways.

1. Data Collection - The current Swine Flu mania that is sweeping through our mass media like the plague, (no pun intended), provides the public with a torrent of 24/7 information. Some of it is factual, some is rumor, some innuendo and some outright false. When the time comes for a meeting professional to gather data, you have to return to what my thesis professor called primary sources. For example, this current crisis should compel decision-makers to turn to the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the State Department and other official agencies. The mass media should never be used as a primary source when deciding whether to continue or cancel a meeting.

2. Communication - For those who know me well, I focus on this issue a great deal. In this case, communication is vital to the decision-making process. Once you have obtained your primary source data, you have to inform not only the client or whomever is responsible for paying for the meeting, but you MUST include attendees, speakers, exhibitors and, of course, the venue or venues. Listening to all of these groups will help the decision-makers to weigh the insights of those impacted when deciding to continue or cancel.

3. External Factors -We all know that the financial impact from canceling a meeting or event can be devastating. In addition, the public relations impact can also be serious. Consider a hypothetical meeting professional who still wants to hold her Mexico event in the coming days. Everyone has their airline tickets already; the site is far from any of the current flu outbreaks; the topic is extremely time-sensitive and keyed to a crucial product release; the client stands to lose significant market share if the meeting is not held in May. Consider the impact on the client, the brand, the planner and almost everyone else involved if someone took ill during the meeting or, heaven forbid, died as a result of this illness. Aside from the tragic, preventable loss of life and terrible impact on the victim's family, those who survive the event may not survive the PR fallout.

4. Alternatives - It never fails that when a person is faced with canceling or proceeding with a meeting, those are the only choices they consider. There are potentially better alternatives. If you were to hold a meeting in a hotel that is part of a chain, talk to your representative about moving it to another city or location, depending on the emergency, while staying with that chain. Sometimes the event schedule can be altered to keep your event in the planned location and not be impacted by a crisis. If, for example, you are in Florida and a hurricane may hit your location on the last day of your four-day meeting, shorten the meeting to two days, (to allow for everyone's safe departure), and extend the hours of the meeting. Disruptive and a pain, yes, but if it avoids a larger loss of revenue or inconvenience, then bring it up as part of the decision-making process.

Ultimately, hard decisions have to be made in crises like the current Swine Flu outbreak. My own schedule and travel plans will be impacted by this pandemic, as our Florida MPI chapter presidents decide whether to hold, cancel, move or reschedule our joint May Cancun planning workshop.

Although no process is perfect, and we have to be mindful that situations vary from location to location, it is imperative that those of us in the industry develop methods, tools, techniques and plans to help us become better decision-makers and, ultimately, better meeting professionals.

[Andrew Walker]

Response from Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC):

Swine Flu – Communications Strategy and
Key Messages for Canada’s Tourism Industry

Current Status (April 28, 2009 – 2:30 PM)

An outbreak of the H1N1 flu strain, known as “Swine Flu”, has originated in Mexico with more than 1,600 known cases of the disease. At present, there are eight known cases in Canada – two in British Columbia, two in Alberta and four in Nova Scotia. In the United States, there are 40 known cases thus far.

Canada’s tourism sector is clearly aware of the impact that a potential pandemic may have on the industry’s well-being, given the affect of the SARS scare. Currently, three countries (India, Malaysia, and Australia) have issued varying levels of warnings with regard to travelling to Canada, although all of these have grouped us in with the U.S. and Mexico, and none have singled out Canada specifically.

TIAC President and CEO Randy Williams is in contact with relevant authorities at Transport Canada and Health Canada, and is in regular communication with the U.S. Travel Association to assess the current status of the disease and its possible impacts on the industry. TIAC is also coordinating with the Canadian Airports Council and the National Airlines Council of Canada.

Strategic Approach

It is still early in the development of this story to assess and understand what will be the impact on Canada in general and our tourism sector in particular. In general, tourism should not take the lead in communications on this issue.

At present, there is not sufficient reason to be aggressive in a media approach to this story. It would be ill-advised to put out any pro-active media products (communiqués, media releases or statements), as that will only serve to raise fears of an outbreak.

However, as the story of the outbreak is developing quickly, we should track on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour basis and be prepared to adjust our messages and tactics. We should also be prepared to cooperate on our messaging and share information as it becomes available. TIAC will continue to monitor this situation, and will provide updates to stakeholders on this issue.

Key Messages

It is important that we are careful and circumspect in our dealings with the media, and that we not contribute to a perception that this event is having an undue influence on Canada’s tourism sector. Therefore, individuals who are contacted by the media for a reaction to the Swine Flu outbreak should consider the following key messages:

* At this point, swine flu is a reason for concern for the tourism industry, but not for alarm.

* Swine flu is a public health issue, and any questions concerning the current state of the disease and its presence in Canada should be directed to the relevant public health authorities in your province or territory. Tourism stakeholders should not assess the possible risks to travellers.

* Anyone speaking with members of the media on this issue should be concise with their comments. At this point, we should refrain from speculating on the possible impact of the disease on travel, and we should not provide anecdotal evidence on the impact that it might have on tourism.

* At this time, the World Health Organization is not recommending any trade or travel restrictions in reaction to the swine flu.

For more information

* The World Travel Organization’s special site for travel advisories: http://www.sos.travel/

* Public Health Agency of Canada: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ ; http://www.fightflu.ca/ or call 1-800-454-8302

* Travel notices and advisories: http://voyage.gc.ca

* Information from the Canadian Tourism Commission: http://www.corporate.canada.travel/en/ca/

* For more information on the Swine Flu – Communications Strategy and Key Messages for Canada’s Tourism Industry, please contact:

Kevin Desjardins
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
Tel.: 613-238-6251
Mobile: 613-240-7225
Fax: 613-238-3878

[Andrew Walker]

USA Today: Swine flu fears may hammer travel industry

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-27-swine-flu-travel-industry-hurt_N.htm

[Nikki Wright]

Minimize Your Risk of Infection and Spread:

There are measures to minimize the risk of being infected. These steps include washing your hands, controlling coughs and sneezes, staying home when sick, and talking to a health professional if you experience flu-like symptoms.

Federal and Ontario Public Health unit information sites for more information on confirmed cases of the outbreak and protective measures that the public can take.

The Public Health Agency of Canada

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/media/nr-rp/2009/2009_0426_swine-eng.php

Ministry of Health & Long Term Care

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/updates/archives/hu_09/swine_flu.html