Today, Global DMC Partners, the meeting professional’s one worldwide solution for global event success, announces three key takeaways from their highly anticipated Hot Button Panel: A Global Perspective on Emergency Preparedness at the Global DMC Partners Connection 2016 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Moderated by Global DMC Partners President, Catherine Chaulet, the panel consisted of DMC and Customer Advisory Board members as well as Chris Riccardi, Vice President at Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). During the session, the panel reviewed audience survey feedback comprised of what planners, DMCs and hotels believe to be the most pressing concerns when it comes to emergency preparedness. The group discussed both large and small scale emergencies, how to create effective risk management and crisis management plans for different situations, a hands-on assessment of real life emergencies that panelists encountered, and their advice for how to handle similar cases.

Three main takeaways were discussed to ensure that planners and vendors can work better together when it comes to crisis management:

1. Prepare in advance. It is important to ensure the basics are in place. Before every program, ensure that all different forms of attendee contact information and emergency contacts are collected. Take simple precautionary steps like making copies of passports if the group is going international.
2. Engage the local DMCs and hotels in your emergency plans. They are the local experts and are connected to all critical contacts such as vendors, hospitals, law enforcement, embassies and governmental agencies.
3. Train your team. Make sure all of your vendors and suppliers have contingency and emergency plans in place. Take the time during a site visit or pre-con meeting to ask about their security plans.

Catherine Chaulet, President of Global DMC Partners stated, “The truth is, every single emergency is different, but if you have a strong crisis management plan in place, it can be applied to all situations. Our primary goal for hosting this panel discussion was to arm our clients with the many tools necessary to ensure they are confident in handling multiple types of emergency situations.”

“Hosting this panel is just the beginning of our initiative,” said Chaulet. “As the only truly global network of DMCs, our clients are looking to us to help them become better prepared for all types of global emergencies, and we look forward to being that expert resource to them.”