Oxford International’s Focus on Crisis Management (31/03/2009)
Crisis Management (CM) describes the preparation and processes put in place to manage any potential crisis – that includes comprehensive risk assessment procedures too. Naturally it’s essential that we have a CM strategy prepared for every event that we organise – no matter how small. Not only will it enable us to minimise the impact on your business, but also on your employees, your delegates and their families.
Our aim is to be thoroughly prepared to deal with any situation that might affect your event – from flight delays and missed transfers that need immediate intervention to plane crashes and terrorist activities that require full blown media correspondence and psychological support.
docleaf are specialist in crisis protection and solutions. They’ve been working with us for nearly 5 years and we employ them on a retainer basis. Their services ensure that any new staff we employ receive comprehensive CM training and that we are kept up-to-date with the latest CM tools and techniques. They also regulary review our internal CM strategies to make sure they’re as comprehensive and robust as they can be.
In addition docleaf provide us with 24/7 access to a team of CM professionals that we can call upon in the event of a crisis. That means we can offer our clients the services of a highly qualified team with expertise extending across all areas of CM, including professional trauma and emotional support, as well as communication with the media and stakeholders.
Dr. David Perl, docleaf’s CEO, commented, “Things can happen so quickly that you really don;t have time to think when you’re in the midst of a crisis. Thorough forward planning is therefore essential. Companies like Oxford International, that are responsible for moving people from A to B have a duty of care towards them. We’ve always been very impressed with Oxford International’s professional approach to crisis management. They take their responsibilities very seriously. It’s part of the culture of their business and they demonstrate tremendous professionalism and a level of care, compassion and concern towards their customers that many event organisations could learn from.