Bullets, Bad Guys, Fire and Brimstone: What You Don’t Know Can and Will Hurt You

The Bataclan Paris. Pulse Nightclub Orlando. Nice Bastille Day. Inland Regional Center San Bernardino. The Boston Marathon.
Terrorism and active shooters. Is it just a matter of time before a Meetings and Event Industry Conference appears in similar
horrific headlines? What about civil unrest, controversial legislation and weather‐related catastrophes such as recent
hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires? These, and other equally disruptive forces may be beyond our control but
defining the role of the meeting owner or event organizer in assuring that their participants are informed and as safe as
possible is not. We can’t prevent every risk scenario, but shouldn’t we prepare for threats even as we hope they never occur?
To be effective, comprehensive safety planning must be a collaboration between the venue and the meeting owner/event
organizer. The meeting owner/event organizer must be in the loop and receive “eyes only” information since they act as the
intermediaries to instantly review and distribute the best information available for the safety and security of participants. The
buzz today is rightly about active shooters and terrorism, yet we face a variety of threats from unexpected forces. The good
work of the venue standard initiatives is welcome and long overdue, but where and how does the planner engage in the
process to insure maximum participant safety?
This session guides the planner through steps in creating their own customized action plan depending on a variety of
components that comprise the individual event.

CEU accreditation pending.

Objectives
1. Comprehend the magnitude of attendee safety issues ‐ it is not just about terrorism or active shooters.
2. Collaborate with suppliers and partners to customize safety tips for your event.
3. Acquire resources to aid in creating plans for multiple events.

Speaker Bio
MaryAnne Bobrow, CAE, CMP, CMM has more than 20 years of experience in association and meetings management. She is
President of Bobrow Associates, Inc., an association and event management company, and is an active member of and
volunteers for multiple industry associations. She also authored chapters for industry‐specific books and writes articles for
and/or records webinars for industry organizations and magazines. She is a frequent presenter at industry events.