Earlier this week, I taught two classes at the TTIA’s Tourism College at Texas State University. The program, in its second year, will lead students who participate all three years to a certificate called “Certified Tourism Executive” or CTE. While teaching the sophomore class this week, we examined a mock crisis in small groups. Our [...]
Crisis Planning includes Packing a Bag
There’s a crisis every day somewhere in the world and plenty of advice from marketing and public relations professionals on how organizations should handle communicating when they happen. But rarely have I seen an attempt to outline the supplies you need to have on hand before your crisis hits. When I was the communications director [...]
6 Mistakes Organizations Make During a Crisis
It happens to every organization at some point. Something sudden and unexpected happens which requires us to act. In tourism organizations, it can be as simple as a weather event which affects daily operation. Or as complicated as an event like the BP Oil Spill. Most disasters fall somewhere in between, but the key to [...]
First Advice in a Crisis: Do No Harm
Do no harm. This was the first thing I was taught about crisis planning, back in the mid-1980s way before cell phones and Twitter. Twenty-plus years later and it’s still the best piece of advice anyone can follow. It is an integral part of every crisis planning and crisis response session I teach. The second [...]
