This conference will explore the following key areas:

• What is crisis communication? What are the main characteristics and what are the typical impacts?
• Developing a systematic crisis communication plan
• Dealing with key stakeholders: from employees and senior management, to the media and general public
• Addressing public perceptions and handling the media
• Outlining potential legal implications
• Exploring the benefits of using new media technologies to communicate your message

Crises happen immediately, and when they do, everybody in the organisation wants to know what is happening, what to do, where to go and how long the crisis will last. Crisis communication and media relations professionals play a pivotal role in managing an organisation through a crisis. Their quick thinking and instinctive understanding of how an issue will play out in the public domain is often crucial in the management of a company’s reputation.

By developing a thorough and effective crisis communication plan that makes use of sophisticated tools, outlines crisis methodologies, and most importantly has the best interests of the organisation’s stakeholders, the media and the public in mind, any crisis situation will be dealt with in a timely and efficient manner, and should not tarnish the organisation’s reputation nor affect its day to day operations.