CRISIS COMMUNICATIONPLAN COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL SALMA VAN DE VEN CO4E , 2195330 2259XADV14
NAME LECTURER; ANNA ZHURAVEL
TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION 2. CRISIS ANALYSIS 3. ISSUE LIFE CYCLE 4. RISK MATRIX 5. ARENA ANALYSIS 6. WHAT IF 7. COMMUNICATION ADVICE 8. ATTATCHMENTS
INTRODUCTION The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella) is an annual three-day music and arts festival, founded by Paul Tollett, and organized by Goldenvoice (a subsidiary of AEG Live) and it’s held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire’s Coachella Valley. The event features many genres of music, including rock, indie, hip hop and electronic music as well as large sculptural art. The event has several stages-tents that have been constructed throughout the grounds, with each one of them playing live music continuously for the duration of the festival. The main stages are: Coachella Stage, Outdoor Theatre, Gobi Tent, Mojave Tent, and the Sahara Tent (2006 and 2011 also saw the addition of a smaller Oasis Dome).
Coachella showcases popular and established musical artists, as well as emerging artists and reunited groups. Notable appearances in the past include: Amy Winehouse, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Prince, Paul McCartney, Arcade Fire, Wu-Tang Clan, The Killers, Radiohead, Daft Punk, Madonna, The Cure, Kanye West, Gorillaz, The Black Keys, Rage Against the Machine, Beck, Nine Inch Nails, The Strokes, The White Stripes, Jay-Z, Beastie Boys, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Foo Fighters. Coachella is one of the largest, most famous, and most profitable music festivals in the United States. In 2014, the festival tallied an attendance of 579,000 and grossed a record-breaking $78.3 million.
Even though its growing popularity among celebrity visitors, sponsored partnerships and outrageous package prices, Coachella is still a place where one can experience talented, up-andcoming artists before they make it big. And let’s be honest, being able to brag to your grandchildren about “discovering” famous artists is worth the admission fee. (Daniel Simon, The Desert Sun ) Since 2014 Global Inheritance has partnered up with Coachella in order to submit the visitors to an interactive, environmental and educational programming.
GOALS With a shared passion for fostering creativity and imagination, Global Inheritance + Coachella’s major goal is to design interactive programs that can be integrated seamlessly into the festival experience. The mission for every program is to create a meaningful experience that people can share with other festival attendees and/or friends, family and people outside the festival. We want to reward festival attendees who approach issues with a positive mindset and adopt practices (like carpooling, recycling, conserving energy usage, embracing renewable energy sources and other likeminded ideas) in their everyday life. The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is committed to efforts that contribute to the betterment of the Coachella Valley and save the environment. Among the several initiatives to achieve that goal are:
• a carpool (Carpoolchella) • TRASHed: Art of Recycling • 10 for 1 Bottle Exchange ( bring back 10 empty bottles and get one free water bottle) • Energy FACTory DJ Mixer • Energy Battle Royal • Energy Playground With its focus on environmental issues and sustainability the festival is a great event for those who want to save the planet and enjoy the music at the same time.
COACHELLA SUSTAINABILITY
SPONSORS - ABSOLUT - Cupcake Vineyards - H&M - Heineken - JBL - MIO - Sephora - Spotify
ISSUE ANALYSIS In this chapter the three most relevant issues of Coachella will be discussed, in order to point this out we will have a look at the issue life cycle. After that the risk analysis, arena analysis and advice will be given revolving “What if situations”.
Most attendees had to do it with their sunglasses. Wu-Tang clan, performing a 20th anniversary show, called it “Hurricane Wu.” “We didn’t expect a mother***** sandstorm,” they told the crowd. ( Eric Zassenhaus, April 14, 2013)
1. WEATHER
Another customer’s review about the desert weather; “- Unpredictable, but generally warmto-hot weather: Prepare for lots of sun and very little shade. it’s the desert on the precipice of summer. however, there is always a chance for high winds, which will blow enormous amounts of dirt, dust and sand everywhere. There is a slight chance you will experience a little rain (It’s happ gc vbg ened twice) and night time has the potential to get really cold.” (Jason N., 5/2/2014)
Since the Coachella Arts & Music Festival is located in the Inlands of the Coachella Valley, where temperatures can range from 5 °C (2012) up to 51 °C (in 1999), the weather conditions during the festival can play an important role. Due to its location and climate, heavy rainfall is rare. Though the 2012 edition of Coachella was facing a chilly and stormy start of the festival. (Accuweather, April 13, 2012) Another thing than can occur in the desert is a sandstorm. Reading this comment about the sandstorm a few years ago gives a pretty good image of what desert weather can be like. Blinding sandstorm, “Hurricane Wu,” ends the festival “After a weekend of dealing with scorching hot weather, attendees grappled with a very different weather problem on Coachella’s last night; a good old-fashioned desert sandstorm . The normally clear night sky was obscured by sand. At times the sand blew through so hard it that it was difficult to keep your eyes open. Workers were given bandanas to cover their faces.
It’s up to the Coachella to prepare their visitors from all over the world for the unpredictable climate. In their Q&A section they mention a question concerning the weather conditions; HOW HOT WILL IT GET IN THE DAY AND HOW COLD WILL IT GET AT NIGHT? CLICK HERE FOR COACHELLA VALLEY 10 DAY WEATHER FORECAST INFORMATION CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT THE “AVERAGE” WEATHER IS LIKE IN INDIO, CA. ALL YEAR LONG.
I am missing the part where the organization encourages you to bring a bandana. Reading the customer’s reviews online, it’s a tip that is mentioned in every single one of them. The hard wind dries out your lips and covers you with dust and dirt. Whereas it might not be very smart to be breathing in dust all day. (yelp, 2014) (Coachella, 2014)
2. WATER People at the festival can buy bottles of water for 2 dollars, after that they can re-use these bottles and refill them for free. Drinking enough water with the high temperatures is really vital, and cannot be taken lightly. So far there seem to have been no real issues concerning the water supply. The Coachella Valley however has been struggling with water related issues for a while now. And since the water stations where you can refill your bottles run on tap water, this should definitely be taken into consideration. Although we highly appreciate that Coachella understands the importance of supplying free water to keep everybody hydrated, the water quality needs to be checked constantly.
The Coachella Valley of California seems to be experiencing these negative effects first hand. This region is primarily populated by undocumented farm workers and its community members reported that their greatest concern is the lack of access to potable (drinkable water). Due to the high levels of pesticides in the soil and groundwater, sewage sitting on top of the ground, and the impact of a nearby waste treatment facility affect the soil, water and air quality. The Coachella Music Festival sits in proximity of the previous described conditions. (Elizabeth D. Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior: Person and Environment)
“ Water agencies in the Coachella Valley face complicated challenges, including uncertain supplies of imported water, declining groundwater levels and risks of contaminants tainting the aquifer. Election candidates are now debating ideas about how to address such issues and safeguard the water supply as they vie for posts on two local water agency boards on the Nov. 5 ballot.” (Ian James, The Desert Sun, March 2014)
The festival organisation is already taking steps to make the festival goer more aware about the global water issues. The Oasis Water Bar is an educational and interactive exhibit that playfully engages festival goers with information. The bar served up a full menu of shots, which included not only local and imported tap waters, but also exotic options like glacial, hot spring, sewer, and Moonshine Secret Sauce. The “prices” on the menu were determined by factors such as the difficulty of filtration, the abundance of the source globally, and how far it had to travel to reach Coachella.
According to another source the local communities are suffering the effects of de damages done to the natural environment by humans. Industrial and agricultural practices put toxins in the soil, water and air.
Oasis Water Bar
3.
SECURITY ISSUES
Behind the festivities, the stages and art installations, lies a massive security operation that transforms the green fields into a safety-minded miniature city for a few weeks out of the year. Extensive security measures are partly why high-profile celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Justin Bieber, both of whom have been spotted at the popular festival, are able to wonder around the festival grounds like any other music lover. The festival’s exclusive VIP packages with its $6,000 a night Safari tents attract famous and important people who need to feel secured when enjoying the festival. Everyone is under the watching eye of the festival’s organisation. Due to the radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip embedded in your wristband, Indio police is aware of your exact whereabouts during your stay. "From the moment you step into the venue we know where you are," said Ben Guitron, Indio police spokesman. Goldenvoice uses the RFID technology in the wristbands to “manage access and control of people coming to the concert,” he explained. Also used to differentiate VIPs from the masses, the RFID wristbands are Goldenvoice’s property to monitor and are just a small part of a larger safety operation.
In agreement with the city’s policy, Goldenvoice has an safety operation plan ready at all times, including medical, police and fire services. Outside law enforcement and contracted security are also ready to help when needed. An evolving plan Near Jackson Street and Avenue 52, a sea of law enforcement and emergency vehicles, which included Indio City fire engines, Palm Springs police cars and others from various parts of the Coachella Valley, were parked adjacent to the day parking area.( Reza Gostar, The Desert Sun, April 2014) They are all part of the “what if scenarios,” said Guitron. “The more this becomes a world-wide event, the more this becomes a target. Everything that is here is here for logistics concerns.” Guitron said first responders are prepared to respond to a range of scenarios during the festival, from fans storming the gates and unruly crowds to earthquakes and live shooters. “We have to be prepared for anything that might go wrong during the concert,” he said. “It has been a learning process.” The security challenges have created a “very professional and open relationship with city departments and Goldenvoice,
and as the concert has grown, so have the logistic capabilities, Guitron explained. Besides the safety of the festival and its visitors and artist, the safety of the nearby residents is also of great importance. According to Goldenvoice, it has put in a lot of effort and money into making sure residents in nearby areas are not troubled by the festival. They have hired security guards to patrol to gated communities and neighbourhoods in proximity of the festival. A special hotline can be reached if residents have any issues, complaints or questions. All of these measures are explained in the special "neighbourhood action plan”. In order to facilitate the huge traffic number, the organisation has helped to fund for the widening and paving of streets around the festival grounds. This has improved the traffic flow towards the festival. Cautionary tales One of the bigger risks that is hard to control are some of the controversies and tragedies that have happened over the years. In 2008, for example, the La Mesa resident Benjamin Muller, 21, was found unconscious about a quarter mile north of the Coachella venue. He was camping offsite and friends found him unresponsive in a tent. He was pronounced dead later the same day.
The usage of drugs has a huge impact on these happenings. During the first weekend alone the police made 84 arrests with 54 of them being alcohol-related and 30 were drugrelated offenses. Then last Sunday another tragedy occurred when a 24-year-old Oakland woman Kimchi Truong collapsed while she was at the festival. The Thursday after she was pronounced dead. Authorities investigated the role that drugs and alcohol may have played in Truong's death. The usage of drugs is causing high risks when combined with dehydration. In 2011, a 23-yearold woman was sexually assaulted by a parking attendant who was working the event. The man was convicted in December 2013 for multiple counts of sexual battery and forcible sexual penetration, according to court documents. After each incident, police have evaluated what changes needed to be made, like providing easier access to certain areas for police and making other areas of the festival more visible, Guitron said. Together with the police Goldenvoice works with the recommendations that it’s given to improve security on an ongoing basis. For example, to increase security at the toilet area, separate areas were created for men and women. And each area has their own security guard assigned to them.
ISSUE LIFE CYCLE In the issue life cycle the issues will be measured according to this instrument. By using this instrument we can establish in which stage the issue is at the moment.(Jaques,2007) WEATHER The weather is always unpredictable and it is definitely not controllable. In general the weather in Southern California is pretty good this time of the year. But safety measures have to be taken in advance. Both bad and extremely good weather can cause problems. There need to be a sufficient amount of areas where people can get away from the sun. And in case bad weather is predicted, this should be taken into account as travelling from the venue is definitely not easy. The weather seems to be in a dormant phase, as it can never be taken out of account and is relevant until the festival is actually over. WATER Is not a real issue at the moment, and therefor remains in the potential stage, but it could be a really big issue, if not watched closely. Given the huge amount of water that is used during the festival, and the fact that basically everyone is depending on it, but also everyone is exposed to it. So in the case of contamination the effects would be unreal.
RISK MATRIX SECURITY ISSUES It is probably the realest issue that the organization is coping with at a very regular basis. It is to say that it is in a current stage. While this year’s edition of the festival came with 226 arrests in total, that is less than one % of the total amount of visitors. During the second weekend these arrests consisted of 20 arrests for being drink in public, 53 arrests were related to illegal narcotics, 57 arrests for alcohol violations, one person had been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, another for obstructing an officer arrest and one warrant arrest. (Wong, 2015) (Max Meng, 2009) This year there has been one Coachella- related death reported on April 22 of 23-yearold Jannick Anderson of San Diego. He was struck by a Union Pacific Train the early morning while trespassing. The organization responded to this sad news with this message: : “It was an unfortunate accident and our hearts go out to friends and family of the deceased,” Castillo said. “Pedestrians, bicycles and motorists need to be very aware of the hazards associated with trains and should never attempt to cross the tracks without following the proper signage.”
In this chapter, the issues will be measured according to the risk matrix. WEATHER - Medium & very likely With the climate changes and uncontrollable weather situations it should be something that the organization keeps a close eye on. Just in case weather conditions change for the worse. A huge heat wave could have major impact where a lot of people could pass out or dehydrate. When attending a festival one is not always paying attention to all the conditions and therefor the organization should be able to assist when weather conditions like this occur or better yet prevent, by have enough manpower to hand out sun-lotion, water and watermist to cool the visitors. Also enough shade should be available, given the location this is something the organization has to take care of themselves. On the other hand impact can be huge when a storm would hit the festival grounds. The location in the ‘desert’ can cause dangerous sand storms, and when something like this would occur the most dangerous part of it would probably be crowd control. Getting the visitors safe, but in a calm matter where no other visitors get trapped will be difficult. Like the situation a couple of years ago in Belgium for example. Something like this could happen and given the location getting all the people safe will be a challenge.
WATER- Major & Possible The probability of serving the festival visitors contaminated water is not very likely, but should be taken in account nonetheless. Seeing the reports about contamination in the Coachella Valley area is very concerning. And therefore the water should be controlled and checked on a constant base. If for example, the quality of the water is taken for granted horrible things could happen. Imagine contaminating all the festival goers with bad water, who knows what the health results will be and what can happen to them. This can hurt the reputation of Coachella, cost them a lot of money because let’s face it, healthcare in the United States is very expensive and people will probably need a compensation for the damage that has been done to them. SECURITY ISSUES – Major - Likely Security at festivals is always very important. And the likelihood of something bad happening is very high. As previously mentioned there had been several arrests this year. But given the high amount of celebrities, Bloggers and import people is it of even more importance to the festival to keep it safe. The celebrities come with their own guards in some of the cases, but some just go with a group of friends. They should definitely be able to enjoy Coachella like everyone else, but it should be
very safe. There are a lot of crazy people out there, and the tragedies that could occur go beyond imagination. So it is very important that the staff on the premises is very trustworthy in order to create a very secure environment. This year several girls had been molested by one of the employees who was working on the parking lot. After this they made sure bathrooms were separate and came with guards, so girls would feel safer. (wong, 2015) But as you can see it is very important to have a good selection process for the people working the event. Bad things can happen, especially when it comes from within the organization. Image that someone has bad intentions and plans a shooting. Therefor I feel like focus on the security issues is very important.
ARENA ANALYSIS Whenever an issue takes place, it can become a crisis. A crisis can be defined as the following: “An organizational crisis is a low probability, high impact event that threatens the viability of the organization and is characterized by ambiguity of cause, effects and means of resolution, as well as by a belief that decisions must be made swiftly.” (Christine Pearson and Judith Clair, 1998, p. 60) Because of recent events in the United States and the likelyhood of safety issues at Coachella, I believe that it is very important to have a closer look at this issue. LONGLIST - State of California, Indio (Coachella Valley) - Government - Artists - Volunteers - Campers - Celebrities/ Bloggers - Union Pacific trains - Visitors - Visitors’ family - Media - Inhabitants of Indio - Uber - Taxi
- Bus shuttle - Staff Management - Indio Police Department - NGO’s
WHAT IF Reputation management for Coachella is very vital. Reputation can be described as trust, the trust you have in an organization. (Dalton, 2011) Imagine losing the trust of your visitors, especially with their enormous following and impact on social media. This is especially important for Coachella because of the crowd that they attract. As the popularity of the festival is still increasing, so is the crowd that is visiting the music festival. It is no longer a place for the typical rock music fans. The endless high end possibilities at Coachella, such as the $5200 fourperson tents come with its very own crowd. For a few years now, Coachella has been attracting some of the most influential style bloggers out there. Who are not just for there the music, but also for the fashion and the exclusive pool parties that are organized by brands. So looking at realistic events let’s imagine that a very big blogger would be molested by one of coachella’s employees. He would have an easy excuse and tell her that he has to escort her somewhere, and then he would be able to take advantage of her. As it is something that has happened already but with normal girls, ad therefor has not received that much attention. in this case it would be different. She would have a huge influence on the reputation of the Festival. The message that this blogger can
put out there will reach thousands of people. Also very imprtant is how Coachella would handle the situations, the allegations, and the immediate actions they would take in order to prevent similar things and do some image damage control. After all they are the one who have hired this person. In the next chapter I will elaborate on the communication advice for such a crisis. But for one I want to emphasize the importance of monitoring the situation for the organization. Acoording to Dalton it all starts with that, Monitoring, Forecasting how an issue will develop , its intensity and potential to cause fear or outcry among key publics. Here it is of importance to be able to evaluate how certain trends are evolving and it this case, evaluate and forecast the outcome of the social media influence of these bloggers, who are the influencers in this case. (Dalton, 2011) The existence of several online tools can help to track what’s happening on social media. Depending on the situation, it can be of vital importance to respond as soon as possible to things that can be said on these social media platforms in order to limit further confusion and incorrect information that might be spread.
COMMUNICATION ADVICE, STRATEGY & MESSAGE First let’s take a look at the type of crisis that has happened. According to W. Timothy Coombs different types of crisis clusters can be distinguished: Victim cluster, in this case the organization is also a victim of what has happened. Then there is the accidental cluster; the organizations actions leading up to the crisis were unintentional. And then there is the preventable cluster, in this case the organization has knowingly put people at risk by taking inappropriate actions or violated a law. In this case the organization is in the accidental cluster, the organization has unintentionally hired a person who cannot be trusted and who has caused damage to another person. The hiring of this person has however, made it possible for the criminal to deceive this girl. At this moment it is not clear if the situation could have been prevented by having a more intense screening process. (Coombs, 2007) STRATEGY In order to address this situation we will use the reminder strategy; reminding the stakeholders of the so far very safe environment of the festival. And all this because of the proper staffing and elaborate planning. It’s based on the previous good work of the festival. Since 2008 2 people have passed away that are connected to Coachella, one from an overdose and another was hit by a train outside the premises while trespassing.
With 160.000 visitors a year, the festival is extremely safe and Coachella sees to that. To emphasise the importance of safety we use the strategy “safety first”. (Stamsnijder, 2002) (Patric R. Spence, 2007) In this situation Coachella should first express their feelings towards the victim of course and friends and family. In private talk about the event, help her with further steps, police report, guidance etc. Then make sure that immediately extra checks will be performed about the employees and their backgrounds. It’s very important that the organization has the best possible reputation given the situation in the eyes of the victim in order to limit the negativity that could be spread through this blogger on social media. This could have a very negative effect on the general image of the festival because this blogger has so much influence out there. It is vital to communicate the importance of safety for the organization. And that they have been working on this ever since the beginning. Also that they will make changes to improve the safety of the festival goers, that for example there will always be more than one guard, and that there will be extra teams that will move around the area. The focus is on learning from this, and making sure everything is safe for our visitors.
MESSAGE According to the CRA principle, which stands for Care, Responsibility and Action. The message will be told by a spokesperson of the organization of Coachella. “we regret that one of our own employees has caused harm to one of our dear festival goers earlier this evening. She is out of danger and our thoughts go out to her and her family. We are doing everything possible to prevent further damage and we want to resolve this issue the best way we can. In order to overcome this horrible situation we will fully cooperate with the Indio Police Department. There is no reason to worry, the person in question has been taken into custody by the Police. After the more general, first message a second message should be communicated with the next steps and an update about the situation of the molester.Together with a message towards the people present at the festival, to maintain on festival grounds.
TARGET AUDIENCE The most important target groups in this issue are the groups that are present at the festival, the management of Coachella, artists, employees, volunteers, bloggers, celebrities, campers, the Indio police department and the media. In this case, we assume that the incident has taken place Friday April 10 2015. PRESS RELEASE For the several media a press release will be held and a press kit will be spread with all the important information, this way the organization will try to contain the confusion around the issue. Also there will be a special phone line opened in case there are any concerns or questions about the situation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY (Daniel Simon, 2015) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 http://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/coachella/2015/01/18/coachella-music-festivalhardcore-fans/21965719/ (April 2013) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/2012-coachella-valley-festival/63918 ( Eric Zassenhaus, April 14, 2013) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 http://www.scpr.org/blogs/news/2013/04/15/13298/coachella-2013-r-kelly-not-daft-punk-aresaturday/ (Jason N., 5/2/2014) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 http://www.yelp.com/biz/coachella-indio-2?hrid=Z2WZdpItPKm4MW79X3Ng_Q geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 https://www.coachella.com/festival-info/ (yelp, 2014) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 http://www.yelp.com/biz/coachella-indio-2 (Ian James, The Desert Sun, March 2014) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2013/10/31/coachella-valley-water-problems-remain-a-hot-topic/3322213/ (Heidi Kindberg Goss, 2014 ) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 http://www.globalinheritance.org/water-programs/ (Jasmine, 2013) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 http://www.alternativeconsumer.com/2013/04/26/eco-art-and-sustainable-attractions-at-the-2013-coachellavalley-music-festival/#sthash.TOwf2C5o.dpuf (Elizabeth D. Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior: Person and Environment) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 https://books.google.nl/books?id=pU6LBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA242&lpg=PA242&dq=water+issues+at+coachella+music+festival&source=bl&ots=mDfhayhOto& sig=8RF5IUFd2ns-0m2dh8fjqQHj1y4&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=F9W8VOOaL8WzUYW8hOAD&ved=0CGAQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=water%20issues%20at%20 coachella%20music%20festival&f=false (Jaques,2007) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 Issues Management and Crisis Communication, T. Jaques, 2006, Issue management: Process versus progress, Journal of Public Affairs, 6 (1) (2006), pp. 69–74. Consulted on 10 January 2015. (Max Meng, 2009) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 http://www.alexanderps.com/Index/BLOG/CC888933-80F7-4617-A3BC-1B63C45C6776.html (Christine Pearson and Judith Clair, 1998, p. 60) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 Pearson, C. M. & Clair, J. A. (1998) Reframing Crisis Management. Academy of Management Review 32 (1) 59-76 Coombs, T. (2007), Protecting organization reputations during a crisis: The development and application of situational crisis communication theory, Department of Communication Studies, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL (Wong, 2015 ) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 , Grace Wong, Dailybulletin.com (Stamsnijder, 2002) Goed nieuws in kwade tijden. Crisiscommunicatie in de praktijk. In P. Samsnijder, Goed nieuws in kwade tijden. Crisiscommunicatie in de praktijk. Schoonhoven: Academic Serivce (Patric R. Spence, 2007) geraadpleegd op 16 juni 2015 Patric R. Spence, K. A. (2007). Crisis Communication, Race, and Natural Disasters. Journal of Black Studies  
PROCES 1. What did you know on forehand about the situation (facts)? I knew the festival Burning man, and had once seen a documentary about the festival. Therefor I knew more or less about the conditions. I also heard about Ebola as it was very much in the news at that time. 2. Can you determine the type of crisis the company or organisation was dealing with? A festival goer entered the festival with the ebola virus and died from it. 3. Who was part of the spokesman team? - 2 Ebola experts - Head of security - Head of medical care - CEO Burning Man (me) 4. Why did you choose those people/ roles? It seemed like a right decision to involve these people. - We came up with a new strategy. The strategy was about tracking the friends of the possible ebola victim. All visitors of the festival had to be checked for any possible virus. Role: head of medical care. Ebola experts were present to answer questions about ebola and what it exactly is. The CEO could answer more general questions. 5. What do you think of the preparation in your team? It was quite easy, we divided the roles and the split the group in two, and both worked on our things.
6. What do think of your role during the preparation and press conference I was the CEO of the conference, so I had quite a lot of responsibility, it was a little bit scary, but went quite well. Although the journalists came with some unrealistic facts but I was able to stay calm and answer the questions according to plan. 7. What do you think of the press conference in general? Tips & tops Tops: It was a good practice, and definitely gives an insight in press conferences. Better than just reading about it for example. Tips: Some of the people didn’t take it as seriously as we did, and it was at the end of the day so it was quite hard to focus and prepare. CONTENT 2. Content A. Did you prepare a Q&A and did it cover all the questions? – We tried to prepare for as many questions as possible. However we did have a hard time answering some questions. Did you think of a key message, how did you use the knowledge from the course? If so, include the key message (1/2 page)Yes we started with an introduction, where we welcomed the public and introduced the other members. We stated that the questions could be asked after the statement given by me, CEO.
C. Did you think of a strategy and how did you follow that strategy? - We discussed our story and made sure everyone stays stuck to the strategy during the conference. In our opinion we managed to do this well, however some questions were really hard just because they kept on asking about one aspect of the issue. They stated that one of them had slept with the ebola patient and therefor was also infected, which was not really realistic and could not be answered seriously. D. Which questions did you prepare, why those? Was the answer satisfactory and if not, how did you react? As CEO I did not prepare questions, but worked on the story and background info in order to be able to answer the question that I would be asked. 3. Experience A. What have you learned from this experience? Reflect on both roles - I learned to be professional and keep very calm. Even in moments when people try to get you down. I had to stay calm in order to improvise well and still come across as believable. I focused more on my role as CEO as it would be more important at that moment I believed. B. What would you do the same and what would you do differently next time? I would love to prepare better, and also think more about potential situations and questions the opposed team could come up with to be stronger.
C. How has this experience contributed to you as a professional? As I mentioned before I have learned to stay very calm and respond in professional matter and not just fire back as an impulse. Common Q&A list for the conference of Rock Werchter: - How many people have access to the leaked information? - Are all the visitors of the festival informed? → Facebook change Do you have any idea who the hackers are? Are they well-known hackers? In what stages are you as an organisation with the research report? What would people want/do with the data? What kind of data is it about? What will you do to ensure that the tapes will not be hacked next time? Are you going to re-use next year of the straps and the company? Is there any measurable harm to victims?