CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS – SAMPLE ONE WEEK MANAGEMENT PLAN
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A SAMPLE PLAN. VISITBRITAIN STARTS A SEVEN DAY
MANAGEMENT PLAN WHEN A CRISIS IS IDENTIFIED.
TIMING
MANAGEMENT
EXTERNAL
COMMUNICATIONS
INTERNAL
COMMUNICATIONS
FIRST
HOUR
VB Staff alert Crisis Comms
Team/press office to incident
Log all media calls, no proactive
statement issued until basic
facts are verified.
Crisis Comms team to work with
HR on initial communications to
staff. This should include:

Any specific advice for
staff welfare – ie from
the Met Police or TfL

Request for all staff to
update voicemails and
stop using internet

Emphasis on all media
queries going through
press office

Update on what action
VB is taking
Incident is verified with official
sources
Comms team alerts Chief
Exec, Chairman, Directors,
Department Heads, DCMS
Crisis Comms Team Leader
and Chief Exec decide how
incident will be managed – ie if
out of hours, in office or from
home – and which staff
members are required
Establish incident folder within
G Drive, Business Continuity
Management folder. Ask IT for
priority status.
Check that any overseas
journalists or trade brought to
UK by VB are safe.
SECOND
HOUR
Fact gathering/liaison with
relevant partners – RDPs’,
NTBs,
overseas
offices,
industry partners, DCMS,
FCO, DEFRA
If severe incident Director of
Strategy & Comms to call
TIER meeting for following
day.
Chief Exec office alert Board
members.
Holding statement drafted as
soon as possible. To include
facts only, no speculation on
nature or impact of incident.
Distribute to stakeholders as
appropriate.
Alert overseas managers and
press officers to incident and
request monitoring and update
of overseas news reporting.
Holding statement to be used for
consumer websites overseas at
managers’ discretion.
Identify any industry mailings or
marketing activity which may
need to be pulled in light of the
crisis.
In a major incident press office
to draw up 24hr rota for media
handling
Update holding statement and
place on website.
Send statement to overseas
offices for use at the manager’s
discretion for either consumers
or media.
Send statement to BLVC to
answer customer queries.
Arrange an IAG Meeting.
Issue managers checklist.
Contact BLVC, determine who is
manager and key contact at that
time and brief as above.
Consider need for separate
message to overseas-based staff.
Update staff and BLVC on
incident.
Stress all media
enquiries must go through press
office.
Continue to give any security and
travel advice at regular intervals.
Continue to keep overseas staff
briefed.
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS – ONE WEEK MANAGEMENT PLAN (cont.)
THIRD
HOUR
Establish
lines
of
communication with other
parties involved in incident e.g
police/emergency
services/government
departments.
If possible, a more substantive
statement should be signed off
by Chief Exec/Director of Strat
Comms and issued to media,
TIER and IAG.
Post
statement on website send to
overseas offices and BLVC.
Updated statement to be issued to
staff and BLVC.
Continue to give any security and
travel advice at regular intervals.
Identify VB spokespeople.
Continue to log media calls
and monitor news outputs and
emergency services websites.
FOURTH
HOUR
END OF DAY
ONE
First meeting of IAG. Agree
status of incident, VB team to
handle the incident, implications
for current marketing activity,
staff welfare issues, and
external
communication
requirements. Decide whether
additional
measures
are
required such as a 24 hour rota,
travel to overseas office if that is
where the incident has
occurred,
technology
requirements.
Continue to log media calls
and monitor news outputs and
emergency services websites.
Decide what the out-of-hours
staffing
and
technology
requirements are. This should
include media spokespeople.
Establish out-of-hours service
and update voicemails.
Ensure managers checklist and
overseas impact questionnaire
have been issued.
Continue to give any security and
travel advice at regular intervals.
Issue managers checklist.
Identify out-of-hours contacts
for key organisations such as
NTBs or DCMS.
Log all media interviews, alert
media monitoring agency if
tapes are required.
TIER – Tourism Industry Emergency Response group (chaired and managed by VB)
IAG – VB’s Internal Action Group
Any further information/statements
emailed to staff.
MORNING
DAY TWO
IAG
meet
to
review
developments and handling of
incident. Decide on actions
required for the day, identify
media spokespeople for the
day.
Monitor news outputs and
travel and security advice.
Update
statement
if
necessary, including any
appropriate feedback from
overseas offices.
If required, TIER meeting to
take place at Thames
Tower/BLVC to discuss impact
of incident on the industry and
how TIER will handle the
incident.
Agree TIER
statement at the meeting.
Issue statement from TIER if
required. Distribute to crisis
comms distribution list. Send
industry e-bulletin.
TIER take decision re
commission
of
impact
assessment study.
AFTERNOON
DAY TWO
Brief IAG via email or meeting
on the outcomes of TIER
meeting.
Decide what the out-of-hours
staffing
and
technology
requirements are. This should
include media spokespeople.
Update staff at earliest opportunity
with status of the crisis and any
security or travel advice and what
actions VB is taking.
Contact relevant tourism
businesses to determine what
impact the crisis may be
having.
Establish out-of-hours service
and update voicemails.
Any further information/statements
emailed to staff and BLVC.
Identify out-of-hours contacts
for key organisations such as
NTBs or DCMS.
Log all media interviews, alert
media monitoring agency if
tapes are required.
DAY THREE
If required, IAG meet to review
developments and handling of
incident. Decide on actions
required for the day, identify
media spokespeople for the
day.
Monitor news outputs and
travel and security advice.
Update
statement
if
necessary, including any
appropriate feedback from
overseas offices and industry.
Update on incident and VB’s Crisis
Comms, issued via intranet.
DAY FOUR
FIVE AND SIX
Brief IAG with developments
and handling of incident.
Decide on actions required for
the day, identify media
spokespeople for the day.
Monitor news outputs and
travel and security advice.
Update
statement
if
necessary, including any
appropriate feedback from
overseas offices and industry.
Update on incident and VB’s Crisis
Comms, issued via intranet.
DAY SEVEN
Brief IAG with developments
and handling of incident.
Decide on actions required for
the day, identify media
spokespeople for the day.
Monitor news outputs and
travel and security advice.
Update
statement
if
necessary, including any
appropriate feedback from
overseas offices and industry.
Update on incident and VB’s Crisis
Comms, issued via intranet.
TIER Meeting to review
developments and handling of
incident. Update statement
Consider marketing recovery
activity.
Ensure Board, BTDC and
strategic partners are kept
informed.
Arrange meeting
accounts.
of
key