1. Social Media Flash Crisis: Best Practices for Handling Negative Comments, Posts and OpinionsPresented by Adele Cehrs Epic PR Group

2. Why this is important to you

Reputation is an important asset to event planners

Attendee feedback can have a positive or negative impact on future events

• Attendance

• Speaker participation

• Event location, etc

3. What were going to do

Key takeaways

Nine ways to prepare & respond to social media & event crises

Event crisis flow chart

4. 1. Prepare for potential crisis issues

Evaluate the situation & understand potential risks

Know the 5 Ws Who to call, When to call, Where to call and Why to call.

Update communication contingency plans

Tools you can use

5. 2. Assemble a crisis response team

Be open, yet limit people involved

Know the right people-- EMTs, closest hospital, onsite medics, police, fire, security, public relations

Follow the plan

6. 3. Monitor your events online

Cant address what you dont know

• Assign staff to monitor Twitter/Facebook in real time and throughout the event

• Monitor overall tone of attendees Online

Establish Hash Tags for each session

7. 4. To respond or to not respond?

Keys to understanding when to respond W.H.O.

• W ho affects

• H ow affects

• O utcome potential

Positive language

Responding to customer service issues/concerns

8. 5. Provide positive digital content

Conversations will happen: Push the RIGHT content before & after event

Develop Event Editorial Calendar

Offer posts, Tweets, Blogs and LinkedIn updates

9. 6. Recruit members & fans

Events have fans: Find yours

Influence the Influencers

Structured participation

Provide examples

10. 7. Get content leaders involved

Content leader engagement: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Promote programming

Provide suggested content, guidelines & key deadlines

11. 8. Be transparent

Nobody is perfect problems will arise

Be honest

Tell how you are generally addressing the issue

Everyone wants to be heard let attendees know you are listening

12. 9. Remain calm

Its not personal (usually)

Dont cloud your judgment respond rationally; not emotionally

You cannot do EVERYTHING

• Lean on your team

• Bring in the experts

13. Crisis Scenario #1 A national association of health and nutrition professionals has scheduled its annual conference in Miami, right in the middle of hurricane season. The day before the conference, the National Weather Service announces an impending tropical storm. Attendees are posting their questions on Facebook about how the weather will impact the conference. The association leaders are dragging their feet to make a decision about whether to reschedule the conference or not, but attendees are demanding answers. What do you do? 14. Twist #1 Twist:Thankfully a hurricane did not reach Miami or your event site. However, the inclement weather did affect the majority of the attendees travel schedule and over half missed the welcome reception the opening night. Attendees are upset and want their money back. 15. Crisis Scenario #2 A national organization for the nonprofit community is holding its annual meeting with record-high attendance. The meeting boasts engaging, highly educational sessions, but one speakers, a vendor who has the largest attendance of all the sessions, structures his presentation as a sales pitch for his services.Attendees immediately tweet their frustration and boredom. One attendee even questions the organizations standards for accepting speaker and says he should get a refund. What do you do? 16. Twist #2 Twist:Did we mention this presentation has been given by a high-profile sponsor who has the ear of your boss? He is scheduled to speak again at the conference with the same presentation topic later that day. Worst of all -- he has posted his feelings about how he was treated to your listserv after his first session. 17. Crisis Scenario #3 Day one of a medical-supply convention is complete. You have a contract with a local hotel to offer discounted rates to attendees. One attendee discovers bed bugs in their hotel room.One particularly frustrated attendee posts negative feedback on the conventions Facebook page calling the hotel low class and having poor customer service. Other attendees immediately post comments in agreement. What do you do? 18. Twist #3 Twist:The one person with the hotel room with bed bugs takes a picture of her mattress and sends other attendees into a panic. They start to openly saying they will never attend another convention b/c of these issues. Additionally, the hotel staff has not responded to the guests concerns.The photos have been posted to Facebook (on the event page) with a caption that says, I hate this &X*# hotel. 19. Crisis Scenario #4 The National Technology Geek Council is trying a new technique by live streaming tweets. The tweets are showing up automatically behind the presenter as they are speaking.What do you do? 20. Twist #4 Twist:The speaker is not very articulate. He does not know about the negative tweets that are being posted by the attendees behind him. Once he sees them, he stops his presentation and becomes unable to continue his session. 21. Crisis Scenario #5 You are in charge of events at a luxury property located in the United States. Your property has received some negative reviews on Trip Advisor that you are unaware of. You book a large meeting with 300 attendees who are concerned about the reviews.What do you do? 22. Twist #5 Twist:One of your junior staff members (an intern) has posted replies that are less than savory. This is a reflection of your facility how do you correct it and respond to it? 23. Response flow chart Event Occurs Is this a crisis? Yes No Assemble Crisis Response Team Monitor Online Chatter Respond or not Respond? No Determine Type of Response Yes Respond to individual needs directly Provide Positive Digital Content Recruit Fans and Content Leaders Be Transparent 24. Remember the steps

Prepare for potential crisis

Create a crisis response team

Monitor events

Respond or not respond?

Provide positive digital content

Recruit members and fans

Get content leaders involved

Be transparent

Remain calm

25. Thank You! Adele Cehrs105 N Washington St, Suite 202 Alexandria, VA 22314 www.epicprgroup.com Facebook/Twitter : EpicPRGroupDC