Risk management should be at the top of every planning list for meetings. Potential hazards include manmade threats such as terrorism, shootings, protests and cybercrime. “Natural” occurrences like earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfires are also included. The following are my top 10 tips to help with risk management preparations.

The massive data breach of guest information at Marriott-owned Starwood Hotels & Resorts properties revealed by Marriott International at the end of November 2018 has grown in its severity, with the passport numbers of more than 5 million guests compromised, according to The New York Times.

Meeting planners in the Meetings Today Market Trends Survey respond to whether their organizations have a security or disaster management plan.

The specter of active shooters carrying out mass shootings has fallen on the meetings industry after a drumbeat of such horrific incidents in 2018 and before. Sadly, this realization that a violent attack could occur has become part of our lives, and the “new normal” is to have a heightened sense of awareness and risk management preparation in order to protect attendees at events.

The death of an attendee at NeoCon 2018, held in Chicago’s theMART in June, recently sparked a wrongful death lawsuit against Merchandise Mart Properties, Hollander Design Group—the designer of an exhibit floor showroom swing—and The David Edward Company that operated the showroom.

Following the discovery and public announcement of a massive data breach at Marriott's Starwood-branded hotels that compromised sensitive personal information, including some passport numbers, of hundreds of millions of guests, Marriott International announced the company will pay for passport replacements if it finds customers have been victims of fraud, according to The Washington Post.

Marriott International is taking a $126 million hit to pay for the massive data breach discovered in its Starwood Hotels division in November 2018. The news reinforces the need for meeting planners to protect the data security of their attendees who book or stay at hotels.

Meetings Today Content Engagement Director Christoph Trappe spoke with VOBE Managing Director—and Conference Consultant, Crisis Manager and Event Manager—Steff Berger following her session on "Practical Anti-Terror Strategies for Conferences and Events" at IBTM World 2018.

Meetings Today Content Engagement Director Christoph Trappe caught up with MPI Head of Meeting Innovation Jessie States following one of several sessions she led as a speaker at IBTM World 2018. This particular conversation revolves around States’ presentation about event flexibility and being prepared for meetings emergencies titled “It’s an Emergency: What Will You Do When Everything Goes Wrong?”

While security threats in the physical world understandably grab most of the headlines, cybersecurity breaches have also impacted the meetings and events world, from corporate espionage over insecure Wi-Fi networks to credit card hacks and data theft at major hotel chains.