Transcript Document

CANCELLATION MANAGEMENT:
Facing the Ultimate Crisis
PRESENTED BY
Sean Ryan, Race Director
Cellcom Green Bay Marathon
ASSISTED BY
John Mory, Course Director
Toni Jaeckels, Registration Direction
THE NIGHTMARE IS ALWAYS THE SAME…
May 20, 2012 at 7:00 am
PROJECT Management
May 20, 2012 at 9:25 am
CRISIS Management
May 20, 2012 after Noon
PUBLIC RELATIONS Management
A CHANGING INDUSTRY
Marathon Running
Goes Mainstream
U.S. MARATHON & HALF MARATHON FINISHERS
1,800,000
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
MARATHON
HALF MARATHON
SOURCE: Running USA’s Annual Marathon Report (2012)
U.S. MARATHON & HALF MARATHON FINISHERS
1,800,000
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
MARATHON
HALF MARATHON
SOURCE: Running USA’s Annual Marathon Report (2012)
“THE WALLS OF INTIMIDATION HAVE CRUMBLED!”
A SLOWING AUDIENCE…
AVERAGE MARATHON FINISH TIMES (HRS:MINS)
4:56
4:42
4:27
MALES
4:13
FEMALES
3:58
3:44
3:30
1980
1995
2002 2005 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
SOURCE: Running USA’s Annual Marathon Report (2012)
THE DOWNSIDE
What do you call an audience that is
…rapidly growing
…less experienced
…less physically resilient
…more pampered
…entertainment-focused
…bucket list-motivated
A House of Cards?
MARATHON CANCELLATIONS
HAVE BECOME MORE COMMON
ABOUT THE EVENT WE DIRECT
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
OVERVIEW
 Founded in 2000
 Non-profit controlled by 15-member board
 Led by 4-person staff, 50-person Operations Committee
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
PARTICIPANTS
(10,000+)
VOLUNTEERS
(2,000+)
OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
(50-60)
MARATHON STAFF
(4)
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
OVERVIEW
 Founded in 2000
 Non-profit controlled by 15-member board
 Led by 4-person staff, 50-person Operations Committee
 Takes place mid-May each year
 Five different races over two days
 Has tripled in size in past 10 years
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
OVERVIEW
 Founded in 2000
 Non-profit controlled by 15-member board
 Led by 4-person staff, 50-person Operations Committee
 Takes place mid-May each year
 Five different races over two days
 Has tripled in size in past 10 years
 $1 million budget; proceeds go to charity partners.
WHAT ARE OUR
CONTINGENCY
PLANS?
HOW WE VIEW CONTINGENCY PLANNING…
EVENT
PLANNING
CONTINGENCY
PLANNING
CRISIS
MANAGEMENT
Addressing all
foreseeable problems
WITHIN
your control
in advance
Addressing all
foreseeable problems
OUTSIDE OF
your control
in advance
Dealing with
a significant problem
which threatens the
organization
when it occurs
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
CONTINGENCY PLANNING
 Joint effort of staff and Public Safety Committee
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
COURSE DIRECTOR
CHAIR
RACE DIRECTOR
POLICE/SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENTS
TRAFFIC ENGINEERS /
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT REPS
FIRE & EMS DEPARTMENTS
MEDICAL COORDINATOR & DIRECTOR
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
CONTINGENCY PLANNING
 Typically addresses weather-related contingencies:
 Lightning and storms
 Heat and humidity
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
CONTINGENCY PLANNING
 No industry standards exist.
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
CONTINGENCY PLANNING
 Communication—upward and downward—is
a major focus of the planning.
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
CONTINGENCY PLANNING
IF HEAT IS FORECASTED:
 More…
 Fluids and cups
 Ice
 Immersion tanks
 Wheelchairs
 Runner advisories
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
CONTINGENCY PLANNING
IF HEAT IS FORECASTED:
 More…
 Fluids and cups
 Ice
 Immersion tanks
 Wheelchairs
 Runner advisories
 Public appeal for sprinklers
CELLCOM GREEN BAY MARATHON
CONTINGENCY PLANNING
RACE MORNING PROTOCOL:
 Meeting at 6:00 am (one hour prior to start)
 Key personnel
 Medical Director has final say on “Go or No Go”
 Decision based on Wet Bulb Globe Temp
WHAT FORCED
THE HALTING
OF THE RACE?
“The best laid plans
of mice and men
often go awry.”
- Robert Burns
WHAT WE COULD CONTROL
 Opportunities for fluids
 Quantity of fluids
 Additional supplies – ice, sprinklers
 Number of medical stations on the course
WHAT WE COULD
NOT CONTROL
 Weather
 Conditioning and pace of the participants
 Hydration of the participants
 Medical preparedness
CRISIS TIMELINE
6:00 am
Race Director meets with Medical Team (60˚F)
7:00 am
Race starts (70˚F)
8:12 am
First report of ‘runner down’ (80˚F)
Next 45 minutes Ten runners go down on the course
9:06 am
EMS Director declares ‘3 alarm fire’ status
Ambulances called in from 7 municipalities
9:25 am
Medical Director shuts down course
9:35 am
Timing of races ceases (85˚F)
MEDICAL STATS
FINISH LINE MEDICAL TENT
120 Runners treated
80 Heat illness
5
Transported via ambulance to hospitals
COURSE
47
Runners treated
18 Transported via ambulance
LESSONS
LEARNED
LESSON #1: Protocols often are
not as simple as they may seem.
FROM THE OPERATIONS MANUAL
“The Cellcom Green Bay Marathon
will be cancelled if the
Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)
exceeds 20.5 degrees Celcius.”
LESSON #2: Don’t assume key
partners are fully prepared.
LESSON #3: You can’t stop a train.
WORDS IN
MOST RUNNERS’
VOCABULARY
Drive
Grit
Determination
Persevere
WORDS NOT IN
MOST RUNNERS’
VOCABULARY
Surrender
Back down
Give in
STOP
2012 START & FINISH STATS
TOTAL STARTERS = 7,426
1,640
5,786
Half Marathon
Marathon/Marathon Relay
2012 START & FINISH STATS
AT 9:35 AM…
ON COURSE
3800
51%
FINISHERS
3626
49%
2012 START & FINISH STATS
AT 9:35 AM…
ON COURSE
3800
51%
FINISHERS
3626
49%
2012 START & FINISH STATS
AT THE END OF THE DAY…
STOPPED
906
24%
KEPT
GOING
2894
76%
So why
bother stopping
the event?...
LESSON #4: If they lack a script,
your front line will make stuff up.
LESSON #5: Your audience may
form conflicting constituencies.
From:
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 10:03 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Letter to Participants
I can’t believe you stopped the race just because it was
hot and some runners didn’t belong out there. I was fine!
Everybody signed waivers. There’s no reason you couldn’t
have kept things going.
From:
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 11:31 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Letter to Participants
I applaud your decision and was relieved to take a shuttle
off the course. I am bothered though that you kept the
intersections staffed and the water stations functioning
for those who ignored the cancellation!
LESSON #6: Solving one problem
can often create another.
LESSON #7: Doing the right thing
may make you unpopular.
From:
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012
To: info@cellcomgreenbaymarathon
Subject:Re: Letter to Participants
WHY WON’T YOU
POST MY RESULTS?
I KNOW YOU HAVE
THEM BECAUSE MY
SPOUSE GOT THEM
ON MY SMARTPHONE!
LESSON #8: If you can’t be popular,
at least try to be fair and consistent.
LESSON #9: Communicate,
communicate, communicate!
From: info@cellcomgree
Sent: Monday, May 21,
To:
Subject:Re: Letter to
Although we understand
your
frustration
with
the decision to cancel
the race yesterday, it’s
important to point out
that
we
made
this
decision based on the
well-being of the entire
IMMEDIATE
EMAIL
NEWSLETTER
MONITOR
FACEBOOK
ACCEPT ALL
RADIO AND
TELEVISION
INVITES
RESPOND TO
EVERY
PARTICIPANT
EMAIL
LESSON #10: Form a crisis management
and response team, and remember to
GET SOME SLEEP!
LESSON #11: SAFETY TRUMPS SATISFACTION!
THE LETTER WE’D LIKE TO SEND…
Dear Runners,
Thank you for the numerous letters
complaining about our decision to
halt this year’s race.
The fact that you’re all still
alive to send them confirms that
we made the right decision!
Sincerely,
The Race Staff
LESSON #12: MAINTAIN A SENSE OF HUMOR.
LESSON #13: ESTABLISH YOUR REFUND
POLICY PRIOR TO HAVING A CANCELLATION.
QUESTION
&
ANSWER