MICE warning from Hurricane Sandy

There is a saying in the insurance industry It only has to happen once. We take risks every-day. Yet in the MICE industry whether buyer (end-user decision-maker), or one of several suppliers/services (venue, independent organiser, decor arranger, staging & production) – each component part has a responsibility of ensuring preparedness for any MICE eventuality. Leslie Short CEO of K.I.M. Media & Design in Brooklyn New York put it in a nutshell for the MICE industry worldwide. If we think about it, the warning weve received for Hurricane Sandy are along the same lines as the ones we give to people in the MICE industry. The bottom line – Be Prepared!
My company motto for all MICE undertakings is that its Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it continued Short. I always like to educate students on the fact that they can never be over prepared. I drill home the fact that the more you are prepared going into the MICE gathering the easier it will be when things go wrong and something usually goes wrong!
The Academys MICE Spec Guide which is a thorough memory jogger for each and every MICE
undertaking – has a section specifically on safety, security & health legislation compliance in South
Africa. The Guide provides a checklist for the essential requirements when hosting a MICE gathering.
Pointers such as: (1) Determining the Risk Category (2) High Risk Security Safety Certificate (when
necessary) (3) Police Station Notification (4) Various Disaster Management Plans plus the all-important essential emergency numbers. Included in the MICE Guide is the wording that should be presented by the venues management prior to the commencement of all MICE bookings at their facility.
Our insurance colleagues will be updating and refreshing requirements on an ongoing basis. Check the Academys website for the latest updates.
By law the MICE industry takes responsibility on a daily basis for many hundreds and thousands of
individuals while building structures and many more suppliers of services need to ensure compliance for a range of health and safety procedures. Be prepared, follow the rules. It can be very expensive if you do not follow the rules.