When a Natural Disaster Strikes

Last week, I was managing a 2,400-delegate international conference in Atlanta. The conference went superbly, with very few unexpected events or unplanned disruptions.

Just as we were planning our departure, however, Mother Nature threw a monkey wrench into things with the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano. This particular conference is approximately 40% graduate students and 25% European delegates, for whom being stranded unexpectedly poses financial and logistical stresses.

Convention managers are under no obligation to accommodate stranded attendees in a natural or other disaster. Like many organizations, however, this group felt obligated to their community and asked us to provide logistical and financial support for people who were truly stranded. Though this conference does not have a written emergency plan, our team immediately took action in the following ways:

• Pushed out accurate information early and often, using Twitter and the conference hashtag. Circulated a new Twitter hashtag to allow stranded conference travelers to keep in touch with one another.
• Contacted the hotel immediately to confirm the availability of hotel rooms at the conference rate through the weekend.
• Set up a stranded traveler help desk to provide moral support and resources.
• Provided a roommate matching service, pairing empty beds with needy travelers.
• Developed an official meeting point outside of the conference venue, with basic necessities such as meals and work space.
• Set up an information page on the conference website (check out our page at http://www.chi2010.org/v/) with continuously updated information and resources.

Today, five days after the first eruption, nearly 200 delegates remain in the US awaiting flights back to Europe. Our communications plan continues to evolve, but because we were able to respond quickly our delegates had accurate information while they scrambled to make plans.