Events

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of attending yet one of the Continuity Forums debate sessions we think you might like to gain a flavour of what happens.

Normally at Business Continuity events, seminars or workshops most of speaking is conducted by the host, fairly reasonable really, but it gives you little chance to share your experiences or learn from those of others facing similar challenges. and there is always the chance that the presentations will devolve into sales pitches! 

Whilst we do our very best at our events to avoid this happening we also recognise that there is also a need to explore new topics or areas that are emerging and are relevant to the profession and with this in mind for the past couple of years we have been holding Continuity Forum Debates. These Debates have become very important to us as they allow and encourage considerable discussion to be held on a host of interesting topics engaging a range of diverse participants and as a result lots can be learned in a short time.  Some will be experienced in the area being debated bringing their expertise to bear, others will have more general knowledge. By bringing them together in a debate format our aim is to explore the topic in a new way hopefully distilling the key messages, benefits or aspects more clearly and bringing opportunities or challenges they present the industry into a sharper focus.

We have been really pleased at just how effectively these debates have worked and over the past few months we have covered topics as wide-ranging as Counterterrorism and business continuity, engaging effectively within organisations, the Olympics, workspace recovery, standards and most recently, Cloud Computing and how organisations are adapting to the opportunities and challenges.

One of the great things about our debates is that they are held under very strict Chatham House rules and this adds a lot freeing all those involved to discuss very openly their own situations and experiences. Ahead of the session the key questions to be debated our shared ahead of the session to help people prepare. On the day the group usually between eight and 16 meet for breakfast, lunch or dinner (depending on the subject and budget available!). The discussions are chaired, or should we say facilitated, by the Continuity Forum and from our own preparations we will have a general shape that we would like the debate follow, but our aim is always to ensure that we all learn as much as possible. If you judge the success by how long people want to stay, then every single one has been superb, with us often having to extend the debate time to allow the free-flowing conversation is to continue.

We will be holding more debates in the coming months with another on cloud computing and further sessions on both how the developing world of standards may impact and how we can improve security. If you have any ideas or suggestions for debates or if you would like to consider hosting a debate in conjunction with the Continuity Forum then please do get in touch. Debates can also be held in-house and have proved invaluable in developing BCM internally within organisations and creating effective teamwork.

If you would like to register your interest to attend a debate, just get in touch with us and we'll be happy to help. 

When you think about risks posed by IT today, your concerns go way beyond what’s happening in the data centre or the IT department. Because in most organisations, IT has become an essential part of virtually every business process. As a result, managing Risk now means much more than protecting systems and data.  It means protecting the business itself. 

Managing Domestic Terrorism Event - Jan 23rd - South East

Business today faces many new threats, and the management of these threats is rapidly becoming a major factor in business planning.

Is Terrorism just one more threat, or are there specific risks, separate from other business issues, that need to be considered?

Government guidelines are available to all, but how can you be sure that you have understood and adapted the guidelines to suit your own specific requirements? Can you be sure that you have done everything necessary, by law and by logic, to protect your business and your people?

The Continuity Forum announces 2009 Pandemic Planning Summit

The Continuity Forum will be hosting a Special Summit on 26th June 2009 to reexamine the risks and the measures to be adopted to combat the threat. The summit will prominently feature the latest information on Pandemic planning and provide in detail best practice advice and our latest research into the preparedness of organisations.

We are continuing this very popular and successful Event series and this half day event will discuss topics such as Managing your People and Crisis Communications.

We are delighted to bring a significant Case Study from a leading British organisation, illustrating their approach to Crisis Management, including lessons learned from various crises. We will also be discussing the latest developments in business continuity, risk management and will include recently updated information on market developments.

As always, the Continuity Forum aims to remove the hype and focus on the FACTS, and to this end we are delighted to be working with high quality speakers from leading organisations and individuals in this space.

The event is aimed at offering businesses, practitioners and vendors alike unbiased and straightforward advice on the issues you face today. It is expected that this event will attract a large audience, offering potential networking with businesses of all sizes in the local area. Since places will be limited, we urge early registration.

If you have colleagues who may be interested, please do feel free to forward this invitation as soon as possible.

The event is offered free of charge to members, and will be charged at £100 plus VAT for non-members.

We will also be providing a special CRISIS MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP in the afternoon. 

To book your place, please email sara.mckenna@continuityforum.org and include "CRISIS MANAGEMENT - 30TH MARCH 2010" in your subject header.

Places will be reserved for members first, and then on a strictly first come first served basis.

Outline Agenda

09.00 Registration & Coffee

09.30 Introduction & Housekeeping

09.40 Opening Address - The Continuity Forum

10.00 Case Study - A Major British Organisation 10.30 Coffee & Networking

11.00 Communicating in a Crisis

11.30 Managing your People during a Crisis 12.00 The Continuity Forum

12.45 Closing Comments and Discussion Session

This special event is brought to you by The Continuity Forum.

For further information on this event or to reserve your place at this please contact us on the details below: Sara McKenna on 0208 993 1599 or mail HERE!

Please book your space ASAP! This event forms part of our public awareness sessions and is open to both members and non-members.

Preference will be given in the first instance to Full Forum Members.

This event is strictly hosted under CHATHAM HOUSE RULES. 

For more details on our events, workshops and industry development work, as well as the general activities of the Continuity Forum please contact us directly on +44 208 993 1599 or mail us HERE! Please do contact Sara Mckenna or Russell Price .

If you would like to know more about how your organisation can get involved and benefit from working with the Continuity Forum, please email us HERE! or call on + 44 (0) 208 993 1599.

*** BOOKING CONDITIONS ***

Crisis Management Seminar

We are continuing this very popular and successful Event series and this half day event will discuss topics such as Managing your People and Crisis Communications.

We are delighted to bring a significant Case Study from a leading British organisation, illustrating their approach to Crisis Management, including lessons learned from various crises. We will also be discussing the latest developments in business continuity, risk management and will include recently updated information on market developments.

BC Expo 2009 cancelled

The annual Business Continuity Expo held at Excel in Londons docklands and scheduled to run in March has been cancelled.

The Continuity Forum announces Special Risks summit in association with the Cabinet Office

The Continuity Forum in association with the Cabinet Office will be hosting a Special Risks Summit on 26th September 2008. This special event will discuss the implications of the Pitt review and examine the developing role of BCM in enabling better resilience to flooding. The summit will also prominently feature the latest information on Pandemic and detail both best practice advice and our latest research into the preparedness of organisations.

This prestigious event builds on the recommendations of the Pitt review and leading Health figures we will be sharing information on the vital role of BCM in establishing better Organisational and Community Resilience across the UK. This all day event will be held in London and will be open to both members and non-Members. Places will be at a premium and early registration or expressions of interest are urged.

For more information on the Summit please contact Sara McKenna on 020 8993 1599 or by mail at info@continuityforum.org. End