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Whether you are a veteran tabletop writer or brand new to the field, this workshop is a creative space to take your tabletop exercises to the next level. The secret to a riveting and compelling tabletop exercise is not hiring a Hollywood screenwriter – the secret is actually thoughtful research and in-depth planning. Our workshop instructors are seasoned tabletop facilitators who will help you hone the art of blending practical considerations, collaborations with external parties, and focused research to create riveting tabletops that keep people thinking long afterward – and lead to significantly improved confidence and resilience for your stakeholders. The workshop will include time for hands-on planning; the goal is for all attendees to leave inspired, refreshed, and with an actionable list of tabletop ideas for implementation.

With natural disasters on the rise and cyber attacks on the nightly news, are state governments ready to meet the challenges and risks of the modern world? For the state of Maryland, the answer to that question is a resounding YES! Attend this session to hear how Maryland state emergency managers are taking a uniquely effective approach to improving resilience: Training! A two-year program aims to increase resiliency by cross-training staff in business continuity, IT disaster recovery, and cyber resilience. Attend this session to learn how it’s working as well as how this approach also benefits both the private sector and public-private partnership initiatives.

The world of business is now interdependent more than in any other time in history. In addition to the expansion of multi-national companies, local and regional organizations of all sizes and industry sectors maintain cross-border relationships and global supply chain dependencies (human capital, raw materials, and data) that increase operational risk. Business Resiliency Professionals should have a clear understanding of these direct and indirect interdependencies, monitor these threats, and plan for anticipated impacts to their operations. Armed conflicts by their very nature are volatile, multi-regional, and non-linear; security conditions can deteriorate, and aggression escalate without warning. The unique impacts of each conflict must be evaluated and considered. While some will experience the direct impacts of an armed conflict because it is their country/entity involved, exponentially more will experience the indirect impacts. For example, recent conflicts have caused high fuel prices world-wide even for countries not directly involved or directly dependent on the warring parties. This is a key consideration for why business resiliency professionals should include this type of planning in their resiliency planning approach – their businesses are not insulated just because their country is not at war. The panel will share recommendations for ACM pre-conflict planning, crisis response and ongoing crisis management including: Geopolitical Threat and Risk Analysis Critical Staff Resiliency Strategies Scenario Based Exercises Crisis Management and Response Management and Employee Training and Awareness, and Internal and External Collaboration and Communication

With over 20 years’ experience building, developing, and leading program governance frameworks and strategies for three major companies, Walmart’s Robyn Kimbro joins us to share the key elements for experienced resilience practitioners addressing ongoing program maturity and building resilience. So, you have an established, mature program – now what? The answer is a lot, and that includes answering questions like these: Are your program requirements not stringent enough, just right, or really complicated and time-consuming to meet? If you’re a global company – is your program globally relevant, and does it meet regulations or requirements for other countries? How strong and far-reaching are your partnerships? How do you benchmark with other companies? How do you market your program? What programmatic stats are you collecting through your enterprise tool? Are executives interested in those metrics, and what do these statistics drive your leadership to do?

This session will look at how to immerse participants in best practices for crisis leadership - challenging them to develop the critical thinking and judgment skills required to respond to, and lead, during a crisis. The Cyber Attack Simulation Experience gathers user data to gauge effectiveness and deliver personalized coaching feedback.

Regardless of what company you work for, your people are your most valuable asset. Today's workforce is undergoing a substantial shift in how they communicate and in their personal priorities. Join us to learn why the planning, training and testing you do now may need to change to get the most effectiveness out of your workforce and your critical partners.

This case study report looks at some of the most recent and devastating emergency situations to learn how healthcare facilities and staffers prepared for -- and reacted to -- catastrophes that put enormous strain on their facilities, their workforces, and their patients.

How to "Norm" a Disparate Workforce and Create a Team

Project management professionals (PMP) manage resources they don't control to predefined objectives on a daily basis, often for multiple projects, simultaneously. Sound familiar? Most business continuity management programs begin with one or more projects that stage the organization for long-term success. Over time, other "initiatives" are required to improve awareness, upgrade training, expand testing, evaluate strategies, integrate acquisitions, etc. How well have you juggled the time, resources, and scope to deliver these "projects" on time and within budget? This session explores how using PMP techniques may improve your program's effectiveness. And discover how your business continuity experience may help you achieve another practical, career-enhancing certification.