Unlocking Event Incident Management: A Deep Dive with Industry Experts

In a rapidly evolving business landscape fraught with risks and uncertainties, event incident management has emerged as a cornerstone of organizational resilience.  

Event Management vs. Risk Management

Event incident management is closely related to risk management, though the two have key differences

Incident Management vs. Risk Management 

While closely related, incident management and risk management serve different purposes within an organization. Here’s how they differ:  

What is Event Incident Management?  

Incident management is the process of responding to and resolving unplanned events or disruptions. At a venue, incidents can range from minor issues like slips, trips, and falls to major situations requiring an all-hands-on-deck approach, involving teams from IT to security to restore normal operations. 

The focus of incident management is on recording the incident, escalating it when necessary, and taking corrective actions to resolve the issue, return to regular operations, and prevent recurrence. The process revolves around reporting, recording, responding, and resolving the issue at hand. 

What is Event Incident Management? 

Event incident management is the process of responding to and resolving an unplanned event or interruption. At a venue or event, an incident is an all-hands-on-deck experience: everyone from IT to security is involved in resolving the incident and resuming regular operations.  

Incident management focuses on resolving a present issue and implementing fail-safes to prevent it from happening in the future. It relies on response and resolution. 

What is Event Risk Management?  

Event risk management, on the other hand, involves identifying, evaluating and mitigating potential risks that could impact an event’s future success. It centers on planning activities to prevent incidents from occurring or, if they do, minimizing their impact. Risks are future events that can affect safety and security, disrupt event operations, or damage the venue’s reputation. 

Effective risk management is essential for anticipating threats, hazards and disruptions, ensuring the success and safety of an event. While risk management focuses on both preventing adverse occurrences and minimizing their impact, incident management is about addressing what has already happened and using that information to inform future risk management activities. 

Asking and Answering 4 Event and Incident Management Questions  

1. Are Incident Management Systems Necessary? 

There is an ongoing need for technology to manage and track incident data efficiently. As events grow more complex with competing priorities, technology helps manage that complexity and improve future outcomes. Not only do venues and event spaces need systems to minimize disruptions and maximize customer experience, but they also need accurate records of what happened, when it happened and to whom, in case of potential litigation. 

 Venues should manage and measure how incidents are handled and resolved. With data collected on how, when and where incidents occur, the aggregation of this information can reveal areas for business improvement. After all, "what gets measured gets managed!" 

 Currently, some of these tools may be seen as "nice to have," but looking into the future, they will be crucial for venues to minimize wasted resources and maximize the guest experience.  

 Pro Tip: Venues that use WeTrack’s incident management solution have incident data at their fingertips. Therefore, they can make better decisions and manage risk more effectively over time. 

2. What Are the Misconceptions About Incident Management Systems?  

One of the biggest misconceptions in incident management is the belief that documenting incidents will increase an organization's liability if something goes wrong. 

 In the past, some legal advice recommended avoiding written documentation of incidents to prevent it from being discoverable in court. However, to successfully defend against liability claims, attorneys will seek documented evidence of reasonable and practical risk and incident management practices to prove the incident was unavoidable and that the response was well-managed. 

 "You are damned if you don’t, but you are less damned if you do!" 

 Well-documented incident records and responses can help protect the organization from liability claims and provide a foundation for measuring performance and preventing future issues. 

 Today, many venues rely on outdated spreadsheets or have no system of record at all. Organizations must ask themselves: how well are we tracking trends? Do we have a defensible set of incident data for legal purposes? Can we aggregate data across multiple venues to get the full picture? Are we making better-informed decisions? If the answer is "no," then it’s time to consider implementing an incident management system. 

 Before adopting any new platform, consider ease of use. Complex systems require greater investment in both personnel and implementation, which may make the cost-benefit ratio harder to justify. 

 Pro Tip: One of the advantages of WeTrack is that it’s modular and easy to implement. You can use all modules for a comprehensive view or roll out incident management or risk management first and incorporate other components later. Implementation doesn’t have to be hard or intimidating. 

3. How Do You Know It’s Time to Upgrade Your Incident Management Software?  

It may be time to change if you are paying for a platform but aren’t sure if you're using all of it. You might need to explore other ways to manage data with a partner who can tailor the system to your specific needs. 

First, consider how data is being distributed to those who need it. Are you creating numerous reports? How much time are you spending aligning everyone to their specific needs? Does your leadership team require more detailed information? Can they easily understand dimensions of the data that go beyond incident response? If you can’t do these things, it may be time to upgrade. 

Next, think about who needs data access and what data they’re looking at. How easy is it for them to get a quick snapshot of what they need? How much time is being spent on this, and how flexible is the system? Is it mobile-friendly? Can you access or input incident information while on the go? 
Consider how incident management connects to other areas, like risk assessments and event risk profiling. Think about the routine tasks staff fulfill — how are these tracked? Is there value in linking everything together?  

Pro Tip: WeTrack’s incident management solution can do all of this and more! 

4. How Does a Successful Event Incident Management System Implementation Impact Success?

Implementing an effective incident management platform improves event operations across the board, creating a more accurate record than just a radio log. It provides data for improving response times and tracking what works well. Organizations need to ensure things are done safely, properly and transparently.  

Pro Tip: WeTrack’s incident management platform disseminates information quickly, escalates unresolved issues automatically and offers comprehensive reporting capabilities. This enables venue and event managers with the right data to measure success. 

Final Thoughts: Harnessing the Power of an Event Incident Management System

Event risk management and incident management are critical components of organizational resilience and success for venues. By adopting a modern incident management system, organizations can effectively navigate risks, coordinate incident response, enhance compliance, and drive positive outcomes for stakeholders. 

WeTrack’s risk and incident management software offers vital oversight of your venue or event operations, ensuring preparedness for unforeseen circumstances. Our continuous workflows cover pre-event risk profiling, risk assessment, pre-event checks, incident management, and response. 

Pro Tip: Watch this short video interview on WeTrack’s risk and incident management solution.  

With Momentus' WeTrack platform leading the way, organizations can confidently navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape and emerge stronger, more resilient and better equipped to thrive in an ever-changing world.