Is it time to think about doing the things that we have long stopped doing? As someone who runs the Risk & Assurance Group (RAG) I am painfully aware of how we had to cancel the last four conferences lined up for London, Denver, Accra and Manila. I am also conscious that it is impossible to run a conference without a lead time of at least four months… though we entered 2020 with a planning cycle that looked more than a full year ahead. Improving agility is an important aspect of risk management, and RAG has proven to be more agile than I dared imagine. Planning is another cornerstone of risk management; you try to plan for every eventuality whilst still being prepared to tear up plans and start again whenever the world changes.
The UK’s impressive vaccination program has already given doses to 29 percent of the population, and is on course to deliver a first injection to everyone over 30 before the end of May. This is significant; young people are far less likely to become critically ill with COVID-19. The government has announced a roadmap that would lift all coronavirus restrictions by June 21, the first day of Summer, if their program remains on course. People would then be free to visit nightclubs, kiss in the park, play any sport, and dance side by side at rock concerts, with whomever they like, and however many people they like.
June 22 will almost certainly see large crowds gathering in pubs to watch England play football against the Czech Republic, in addition to the thousands attending the match in Wembley Stadium. This leads to a simple question: should RAG begin planning for its first London conference since April 2018 (pictured) or do potential attendees still want to delay the return of meetings? Please let me know by answering this simple poll. I will share the results next week.
