How would your business fare in a crisis? That is the question that the Scottish Food & Drink Federation will be asking at a workshop which takes place on 9 March in Glasgow.
Shepherd and Wedderburn is the sole Scottish legal representative/associate member of the Federation, and Senior Associate, Mandy Deeley from the firm will be speaking at the event. Together with other experts such as the Chief Executive of Food Standards Scotland, Geoff Ogle, she will walk delegates through the practical aspects of managing a crisis.
“For many organisations, the word crisis doesn’t really resonate until they find themselves in the middle of one,” says Mandy Deeley, “and by that time, it is too late if the business has not undertaken advance planning and preparation from which it could have benefitted.
“It is important to understand that a crisis can develop from factors that are external to the business, so even the best run organisations can suffer. There are numerous examples of this happening – late or ruined deliveries resulting from the Dover stacking crisis last summer; the recall by Mars of chocolate bars following the discovery of a piece of plastic in a Snickers bar; or the hacking of TalkTalk’s customer data. However, the ability to manage and re-build following a crisis (external or otherwise), will largely be dependent on how well a business is co-ordinated and organised in its responses during a crisis to its key stakeholders.
“We will be looking at a few real scenarios and offering delegates best practice guidance. I am sure they will leave the workshop better prepared to come out the other side of a crisis relatively unscathed.”
With the current emphasis on provenance, supply chain liability and the increasingly distinct regulatory climate in Scotland, this workshop is essential for any party operating in manufacture or distribution of food or drink in or from Scotland.
The event takes place in Glasgow on 9th March 2016 from 9am-1pm – further details and information on how to book can be found on the SFDF website.
