One of the most important things stressed in this blog is the necessity of having a well thought out, and regularly updated business continuity plan that describes explicit action protocols if a disruption of any kind – whether it is an instance of workplace violence, a natural disaster, technical malfunction or otherwise – hinders the ability to conduct normal operations.

One of the best ways for a company to learn more about the specifics of this process is by sending business officials to attend the Disaster Recovery Institute 2012 Certified Professionals Conference and Expo. Being held from between May 20 and 23 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals, share best practices, and get involved in hands-on workshops with peers within an exclusive and intimate setting.

One event that conference attendees should be sure not to miss is "Sell it, Don't Tell It – Selling Continuity to Management, Executives, and Elected Officials" being presented by Ted Brown of Ketch Consulting on Sunday, May 20 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.

While many enterprise officials may understand the value of a well-designed business continuity plan, it is crucial to communicate those ideas effectively to senior management to bolster the support and resources necessary to undertake its provisions.

As such, "Sell it, Don't Tell It" event will provide valuable insight into how officials can handle objections (such as setting aside resources for items not of immediate relevance) through tactics such as selling continuity planning as another form of insurance.

The bottom line is that those who attend this event will leave with the knowledge necessary to put the necessary numbers together to develop a concrete ROI estimate, providing the necessary ammunition to pitch business continuity to executives with the most precision possible.