With the 2012 summer Olympics drawing nearer to its July 27 start date, it will be necessary for all organizations in close proximity to London to the event to ramp up their business continuity planning accordingly.
According to an article published by U.K. news source The Guardian, the 2012 Olympics is likely to draw roughly 850,000 athletes, media professionals, industry folk and spectators, vastly increasing the volume of patronage local businesses will encounter during the event's two-week span.
Addressing the stress that the spike in population density will put on a business' internal data management and cyber security systems, a Business Continuity Institute Forum called "Preparing Like a Champion for the 2012 Olympics" was undertaken in London on March 14.
According to a press release, at the forum, risk management experts evaluated current risk assessment and resilience plans, and identified areas for improvement. For example, after assessing a preparedness exercise undertaken by several financial institutions late last year, the forum's organizers identified a need for all area organizations to optimize their cyber terrorism protection measures.
"I encourage all managers to think about whether they are have adequate, practical plans in place to overcome the immediate communications issues and continue urgent business following a major incident," said presenter Derek Mason, a business continuity expert.
In order to prepare for large-scale events in the United States, business officials can similarly enhance their preparedness by deploying the services of a business continuity consulting firm. These professionals can conduct table top assessments to analyze a current plan, identify weaknesses and make provisions to bolster preparedness in these areas.
This assistance can also be deployed by sending corporate representatives to the Continuity Insights Management Conference 2012 in Scottsdale, Arizona, this April.