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Description

Crisis Room: Organising the Message, Informing Quickly and Holding the Line

Structuring communication in the first hours, when information is incomplete and pressure is rising

  • 0.43 days — 3 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

An incident occurs on a Saturday. The facts are incomplete, journalists are calling, employees are asking questions and social media is accelerating. Silence is read as an admission, and improvised statements quickly become a second problem to manage.

Three hours online to establish how the crisis room operates and the reflexes of the first hours: who decides, who speaks, what is said and at what pace. Participants build a holding-statement template and work through a scenario that deteriorates as the session progresses.

Learning objectives

  • Define roles and the message approval chain within a crisis room
  • Draft a holding statement when the facts are not yet established
  • Prioritise the audiences to inform and the pace of public statements
  • Adapt the message to media enquiries and social media pressure
  • Organise shift handovers and the exit from crisis

What makes this programme different

The scenario deteriorates during the session and forces participants to revise their messages
A holding-statement template is drafted and retained by each participant
Crisis room roles are genuinely held throughout the exercise

Programme

1Setting Up the Crisis Room

Knowing who does what before anyone speaks

  • Allocate roles across decision-making, information and monitoring
  • Define the message approval chain
  • Organise the collection and verification of information
  • Identify the communication channels available at short notice

2Speaking Publicly

Saying something when you do not know everything

  • Draft a holding statement that acknowledges the established facts
  • Prioritise internal and external audiences
  • Adjust the tone to the severity of the situation
  • Respond to a journalist's enquiry

3Holding the Line

Delivering successive updates without burning out

  • Set a communication rhythm and stick to it
  • Correct inaccurate information already circulating
  • Organise shift handovers within the crisis room
  • Prepare the exit from crisis and the debrief

Who is it for

Members of crisis teams, communication managers, executives and senior staff likely to be mobilised in an emergency.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

12 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.