Crisis Communications for Adventure, Travel and Outdoor Programmes
Jeff Baierlein
A major incident has occurred. Potentially damaging social media images are already trickling out. Reporters are calling. It’s all happening with terrifying speed. How do you stay in control? How do you best manage your organization’s reputation? What are best practices for effective media relations in a crisis? This workshop will help you answer those questions and more.
Participants will:
- Understand best practices for news media relations surrounding major incidents
- Gain skills in effectively working with news media representatives during potentially hostile interview situations
- Learn where to go for more information on crisis communications for programmes offering travel-based, adventure, and outdoor experiences
About Jeff
Jeff Baierlein has 40 years’ experience as an outdoor professional, ranging from trip leader to Executive Director. Jeff has led alpine mountaineering, sailing, whitewater canoeing, flatwater canoeing, whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering and caving trips, including international wilderness expeditions up to three months in length.
Jeff served as Executive Director of the Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound Center and the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education. He has been an expert witness with wilderness program fatalities and complex multi-person incidents in multiple countries. Jeff has conducted risk management reviews with Outward Bound and Viristar, and has provided risk management training to outdoor and adventure professionals in over 80 countries on six continents.
Jeff was certified as a Wilderness EMT in 1993, and has been continuously certified as a National Registry EMT since that time. He has taught wilderness medicine classes in 16 countries and territories on four continents since 1997. Jeff worked for two ambulance services as an EMT, and volunteered with four high-angle, technical and backcountry Search and Rescue teams, leading rescues in North America and Asia.
Jeff holds two undergraduate degrees from Prescott College and a graduate degree from Antioch University. He is a safety advisor for outdoor and adventure programs from East Asia to the Americas, and is the Director of the outdoor and adventure consultancy Viristar LLC.
