Events & Speakers

May 15, 2024
From Parade to Protest to Pandemonium – Are you ready?

Who would have thought getting a ticket to a concert, celebrating a sporting win, or a protest / march could end up in utter chaos?

Shootings, stampedes, life altering injuries, and even deaths…

Here are Just a few examples we will examine:
War protest marches in Canadian cities (and around the world)
Kansas City Chiefs Superbowl Parade (Kansas City)
Ottawa Freedom Convoy (Ottawa and across Canada)
Travis Scott Concert (Houston, TX)
Raptors NBA Parade (Toronto, ON)
Ariana Grande Concert (Manchester UK)
Route 91 Harvest Music Festival (Las Vegas)

And so many more… check out the Quick Links on Home - Disaster Recovery Information Exchange (drie.org) (Toronto Chapter homepage) website for links to articles on these events.

These seemingly innocent events demonstrate how quickly gatherings can escalate to mass protests and civil unrest, which often occur spontaneously, creating unique challenges for any organizations trying to operate nearby. In these situations, businesses and safety professionals have little time to identify potential threats and ensure employee safety.

However, there are mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery strategies that every organization should consider to protect their people, maintain business continuity, and stay informed during fluid and extended violent mass gatherings.

Suzanne Bernier, author of “Disaster Heroes” and President of SB Crisis Consulting, explains how both organizations and individuals can prepare and respond.
Suzanne will address the real-life events above (and more) and share lessons learned through her tips and strategies on:

Unique planning and response challenges associated with protests and civil unrest
Mitigation and response to protect your business, your employees, and your clients/customers
What really happens in the mind of a victim/survivor when they are threatened or attacked
Safety tips to consider when organizing or attending any mass gathering, including parades and concerts

Speakers

RIE Toronto is keen to receive your suggestions for topics and speakers for our quarterly events. If you want to suggest a topic or speaker for an upcoming event, please fill in and submit the Contact Us Form on the Contact Us page or e-mail the RIE Toronto Program Director.

All details related to our quarterly symposiums, usually held in March, June, September and December, are published to the Calendar of Events as details become available. Please use the Calendar of Events to get the information you require about speakers, sponsors, location and time.

Event Registration for Members

If you are a member, please log-in before you register for an upcoming event. The Calendar of Events is accessible from the Members Area. Once you have the information about the event for which you wish to register, use the link for Event Registration, found under Members Area Features, to register online for the event.

Event Registration for Non-members

If you are not a member, before registering to attend an event, you might wish to consider joining RIE Toronto to receive significant benefits and cost savings.

If you would prefer to register to attend an event as a guest and join at a future date, please use the Calendar of Events to get the information about the event. Once you have the information about the event for which you wish to register, use the link for Non-member Registration for Events found in the centre column, to register online for the event.

Again, if you are already a member, please log-in to register and follow the instructions above.

Pricing and Payment

When you register, you will be able to see the registration costs and any specials that are available for new memberships. You can pay online, using your credit card; send a cheque or money order by mail; or pay by credit card, cheque, money order or cash at the door on the day of the event. All cheques should be made payable to RIE Toronto.

And remember, fees for RIE Toronto meetings are included with membership dues, so join now.

Confirmation of Registration

When you register for an event, please be sure to enter your e-mail address correctly as any communications about the event will be done through the e-mail address you provide at registration. You will also receive an e-mail confirmation of your event registration.

If you have any questions about event registration, please send an e-mail to our general inquiries e-mail address.