BCAW 2012 - Now that it is over, what next?

Donna Monkhouse

BCAW 2012 was once again a great success and organisations from across the globe took advantage of this fantastic opportunity to find out more about business continuity management by getting involved in the week’s events and activities, ranging from webinars to new research reports, from an online business continuity game to online debates and much more.

Having captured your interest in business continuity and planted the seed of BCM into your mind, the next question is of course, “what next?”  So here my top ten tips for you:

1.       Attend a Conference – the next big conference is the BCI China Conference 2012, which is taking place for the fourth year running in Shanghai from 3^rd to 4^th July 2012.  This two day conference will cover topics such as Supply Chain, Natural Hazards and Disaster Management, ICT Resilience, Engaging Executives, Human Aspects of BCM, Effective Crisis Management and BCM Tools.   The next big event in the Business Continuity calendar is the BCM World Conference and Exhibition 2012 – this flagship event of the BCI is taking place 7^th to 8^th November this year at Olympia, London UK.  With three streams – BCM Lifecycle; BCM in Action and Thought Leadership in BCM, it has something for everyone from the beginner to the most advanced and experienced practitioner.  And there is a great free exhibition attached to it as well, the perfect environment to discover more about products and services related to BCM.

2.       Test your business continuity management skills with BC24, the BCI’s online game that tests an organisation’s ability to manage crises in a simulated environment.   At £250 + VAT for an annual site licence (unrestricted number of users) it not only offers great value for money but is a proven tool to help organisations raise the awareness of and embed BCM into their business culture.  Read our case study and find out how DHL used BC24 to embed the new Business Continuity Standard (BS 25999) into their organisation.  For more information, please contact Jan Gilbert.

3.       BCI Physical and Virtual Workshops for members and non-members, these workshops take an in depth look at current subjects that are particularly relevant to business continuity practitioners. Some of the Workshops are linked to specific risks; others look at different industries, while others focus on BCM skills or processes.  Expert speakers present their thoughts, case studies and ideas followed by lively, insightful and thought-provoking debate.  Take a look at what’s coming up here

4.       Become an Affiliate member of the BCI – the perfect way to get started in BCM.  At just £75 per year and less if you are from a low income country, it offers you a wide range of benefits to help top up your knowledge in BCM and to quench your thirst for more, including access to the BCI’s Members Area which offers a wide range of top resources; networking opportunities with BCM professionals as well as all the BCI’s news updates and some valuable discounts on BCI products and services.

5.       If you are serious about becoming a BCM practitioner, then the BCI Certificate is an excellent starting point.  The BCI Certificate is a stand-alone credential leading to the CBCI – Certified by the Business Continuity Institute and with the right experience to back you up provides you with the right academic platform for Statutory membership of the BCI as well as further career progression, subject to evidence of experience.  There is also a BCI Diploma now available in Business Continuity that builds on the Certificate and is delivered in Partnership with New Bucks University.

6.       Training – One of the best ways to acquire more knowledge and understanding of any subject is of course to train.  The BCI has developed some great training opportunities and education packages that are delivered by licensed, world-class Training Partners around the globe. Training can be delivered online and on site, whichever format suits you best.

7.       Download a copy of the Good Practice Guidelines.  Although these are not designed for absolute beginners, they do provide some useful information on BCM and will help you to understand the scope of BCM and its implementation.  The Guidelines (pdf versions) are free to members and available to buy for non-members.  Hard copies are also available to buy, with special discounts form members.  You can even buy international version with German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese editions currently available.

8.       If you are thinking beyond you as an individual, but more about next steps for your organisation, then becoming a Corporate Partner of the BCI could be the right thing to do.  With different levels of Partnership available, each with a wide range of different benefits, including sponsorship opportunities and an online profile in the Virtual Exhibition area, this again is a great way to get more involved in BCM.  For more information contact Faye Leo.

9.       Join all the BCI social networks to stay up to date on the latest trends and developments in BCM and to get involved in some exciting debates and discussions:

a.       Follow us on Twitter @TheBCEye

b.       Join our new LinkedIn Group – Business Continuity Awareness led by the BCI, which aims to keep Business Continuity Awareness alive outside and beyond BCAW

10.   Last but not least, visit us online and take a look at all the amazing resources the BCI has to offer you – from new research reports, to white papers to videos available on our BCIplayer and much more.