Veteran Planners Unite For Session

By Richard L. Arnold, CBCP

I often write about the growth in the business continuity industry and how much it has evolved since the early days when I entered the field. Though I do not mean to dwell on the subject, I find it fascinating to be a part of an industry that has had such remarkable growth in such a short period of time.

My career in disaster recovery began in the early 1980s. Now just two decades later, the industry has evolved into a vast field with a variety of departments and divisions. Within these areas, you will find planners who have just entered the field and those who have been around since the early days.

At our recent conference, I had the chance to meet with business continuity planners who have been working in the disaster recovery and business continuity fields for many years.
These planners have witnessed the growth of the industry and have worked together to smooth the bumps along the way as new problems and risks have occurred. I always enjoy speaking with all of our attendees, but talking with these veterans gives me a sense of how the industry is changing.

As our readers know, DRJ has worked for many years to meet the needs of all business continuity planners. We have a vast amount of new planners attend our conferences each year and subscribe to this magazine. We are committed to providing as much information as possible to these new planners.

However, many are not aware of all we offer to more experienced planners. I want to assure you that we recognize the needs of advanced planners and are dedicated to bringing that information to you via our conferences, magazine and Web site.

At the recent Spring World 2005, we offered an advanced networking session that was a big hit with the attendees. Members of our editorial advisory board hosted this session, which targeted those with at least seven years of experience. More than 100 advanced planners were in attendance for this breakout.

Some of the topics discussed were pandemics, terrorism, program management, crisis management, program governance and regulatory compliance, plan integration and global recovery technology. The session gave advanced planners an opportunity to network with peers and exchange ideas and solutions. Advanced planners walked away with valid ideas and information they could put to use in their own situations.

The networking session was just one of many advanced topics offered at the conference. In fact, there is an entire track dedicated to advanced topics.

I hope you will check our Web site or attend one of our conferences and see the numerous opportunities we have available for advanced planners. See the conference article on page 60 of this issue to read more about Spring World 2005.

For Fall World 2005, we have planned even more advanced topics to target the needs of veteran planners. This show will be held Sept. 18-21 in San Diego, Calif. The advanced networking session will return with new topics and even more solutions.

As always, we will also offer solid, basic information for those who are new to the BC/DR fields. DRJs conferences are designed to meet the needs of all planners!

A comprehensive brochure detailing these sessions and our other exciting offerings will be available within a few weeks. Check your mailbox and sign up early for your chance to attend the world’s largest business continuity planning conference.

I look forward to speaking to you during the next show. Whether you have been in the field for five months or 15 years, I am always interested in hearing about your concerns, questions and successes!

Thank you for making our magazine and conferences viable tools for BC planners around the world. See you in San Diego!

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