In creating the press release announcing the Semiconductor Environmental Safety & Health Association's 28th Annual International High Technology ESH Symposium &
Exposition, one might assume that an issue unique to the semiconductor industry would be the main highlight of this event. However, to promote the event the chips were put on
hold and the PR push took a rather feathery approach: "Avian Flu, Disaster Preparedness Top Agenda for Symposium" blared the press release headline.
Avian flu - in a semiconductor conference? For Debra Bass, who created the press release, giving priority to the symposium's sessions on avian flu made perfect sense. "A lot
of companies in the high-tech industry are very mindful of avian flu and it will affect worker safety," explains Bass, president of Bass Communications in Arlington, VA.
"The industry needs to come up with materials to deal with it."
Indeed, the semiconductor industry is not the only corporate orbit to express concern about the threat from avian flu. While there have been no reported cases to date of avian
flu in North America, many public relations professionals are not taking chances when it comes to addressing the problems that an avian flu pandemic might bring. Both within the
PR industry and in the PR mechanisms within trade groups, avian flu has become the hot topic.
How serious is the threat of avian flu? According to the World Health Organization, outbreaks of avian flu have been confirmed in more than 45 countries during the past
three years. It is also linked to the deaths of 110 people in nine countries (Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam) and it is known
to have infected 196 people during this period.
The H5N1 virus, which is the strain at the core of the current pandemic fears, is not new: It has been known to science as far back as the 1950s and its first fatal brush with
humans was recorded in Hong Kong in 1997. H5N1 is not the only avian flu virus (the H7N7 virus led to the destruction of millions of birds in Western Europe in 2003).
For SESHA's aforementioned gathering, the sessions relating to avian flu were key to the promotion of the event. "A pandemic potential is a concern for our members from a
business continuity perspective," explains Bernie Frist, president of SESHA and managing principal of Environmental Occupational Risk Management, Sunnyvale, CA. "We
operate in a global industry and a pandemic can be pretty considerable for SESHA members and their companies."
In preparing the symposium, three sessions were created to address such matters. One was specifically tied to avian flu (detailing how Intel is readying itself for a
possible outbreak) while two other sessions were more broadly focused on pandemic preparation in general.
"We're looking to prepare for pandemics of any type," adds Frist. But since avian flu is the only predicted pandemic on the immediate horizon, the focus was clearly designed
to answer additional questions.
PR Focus
Within the public relations industry, talk about pandemic awareness and response is growing. CommCore Consulting Group devoted the April edition of its e-newsletter
The CommCore Observer to the subject, with a headline reading: "Avian Flu Pandemic: Are You Prepared?"
"Those who prepare and plan will come out better on the other side," says Andrew Gilman, CommCore's president and CEO. "The government is taking it very seriously to the point
that they've brought in representatives from the private and public sectors' infrastructure to plan for this."
Over at Ketchum, the agency assembled its own global task force to address the subject. In announcing the task force, the agency proclaimed: "In extreme situations,
factories, shops and service centers could be closed while entire countries are placed under quarantine allowing for no imports or exports and closing stock exchanges."
"This is a critical moment for global business," explains Tom Barritt, global director of Ketchum's Issues & Crisis Network. "The discussion of health issues doesn't
happen every day in typical business situations. And it is becoming clear this will effect global business operations."
Barritt notes Ketchum is already working with clients in the food, healthcare and financial services industries to address avian flu-related concerns. "A number of surveys
indicate companies are not prepared beyond standard crisis preparedness plans," he adds. "There is a need for them to be more specific around avian flu."
Small Business Jitters
And it is not just the global economic players who are nervous. The TwinWest Chamber of Commerce, which serves small and midsized businesses in 10 cities in western
Minnesota, raised it PR visibility in the past weeks by making avian flu preparedness one of its key causes.
"We were getting questions on business plans and preparedness," says Barb Obershaw, president. "Small and midsized businesses have less resources to gear up for this."
The chamber hosted a session in April with guest speaker Ken Wilson, head of the Wilson Marketing Group, to discuss business strategic planning in the event of a
pandemic. "It was standing room only," reports Obershaw, who adds that high profile media coverage of the event brought in representatives from the state's chamber of commerce.
"We will probably do additional programs on this topic."
Yeah, But...
However, one has to give pause and wonder whether the intense attention on avian flu is little more than an update on the adventures of a fabled bird: Chicken Little. No
expert has been willing to assuredly predict when (or even if) avian flu arrive here. And in countries where the flu has been found, there have been no widespread pandemics (most
of the fatal cases were in Indonesia and Vietnam). In fact, within countries with reported cases, it has pretty much been life as usual.
Even Obershaw is uncertain what the future will bring. "Personally, I'm in the middle," she confides. "A lot of our members are saying: Oh, for Heaven's sake, it's another
Y2K. But on the other hand - what if?"
Still, those who are talking up the subject would prefer to err on the side of safety. "Many crises are difficult to anticipate," says Andrew Gilman. "Y2K was a crisis we
knew could come. Avian flu fits into that category."
And even if the pandemic never takes root, the fear of a potential catastrophe has already created a crisis. "The poultry industry is struggling to keep up with the problem,"
observes Tom Barritt. "Sales of poultry are dropping in certain markets."
Contacts: Debra Bass, [email protected]; Bernie Frist, [email protected]; Andrew Gilman, [email protected]; Tom Barritt, [email protected]; Barb Obershaw,
952.540.2434.