A Crisis Simulation Game: The UBIS CATERING HELLAS case
In this year’s Crisis Management Simulation Lab we, as students of the ADandPRLAB, were lucky enough to experience what coming up against a crisis situation is like, by means of taking part in, what proved to be a very interesting simulation game. Our class was divided in three teams, namely: team B1 would be UBIS CATERING HELLAS, a catering company, team B2 would take the role of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our team (B3) would represent the Greek Media! We were presented with a half real crisis in which our team’s perspective would have to identify with ,what would be, the Media’s perspective in a similar real life situation, so we acted and reacted accordingly.
DAY 1 — The Crisis breaks out
On Wednesday January 16th, our team received the first email stating the facts that would kick off our work as the crisis’ transponders : Beth Carbon, communication officer of the British delegation visiting Greece in the context of discussions regarding BREXIT, is rumored to be sick with symptoms of what seems to be food poisoning. Her condition can easily be linked to the fact that she, along with other representatives, dined the previous night in hotel ASTY’s restaurant, whose catering has been undertaken by UBIS CATERING HELLAS, an internationally known multinational corporation with multiple distinctions in its assets. This was, obviously, big news for the Media (our team) who was, at the same time advised to evaluate the situation in the context of the recent intricacies of the European society such as the economic crisis and the emerging terrorist groups.
Our team chose to act as the Newspaper Kathimerini and we, immediately, created a Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/1459996150801949/?ref=group_header ) so that we would keep the public updated on any further developments of the case. Our first post was an article stating the facts known to us ,up to that point, as well as directing suspicions towards the company. Subsequently, we reached out to both the company (team B1) and the ministry of foreign affairs (team B2) aiming to obtain further information. The former gave us an open letter to publish as well as a phone interview answering to questions such as: «How are you able to ensure that your meals are safe for consumption», «Have you ever had to deal with such accusations in the past» and «Up to where did your responsibility extend in between the creation and consumption of your meals in the hotel premises». The latter was limited to the publication of a press release while refusing to cooperate with us.
DAY 2 — The Crisis escalates
The following Day, Thursday 17th, our team was provided with new facts that could be used to enforce the stance we were maintaining until then. Namely, there was reportedly another member of the delegation presenting symptoms similar to Beth Carbon’s. Of course, we took advantage of this information to impose further pressure on both parties and make the best of the emerging scandal to increase readability. UBIS CATERING HELLAS was, now more than ever, in the line of fire of the Media’s criticisms ,as our questions regarding both the hygiene of their food services as well as the transparency of the contest that resulted in their undertaking of ASTY’s restaurant stepped up. At the same time, the company refused to make further statements after publishing another press release stating necessary controls were being conducted while the Ministry, in its own press release, reassured the public that answers would be given, seemingly trying to put the blame on UBIS CATERING, so as not to create room for assumptions concerning the possibility of a terrorist attack.
DAY 3 — An interesting turn
On Friday January 18th, we received our final piece of information stating that all necessary health controls were conducted by the competent bodies and the results proved that UBIS CATERING HELLAS’ food could not have been responsible for the delegates’ sickness. At the same time, Beth Carbon’s health is said to be improving. Despite this development, allegations that the incident could be the result of an attempted terrorist attack had yet to be disproven. Our team decided to peer into this new interesting turn. After writing an article entitled «Coincidence or Terrorism» we came once again in contact with the Ministry of foreign affairs, questioning them about the measures taken to ensure the Delegations’ safety and whether they are sufficient or not.
DAY 4 — It’s a Wrap!
On Saturday 19th, all three teams got together in order to play the last act of the simulation game. The final challenge was to reenact a newscast during which our team posed the other teams’ representatives the questions that remained to be answered leading to the crisis’ official closure.
Our experience
Even though, by the last day of the simulation, there was some built up tension, as those four days were a bit stressful, including a lot of hard work and constant communication ,both among the members of our team but also with those of the other two teams’, we got a lot out of it. It was a worth having, eye opening experience that will certainly be proven very useful to us in the future and that we wont be forgetting any time soon!
Many thanks to our teachers and the other teams that took part in this memorable experience with us!!
Our Teams
Advent Children: elena kouki, Anastasia Koutsothodorou, eirini*ak
Marketistas: nikitoula mavromanolaki ,Tonia Molvali, Sofia Levitikoù
Our professors: Betty Tsakarestou , Mania Xenou
