Crisis Management Workshop — Group C

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Crisis Management Simulation Lab by ADandPRLAB at Panteion University

6 min readJul 2, 2023

As this academic year came to an end, during the #CrisisManagement sessions of #ADandPRLab, we carried out a Crisis Simulation for 4 days. Specifically, we were all divided into teams and asked to act as if we were in a crisis. For the following four days we had to analyse a hypothetical case/scenario whilst each team played a different role.

The crisis

On the occasion of Israel’s rapid development with AI, a meeting of representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Defence with the representatives of the Greek Ministry of Defense is being held. The Israeli representative team arrived on Monday 29th of May in Athens under stict security measures.

The representatives are staying in a hotel at the centre of Athens, which is called KASTIN HOTEL, in a wing that was granted to them after the consultation of the Ministry of Defence with the company KASTIN GROUP which owns the respective hotel, so that they can have peace and seclusion, away from the eyes of other visitors and the general public. The representative team does not go outside the specific wing and is served exclusively by the KASTIN HOTEL restaurant. However, on the 30th of May, information that one of the representatives is showing sickness in the stomach is spread.

The perspective of the KASTIN Hotel

The crisis unfolded on May 30th, as news of the Israeli committee illness began to circulate. Rumours of possible food poisoning ignited media demands for answers. So, recognizing the gravity, we maintained composure, relaying only verified information. Our team, Kastin Hotel Crisis Management, sprang into action, taking necessary measurements, conducting inspections, and instantly collecting the required data to identify and resolve the underlying issue.

Despite urgency, immediate updates on the cause of the guest’s illness were limited, leaving us with minimal information for press engagement. During this crucial time, our unwavering focus was on maintaining transparency and rebuilding the hotel’s credibility. Collaborating closely with the Greek Ministry of Defence, we aligned our approach to maintain a low profile amid the challenging situation, particularly as rumours of a potential terrorist act began to surface, threatening to complicate matters further.

With one more representative falling ill on the second day, a delicate balance was essential in preserving our transparent image while navigating potential risks of international political involvement and subsequent misunderstandings. As public responses grew harsh and conspiracy theories emerged, we remained steadfast in our dedication to address the situation with honesty and integrity.

Undeterred by the challenges, we were determined to restore our hotel’s good reputation and regain customer trust. Amid the rapid spread of fake news, little time was available for reflection; yet, we persisted in showcasing loyalty to our security systems and professional workforce. Until the very last moment, we defended all the collected evidence that was proving the non-existent correlation between our facilities and the committee’s sickness.
Overall, the whole simulation was a very interesting and fun experience and we would definitely do it again, just for as long as it stays fictional!

The perspective of the Greek Ministry of Defence

Our team represented the Greek Ministry of Defence, which has as its main concern the protection and thus security of the country. In a crisis, this sense of security is temporarily disrupted. This is what happened in this particular case. That is why we established as our main objectives the immediate restoration of the truth and the safeguarding of integrity with discretion and diplomacy.

More specifically, the crisis was divided into three phases and culminated in the indisposition of the second representative. That level of crisis required special treatment and delicate handling. It was also important to maintain constant communication with the KASTIN Hotel in order to keep up on time with developments, as well as to maintain a common communication path, avoiding contradictions and supporting our initial choice of this company.

We did not make any early statements to the media because conclusive data hadn’t been collected, such as the findings of the medical examinations, which would have allowed us to draw a conclusion. In the second case, and while speculation in the media was rife, we felt it was imperative to make an official statement and answer the questions surrounding the representatives’ two incidents of sickness in order to avoid misinformation and scaremongering. The press release and the live broadcast of the interview came to put an end to the neutral stance we had maintained, while the release of the medical results verified the validity of our words. Throughout the simulation, the factor of time proved to be decisive, because we had to be informed of developments in good time and take appropriate action immediately. In general, the discreet way of handling the situation, the common line of communication with the company and the immediate response to the new facts determined the smooth outcome of the crisis without any particular consequences for both the Ministry and the hotel that hosted the mission.

The perspective of the media

Normally the media play a very vital role in finding out and bringing forth the truth, which is how our journey originally started. Having been assigned the role of the media, and having a considerably profound crisis ahead of us, we immediately jumped to action. From emails and calls, to interviews, we thought of every possible way to get information out of the other teams regarding the matter. It’s important to note that the teams representing the KASTIN Group and the Greek Ministry of Defence only came out with one Press Release each in the entirety of the four days that the simulation lasted, with no other public statements, other than a Facebook post by the KASTIN Hotel. As such, having the role of the media, we decided to push boundaries. Whilst getting the truth out to the public is indeed very important, we thought that it would be unrealistic if we didn’t show the “ugly” side of the media, in the form of the “yellow press”.

Thus, with minimal information out to the public, we started posting articles that questioned the integrity of the KASTIN Group and the Greek Ministry of Defence, as well as social media posts that represented the public opinion regarding the matter.

When time came for the workshop on Saturday, we got a statement from the KASTIN Group and the Greek Ministry of Defence, and then hosted a TV panel with three members of our team, and two members of each of the other teams. The entire time we pushed the other team members with rumours of bio-terrorism, with statements that the Israeli team had brought a virus created with AI nanotechnology, and other absurd claims of the public, to try and get more statements from them. The other team members handled the situation calmly, answering with whatever information they had available.

Overall, the experience was incredibly fun, at least for us as the media team. Coming up with outstanding rumours, whilst at the same time posing as the ever so strict public opinion, by committing to cancel culture, was invigorating, and collaborating with the other teams was fun and exciting. In general, it was a unique way of closing our academic experience.