[ Hong Kong Annual Intertanko Conference to feature crisis media ]

Hong Kong Annual Intertanko Conference to feature crisis media managem
ent training for oil spills

Intertanko’s four day Annual Conference to be held in Hong Kong, May
7~10. Intertanko will be offering one day and half day traning seminar
s for senior shipping executives from among the many international mem
bers attending and local shipping companies.
The courses will be run by City Marketing Limited, a London based PR g
roup specialising in the shipping industry and a founder partner of th
e MTI Network. BBC’s Panorama abchorman, Torn Mangold has been brough
t to Hong Kong specifically for this purpose and will be the course tu
tor along with other MTI executives.
The MTI Network was set up some 7 years ago, specifically in response
to a large requirement in the US legislation - OPA ’90(Oil Pollution
Act of 1990) - for a media relations specialist to be registered as pa
rt of the nominated response team; and has partner members in the USA,
Hong Kong, Norway and Australia.
Hong Kong MTI partner, Ferdi Stolzenberg explained further : “The pri
nciple of MTI’s crisis strategy is to be prepared for any eventuality
, from having detailed information on vessels, crews and cargo at your
fingertips, to training our clients’ executives to deal with media e
nquiries and how to handle one-on-one interviews, press conferences et
c.”
He then went on to explain that in addition to running media training
courses for their own clients, MTI also decided to offer the course to
other companies in the maritime industry. Since then, over 80 senior
shipping executives from all parts of the world had completed the MTI
one day media management course. This will be the first time this cour
se has been presented in Hong Kong, with personnel from London coming
specifically for this purpose.
Tom Mangold continued : “MTI’s one day course is for a maximum of 5~
6 people and consists of mock interviews for each participant, from ra
dio, to press to TV one-on-one interviews and a press conference state
ment, with hositile questions (from myself and other MTI executives) b
eing the norm.”
“We then record each interview on tape which is then played back and
analysed, along with constructive criticism and instruction on techniq
ues on how to handle interviews. At the end of the day, each executive
is presented with a copy of his ‘interviews’ for personal review la
ter on.” he concluded.
Part of the course also features on areas in which the shipping indust
ry comes under attack by the media and how to develop the right respon
se for each situation, stressed Stolzenberg, emphasizing that it was
important to have the right tutors. “It is not just a matter of teach
ing people body language and how not to get flustered, the trainers mu
st also be aware of the shipping industry, its problems and peculiarit
ies.”
Since their inception, the one day media management training courses h
ave been led by Tom Mangold, on internationally respected journalist/b
roodcaster and other MTI senior executives.
Tom Mangold’s background dates back to when he was a Fleet Street rep
orter in the 60s, when he covered major war conflicts from Ireland to
Vietnam to the Middle East. In 1971 he joined BBC TV Current Affairs a
nd in 1976 BBC’s internationally acclaimed current affairs programme
- panorama - which in recent years has covered maritime related drug s
muggling, the bulk carrier crisis and more recently, the grounding and
oil spill of the Sea Empress in Milford Haven, England.
Intertanko’s Norway based Conference Organiser, Sally Woulfe, was als
o enthusiastic about the programme, stating : “In dealing with the wo
rld’s largest tanker shipowners, we need to be able to offer them inf
ormation and activities in line with their status. Some of our people
have gone through MTI’s one day training course and we believe that i
t will be beneficial to any of our members and indeed anyone within th
e shipping industry who may have to face the media in a time of crisis
.”