3 Key Takeaways: Facilities Management Masterclass in Business Continuity

Business Continuity Is Everyone’s Responsibility

A recurring theme throughout the session was that business continuity planning (BCP) is not the sole responsibility of facilities teams. Instead, it requires cross-functional involvement from across the organisation, including finance, communications, asset management, and operations.

Effective BCP depends on clear roles and responsibilities within an incident management team, with executive sponsorship at the highest level.

Robust stakeholder mapping and communication, both internally and externally, are essential to avoid confusion or reputational damage in a crisis.

Strong governance and documentation ensure that decisions made under pressure are recorded and implemented effectively.

Facilities managers play a vital role in this process, but senior leadership must own the plan, while FM provides the operational expertise to deliver it.

Preparedness and Testing Are Non-Negotiable

The masterclass stressed that a plan left on the shelf is of little value. A BCP must be a living document, updated regularly and tested against evolving risks.

Key actions include regular scenario planning and simulations to identify weaknesses before a real crisis occurs, ensuring alternative work locations and recovery sites are maintained and ready for use, and proactive risk reviews of suppliers, technology, and infrastructure to prevent single points of failure.

Organisations may initially face failures during testing, but these are vital learning opportunities. It is far better to discover gaps in a controlled environment than during a live event.

Facilities Management Is Central to Organisational Resilience

Perhaps the most powerful insight was how closely facilities management and business continuity planning are intertwined.

From maintaining critical infrastructure such as generators and water systems, to coordinating with emergency services during civil unrest, facilities teams are often the first line of defence in a crisis.

Facilities managers contribute directly to resilience by overseeing emergency preparedness and response protocols such as fire drills, evacuations, and security coordination; ensuring compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards at all times; and managing essential resources, including utilities, equipment, and supplies, so they remain available during disruption.

Facilities management’s operational expertise protects not just physical assets, but also an organisation’s strategic and reputational interests.

The Facilities Management Masterclass series highlights that business continuity is not a nice-to-have but a strategic necessity. Successful plans require ownership at executive level, rigorous preparation and testing, and the practical expertise of facilities management to bring them to life.

In an unpredictable world - whether facing storms, cyberattacks, pandemics, or civil unrest - the ability to anticipate, respond, and recover quickly is what sets resilient organisations apart.

You can rewatch this masterclass here.

If you are interested in studying workplace and facilities management at Portobello Institute, explore our faculty here.

Upcoming Masterclass

Join us for the third and final instalment of Portobello Institute’s Business Continuity Masterclass Series on Thursday, January 29th 2026 from 7 - 8:30 pm. This is an online expert-led masterclass exploring how forward-thinking professionals, leaders and organisations can respond, adapt and lead during disruption

Hosted by Portobello Institute’s Facilities Management Faculty, within our emerging Centre for the Built Environment, Management and Leadership, this free masterclass brings real-world industry experience directly into professional practice.

Built around a powerful, real-life case study from the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon, County Clare you'll hear from our expert guest speaker, Michelle McManus, Sales & Marketing Manager and Green Team Leader at the Falls Hotel & Spa, Ennistymon.

During severe storms last winter, widespread power outages left communities across the region without electricity. With over 300 guests on site and no external power, the hotel faced a critical operational challenge.

What followed was a defining example of business continuity in action. As systems failed and conditions worsened, the hotel not only remained operational but transformed into a support hub for the wider community, providing access to facilities, hot meals and essential services for several days.

Guest speaker Michelle McManus will take you inside the decisions, systems and leadership that made this possible. You'll explore how a well-prepared disaster management plan supported operational resilience, enabled sustainable decision-making and created meaningful community impact at a time of crisis.

The session also examines how facilities and workplace professionals can rethink their role during disruption, not only as operational leaders, but as custodians of infrastructure that can serve both organisations and communities when it matters most.

This masterclass brings together business continuity, sustainability, corporate social responsibility and human-centred leadership, showing how preparation and values-led decision-making can strengthen resilience and reputation at the same time

You will learn from:

• Michelle McManus - Sales and Marketing Manager and Green Team Leader, The Falls Hotel & Spa, Ennistymon, Co. Clare. Michelle brings over two decades of experience in hospitality and tourism management, combining strong operational leadership with a deep commitment to sustainability.
• Tony O’Gorman – Renowned Facilities Management consultant and thought leader, with extensive experience in resilience planning.
• Matt McConnell – Senior FM practitioner with hands-on expertise in delivering robust continuity strategies in complex environments.

The masterclass will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers after the event. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions, so come prepared to bring your real world queries to our expert panel.

Portobello Institute certificates of attendance will be issued who those who join the masterclass call on the day. These will be emailed to you and can be used for CPD. 

Register here.