Event Crisis: Not If, But When

February 24, 2026

8:00am – 11:00am

Seattle Convention Center

Session Description

This interactive panel brings together a diverse group of emergency management experts—including emergency responders, private emergency management consultants, event planners, and venue facilities professionals—to share their perspectives on preparing for and responding to incidents in the events industry. Designed as a hands-on experience, this session will provide real-world insights into managing medical emergencies, severe weather, security threats, and communication breakdowns.

The program also includes practical hemorrhage control training, where attendees will learn and practice essential bleeding-control skills they can immediately apply in the field. Participants will leave with tangible tools, increased confidence, and strengthened teamwork strategies to help keep events and people safe.

Event Timing

• 8:00–8:30 AM – Registration and networking
• 8:30–9:00 AM – Breakfast
• 9:00–10:00 AM – Program / Panel Discussion
• 10:00–11:00 AM – Hands-on Experience Covering Various Control Bleeding Techniques
• 11:00 AM – Program concludes

Pricing

Meeting Planner (Independent, Corporate, Third Party, Association, Government) – $50

Supplier (Hotel, Facility, AV, Sales of any Kind) – $75

*Pricing will increase by $25 a week prior to the event.

Moderator:  Emily Kang Cantrell, President & CEO Seafair

Emily Kang Cantrell is a dynamic nonprofit and events leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning broadcast journalism, tourism and hospitality, and mission-driven work. She currently serves as President & CEO of Seafair Charitable Foundation, where she leads one of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic civic celebrations, including the Fourth of July festivities, Alaska Airlines Seafair Torchlight Parade, and Seafair Weekend Festival on Lake Washington.

Since taking the helm in 2024, Emily has helped introduce bold changes to modernize the festival while honoring its 76-year legacy. Her work has focused on strengthening community partnerships and building new pathways to long-term financial sustainability.

Previously, Emily served as Interim CEO at PROVAIL, one of Washington’s largest multi-service organizations supporting individuals with disabilities.

Emily serves on the boards of Cascade PBS, World Trade Center Seattle, and the Washington Festivals and Events Association, and is a Commissioner for the Seattle Sports Commission.

Emily is a survivor of the Route 91 mass shooting in Las Vegas, an experience that gave her a deeper understanding of how vital safety and trust are in shared public spaces. It’s a perspective that now informs her work leading events that bring people together with joy, purpose, and care. She holds an Executive MBA from the IE Brown program and remains passionate about storytelling, civic engagement, and building community through unforgettable experiences.

Panelists:

• • Alicia Moneyhun, Sr. Event Project Manager, Simplicity Consulting
  • Frank Sebastian, President, Emergency Management Group
  • Consuelo Crow, Regional Catastrophic Planning Grand Coordinator, The Seattle Office of Emergency Management
  • Krista Daniels, VP of Event Operations, Seattle Convention Center
  • Roger Bianchi, Retired Seattle Firefighter (30 years of experience; FEMA team member)

Alicia Moneyhun, Senior Event Program Manager at Simplicity Consulting, Inc. – With more than thirty years in events, hospitality, and operational leadership, Alicia has helped teams navigate complexity with clarity and confidence, with security and emergency preparedness serving as consistent threads throughout her career. From training hotel teams on emergency response to planning, navigating, and executing complex security needs for executives and groups of all sizes—both in the U.S. and internationally—Alicia has supported programs requiring thoughtful, high‑stakes coordination. Her work has also included partnerships with organizations such as International SOS, AlterMedia, and Everbridge.

Outside of events and hospitality, Alicia brings nearly 20 years of supporting PCMA and a decade of consulting experience in emergency management, specifically supporting large‑scale employee movements following hurricanes, oil spills, and industry accidents. While Alicia is not an incident responder, she has worked closely with emergency teams to plan ahead, coordinate immediate‑response logistics, and maintain continuity during some of the most challenging moments organizations face. At her core, Alicia believes in the power of preparation and connection, and she is committed to helping teams understand how thoughtful planning and strong security practices can protect their people, their customers, and the events they deliver.

Frank Sebastian is the President of Emergency Management Group – Washington, a non-profit organization providing emergency management training, planning and operational support throughout the pacific northwest, including Seafair, Special Olympics of Washington, Special Olympics USA Games, and other organizations. In support of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency, Frank served as a subject matter expert (SME) for the US Department of Health and Human Services, Emergency Management and Medical Operations Division. For many years, Frank has served as the Emergency Manager for Seafair in Seattle. Seafair produces many annual special events, including Summer 4th (July 4th), Torchlight Parade, Seafair Air Show and Hydroplane Boat Races. Frank has been the Emergency Manager and Incident Commander for many Seafair events, with attendance ranging from 5,000 to over 150,000 participants. Frank was the Emergency Manager for Seafair at the Seahawks Super Bowl Victory Parade, which attracted 750,000 participants in downtown Seattle. Frank accepted the additional role of Emergency Manager for the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle. As the Emergency Manager, he is responsible for pre-event public safety and emergency response planning, as well as inter-agency interoperability and resource coordination. Frank previously served many years with the federal government, at FEMA, HHS Office of Emergency Management, and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. He deployed to many national special security events, large-scale disasters and mass-fatality incidents, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Haiti earthquake, SR 530 (Oso) slide, Oregon Wildfires, and Lahaina Hawaii wildfire. Frank is licensed as a Certified Trainer for the Department of Licensing and Emergency Medical Response Instructor for the American Red Cross.

Consuelo Crow holds a post-graduate degree in multidisciplinary Anthropology and a degree in Geology, with 14 years of experience in location-based ethnographic research in global wars and conflict zones. She has been with the City of Seattle for the past 11 years and from 2017-2021, she worked with the City of Seattle’s Homeless Strategy and Investments division. She developed and managed the first Native American-serving enhanced hotel shelter in the United States. Her career focus has been with historic preservation law, built environments, human migration, material culture, necropolitics and resource scarcity. Her passion is addressing the needs of underserved and underrepresented communities who need strategic outreach and resources in times of crisis.

She has worked prior to and during the pandemic, as a Planning and Development Specialist, managing city, state and federal emergency relief funding, capital projects and responding to COVID-19 based enhanced shelter protocols for people experiencing homelessness. Since 2022, Consuelo has been the Project Manager for the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant, working with 8 Puget Sound Counties to prepare the most vulnerable frontline communities for a catastrophic event through planning and resilience measures.  Consuelo is a proud member of the Pascua Yaqui Nation, speaks 5 languages, including her Indigenous language, and is a published author.

Krista Daniel, CMP is Vice President of Event Operations at the Seattle Convention Center, where she oversees Event Services and Public Safety & Security. She has spent more than 24 years at SCC supporting a wide range of events and clients, with a focus on thoughtful planning, strong partnerships, and guest experience. Krista was part of the opening team at the Microsoft Conference Center on their corporate campus, and joined SCC in 2001, growing through roles that connect event logistics, security coordination, and team leadership. She brings a practical, steady approach to her work and cares deeply about creating events that feel safe, welcoming, and well-executed for everyone involved.

Roger Bianchi started with the Seattle Fire Department in 1989 and recently retired after 35 years of service.  He spent the last 25 years driving Ladder 1 out of Fire Station 10 in Pioneer Square.  He served as the logistics manager for major incidents and special events with Seattle Fire. Over 20 years, he was with FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue Team Washington Task Force 1, deployed nationwide to major disasters, handling logistics and HazMat. He was a HazMat technician with Seattle Fire since 1994.

Trainer:

• Tristan Wisont, EMS/Trainer, Stop the Bleed

Tristan Wisont is a medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine and worked as an EMT and as a volunteer firefighter for several years prior. As part of his time at the UWSOM, he co-founded a student group dedicated to teaching Stop the Bleed classes; he has taught Stop the Bleed all over the Greater Seattle area to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Premier Sponsor:

Supporting Sponsors: