Practical workshops and crisis simulations for leadership, communications, HR and social media teams.
A journalist wants a response within the hour. An employee’s video is spreading. Someone has posted an allegation about your business, and half the team wants to reply immediately.
Who decides what happens next?
Honest London’s crisis communications training helps your team work through those decisions before they have to make them in public. Sessions are led personally by founder and crisis PR specialist Lauren Beeching, with content shaped around your organisation and the situations you are most likely to face.
A crisis plan is only useful if people can use it
It’s easy to agree that a business should respond quickly, communicate clearly and protect its reputation. It becomes considerably harder when the facts are incomplete, people disagree and the deadline is getting closer.
Our workshops explore what happens between recognising a problem and deciding what to say. Who needs to be involved? What needs checking? Should scheduled content stop? Does a public response help, or bring more attention to something?
The aim is to help your team make considered decisions under pressure and understand where their responsibilities begin and end.
Choose the session your team needs
Crisis communications workshop
A practical session covering how to recognise an emerging issue, assess its significance and organise a response.
We can work through journalist enquiries, holding statements, internal communications, social media backlash and the questions leadership teams need to answer before speaking publicly.
Suitable for teams developing their approach or refreshing an existing crisis communications plan.
Crisis simulation and rehearsal
Your team works through a realistic scenario, with new information introduced as the session develops.
A social post may become a press enquiry. An internal message may be shared publicly. A response that seemed sensible at the start may need reconsidering.
Lauren guides the exercise and reviews the decisions with you afterwards. You receive a written summary of the main gaps identified and recommended next steps.
Suitable for organisations that want to test how their people, approvals and communications work together.
Media training for difficult questions
Preparation for the interviews and conversations where wording, delivery and judgement matter.
Sessions can include practice interviews, challenging follow-up questions and feedback on how to explain a position clearly without becoming defensive or sounding scripted.
Suitable for founders, senior leaders and designated spokespeople.
What we can cover
Each session has an agreed focus. Topics can include:
Handling the first journalist enquiry.
Deciding when to respond publicly.
Writing and approving an initial statement.
Managing online criticism and social media escalation.
Communicating with employees, customers and partners.
Coordinating communications with legal advisers.
Preparing senior leaders for difficult questions.
Understanding what remains online after attention moves elsewhere.
Led personally by Lauren Beeching
Lauren Beeching is the founder of Honest London and an international crisis PR and reputation adviser, working with brands, business leaders and public figures on high-profile and sensitive reputational challenges. Her work spans media scrutiny, online backlash and complex situations where personal lives, commercial interests and public opinion collide.
Alongside her confidential advisory work, Lauren has co-hosted BBC Radio 4’s When It Hits the Fan. Her media contributions include BBC News, Sky News, CNN, The New York Times and The Telegraph, analysing how major public controversies unfold and why the response can become bigger than the original story.
Lauren brings an international perspective and experience of advising behind the scenes while also facing the questions on air. She leads every session personally, helping teams understand how stories develop, anticipate difficult reactions and make clear decisions when the pressure is on.
How a booking works
We begin with a short conversation about your organisation, who will attend and what you want the session to achieve.
You then receive a proposed format, scope and fee. Preparation, session length and any written follow-up are agreed before booking.
For a simulation, we develop a scenario around the agreed risks. You do not need to share sensitive client information to make the exercise useful.
Specialist support for agencies
We also offer crisis PR advice for PR, social media and talent agencies that need additional expertise on a sensitive situation.
Support can include reviewing communications, discussing reputational risks and helping your team decide how to respond when a client comes under scrutiny.
One-off advice and ongoing advisory arrangements can be scoped around your needs. Any direct client involvement, response commitments or substantial crisis handling are agreed separately.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the training for?
Leadership teams, communications and marketing departments, HR professionals, social media teams and people who may need to speak on behalf of an organisation.
Do we need an existing crisis plan?
No. A workshop can help you identify what your plan needs to cover. If you already have one, a rehearsal can test whether the responsibilities and approval process work in practice.
Can the session focus on our industry?
Yes. We agree the context and priorities beforehand so the examples and exercises are relevant to your business.
How much does it cost?
Fees depend on the format, preparation, number of participants and agreed follow-up. You receive a clear quote before deciding whether to book.
Arrange a session for your team
Tell us a little about your organisation, the people attending and what you would like them to feel better prepared for.
If you have a preferred date or a particular scenario in mind, include that too. We will recommend a suitable format and explain the cost.