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Crisis Communication course

In this Crisis Communication course you will learn how to stay in control in crisis situations, draw up a crisis communication plan and prevent or limit reputational damage.

7.4 from 1 review 4,6 on Google NRTO quality mark

Free cancellation up to four weeks before the start, so feel free to book now.

For a team or department? Arrange your own group, at your premises or ours. In-company for your team

In brief. Crisis Communication is a classroom course of 2 days. You can take it in Rotterdam and Arnhem or online, in a group of no more than 8 participants. The price is EUR 1250,- excl. VAT per participant, including course materials, lunch on location and a certificate of attendance. For a team or department we also deliver this course in-company.

  • Stay in control in every crisis
  • Immediately applicable ALERT model for crisis communication
  • Media as a partner, not an enemy
  • A strong crisis team in a single course
  • Preventing reputational damage and recovering after a crisis
MarjorieGarbrandRuben

Your trainer: Marjorie, Garbrand or Ruben 225 evaluations in total, averaging 8,4. View the trainers

A crisis arises unexpectedly and spreads extremely quickly online. In the Crisis Communication course you get to grips with acting as a spokesperson, media strategy and reputation recovery, so that you stay in control when it matters most.

Description

A crisis can happen to any organisation: a data breach, an accident, a scandal or an incident that suddenly goes viral. In an age where news spreads within minutes via social media and news apps, the speed and quality of your communication determine how great the impact on your reputation will be.
 
In this Crisis Communication course you gain insight into how to prepare your organisation for crisis situations and how to stay in control of the messaging yourself. You work on building a crisis communication plan, learn how to put together a crisis team and practise crisis spokesmanship, media strategy and dealing with framing and fake news.
 
You are introduced to the ALERT model and apply it to recognisable situations from your own practice. You also gain tools for evaluating after a crisis and restoring your organisation's reputation. The course is practical and interactive in design, with current examples and assignments that link directly to your work.

Topics

The Crisis Communication course covers topics including the following:
  • Crisis? What crisis? The consequences of a crisis for your organisation, crisis or opportunity, and why the head-in-the-sand approach does not work.
  • Well prepared for crisis situations: the importance of a crisis process and protocol, risks to your organisation, the expectations of those around you and internal communication.
  • Assembling a crisis team: who do you involve, what is each person's task and how do you practise with the team.
  • Drawing up a crisis communication plan: environment analyses, worst-case scenarios, risks, the crisis objective, crisis response and resolving crises.
  • Success factors of crisis communication: process statement, the interests of those affected, calm in the communication, compassion and empathy, and transparency.
  • Crisis spokespersonship and media strategy: media as amplifiers or partners, press conferences and interviews, framing, fake news and the use of images.
  • Leadership in crisis situations: showing decisiveness, speaking with one voice, focusing on online and keeping control yourself.
  • Crisis evaluation: crisis logging, closing the crisis and improving your approach.
  • The ALERT model for crisis communication.

Result

After completing the Crisis Communication course:

you know what consequences a crisis can have for your organisation, you understand the importance of a sound crisis process and crisis protocol, you know the ALERT model for crisis communication and can apply it, you are aware of the influence of media and social platforms on a crisis situation and can use that influence to your advantage, you can put together an expert crisis team, you can deploy various tactics and resources for your crisis communication, you stay in control yourself through effective crisis spokesmanship and a well-considered media strategy, you know how to evaluate a crisis afterwards and what to look out for, you have tools to restore your organisation's reputation after a crisis.

Target audience

The Crisis Communication course is intended for anyone within the organisation who is involved in setting up or carrying out crisis communication. Think of communication managers, communication professionals, spokespersons, press officers and social media managers.

Teaching method

During the Crisis Communication course you work in a practical, interactive way with exercises and examples from your own day-to-day practice. This gives you a clearer picture of what crisis communication involves and how an organisation can anticipate crisis situations. The assignments give you a solid basis for the crisis communication plan within your own organisation. At the start of the course you receive the book "Crisiscommunicatie voor iedereen" and a course folder. You also get access to our online learning environment.

Prior knowledge

No specific prior knowledge is required for this course. Do you work on, or contribute ideas about, communication within your organisation? Then you can get started straight away. A background in communication, spokesmanship or management is useful, but certainly not a requirement.

Practical information

Number of days
2 days
Course times
from 10 am to 5 pm
Teaching hours
12 hours
Education level
Suitable for all levels
Preparation time
None
Included
Course materials and lunch on site
Certificate
At the end of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance
Cancel
Free up to four weeks before the start (cancellation terms)

Language

The course is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer speaks English. English-language course materials can be used. If at least 3 participants register, the course can also be given entirely in English.

In-company

Would you like to organise this training for a whole group or several groups? This can be cost-effective. For example, we can tailor the content entirely to your organisation, and training a whole group is also cheaper.

Are you looking at large numbers of participants or a complete academy? That involves a great deal. Consider planning and communication, for example, or identifying and agreeing the objectives and content of the training. Or differences in level, feedback mechanisms and safeguarding. Fortunately, Learnit has extensive experience in this field (more than 25 years) and we are happy to help you through this process.

Request a quote More about Crisis Communication in-company

All start dates

2 training days. Confirmed dates first, then in order of date.

  • Mon 23 & Tue 24 November 2026Certain to go ahead Arnhem · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 26 October Enrol
  • Mon 23 & Tue 24 November 2026 Online · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 26 October Enrol
  • Thu 12 & Fri 13 August 2027 Rotterdam · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 15 July Enrol

No suitable start date? Send us a date request, and we'll look at the options together.

This course for your team?

Plan your own group on a date that suits you, at your office, at our premises or online. We tailor the content to your day-to-day work, and training a whole group is cheaper than individual bookings.

  • Your date and location
  • Tailored content
  • Multiple groups or an academy are also possible
  • More than 25 years' experience
Request a quote No obligation, an adviser will be in touch shortly How in-company works

The trainers for this course

Ratings from participants after completing their course, across all courses by this trainer.

Marjorie

Personal development trainer 8,9 from 126 evaluations

Garbrand

Trainer in communication skills and leadership 7,8 from 84 evaluations

Ruben

Trainer in project management, change management and lean 8,2

What others say about this course

7.4
Crisis Communication course: average 7.4 from 1 review

“The course is very valuable if your organisation is working on setting up crisis communication, writing a crisis communication plan and/or training communication professionals. Thanks to a mix of theory and best practices, plus an experienced trainer, we can get to work with the material straight away. There was also attention for personal development – an indispensable part of crisis communication.”

V. Bolhuis - TKP Pensioen7.4

"A course that is well put together in terms of content. You really know how to get to work on crisis communication."

Participant

Training formats

Classroom

2 days€ 1250,-
  • Pleasant venue with a good trainer
  • Small groups
  • Inspiring and motivating
Choose a date

Online

2 days€ 1080,-
  • Online with a trainer
  • Personal
  • Practical and interactive
Choose a date

In-company

Bespoke trainingOn request
  • 100% for your group
  • Bespoke training
  • At your place or ours
View in-company

Workshop

Up to 4 hours for groupsOn request
  • Suitable for events
  • Interactive and inspiring
  • Large groups too
Request a quote

Private training

At our place or yoursOn request
  • 100% just for you
  • Achieve a lot in little time
  • Whenever you want
Request a quote

Frequently asked questions

Can I cancel free of charge?

Yes. Up to four weeks before the first day of the course you can cancel free of charge, without giving a reason. You then receive a credit note or, if you have already paid, a refund. If you cancel later, you pay part of the course fee: 25% between four and two weeks before the start, 75% in the two weeks before it and 100% in the final week. Moving to another start date is free of charge up to two weeks before the start, after that 50%. Sending a colleague in your place is always possible. Read the cancellation terms.

Who is the Crisis Communication course suitable for?
The Crisis Communication course is suitable for anyone involved in setting up or carrying out crisis communication within an organisation. Think of communication managers, communication professionals, spokespeople, press officers and social media managers. Directors or managers who speak on behalf of the organisation in crisis situations will also get a great deal out of it. No prior knowledge is needed: you work in a classroom setting with practical examples from your own organisation.
Which topics are covered in the Crisis Communication course?
In the Crisis Communication course you cover, among other things, the ALERT model, drawing up a crisis communication plan, putting together a crisis team, crisis spokesmanship and media strategy, framing and fake news, leadership during a crisis and crisis evaluation. You also work on success factors such as transparency, empathy and keeping control over your online messaging. You practise with current practical examples.
What is the ALERT model in crisis communication?
The ALERT model is a practical framework that helps you communicate quickly and in a structured way during a crisis. You will get to know and apply the model during Learnit's Crisis Communication course. With ALERT you stay in control, avoid reputational damage and use the media as a partner rather than an amplifier. The model is covered in detail during the classroom course.
What course materials do you receive with the Crisis Communication course?
On the Crisis Communication course you receive the book 'Crisiscommunicatie voor iedereen' and a training folder with exercises and examples. You also receive access to Learnit's online learning environment. During the course you work in the classroom with practical cases, so that you immediately lay a basis for your own organisation's crisis communication plan. Afterwards you receive a certificate of participation.
Is prior knowledge required for the Crisis Communication course?
No, no specific prior knowledge is required for the Crisis Communication course. It is useful, however, if you work in a communication or spokesperson role, or are involved in crisis management within your organisation. Experience with communication issues helps you link the exercises and practical examples directly to your own working situation. The classroom course builds up from the basics, so you can easily follow along.
What is the difference between the Crisis Communication course and a general spokesperson or media training course?
A media training course focuses on your personal performance in front of a camera, microphone or the press: how you deliver a message, deal with difficult questions and stay calm under pressure. Learnit's Crisis Communication course goes a step further and covers the entire process surrounding a crisis: risk assessment, drawing up a crisis communication plan, putting together a crisis team, internal communication, spokesmanship, media strategy and evaluation afterwards. You learn to work with the ALERT model and with worst-case scenarios. Media training is therefore mainly individual and performance-oriented; this course (classroom-based) is organisation- and process-oriented. If you want to prepare both your organisation and yourself for appearing on television, the courses are complementary.
How do I know whether I will really be ready to act during a crisis after this course, or will I still need practical experience afterwards?
After the course you have the building blocks for crisis communication at hand: the ALERT model, a working crisis process, an outline for your crisis communication plan and practical tools for spokesmanship and media strategy. You can start drawing up or sharpening the plan within your own organisation straight away. You then build up routine in real crisis situations by practising with your crisis team, working through scenarios and carrying out evaluations after incidents or exercises. The course is classroom-based, so that you practise with real-life cases from other participants. Compared with only reading a book or following an e-learning course, here you receive direct feedback and practise spokesmanship, framing and putting together a crisis team in a safe setting.
When should you choose a classroom-based Crisis Communication course rather than online self-study or a webinar?
A classroom course makes sense if you want to practise crisis communication under pressure. At Learnit you work with cases from your own organisation and practise live with crisis spokesmanship, press conferences and interviews. Those kinds of skills are hard to learn through a webinar or e-learning, because direct feedback from a trainer and fellow participants is essential. Self-study using a book or online module works perfectly well for the theory: the ALERT model, environment analyses or drawing up a protocol can largely be absorbed by reading. So choose a classroom course if you are a spokesperson, communication manager or member of a crisis team and could actually end up in front of the camera or microphone. For purely background knowledge, self-study is sufficient.
What do you get in the Crisis Communication course that you would not learn by drawing up a crisis communication plan yourself on the basis of books or online examples?
Drawing up a crisis communication plan on the basis of books or templates gives you a document, but not a practised reflex. Learnit's classroom Crisis Communication course adds three things that you miss through self-study. First: practising with the crisis team, including the division of roles, press conferences and interviews under pressure. Second: feedback from an experienced trainer on your own spokesmanship, framing and handling of fake news. Third: the ALERT model applied to your own worst-case scenarios, not to generic cases. You work on a plan for your own organisation and test it against the input of other participants from communications, spokesmanship and social media. The current price is shown on the course page and includes the book 'Crisiscommunicatie voor iedereen', the training folder and access to the online learning environment. Self-study is cheaper, but does not produce a practised crisis response.
How do you adapt crisis communication to the speed of social media and the impact of fake news today?
A crisis now spreads within minutes via X, TikTok, LinkedIn and WhatsApp groups. That calls for an approach in which you don't wait until you have all the facts, but quickly share a process statement setting out what you do know at that moment. In the Crisis Communication course from (classroom-based) you work with the ALERT model and explicitly cover topics such as framing, fake news, images and visual resources, and a focus on online. You learn how to stay in control by speaking with one voice and how to use the media as a partner rather than an opponent. Using current examples, you practise how to create calm in a communication flow that continues 24/7 and how to keep the interests of those affected central.
How does crisis communication for an SME differ from that for a large company or government body?
The principles are the same, but the execution differs. In large organisations and government bodies you often work with a formal crisis team, designated spokespeople, a press room and layered approval of statements. In an SME you usually do not have that structure: one or two people have to do everything at once, while the impact on reputation and turnover can be relatively greater. In Learnit's Crisis Communication course (classroom), you draw up a crisis communication plan that suits the size and resources of your organisation. You work with the ALERT model, practise acting as a crisis spokesperson and put together a crisis team that is realistic for your situation. Participants from SMEs, corporates and the public sector all sit in the same group, which reinforces learning from one another's approach.
How much does the Crisis Communication course cost and how long does it take?

You can find the current price at the top right of this course page, along with the schedule, location and delivery format. For in-company or bespoke courses we are happy to provide a quotation on request.

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Confirmed to go ahead: Mon 23 & Tue 24 November 2026 in Arnhem, can also be attended online

This date already has enough participants. Free cancellation up to four weeks before the start, so you can secure a place now.

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€ 1250,-excl. VAT · confirmed on Mon 23 Nov
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