What really happens inside an organisation when a crisis hits? Who takes the lead? Who needs to know what, and when? And how well do the different teams work together when the pressure is on?
Taking place on 23–24 November 2026 at Universität Wien in Vienna, kindly hosted by ACOnet, the Austrian NREN, CLAW 2026 will combine practical crisis-management training with a hands-on tabletop exercise designed to put that learning to the test. The programme will also introduce a series of lightning talks, giving participants the opportunity to share experiences, lessons and ideas from real-life crises.
We caught up with Zoë Fischer from GÉANT, responsible for CLAW, to find out what’s new, and why she thinks everyone who has ever had to deal with a crisis should consider joining.
Zoë, what is different about CLAW 2026?
Zoë: Building on the positive feedback we received last year, when we linked the practical training more closely with the tabletop exercise, our aim, this year, is to develop this approach further. We want to give participants the opportunity to experience the pressure, stress and uncertainty of a crisis, while also equipping them with practical tools to navigate those challenging situations. Participants will learn practical crisis management tools, then put them to the test in a realistic crisis scenario. The aim is to build confidence and skills they can take back to their organisations and use when a real crisis strikes. It’s a bit like learning to drive: you can read all the theory you like, but you learn something different when you actually get behind the wheel and have to make decisions in real time.
So the simulation is not just about testing technical crisis response?
Zoë: Exactly. The exercise remains relevant for both technical and non-technical participants, and the technical element is still very much part of the programme. There will be challenges for both groups, with technical scenarios running alongside broader crisis-management situations. This means that management, communications and technical participants can each practise the aspects most relevant to their roles, while also experiencing how these different perspectives and responsibilities come together when an organisation is faced with a crisis.
There’s also a new format this year – lightning talks. Why?
Zoë: We want to make more room for the experience that already exists within our community. People have dealt with real crises, cyber incidents, outages, reputational problems and unexpected situations, and those experiences are incredibly valuable to others.
So we’re introducing five-minute lightning talks: concise, informal contributions where participants can share something they have learned from a real crisis or crisis-management experience. And you don’t have to consider yourself a crisis-management expert. In fact, we’d particularly like to hear from people who don’t normally put themselves forward as speakers. Maybe something went really well. Maybe something went horribly wrong. Maybe you discovered a weakness in your internal processes. Maybe you learned something about communication that you wish you had known beforehand. Those are exactly the kinds of stories that can help someone else.
Is this your invitation for reluctant speakers?
Zoë: Absolutely! You don’t need a polished conference presentation. You don’t need to have all the answers. Just bring a story, an experience or a lesson. Five minutes can be enough to make someone else think: “We should probably look at that in our organisation.”
And then there’s the venue…
Zoë: Yes! We’re very excited about that. CLAW 2026 will take place in the magnificent Universität Wien, right in the heart of Vienna, a spectacular 19th-century university palace with grand ceremonial halls and a beautiful arcaded courtyard. It’s a rather special place to spend three days learning, collaborating and stepping outside your usual working environment.
And there is another very good reason to come to Vienna in November…
The city’s famous Christmas markets will be open! So yes: come for the crisis management, stay for a slice of Sachertorte and a little Glühwein.
What would you say to someone who is thinking, “I’m not really a crisis person”?
Zoë: I’d say that’s probably exactly why you should come. You don’t need to be the person who leads a crisis. You may be the person who receives the first call, manages communications, runs a service, supports senior management, talks to users or simply has information that suddenly becomes critical. Crisis management is an organisational team sport. The more we understand how the different parts of our organisations work together – and where they don’t – the better prepared we are when something unexpected happens. And you don’t have to wait for a real crisis to find out.
CLAW is the safe place to practise.
To register for CLAW 2026 visit: https://events.geant.org/event/2191/overview
For information about the previous editions of CLAW, click here
