Unusual by Design: Integrating Continuity and CCTA into Special Event Preparedness

Planning an exercise that blends continuity of operations with a complex coordinated terrorist attack (CCTA) during a major special event is not something most people would have on their 2026 bingo card - yet this unusual combination can reveal critical gaps that traditional scenarios miss.

This session walks participants through how our team designed and executed an unconventional exercise that forced agencies to balance immediate life-safety actions with the sustained delivery of essential functions.

The presentation explores how we selected a scenario that was both operationally realistic and continuity-focused, how we engaged diverse stakeholders with competing priorities, and how we built injects that challenged assumptions about resource availability, leadership succession, communications, and mission-essential functions.

Attendees will gain insight into the planning process, the unique challenges of exercising continuity during a high-visibility event, and the lessons learned that can strengthen preparedness across disciplines.