Where there’s an accident, there’s usually financial liability. Typically, people try to steer clear of any mishaps, especially on the day of a special event. However, the truth is no matter how many precautions you take, you can’t bring the probability of an accident occurring down to zero. What you can do is save your day with event insurance.   

In this article

What Is Event Insurance?

The policy’s primary role is to protect you from losses caused by bodily injury and property damage during an event. Additionally, the insurer also compensates you in case of event cancellation.  

 The Who   

An event insurance policy is for any event organizer, such as:  

• Event management companies
• Corporations
• Athletic conferences
• Event promoters
• Conventions and seminars
• Nonprofit associations

The Why 

Suppose that you had to cancel an event at the last minute due to a key person’s injury. Without any insurance, you might not get refunds from the venue, caterers, band or florist, etc. That’s why you need event insurance. It can compensate for the losses due to mishaps such as injuries, property damages, and even event cancellations. Other instances of insurance coverages are:

• A guest accidentally sets the property on fire, and the venue owner sues you for resulting damages.
• Your staff accidentally spills water on the floor. Later, someone slips on the floor and gets severely injured. Such an incident might bring costly medical bills your way.
• Due to a sudden snowstorm, the roads are blocked, and you have to call off your Christmas party.
• A guest drinks too much alcohol at your party and starts assaulting other people and damaging property.

Things may take a wrong turn during an event. However, you can prevent losses caused by uncontrollable factors through event insurance. You can get coverage for as low as $50 (subject to your requirements and the provider). The insurance costs less than you might think and saves you plenty.

Coverages of Event Insurance  

The insurance helps you cover costs arising from the following:    

Property damage

For instance, you hosted a dinner at the launch of a famous artist’s gallery. To celebrate the day, a staff member pops open a bottle of champagne. Unfortunately, the cork strikes one of the artworks and ruins it. Destruction of art can be pretty costly for you. Since event insurance covers property damages, it keeps you out of financial trouble.

Event insurance takes care of any liability arising from third party property damage inflicted by you or your staff. Some insurers even cover for the damages or injuries inflicted by guests.

Bodily injury 

Even after taking the utmost care to make things safe for your guests, people may get injured during an event. For instance, a guest may slip and hurt their legs due to some water your employee accidentally spilled. Another example could be injuries to performers due to stage collapse. Bodily injuries can result in large medical bills. However, event insurance helps you pay for such injuries caused to the third-party.

Liquor liability  

Whether you are hosting a social gathering, wedding reception, Christmas party, or fundraiser, liquor is commonly served. While people can typically drink without incident, sometimes things can get out of hand. Depending on what state you’re in, hosts are typically held responsible if their guests leave drunk and go on to harm a third-party. For instance, an intoxicated guest may get into a car accident with someone else while driving back home. Or, an inebriated guest may injure someone at the party. Such events bring liabilities onto your shoulders.

You cannot control how much alcohol your guests consume. But you certainly can prepare yourself for possibilities that lead to financial trouble.

Event cancellation

Organizing an event can take ample time and investment. However, sometimes even if you prepare everything correctly, you may have to cancel the event altogether. With event insurance, event cancellation does not have to be a nightmare for you. The insurance covers for:

• Rescheduling costs
• Cancellation by speakers or performers
• Reimbursement for the event
• Reduced number of audience members

Venue equipment 

The policy may cover equipment installed in or rented from the venue. For instance, suppose you organize a small program in a hall that comes with sound amplifiers. During the setup, if your employee trips over the amp and damages it, your event insurance may cover such damage.

Advertising injury 

Some insurers may cover you for advertising injury lawsuits. For instance, the event you are hosting may be accused of libel, slander, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy or misappropriation of advertising ideas. In such instances, event insurance helps cover for losses arising from those allegations.

The policy and its coverages depend on the nature of the event and your requirements. Moreover, the policy terms, conditions, and language may differ as per your needs and the insurance provider. For instance, while some insurers allow unlimited additional insureds, others have limitations. Hence, the best way to understand your coverages is through your agent or the insurance carriers themselves.

What Are the Exclusions? 

Event insurance is not a comprehensive policy. There are exclusions such as:  

• Epidemics and pandemics
• Nuclear, chemical, or biological hazard
• Typically, bachelor or bachelorette parties
• Terrorism, war, and military action
• Abuse or molestation
• Intentional damage to property by the insured
• Damage to venue property due to wear and tear, fungi, electrical breakdown, depreciation, etc.
• Pollution liability

Customize According to Your Needs! 

You can customize your policy through endorsements. Endorsements help you eliminate, modify, or add coverages to ensure that the policy is personalized to your needs. Here are some additional coverages you can request from your insurance provider:

Rental coverage 

While the insurance may cover losses to equipment that comes with the venue, it does not cover equipment you rent from a third-party. For instance, say you’ve rented speakers from a third party. Any damage to those speakers will be your financial responsibility. However, you can prevent such costs through rental coverage.

Additional insured

Usually, insurers do not let you add multiple insureds. However, you might need to insure additional parties, such as the company in charge of the facility or the venue owner. You can add such parties through an additional insured endorsement.

Hired/non-owned auto liability 

If your event management company uses rented cars for events, you will need to add coverage to your standard event policy. Consider adding a hired or non-owned auto liability endorsement, which will protect you from losses due to damage to the vehicle or third-party injuries.

Cost of Event Insurance  

The cost of insurance depends on the following:  

• Type of event: Outdoors or indoors  
• Location of the event  
• Number of attendees  
• Amount of liquor to be served 

Add Event Insurance Coverage  

• Nonprofit insurance
• Entertainment insurance
• Hotel insurance

Final Words  

According to the Insurance Information Institute, here are a few things you should consider before purchasing event insurance:

• Check whether coverages are provided through your credit cards, auto insurance, homeowners insurance, or other policies.
• Consult with your insurance agent to understand what is covered and what is not.
• Discuss the cost of the policy and the expected reimbursement following loss events.