Event Liability Insurance
(Finding the right coverage has never been easier.)
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A special event can be anything from a wedding to a multi-day festival involving food and alcohol sales, amusement rides and auto races, rodeos, athletic contests and parades.
Whatever your event, chances are that your regular insurance program will not cover these exposures. You need special event insurance that is designed to cover your particular activities.
Click here to find a network of independent insurance agents who can help you obtain the coverage you need. An agent can provide several event liability insurance quotes for you to compare so you can find the coverage you need at a price you can afford. Find an agent in your area today.
Data on Special Events
- According to the US Bureau Of Labor Statistics, there are 134,100 professional event planners in the US.
- It's estimated that party and event planners will spend over $4.9 billion in 2020.
- In addition, tens of thousands of events are planned by non-professionals every year.
What Is Event Liability Insurance?
A special event can be as simple as a birthday party or as complex as a month-long state fair. If you are planning a special event, you need to check with a professional insurance agent to determine what coverage, if any, may be provided by your existing insurance and what additional special event insurance you will need to carry.
You should obtain insurance for events well before the time it is needed, because the process to underwrite this kind of coverage can be complicated and lengthy.
Special events can involve a many different exposures:
- Automobile liability
- Liquor liability
- Aircraft liability
- Spectator liability
- Products liability
- General premises liability
- Animal liability
- Liability for rented or loaned property
- Damage to owned property
- Medical malpractice if you have a first aid station
Standard personal or commercial policies will not cover all these exposures. In most cases you will find that you are better off having event liability insurance that is specifically tailored to cover your situation.
An agent can help you compare event liability insurance quotes from multiple companies so that you obtain the private event insurance that is right for you at a price that works in your budget.
How Much Does Special Event Liability Insurance Cost?
The cost of special event insurance for a one-day, non-hazardous event can cost as little as a few hundred dollars. The longer the event, and the more activities you plan, the higher the price for insurance will rise.
Here is the kind of information an underwriter will want to have available in order to price your special event insurance:
- The nature of the event
- The length of the event
- The location of the event
- A list of all activities planned
- The number of participants expected
- What are the provisions for crowd control?
- Will liquor be served or sold?
- Are there any amusement rides?
- Are there activities that can involve injury to spectators?
- Are vehicles or other motorized equipment involved?
- Is food to be provided or sold?
- Are outside vendors involved and will they provide proof of their own insurance?
- Who is running the event and what experience have they had?
- Are there any prior claims if the same event has been held previously?
- What limits of liability are requested?
If you are planning to rent a facility for the event, the owner may require that you purchase special event coverage as a condition of the rental. In many cases, the owner will want to be an additional named insured on the policy.
It takes an expert to know what information is needed and which carriers to approach for a quote. An independent agent can give you the professional advice you need.
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Special Event Liability Insurance for Weddings and Concerts
Weddings and concerts are two of the most common special events. A private wedding in a church with a reception on the grounds will not normally require special event insurance.
However, if your wedding is a more elaborate event in a rented facility, you may have to purchase a special events insurance policy. You should take extra caution if your event involves alcohol. Liquor liability laws vary from state to state.
However, it is very possible that if you provide alcohol to a guest or participant at your wedding and that person later is responsible for an accident, you could have some legal responsibility. If you do provide alcohol, the safest thing to do is to be sure your special event insurance includes this exposure.
Concerts can vary from small, one-time events to large, elaborate affairs involving thousands of spectators. Some concerts involve fireworks, which can and have caused serious injuries and large legal claims. Large events can also involve issues having to do with crowd control.
Crowd control is a challenging issue for concert organizers to deal with. Too little crowd control can cause injuries to spectators and potential liability risks, but too much crowd control can be just as problematic and could also cause you to face a lawsuit if a patron was handled roughly by a bouncer, for example.
Whether you're a professional wedding planner or a concert organizer, or you're just an average person putting together a great event, make sure you speak with an experienced insurance agent first.
Independent agents can make sure that you are covered for any liability claims related to your wedding or concert.
Who Needs Festival Insurance?
A festival can be anything from a bake sale in your church parking lot to a large music festival like Lollapalooza. The longer the event, the more activities, and the more participants involved, the more likely it is that you'll need private event insurance.
In many cases, you will be required to provide evidence of special event insurance to a third party, like the church administrator for the church parking lot bake sale, or the Parks and Recreation board for a music festival.
If you are planning such an event, contact an agent to be sure you obtain the insurance coverage you need. An independent agent can make sure that you understand the risks of all the aspects of your festival, and can find you coverage to protect you from any exposure to liability lawsuits or loss.
What Is One-Day Event Insurance?
One-day events, like a 5K run or a food truck festival, still take a lot of effort to organize. Depending on the events you plan and the vendors you use, you may still have a lot of insurance risk to juggle.
If you have vendors at your event, make sure you know if they have proof of insurance to operate at the site. Similar to a wedding or a concert, be sure that you have insurance to cover your exposure, like liquor liability insurance.
Even if you're planning a short event, you still face risks. It's important to talk to an experienced insurance professional about the details of your one-day event beforehand.
One injured person or one piece of valuable property that is damaged can lead to significant legal liability risks for you as the event planner. If you are the person responsible for the event, do not risk your assets and peace of mind by not obtaining the proper special event insurance.
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Obtaining Special Event Liability Insurance Quotes
Special events come in all shapes and sizes. The one thing they share in common is the risk of injury to a person or damage to property. A properly written special event insurance policy is a must-buy item to protect your bottom line.
It can be difficult to search for event liability insurance quotes on your own. Navigating websites and calling around to agencies takes a lot of time that you might not have to spend on research. Fortunately, an independent insurance agent can help.
Independent insurance agents work with many insurance companies, not just one, so it's easy for them to pull together several quotes for you to compare. You'll be able to do apples-to-apples comparisons for the insurance you need for your special event.
Contact an agent to be sure you obtain the coverage you need at a price you can afford.
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