Anyone who has organised an event knows that it take a lot of hard work, cooperation from others and attention to detail to ensure a smooth running, successful event. From guest lists to invitations, entertainment and venues, pulling everything together can be a mammoth task. One thing that should be on any event organisers to do list is to arrange insurance. If you’re not sure, here are our top 5 reasons to insure your one off event.
- Peace of mind
The importance of peace of mind when organising an event should never be underestimated. As the event organiser, you need to keep a clear mind. That being said, the stress of ‘the unknown’ can play on your mind and be a big distraction. With a comprehensive event insurance policy covering you just in case anything should go wrong, you can relax in the knowledge that the experts have your back.
- Fire
You may have decided to include a firework display at your event to entertain and amaze your guests, but fireworks can sometimes be dangerous and unpredictable. As the event organiser, it is your responsibility to ensure the safety of your guests. You may need a specialised fireworks insurance policy which can protect you should something go wrong. If there is any accidental injury to anyone other than the person/people responsible for releasing the fireworks or damage to material property which does not belong to the event organiser, you will be covered. The level of indemnity you choose with your policy will determine the level of cover should you need it.
- Public liability for events – Damage
At a busy event, accidents can happen and things can get broken. You can try to prevent this from happening but it only takes one clumsy event attendee to knock an entire marquee down or smash a vase and as the organiser, you may be held responsible. This is where the public liability section of your insurance policy kicks in. If there is any accidental loss or damage to material property which does not belong to the event organiser, you will be covered.
- Public liability for events – Injury
Whilst you will always be careful to ensure your event is not a danger to the public, people can get hurt for the simplest reasons, such as tripping over a cable which is not properly covered or banging their head on a low ceiling. This is what the accidental bodily injury section of the insurance policy is for. If anyone does happen to get injured due to the event organiser’s negligence, you will be covered.
- Cancellation
Sometimes, after all the preparations for your event, unforeseen circumstances may require you to cancel the event. For example, if the health and safety authorities deem the event unsafe to go forward due to dangerous weather, or if a non-pre-existing family matter causes the event to be cancelled, you may find yourself with irrecoverable costs or expenses. This is where the cancellation section of the policy responds and the irrecoverable costs or expenses will be paid up to the level of indemnity on your policy.
As you can see, an events insurance policy can protect you in a number of scenarios. Hopefully, your event will not have any difficulties and you will not need to claim. However, it always helps to be covered, just in case something should go wrong.
By Dan Rose, Director, Event Insurance Services
