The Insurance Blogger Takes a Long Hard Look at Event Insurance

If you are turning out for a local public event, do you know if you are covered if anything goes wrong?

Public liability insurance is a must-have for event organisers – from craft fairs and dances to firework displays and carnivals.

The policy covers paying compensation for  injury to any third party at the event – from staff, exhibitors, delivery people and visitors.

Also built-in is legal expenses cover for the event organiser, and if the case is lost, those of the claimant.

Simple enough – and at a cost of around £100 for an event, not a prohibitive cost for even small events.

However, the Insurance Blogger was surprised to find many small clubs, groups and organisations either don’t know about the cover – or simply don’t bother to safeguard their visitors.

Mrs Blogger’s wife recently promoted a dance in the village hall, only to find the public liability insurance certificate was out-of-date and the hall had no cover. With 150 paying guests, a dozen staff, bar and a live five-piece band, the potential for disaster was great.

Luckily, the hall secretary updated the cover when faced with the prospect of refunding the not insignificant cost of cancelling the event.

Then, the Blogger was told in confidence that the local first responders – NHS trained and managed volunteer first aiders – were running a 999 fun day at the weekend without any public liability insurance.

The event had displays, including emergency vehicles, from the police, air ambulance, fire service and ambulance service.

The view by the committee was why should we pay when these services all have their own cover. They do for their own activities, but that does not cover parking or walking around the field.

At least help was not too far away if the worst happened…

To the Blogger, it seems an anomaly that event insurance is not a legal requirement for any group or organisation.