How Much Does Event Planning Insurance Cost?
Event planners take on liability every time they offer their services. While every business owner runs the risk of damaging a client’s property or injuring a third party while on the job, event planners’ risk is naturally higher. After all, a special event may draw hundreds of attendees, and planners also interact with vendors, subcontractors, and staff. Aside from these risks, event planners may be held responsible if an error or accident results in a clients’ financial loss.
This is why all event planners need insurance. However, event planning insurance cost varies based on the policies you take out, as well as the event coverage limits you select. This is your guide to taking out effective, affordable event planner insurance.
The Importance of Event Planning Insurance
If you’re looking into how to start an event planning business, finding an adequate insurance plan should be at the top of your list. As an event planner, you manage large budgets and expansive venues. This exposes you to significant event liability. The Nonprofit Times notes that event planners could be held liable for injuries and accidents in an event parking lot, and of course during the event itself.
Should a failure to control traffic, safeguard the venue, or choose reliable vendors cost your clients money, they could sue you for professional negligence as well. Without insurance, event planners could find themselves paying expensive attorneys and court filing fees. Even if they’re ultimately cleared of wrongdoing, legal costs alone can put a small business owner at risk.
That’s why all event planners should take out insurance policies to manage their liability.
What Types of Insurance Do Event Planners Need?
The best risk management strategy is to be prepared in the face of all foreseeable mishaps. To achieve this, event planners need the following kinds of event planning insurance policies:
- Professional liability insurance
- General liability insurance
- Cyber liability insurance
- Workers’ compensation insurance (if they have employees)
Next, we’ll review these insurance policies and how to get liability insurance for an event.
Professional Liability Insurance
Professional liability coverage, also called errors and omission (E&O) insurance, provides liability coverage against claims of errors, omissions, and mistakes related to your services. If a mistake on your end leads to your clients’ financial loss, they could sue you.
While general liability insurance can cover court costs for third-party claims, it generally does not cover professional negligence. This is why you need professional liability insurance to help cover attorney’s fees, court costs, and any payouts to aggrieved parties who claim you’re responsible for their monetary loss.
General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance can prepare event planners for a wide variety of third-party claims. It provides event planning insurance coverage in the face of:
- Medical costs – Should someone incur a bodily injury during your special event, general liability insurance can cover these costs.
- Property damage – If a client or third party’s property is damaged, lost, or stolen, liability insurance can help cover the cost of repair or replacement.
- Attorney fees – If an aggrieved party brings a case to court, you’ll need a lawyer to help settle the case.
- Court fees – Beyond attorney’s fees, there are other legal administrative costs associated with settling a case.
The following factors impact the cost of your general liability insurance policy:
- Business location
- Staff size
- The specific coverages you select
- Your insurance policy limits (the amount of coverage you select)
- Your deductible
As an event planner, general liability insurance helps cover significant event liability, but it’s important to pair this event coverage with a professional liability plan as well.
Cyber Liability Insurance
Rebecca Herold, the founder of The Privacy Professor, explains that “There are many unique information security and privacy vulnerabilities within the meetings and events industry.” As you prepare for a meeting, you have access to attendees’ personal information. During an in-person or online meeting, their data may become vulnerable, depending on your network and technology.
Cyber liability insurance is essential in the event that you suffer a data breach. Coverages include the cost of:
- Notifying your customers and event attendees
- Recovering lost data
- Repairing damage
- Restoring identities
The cost of cyber security insurance depends on the following factors:
- The security of your network
- Your business insurance coverage limits
- Your deductible
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Finally, if you have employees, you are likely required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance (depending on your state’s laws). This kind of insurance can help provide liability coverage in the event that an employee is injured or becomes ill in the course of their work for you.
The cost of a workers’ compensation policy depends on:
- Your number of employees
- Your annual payroll
- Your business’ risk (as determined by industry and claims history)
NOW Insurance: Get Affordable Event Planner Insurance Today
Given the unique risks you take on as an event planner, you need comprehensive insurance coverage.
NOW Insurance tailors your general liability and professional liability insurance policy to your specific needs as an event planner. Work one-on-one with an agent to develop an affordable insurance policy that’s right for you. Add an extra layer of protection with cyber liability insurance. Our fast, affordable insurance allows you to manage your risks and continue growing your business.
Sources:
- FindLaw. Workers’ compensation laws by state. https://injury.findlaw.com/workers-compensation/workers-compensation-laws-by-state.html
- Northstar Meeting Group. How to bolster your event’s cybersecurity.
- The Nonprofit Times. 5 specific risks to special events. https://www.thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/5-specific-risks-special-events/
