Event Insurance: Must Have

We all think ‘it won’t happen to me’, but insurance exists in case something happens. It is there are the premise of ‘what if’. Venues and vendors are very aware of the potential liability involved in hosting events of any size. However, those hosting the event may not think far enough ahead to consider the ‘what if’. While Kahn’s Catering doesn’t require insurance from our clients, many venues do – especially exclusive museum venues such as the Eiteljorg Museum,  Indiana State Museum, and Indianapolis Museum of Art. 

Just like the insurance you would buy to protect your home or your vehicle- event insurance prevents you from paying out of pocket for any venue damages that may arise as a result of your event.

Erica Wendling, a venue manager at Indiana State Museum, gave a great example – imagine your wedding has a chocolate fountain at the dessert station and a child whose hands are covered in chocolate decides to wipe their hands on the skrim. The skirm is now in need of cleaning and repair. Instead of paying the costs out of pocket to repair and clean the skrim, your insurance covers it.

Before obtaining event insurance, be sure to read your venue contract carefully. Make sure you understand exactly what is required and when it is required. Many facilities will list a specific amount of coverage that must be held per event. For example, the Eitlejorg Museum required $300,000 whereas the Indianapolis Museum of Art requires $1,000,000 and Indiana State Museum requires a minimum of $700,000 of coverage. Some facilities will require proof of insurance 30 days in advance of the event and others may require it two weeks out.

When speaking with Nicole Minor at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, she reminded us that not only does event insurance protect the client from paying out of pocket for damage to the event property, but also to any type of injury that may be sustained by the client or their guests.

While you are always free to choose any event insurance provider you wish, the Indianapolis Museum of Art recommends WedSafe. Their coverage isn’t limited to weddings, but covers other events as well.

Keep in mind that vendors are not free from providing their own personal coverage as well. Many venues will require that all vendors provide a certificate of insurance, their liability coverage.

So what is this ‘what if’ type of situation? It could be anything really – anything you’d want insurance to cover.

• A guest slips and injures themselves on the dance floor
• Damage to your ceremony or reception space
• Damage to artwork

Of course you’re thinking, this couldn’t happen to me! However, you can only be responsible for yourself and cannot guarantee the actions that your guests may take.