Organising events—whether conferences, exhibitions, festivals, corporate launches or public gatherings—in London or elsewhere in the UK, brings significant risk. From attendee injury, venue damage, cancellation, equipment theft, data breach or supplier failure, the exposures are real. Having proper event organiser insurance ensures you protect your business, your clients, and your reputation.
At Fraser Bond, we help event-planning professionals understand the insurance cover they should hold, how it fits with contract and venue requirements, and how to choose policies that reflect the event-market environment in London.
Event organiser insurance is a tailored portfolio of covers specifically designed for businesses involved in planning, supplying or managing events. Key cover types include:
Public Liability Insurance – Protects you if a member of the public (attendee, visitor or supplier) is injured or their property damaged because of your event operations.
Employers’ Liability Insurance – Required in the UK if you employ staff (including casual, temporary or volunteer workers under your supervision) to cover liability for their injury or illness at work.
Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance – Covers claims arising from your advice, planning or management services if a client alleges your error or omission caused financial loss (e.g., the headline act didn’t show, the budget was mis-managed).
Event Cancellation / Abandonment / Rearrangement Cover – Covers irrecoverable costs if your event is cancelled, postponed, or abandoned for reasons outside your control (weather, venue failure, supplier issues).
Equipment / Contents / Venue Damage Cover – Covers loss, theft or damage of event equipment (AV, staging, etc.) and third-party property (venue damage) while the event is being set up or held.
Cyber / Data Liability Cover – If you handle attendee data, registrations, payment systems or digital services, this cover protects you against data breaches or cyber-attacks.
Operating in London and the UK event market brings specific exposures:
You may deal with large-scale events, high numbers of attendees, complex logistics and high-value contracts—meaning a single incident can result in substantial liability or cost.
Many venues, suppliers or corporate clients will require you to hold certain cover levels (e.g., public liability of £3 m-£10 m) before you can book or use the venue.
Venue damage, attendee injury, cancellation risks (e.g., adverse weather, regulatory issues) are real in city environments.
Equipment theft, loss or damage (especially in London where events often use expensive AV or staging) increases risk.
Remote work, digital attendee data, registration systems and online ticketing mean cyber/data exposures are heightened.
Having the right insurance not only protects you financially but also enhances your credibility with clients, venues, sponsors and stakeholders.
Here are benchmarks and factors to guide your insurance selection:
Some providers show starting premiums from £5-£10 per month for smaller event-organiser cover with minimal risk.
Public liability limits: depending on event scale, limits of £1 million, £2 million, £5 million or more are available.
PI limits: For event-organisers offering planning/advisory services, PI cover might start at £50k and go up to £5 m depending on exposure.
Cost drivers include:
Size and type of event (festival vs corporate meeting vs trade show)
Number of attendees, and whether public or private event
Venue type (outdoor vs indoor, city centre vs remote)
Equipment value, staging, AV, structure complexity
Duration of event and setup/breakdown phases
Use of volunteers, subcontractors, high-risk activities
Data handling, ticketing systems and cyber exposure
Key policy details to review:
Does cover include cancellation, abandonment, rearrangement?
Does equipment/venue damage cover include hired equipment or third-party property?
Are subcontractors or volunteers covered under your policy?
What is excluded? For example, damage to ground/underground services, or certain high-risk activities.
Are you insured for events abroad or cross-border if applicable?
Does the policy cover you during the setup and breakdown phases (often higher risk)?
What excess applies and what is the deductible?
Fraser Bond recommends this structured approach:
Clarify your event type and risk profile – Is your business small corporate events, large festivals, trade shows, charity fund-raisers?
Check client, venue and contractual insurance requirements – Venues often demand proof of public liability cover.
Select cover types and limits aligned with your event scale and exposure – Ensure public liability, PI (if you advise), cancellation, equipment/venue cover are all considered.
Review policy wording and exclusions carefully – Confirm covers for your specific activities are included; read what is excluded (high-risk activities, alcohol service, weather cancellation).
Compare specialist insurers or brokers experienced in the event industry – General business insurance may not cover event-specific risks.
Ensure you hold documentation and certificate of insurance – Clients, venues, regulators may ask.
Review annually or when your business changes – If you move to larger events, serve bigger clients, add outdoor festivals, or handle more data, your insurance must evolve.
Maintain risk management practices – Good event safety planning, supplier contracts, onsite health & safety, data protection all help lower risk and may reduce premium.
Fraser Bond offers advisory services tailored for event organisers working in London’s demanding market. Our value includes:
Insight into how your event-planning business sits within client, venue and property-risk frameworks – helping you align insurance with contract and asset exposure.
Review of your insurance setup, ensuring the policy you hold matches your event scale, service model, data exposure and client/venue requirements.
Assistance in preparing your credentials (insurance certificate, risk statement) to present to clients or venues, boosting your credibility and competitiveness.
Strategic guidance: as your event-business grows in London (larger attendees, outdoor venues, international elements), we help align your insurance and risk-management accordingly.
With Fraser Bond, you’re not just buying an insurance policy — you’re establishing your business as professional, risk-aware and prepared for growth.
If you organise events in London or the UK and want to ensure your business is properly protected, visit FraserBond.com or contact our London advisory team for tailored guidance on event organiser insurance, liability cover, cancellation and equipment risk, and how to choose the right policy for your business.
