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Liability insurance for an events organiser
A self-employed organiser rarely owns equipment, but is named as the responsible party in the running order. That makes the question of which mistakes are covered different from an agency with its own crew.
- Several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering voor een evenementenorganisator.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
As a self-employed organiser you occupy an uncomfortable position: you arrange everything but own almost nothing. Public and employers' liability insurance (AVB) covers the injury and property damage that you cause yourself. When it comes to it that is limited: knocking something over during a site visit, a cable you laid yourself, equipment you put in place personally. As soon as you help with set-up, platforms or lighting during the event, that must be expressly stated in your business activity. Direction and execution are not the same thing to an insurer, and a description that is too narrow is the most common reason for rejection.
Your greatest exposure is a different one: the planning error. A licence not in place in time, a capacity calculated wrongly, a supplier you failed to book on time. The client then suffers financial loss without anyone being injured or anything being broken. That is pure financial loss and is excluded under the AVB. For those mistakes there is professional indemnity insurance. Anyone with only an AVB carries both the claim and the cost of defence, and the latter is often the largest item.
Also watch what clients require of you by contract. Many local authorities, venues and organisations require a proof of insurance, sometimes with a minimum sum insured and with the client named as an co-insured. Such joint insurance is not automatic and has to be recorded by the insurer. If you accept liability by contract going beyond what the law provides, that part is usually not covered: the AVB insures your liability in law, not every obligation you sign up to.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare public and employers' liability insurance (AVB).
What to look out for
Four points that weigh more heavily for a self-employed organiser than the level of the premium.
Crew you hire in work under your direction
If you book self-employed technicians, hosts or security staff, your client can hold you liable for their mistakes under Article 6:171 of the Dutch Civil Code. If they work in practice on your instructions, Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code comes into play as well. Ask for policy schedules and set out the division of responsibilities in your order confirmation.
Your own injury is not insured
If you fall while erecting a scaffold or get trapped, there is no employer liable under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code. The AVB covers only the losses of others. For your own loss of income, look at disability insurance or a mutual support fund.
Fines and penalty payments
Exceeding noise limits, finishing times or visitor numbers produces an administrative fine or penalty payment. That is never insurable, whatever the policy: it is a punishment and not compensation. What can be covered is the injury claim of someone hurt by the same circumstance.
Report in good time, including a threatened claim
Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to report a loss as soon as you are reasonably aware of it. In this sector claims often arrive weeks after the event, through the venue or a visitor's insurer. Pass a letter of that kind on immediately and do not admit liability before your insurer has assessed the matter.
What does your premium depend on?
- Annual turnover: the usual yardstick for a sole trader
- Direction only or execution as well: helping with set-up widens the business activity
- Size of the events: visitor numbers determine the crowd risk
- Engaging third parties: this counts because of chain liability
- Area of cover: productions abroad call for separate arrangements
- Sum insured and excess: per claim and per insurance year
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | AVB | BAV |
|---|---|---|
| A guest cuts himself on a glass panel you moved while dressing the venue | Yes | No |
| Your sack truck leaves deep scratches in the marble floor of the museum hall | Yes | No |
| A participant in a corporate away day is injured during an activity you supervised yourself | Yes | No |
| You book the venue for the wrong date and the client has to move to a more expensive option | No | Yes |
| The client demands your fee back because the programme ran differently from what was agreed | No | Yes |
| Your own laptop with the running order falls off a poseur table during set-up | No | No |
As a director you cause little physical damage and a good deal of financial loss. That is exactly why these two policies sit side by side for you.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
The client requires evidence of insurance with a minimum amount. Is that possible?
Yes, that is usual. Your insurer or adviser supplies a statement with the business activity, the sum insured and the period of cover. Note that the sum insured applies per claim and per year: one large incident can use up most of the annual limit. Also check that any joint insurance of the client that was requested has actually been recorded.
I forgot to apply for a licence. Is that loss covered?
Not under the AVB. No one is injured and nothing is damaged. The client suffers purely financial loss. That is pure financial loss, for which professional indemnity insurance is intended. Without that cover you pay both the claim and the legal defence yourself, even where the claim ultimately proves unfounded.
Am I liable for a supplier I have booked?
You can be. If an independent party carries out your instructions and makes a mistake, Article 6:171 of the Dutch Civil Code allows the injured party to hold you liable. You can then seek recovery from that supplier, provided he is insured and worth suing. Ask for a valid policy schedule in advance, therefore.
What if a visitor only brings a claim months later?
Then the cover basis of your policy is decisive. Under a claims-made policy the moment the claim is brought counts; under a loss-occurrence policy it is the moment the loss arose. That difference matters if you switch or stop; ask about run-off arrangements for past events when you cancel.
Read more
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