Camp Bestival: why event organisers should insure against cancellation & disruption
It was announced over the weekend that the popular family music festival, Camp Bestival, had to close early due to the bad weather.
This announcement, devastating for the organisers, will do more than disappoint the families and festival-goers: the unexpected weather has the potential to cost the organisers a significant amount in refunds compensating for the disrupted event.
Event cancellation & disruption insurance is designed to cover the costs of or losses associated with amending, postponing or cancelling an event for reasons beyond the organisers’ control. Costs could include entry refunds, lost revenue, additional overheads such as staffing & equipment, communication costs, etc. If possible the insurance will cover costs to make changes that will enable the event to continue, but in worst case scenarios the organisers can cancel the event without fear of financial ruin.
Other event cancellations / disruptions we have seen recently include:
- High winds making event structures dangerous
- Bird flu restricting access
- Motorway closed following an accident, delaying key individuals trapped in traffic
- Insufficient availability of drinking water on hot day
- Extreme cold making it dangerous for staff spending long periods outside
- Heavy snow preventing access
- Local authority closing the venue
- Car parks becoming unusable due to heavy rain
- Flooding
- Theft of event equipment the day before the event
- A potentially violent political protest near the venue.
If you would like a quote to cover cancellation or disruption please contact us, we will need to know:
- Dates of event
- Location of event
- Type of event
- Cost of putting on the event
- Total expected revenue from the event
- Has the event been held before
- Has the event ever been disrupted before.
As well as insuring against unforeseen disruption or cancellation we can also provide insurance for things like public liability, employers liability, equipment, money and cyber liabilities for risks associated with online databases, ticket sales and communications.