concert event insurance

Patrons purchase tickets to a concert for many reasons: to see their favorite act, gather with friends, a night on the town and catch a new talent. The main point is all seek a good, fun time and hearing good music. But unknown to patrons are the many details that go into producing and promoting a successful concert. When planned properly, it shows, but is not seen.

One of those details is safety for both the performers and the audience. Concert Event Insurance to protect against incidents for Liability and Bodily Harm have the potential to come into play more often than one may think.

First, the bad news; The Allman Brothers' unfortunate bus crash. Everyone is OK, thank goodness, but this accident is an example of the long hours artists, bands, production crews and drivers spend on getting everyone to the venue, normally traveling between 350 - 450 miles overnight to set up and perform for their fans. Insurance coverage is a must not only to cover any medical expenses, but also to make sure that property damage to a vehicle can be recovered and/or repaired/replaced in a timely fashion. Without this commitment by performers and their teams, there is no show; thus, disappointed fans.

A second example of an “unseen” detail is crowd barriers for crowd control. These type of barricades are not really thought about by patrons, but they are of utmost importance to artist and patrons alike. Proper crowd control, from security to crowd flow are key to any safe event. Concert insurance can come into play if the barriers fail to pay for injuries so that the act is not financially ruined. Having proper barricades not only enhance patron’s enjoyment, but lowers the risk of someone being harmed or having an accident. It also helps greatly with the expense of a premium by lowering the cost!

Remember the goal is for patrons to enjoy their experience. Our goal as insurance brokers is to assist producers, promoters, and artists with making sure that they are covered for any liability that may occur.

From these two examples, one can see that accidents do unfortunately happen. There are risks with large crowds, transportation, staging, production, etc. Risks are unseen by most patrons, but not by professional insurance brokers. Best to be properly covered, onstage and off!

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About: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent  insurance broker that works on behalf of the Canadian arts and entertainment industry to provide insurance for the lowest possible cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row ensures that clients receive the money they are owed per the insurance policy, as quickly as possible. Front Row has offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Nashville and Los Angeles.

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TOUR INSURANCE FOR MUSICIANS & BANDS

“Till those lights come up and we hear that crowd, and we remember why we came”
-Jackson Browne, Stay

Life on the road can be rife with challenges and filled with excitement and exhilaration. But a little insurance planning before heading out on tour will ensure your excitement is from the audience and not an uninsured claim.

In today’s post, I’ll highlight some things for you to think about when planning your tour. While every circumstance is a little different, these are the key exposures that you and production manager will want to consider.

Instruments, Sound, Lighting and Other Equipment: Your instruments and equipment will be loaded, unloaded and then loaded again and again. In order for your insurance coverage to be seamless, you need to ensure that you have a ‘Floater’ coverage form. Floaters are a type of insurance that are not specific to any location, so they extend to wherever the gear is located: on the road, on the stage and everywhere in between. Be sure that the policy territory includes all of the countries where your tour will take you. And, if you are traveling into countries with less stable or unpredictable governments or legal systems, you’ll want to investigate coverage for seizures, quarantine or appropriation by authorities.

insurance considerations for musicianS:

• Valuation: What are you entitled to from your insurance company? Will your policy pay to replace old equipment with new, or are they only responsible to pay you for used equipment?
• What’s covered? Does your policy cover theft and accidental damage? Are there restrictions or exclusions if gear is stolen from a vehicle or if unattended?
• Unexpected costs or extra expenses: Will your insurance pay for renting new gear if yours is stolen or unusable after being damaged? These unexpected costs can be included in your insurance so you don’t have to find a way to pay them out of an already tight tour budget.
• Musicians’ property: Be clear on who is required to insure your musicians’ instruments. If it is you, then a simple written agreement can avoid misunderstandings and ensure that your insurance company has an obligation to respond to claims for property that you don’t own.
• Loss of equity or value in instruments: Higher end, rare or old instruments often build value over time and this value can be affected when damaged, even when repaired by experienced and recognized craftspeople. Ask whether your insurance will cover this as part of your claim. When insuring others’ instruments, be sure to discuss their value and what their expectations are if their instrument is damaged.

Carnet Bonds: (pronounced ‘car-neh’)

Carnet Bonds must be posted with the Chamber of Commerce when you are taking your equipment outside of the country. A Carnet is like a passport for the property you are taking on the road. It allows you to pass into a country with your equipment duty & tax free.

The Carnet Bond is a financial guarantee with the government that pays the duty or taxes if the gear doesn’t return and it is used to prevent companies or individuals from importing property without paying these charges. You will be required to complete and file an ATA Carnet application along with a detailed list of the property with the Chamber of Commerce.

You will need to include the current value of the equipment not the new cost. This will be used to calculate the amount of your Carnet Bond. While you can purchase a Carnet Bond from a broker, the Chamber of Commerce offers an excellent on-line system for purchasing the Bond and the rates are generally more competitive than purchasing it on your own.

Front Row Insurance Brokers Specialize in Band Insurance: Learn More 

To read more on Tour Insurance click here!

Contingency, Cancellation & Non-AppearancE FOR BANDS

A lot of unexpected things can and do happen when you are on the road. Musicians can become ill or have an accident, equipment can be damaged or stolen or you can experience unavoidable travel delays when another volcano blows it top or Mother Nature has a bad day. Whatever the cause, you want to think about the financial implications if unexpected circumstances lead to the cancellation, interruption, delay, or postponement of your show.

The coverage offered by insurance companies varies and I’ve decided not to get too detailed here, but the key is to think about the things that can prevent you from performing as scheduled. Using a Broker who is well-versed in this area is invaluable to generating meaningful conversation around the risks you face.

Front Row Insurance Brokers Specialize in Non-Appearance Insurance: Learn more

To read more on Tour Insurance click here!

Liability Insurance for Musicians

When someone gets hurt or you damage property such as a venue, a hotel room or a studio, you could be facing a tour liability claim. They can be costly to defend and to settle, if you are negligent and are responsible to pay the other party for their injury or damage.

To reduce your risk, make sure you only engage contractors or service providers who have insurance and who are able to add you as an Additional Insured to their policy. As an Additional Insured, their insurance company is obliged to defend you if the actions, or inactions, of the contractor for the claim against you.

Most tour liability insurance policies will provide worldwide coverage, provided that the claim is brought against you in Canada or the USA. You may want to consider expanding this to include claims brought anywhere in the world if you have assets in other countries, or if you are travelling to countries with less predictable legal or political environments. Carefully review the insurance requirements of contracts such as venue agreements and equipment rental contracts.

As a final point, be sure your policy does not exclude claims related to injuries to performers. You’d be surprised just how many policies prospective clients bring me that have this type of exclusion.

Front Row Insurance Brokers Specialize in Musician Liability Insurance: Learn more

To read more on Tour Insurance click here!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles - MUSICAL TOUR INSURANCE

Non-owned aircraft, helicopters, aviation, rented vehicles, international exposures; these are all things to talk about with your broker when you are arranging your insurance.

Chartered tour vehicles, buses or airplanes can present risks to you that need to be considered as part of your insurance program. Checking to ensure that the owners and operators are insured is crucial. It is common to find coverage in policies for the use of non-owned vehicles in Canada or the USA, but not for international rentals. Be sure to look into this if you are planning to rent vehicles as part of your tour.

Front Row Insurance Specializes in Touring Insurance for bands: Learn more

To read more on Tour Insurance click here!

Out-of-Country Medical Insurance FOR MUSICIANS & BANDS

Even a short hospital stay can result in thousands of dollars in medical expenses that will not be insured by your provincial medical insurance. A long hospital stay with extensive treatment, or the need to be returned home by air ambulance can create devastating financial hardship for you and your family.

Out-of-Country medical insurance is inexpensive and a ‘must-have’ for your musicians and crew. Consider purchasing an annual policy for uninterrupted and seamless coverage for pleasure travel or a last minute gig. Pre-existing or on-going health conditions, can be problematic when making a claim, so you’ll want to ensure that there are no restrictions on the insurability of any of those who are on the road. If you are leaving it up to each individual to purchase their own insurance then be sure to ask them to provide you with a copy of their policy before setting out.

Front Row Insurance Brokers Specialize In Tour Insurance, Including Out-of-Country Medical Insurance: Learn More

To Read more on Tour Insurance click here!

Tribute bands and liability insurance

There are a number of reasons why a Cover Band or Tribute Band would benefit from purchasing liability insurance, but perhaps the most compelling reason is because without this cover, the very livelihood of the musician/band is at stake in the event that they are sued.  While no one plans on accidents, the chance of such incidents occurring increases at public places and venues where large numbers of people are gathered. When alcohol is consumed, the risk increases even more.

• Why risk the loss of your assets, both personal and the band’s?
• Liability policies are a safeguard against mistakes that your band might make in which they would be held liable.

So, what is liability insurance?

This type of insurance is designed to offer protection against third party (the public) bodily injury or property damage as a result of one’s operations or products.

The relevance to cover/tribute bands is that in the event that bands are held responsible for the injuries and property damage sustained by an audience member or staff member at the venue, the liability insurance would potentially pay for the medical treatment required by the injured party, and can cover settlement claims resulting from lawsuits.

Examples of band liability insurance:

An example of a scenario where a band’s liability policy would be of value include if a member of the audience was invited onto the stage while band members were performing and ended up tripping on loose cords and slamming their face into some audio equipment. The coverage afforded under a liability policy would protect the band (policy holder) in the event that they are then sued by any third parties for unintentional damage. A lawsuit can name a band, its manager, an establishment and its landlord in a lawsuit. Liability insurance protection will not shorten criminal sentences, but it will take care of the resulting injuries and rehabilitation and potentially legal costs as well.

While liability insurance should be in place by the owners of the venue where a band will be performing, more frequently the musicians themselves must have liability insurance in place in order to perform at a venue. A band can be sued for its own direct actions; however, other situations where a band and its members could be held liable include: if a piece of equipment drops from the stage and injures an audience member, or if someone were to trip over a microphone cord. In many cases, the owner of a venue requires that performers show proof of their own liability coverage so that their own liability insurance is covered in the event that the performers are negligent.

Cost of band liability insurance:

Pricing is based on revenue and annual premiums start at US/CDN $500 for $1M in coverage. Compare this to the potential costs arising from a lawsuit and the coverage is priceless.

Instrument insurance for Canada’s music professionals: https://musicians.frontrowinsurance.com/