Protect yourself and your business
Why bother with insurance and referrals
A friend asked me for referrals for some simple home renovations. I shared some with her, but said they weren’t recent.
I told her to make sure the contractor was licensed and insured. Then, I told her to contact RECENT clients (verifying the names and addresses).
Licensed and insured
“Get copies of licenses and insurance certificates before hiring anyone,” I warned.
She didn’t. I asked if she’d used any of my recommendations. She said our contractors were all too expensive. They went with someone else.
Then it happened: the work on their house took NINE months longer than estimated, (the workers would show up for a day or two and then vanish for a couple of weeks), there were some serious issues with the work.
They had different workers show up on the job all the time. Apparently, there wasn’t anyone overseeing the work and the crew made some serious errors.
Then it turned out that they took shortcuts and made some huge mistakes. Those mistakes made the walls shift and cracks appear. Foundational, you could say.
Unfortunately for them, the contractor disappeared. My friend had to pay someone else to come out and do the work. No insurance. No relief.
Protect Yourself
As an event professional, I urge you to protect yourself, protect your clients and guests, and protect your business.
Be safe. Hire talent licensed and insured talent. If you need a certain performer or act, and they don’t carry liability insurance, try to hire them through a company that carries insurance.
When I think back over all of the things I’ve learned in my career(s) so far, I am shocked by what I didn’t know.
Event Planners
I’ve had the pleasure of presenting to Georgia State University’s Event Planning class as a guest lecturer. I present on practical advice for beginning event planners on a wide variety of issues involving entertainment. Some of the topics are insurance, safety, signage, communication, and contracts.
I love teaching this class and am happy to contribute to the industry in this way. It’s always shocking to see how many simple and practical event elements are overseen or ignored. Not only do planners sometimes neglect them, but so do venues, not-for-profits, and associations.
There is a reason most venues and institutions demand a Certificate of Insurance. Don’t let your event be the one that causes widespread panic, disappointment, or even worse—harm.