By Iola Edmayr, Executive Director
Events keep getting more complex, don’t they? And with that complexity comes a whole new world of risks that your clients are grappling with. At KEU Underwriting Managers, we’ve been watching this evolution closely, and frankly, it was time our Event Liability Insurance Solution wording caught up with reality.
So here’s what we’ve done. We’ve given our policy wording a comprehensive overhaul – not just a quick polish, but a proper rethink of how we can better protect your clients while making your life easier as a broker. The result is broader protection, clearer language, and hopefully, fewer headaches when you’re trying to explain coverage to clients.
This isn’t just about updating terms and conditions. It’s about making sure that when your client’s community festival suddenly involves fire-breathing performers and a mobile petting zoo, you can confidently say “yes, we’ve got that covered.”
Why We Did This
The events industry has changed dramatically. What used to be straightforward gatherings have become elaborate productions. Your clients are dealing with everything from drone photography to pop-up food concepts, and the old policy language just wasn’t keeping up.
We kept hearing the same frustrations from brokers. Clients would ask about coverage for specific activities, and you’d have to dig through policy documents or call us to confirm whether something was included. That’s not how it should work.
Here’s what we set out to achieve:
- Being completely upfront about what’s covered and what isn’t, especially for higher-risk activities. No more grey areas where possible.
- Making it crystal clear who’s insured, who’s not, and what that means when claims arise.
- Adding coverage extensions that reflect what’s actually happening at events today.
- Keeping the flexibility you need to tailor solutions for different clients.
Let’s walk through what’s new and what it means for your clients.
What’s New? Key Extensions Now Available
Animals
Your clients love adding animals to their events – petting farms, horse shows, even the occasional rescue dog adoption drive. But animals can be unpredictable, and that creates liability exposures.
The updated wording now specifically covers liability for injury or death to an animal at an event, plus injury or death to spectators or participants caused by an animal. So when little Emma gets knocked over by an overly enthusiastic goat, or when the prized show horse gets spooked and injures itself, there’s proper coverage in place.
Exhibitors Liability
Trade shows, markets, craft fairs – they’re all about the exhibitors. But here’s the thing: when an exhibitor’s negligence causes problems, it often becomes the event organiser’s headache too.
This extension protects both the event organiser and the exhibitor from liability arising from the exhibitor’s negligence. It’s one less thing for your clients to worry about when they’re trying to coordinate dozens of different vendors.
Fireworks and Pyrotechnics
We’ve always been able to cover fireworks and pyrotechnics, but the policy language around it wasn’t as clear as it could have been. Now it’s spelled out properly.
When your client wants to end their corporate event with a bang (literally), you can point to exactly what’s covered and what conditions apply. No more guessing or lengthy phone calls to clarify coverage.
Pre and Post Event Planning
Events don’t just happen on the day. There are weeks of preparation, site visits, vendor meetings, and post-event cleanup. If something goes wrong during these phases, your clients need to be protected.
This extension covers risks that arise before and after the actual event day. Whether it’s a client meeting that goes sideways or equipment being damaged during setup, the coverage extends across the full event lifecycle.
Hazardous Activities
This one’s interesting because “hazardous” can mean so many different things. Aerial performances, extreme sports demonstrations, acrobatic displays – the list goes on.
We’ve broadened the definition to be more practical and inclusive. But here’s the important bit: we want you to talk to us early about these activities. Don’t wait until the day before the event to mention what special activities your client’s festival includes. Let’s have that conversation during the quoting process.
Inflatable Equipment
Jumping castles, obstacle courses, inflatable slides – they’re everywhere at family events. They’re also surprisingly common sources of claims.
This extension makes sure that liability arising from inflatable equipment is properly covered. When kids collide mid-bounce or someone gets hurt on the slide, your client’s covered.
Mechanical Rides
From simple merry-go-rounds to more elaborate fairground attractions, mechanical rides bring their own set of risks. Moving parts, electrical systems, excited children – it’s a combination that requires proper coverage.
This extension helps your clients manage those exposures with confidence, knowing that mechanical ride-related claims are handled appropriately.
Products Liability
Merchandise stalls, product demonstrations, novelty vendors – many events involve selling or giving away products. Think of the merchandisers selling glowing necklaces, vuvuzelas, or novelty items. When someone gets injured by a faulty product, liability questions arise quickly.
This extension covers liability arising from products sold, supplied, or even given away at events. It’s comprehensive protection for your clients who are hosting events with commercial elements.
Tool of Trade
Setting up events requires equipment. Forklifts for moving stages, cranes for lighting rigs, generators for power – all necessary, all potentially dangerous.
This coverage handles liabilities linked to tools or vehicles used during the event setup, operation, and breakdown. Your clients don’t need to worry about their operational equipment becoming a liability blind spot.
Unattached Trailers
Food trucks, portable toilet blocks, mobile generators – trailers are everywhere at modern events. But when they’re parked and stationary, they create different liability exposures than when they’re on the road.
This extension ensures liability cover for these trailers while they’re stationed at the event site, filling a gap that many people don’t even realize exists.
Why This Matters for Your Clients
Every one of these extensions exists because we’ve seen claims in these areas. We’ve watched event organisers face unexpected liability because their coverage didn’t quite stretch to cover the reality of their situation.
Take a food festival where someone has a severe allergic reaction to an incorrectly labelled product.
Or a charity fun run where a volunteer directing traffic gets injured by a setup vehicle. These aren’t theoretical scenarios – they’re real situations that create real financial and legal consequences.
The updated wording removes uncertainty. When you’re sitting with a client planning their event, you can have a proper conversation about their exposures and know exactly what protection you can offer. No more “I’ll need to check with underwriters” responses to reasonable questions.
Your clients have enough stress planning their events. Insurance coverage shouldn’t add to that stress – it should remove it.
What Else Has Changed?
One thing that’s really improved is the clarity around who’s actually insured. The policy now better defines the insured party, employers, subcontractors, and co-insured parties. This isn’t just legal precision for the sake of it – it’s practical clarity that helps avoid disputes when claims arise.
We’ve specifically noted an externally contracted Event Safety Officer Exclusion based on feedback from the market. This gives you more precision when structuring coverage and helps avoid confusion about roles and responsibilities
The external or independent Safety Officer may source the correct cover via SACIA.
All the existing extensions that brokers have been using successfully are still there, just with clearer, more accessible language. We haven’t taken anything away – we’ve just made everything easier to understand and apply.
What This Means for You as a Broker
No two events are identical. The community church bazaar, the corporate product launch, the multi-day music festival – they all need different approaches to risk management and insurance.
This updated wording gives you the flexibility to build coverage that fits each situation properly. You can pick and choose extensions based on what your client actually needs, not try to squeeze their event into a one-size-fits-all policy.
But here’s the crucial part: these extensions are optional. They need to be specifically selected and included during the quoting process.
Don’t assume they’re automatically included – make sure you discuss your client’s specific needs with us so we can structure the right coverage.
We’re here to support you in delivering solutions that actually work for your clients. These enhancements are part of our ongoing commitment to making sure you can offer proper protection backed by clear, practical policy language.
Let’s Have a Conversation
If you want to discuss the new wording in detail, or if you’ve got a particular client situation you’d like to talk through, just get in touch. Whether it’s a quick phone call or a proper sit-down meeting, we’re here to support you.
The events industry keeps evolving, and we’ll keep evolving with it. Here’s to helping your clients create memorable events without the worry of inadequate insurance coverage.
