5 Best Event Planner Insurance Providers Compared: Coverage, Cost, & How to Choose
Looking for the best event planner insurance can feel as chaotic as coordinating vendors for a wedding. To take some of the stress off your shoulders, we’ve put together this guide weighing the pros and cons of the top five event planner coverage providers to help you make the best choice for your business.
- Best overall: Insurance Canopy Event Planner Insurance
- Big-brand reliability: The Hartford
- High-limit traditional coverage: K&K Insurance
- Convenience-focused online coverage: NEXT
- Build-your-own policy: Hiscox
*Note: Transparency is one of Insurance Canopy’s core brand values. We created this guide with the most recent, verifiable information available at the time of writing to help our readers determine which provider is best for their business (even if it’s not us).
5 Top Event Planner Liability Insurance Providers
| Provider | Starting Price* | Coverage Included | Same Day COI? | Buy 100% Online? | Base Coverage Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Insurance Canopy |
$19.08/mo. (with 25% down payment up front + $2.74 one-time service fee) or $299/yr. (+$2.69 tax) |
General liability, professional liability, personal and advertising injury, products and completed operations, damage to premises rented to you, medical expenses |
|
|
$2,000,000 aggregate (total amount for all claims in one policy period) |
|
The Hartford |
$31.41/mo. or $377/yr. |
General liability, personal and advertising injury, products and completed operations, damage to premises rented to you, medical expenses |
|
|
$1,000,000 aggregate |
|
K&K Insurance |
Custom quote |
General liability, personal and advertising injury, products and completed operations, damage to premises rented to you, medical expenses |
|
|
$5,000,000 aggregate |
|
NEXT |
$45.84/mo. (+ $3.99 service fee) or $550/yr. (+ $47.88 service fee) |
General liability, professional liability, medical expenses |
|
|
$1,000,000 aggregate |
|
Hiscox |
$29.26/mo. or $350/yr. |
General liability |
|
|
$2,000,000 aggregate |
*To create an apples-to-apples comparison, online quotes were obtained at the time of writing based on an event planner residing in Washington state, operating a sole proprietorship with no employees and earning $50,000 per year.
Insurance Canopy: Best Overall
Cost:
- $19.08/month (with 25% down payment up front + $2.74 one-time service fee) or $299/yr. (+$2.69 tax)
Coverages Included:
- General liability
- Professional liability
- Personal and advertising injury
- Products and completed operations
- Damage to premises rented to you
- Medical expenses
Add-ons Offered
- Increased general and professional liability limits
- Tools and equipment (inland marine)
- Cyber liability
- Fidelity bonds
- Workers compensation
- Commercial auto
- Sexual abuse and molestation (SAM) liability
- Liquor liability
Standout Features
- Save 14% paying annually versus monthly
- Lowest price compared to other competitors on our list
- Policy automatically includes general and professional liability
- Lowest premium out of all options on our list
- Free and unlimited additional insureds
- Monthly and annual payment options
- 100% online purchase
- Same-day Certificate of Insurance (COI)
- Policy automatically includes professional liability
- Can’t raise general and professional liability aggregate limits above $3,000,000
Based on our research, Insurance Canopy offers the best event planner insurance coverage. Insurance Canopy offers the lowest rate of all the providers on our list, making it the most affordable option.
On top of being budget-friendly, Insurance Canopy doesn’t skimp on coverage. Its event planner policy includes professional liability coverage and unlimited additional insureds — something many competitors require you to add at an extra cost. A wide variety of coverage add-ons are available to customize your policy, from cyber liability to fidelity bonds.
Insurance Canopy makes it easy to purchase and manage your policy entirely online, as well as download your COI immediately after purchase. However, if you have questions or need assistance, a team of licensed, U.S.-based customer service agents is available by call on weekdays from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm ET.
Pro tip: Learn more about the cost of consultant insurance and understand what factors affect your event planner premium.
The Hartford: Big-Brand Reliability
Cost:
- $31.41/mo. or $377/yr.
Coverages Included
- General liability
- Personal and advertising injury
- Products and completed operations
- Damage to premises rented to you
- Medical expenses
Add-ons Offered
- Professional liability
- Data breach (cyber liability)
- Waiver of subrogation
- Hired and non-owned auto
- Home-based business property
- Workers compensation
- Commercial auto
Standout Features
- High limits for medical expenses and damage to premises rented to you
- Over 200 years of experience
- Online quote
- High medical expenses limit ($10,000)
- High damage to premises rented limit ($500,000)
- Must call to purchase a policy after getting an online quote
- Policy does not automatically include professional liability
- Lower starting general liability aggregate limit ($1,000,000) than Insurance Canopy ($2,000,000)
- Lower starting general liability occurrence limit ($500,000) than Insurance Canopy ($1,000,000)
- Can only purchase a policy when customer service representatives are available (Mon.-Fri. 8:00 am to 8:00 pm ET)
The Hartford offers broad coverage options for event planners under a national brand name with hundreds of years of experience and millions of small businesses insured. Online quotes are generally available for event planners, though you must call to speak with an agent to purchase your policy.
While its starting general liability limits are on the lower end, The Hartford offers higher limits for medical expenses and damage to premises rented to you than other competitors on this list.
K&K Insurance: High-Limit Traditional Coverage
Cost: Custom Quote
Coverages Included
- General liability
- Personal and advertising injury
- Products and completed operations
- Damage to premises rented to you
- Medical expenses
Add-ons Offered
- Professional liability
- Abuse, molestation, harassment, or exploitation defense reimbursement
- Equipment and contents (inland marine)
- Hired auto liability and non-owned auto liability (not available in IL, LA, UT, VT, or WI)
- Sexual abuse or sexual molestation liability
Standout Features
- Higher than usual general liability aggregate limit ($5,000,000)
- High general liability aggregate limit (doesn’t include products and completed operations)
- Over 70 years of experience
- Policy does not automatically include professional liability
- No online quote; must complete a PDF application and submit via email
- Lower professional liability limit ($1,000,000) when added to policy than Insurance Canopy ($2,000,000 automatically included)
- No cyber liability add-on option
K&K Insurance offers a more traditional purchasing experience, where applicants must submit their business details and coverage needs via email to receive a custom quote from an underwriter. However, its general liability aggregate limit is higher than the other providers on this list at $5,000,000, making it a solid option for larger event planning businesses.
NEXT: Convenience-Focused Online Coverage
Cost:
- $45.85 per month (+$3.99 service fee) or $550/yr. (+ $47.88 service fee)
Coverages Included
- General liability
- Professional liability
- Damage to premises rented to you
- Medical expenses
Add-ons Offered
- Cyber liability
- Commercial umbrella liability
- Employment-related practices liability (EPLI)
- Terrorism coverage
Standout Features
- Choose between two policies catered to your business with different limits and coverages included
- Option to choose between Premier and Deluxe policies with varying limits and coverages
- Monthly and annual payment options
- Buy 100% online
- Same-day COI
- Lower starting general liability aggregate limit ($1,000,000) than Insurance Canopy ($2,000,000)
- Lower starting professional liability aggregate limit ($1,000,000) than Insurance Canopy ($2,000,000)
- Lower medical expenses limit ($3,000) than Insurance Canopy ($5,000)
- No live support; must go through an AI chatbot to connect with a customer service representative
NEXT prioritizes a digital-first experience, offering a 100% online purchasing process and same-day COI similar to Insurance Canopy. It also offers flexible coverage limits with a choice between Premier ($1,000,000 aggregate) and Deluxe ($2,000,000). This makes NEXT a convenient choice for event planners who don’t need the standard $2,000,000 limit.
Hiscox: Build-Your-Own Policy
Cost:
- $29.16/mo. or $350/yr.
Coverages Included
- General liability
- Personal and advertising injury
Add-ons Offered
- Professional liability
- Cyber liability
- Workers compensation
- Terrorism coverage
- Business property and equipment
- Primary and non-contributory
- Waiver of subrogation
Standout Features
- Customizable, build-your-own policy approach where the customer selects each individual coverage they want
- Online quote
- COI emailed to you within an hour of purchase
- Competitive pricing
- Option to select lower general liability aggregate limit (down to $600,000)
- Option to select lower general liability occurrence limit (down to $300,000)
- Policy does not automatically include professional liability
- Pricing not transparent; must complete a quote first
- Not transparent about general liability sublimits (personal and advertising injury, medical expenses, etc.), unlike Insurance Canopy
- Competitively priced, but still more expensive than Insurance Canopy
Hiscox offers the second-lowest rate on our list behind Insurance Canopy, making it one of the most affordable options on the market. Its application makes it easy to select which coverages you want to purchase, allowing you to easily customize your policy to suit your needs.
What to Look for When Comparing Event Planner Insurance Policies
It’s crucial to find a policy that can protect both your day-to-day business operations and the professional services you provide to your clients. Look for a policy that includes these coverage types:
- General liability: Covers medical bills and/or legal expenses if your business activities injure someone or damage someone’s property
- Professional liability: Pays for your legal costs if you’re sued over a mistake in your work, such as a missed deadline or vendor miscommunication (this coverage is often referred to as errors and omissions insurance, or E&O)
- Personal and advertising injury: Covers your legal expenses if you are sued over false advertisement, copyright infringement, or defamation
- Products and completed operations: Designed to cover claims related to both your products (if you have them) and your services
- Damage to premises rented to you: Pays for damages caused to a rented space for the first seven consecutive days, then exclusively covers fire damage
- Medical payments: Covers no-fault expenses if someone gets injured because of your business (in other words, the injured party doesn’t have to sue you to get this payout)
While all of the above are essential for all event planners, you may need additional liability protection on top of them. Find a provider that allows you to customize your coverage with add-ons like:
- Increased general and professional liability limits: Allows you to increase your policy’s aggregate limits (otherwise known as excess liability)
- Tools and equipment (inland marine): Designed to cover the cost of repairing or replacing stolen or damaged mobile business gear, like a laptop or speaker system (includes rented and owned equipment)
- Cyber liability: Pays for first- and third-party expenses if your business is the victim of a cyberattack, such as a data breach or phishing scheme
- Fidelity bonds: Offers financial compensation to your client if one of your employees steals from them, embezzles funds, or forges documents
- Workers compensation: Covers the cost of workers compensation benefits mandated by your state if your employee suffers a job-related injury, illness, or death
- Commercial auto: Designed to cover accidents or damage to the vehicle you use for business
- Sexual abuse and molestation (SAM) liability: Pays for your legal expenses if you are falsely accused of sexual abuse or misconduct by a client
- Liquor liability: Covers costs associated with alcohol-related injuries or property damage caused by an intoxicated guest
The best place to start is event planner liability insurance. It’s a type of consultant insurance, and acts as the base layer of your coverage, providing a solid (and necessary) foundation upon which to add other coverage types as your event planning business grows.
Top Questions About the Best Event Planner Insurance Options
What limits do venues typically require?
Most venues require a $2,000,000 aggregate and a $1,000,000 occurrence limit for general and professional liability. Always check with the venue to make sure your policy’s limits meet or exceed their requirements.
Do event planners need an annual or one-day policy?
Event planners need an annual policy that offers year-round coverage. One-day policies are designed for event hosts, who aren’t in the business of planning and coordinating events.
What is a COI?
COI stands for Certificate of Insurance, which is sometimes called proof of insurance, an ACORD, or an ACORD COI. It contains essential details about your policy, such as your coverages and limits.
Many venues and clients will request a copy of your COI to make sure you meet their coverage requirements and have high enough liability limits. With Insurance Canopy, you can access and download your COI 24/7 through your online account.
Pro Tip: Check out our guide to using your COI to market your consulting business!
What is an additional insured, and how do I add one to my policy?
Additional insureds are individuals, organizations, and venues that ask you to add them to your policy to give them liability protection if you make a mistake.
You can add an unlimited number of additional insureds to your Insurance Canopy policy for no extra cost during checkout or any time afterward from the convenience of your online account.
Is liquor liability needed if alcohol is served by a caterer?
The caterer should carry their own liquor liability coverage if they are selling, serving, or providing alcohol at your event. Always ask them to add you to their policy as an additional insured to protect you from any accidents they’re responsible for.
How do claims work?
Insurance Canopy allows you to file claims online through your online account. It’s always best to report a claim as soon as it happens. Be prepared to provide information about the incident, including:
- When it happened (date and time)
- Where it happened
- The names of all parties involved
- A detailed description of the incident
After submitting your claim, a claims adjuster will reach out to you to guide you through the rest of the process.
Pro Tip: Learn more about the types of claims event planners and consultants face and how insurance shields you from them.
You Plan the Magic, We’ll Cover the Mishaps
By picking the right provider, you have one less thing to worry about while you’re busy planning memorable events. While all of the providers included in this list are reputable, Insurance Canopy is our top pick for most event planners due to its comprehensive coverage, affordability, and ease of use.