Entertainment

Your special event insurance policy typically will require that all your subcontractors maintain their own insurance policy with limits the same as yours as well as name you as an additional insured by an actual endorsement to the special event insurance policy.  When having contracted entertainment, keep in mind the need to obtain proper certificates of insurance from those providing the entertainment.  Otherwise your organization could be held financially responsible for any damage caused by the entertainers.

For example:
A nonprofit hired a band to play at a fund-raiser dance.  During the course of the evening, some of the band’s equipment ripped several holes in the fine white wool carpet of the home that had been donated for the special event.  The band did not have special event insurance and the nonprofit was held responsible for the damage.

Remember, often you will not be in a position to control the actions of the vendors you hire. Part of the cost of hiring them should include their cost to maintain adequate special event insurance to protect you in case of their negligence.