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Does Your Event Need Insurance?
If something goes wrong at your party or event, do you need additional insurance to cover personal injury or property damage? To answer this question, you may want to contact someone on your campus who is an expert on student or Greek organization events. Contact information for these individuals at your specific campus can be found here: LINK2. Also, you may want to contact the national office of your student organization to learn more.
If you are hosting a party at your home, in the case of an accident, insurance can help you avoid any extensive costs. You may want to find out whether your homeowner’s policy or rental insurance policy covers your event. Check your existing homeowner’s policy and see if you are already covered.
Even if an event is not held at your home or your Greek house, your homeowner’s policy could still cover you. Make sure to look closely at your policy, and watch for exclusions to your coverage. If you have questions, contact the agent who sold you the policy. Explain what you would like to do and see if it is covered.
Also, if a third party vendor (whether for alcohol or a concert promotion) is involved, insurance coverage may be their responsibility. Speak with the vendor or entertainment for the event and discuss insurance coverage so everyone knows their responsibilities. Insurance coverage could be a source of negotiation when deciding the entertainment or vendor you choose.
Avoid using any shared alcohol containers, such as punch bowls or kegs. These also could nullify insurance coverage of your event and raises liability risks.
The final note concerning insurance coverage is that it only covers legal activity. So, a claim can be denied if illegal activity, such as underage drinking, took place at the event.
This ends the first portion of the training. The rest of START will focus on how to keep your guests safe if alcohol is allowed at your event.