Event cover may be needed when licensing law changes come in
Commercial insurance
29th January 2010
New changes are coming to licensing laws that will make it easier for smaller venues to stage events but they must have cover in place against any problems arising, Giles Insurance Brokers Ltd has advised. Under the alterations from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, live music performances at such venues for 100 people or fewer will no longer need licences.
The opportunity to stage more events highlights the importance of taking out comprehensive liability insurance that will cover organisations and businesses in the event of incidents such as injuries to attendees or damage to property. A waiver to the requirement to hold a license, certificate or temporary event notice will be applied by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to any performance taking place indoors between 08:00 GMT and 23:00 GMT.
Licensing minister Gerry Sutcliffe declared that the move is because the government is "keen to do what we can to support audiences and musicians" and predicted that it will assist unlicensed premises such as cafes and village halls. His announcement was welcomed by British Beer and Pub Association director of pub and leisure Martin Rawlings as helping places to "overcome existing barriers to putting on live music" and providing a boost to firms.
It is important for companies to remain abreast of new legislation, but for those who fall behind the raft of new measures coming in each year, insurance cover can provide additional protection if they innocently fail to comply with regulations. The government measures include a provision to revoke the licence exemption in cases where there are problems with noise or disturbance at a particular venue.
"Those running organisations and businesses planning to hold events under the new regulations are advised that although they may no longer need a licence, they must ensure that they are properly insured for such occasions and should seek advice about event cover if they have any concerns," Howard Pearson, retail managing director of Giles Insurance, explained.
"A specialist can provide guidance on how the legislative changes will affect cover and what policies are suitable if plans are being made to capitalise on the licence exemption by holding a greater number of small public events."
Figures released by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in November revealed that there were 176,400 licensed premises in England and Wales in March 2007, with 122,900 permitted to sell alcohol. A total of 81,300 premises had licences to stage public entertainment such as dancing, theatre productions or live music performances.
Those seeking insurance for venues and licensed premises may require a range of different policies to guard against incidents, ranging from public liability cover and employers liability insurance to protection for buildings, fixtures and fittings and loss of licence insurance. Meanwhile, those planning and arranging events can select policies to guard against anything happening to members of the public or equipment, cancellation, abandonment or postponement.
Established since 1967, Giles Insurance can search for policies and products from some of the UK's leading insurers. Whether you're looking for insurance for licensed premises or unlicensed venues, Giles' team of advisors will search the market on your behalf to try and find a policy to meet your needs at a price that suits.
