Pop quiz, hot shot. You’re out on the road, touring with your band, having the time of your life. That big festival gig you secured is coming up, but first you’ve got a smaller “fill-in” date with a venue promoter you’ve never worked with before. Maybe it’s a corporate event, it pays well, it’ll be packed, but they’re requiring proof of insurance. What do you do? What DO you do?
OK, Dennis Hopper quips aside, if you’ve never encountered this before, don’t worry. You’re not alone – a lot of artists hitting the touring scene for the first time can get caught flatfooted when it comes to preparedness – namely, liability insurance. Hey, you’ve never done this before, who can fault you?
But that’s where we can come in to help. Keep reading…
Yes — your gear, your tour van, your stage essentials are all crucial. But the one thing you may not have considered before was how your act will be covered in the event that you’re somehow found responsible for property damage and/or personal injuries resulting from your actions (be they intentional or not).
With that in mind, and in the spirit of our print magazine heritage, we present this 5-minute quiz to determine whether or not YOU should consider investing in an insurance policy for your upcoming live gigs. After all, spring and summer touring season is upon us, so act now before it’s too late (and save yourself some potential headaches away from home!)
We know, we know. Magazine quizzes are typically more fun when you’re trying to find out who to date or which celebrity crush is the least embarrassing, but this one might just save you time, money and hassles down the road.
QUESTION 1
Do you play live?
○Yes
○No
OK, great. If you answered no, you’re done. But if you are a live entertainer, keep going…
QUESTION 2
Ever felt like you escaped a close call on the road?
○Yes
○No
No matter what you answered, you can never predict when things might take a turn for the worse. Whether that’s damage you, your bandmates or those in your circle have caused to the venue that’s hosting you, or whether it’s something more serious like physical harm that’s come to a patron in the audience – expect the unexpected, and be prepared in case you need to deal with tough situations. Even if you’ve never had a close call before, that’s not to say it can’t happen next week, next month, heck even the next tour you do in two years. That’s why it’s always a good idea to make sure your liability insurance policy is in effect, and has your back when you hit the stage.
No insurance yet? No problem, keep reading for some helpful tips and links…
QUESTION 3
Insurance is difficult to research and obtain.
○True
○False
OK, so that’s not technically in the form of a question, but stay with us. If you though that navigating the world of insurance policies was too tough, and required too many hoops to jump through in order to obtain the policy that’s right for your act – think again! For starters, it’s actually never been easier to check out policy options online, begin the application process from your phone AND talk to a real agent to go over your specific needs, even in your jammies while making Hot Pockets.
Seriously, there’s really no excuse anymore, and the days of difficulty are in the rearview, my friends. It’s simple to get the ball rolling, so don’t waste time worrying about it. Get going now, before you load up the tour van this spring. And we won’t tell anyone about your TMNT PJ’s, it’ll be our little secret 🙂
QUESTION 4
Insurance for live entertainers is prohibitively expensive.
○True
○False
Again, we’re on a roll when it comes to not writing these out in question format, but you get the gist. You know what’s ACTUALLY expensive? Legal fees, medical bills, property damage invoices and all the time wasted sorting out who’s responsible for what, what you might owe, and to whom, if the circumstances arise after an incident. So for a far more affordable option, and the peace of mind that comes with it, it’s going to be far less expensive in the long run to invest in the right coverage NOW as opposed to dealing with the consequences of unexpected problems later on down the line.
In fact, we think you’ll be surprised at just how attainable insurance is, whether it’s for a one-off event that requires it, or an entire string of dates you just lined up. We encourage you to do the cost/benefit analysis for yourself, and we think you’ll agree. It makes way less financial sense to go out without the right plan, wouldn’t you say?
QUESTION 5
Do you need to go at it alone?
○Yes
○No
Even more good news, dear readers. You’re not alone. Well, in an existential way, I guess we’re all alone…but when it comes to insurance at least, your agent and their fellow reps have got your back — trust us. From the very first moments that you initiate the application process, to the final issuance of your policy and paperwork, there’s someone there to help answer questions, guide you towards the most appropriate plan, and field any claims that may arise out on the road. Hopefully you won’t ever have to deal with that last part, but it may prove to be the most important when it comes to support. There will always be someone there with a fully-loaded support system to help out and navigate the waters for you during the claims process, so you’re not floundering by yourself with complicated legal and financial matters that could come up.
Again, we’re hoping that your live performances go off without a hitch, but it’s the hitches that you want to be fully prepped for. And having someone on your team who can handle all the difficult stuff on your behalf will take a huge load off if that time ever comes.
HEAD HERE TO GET STARTED NOW
So how did you do on the quiz? Do you think maybe now’s the time to start checking out live entertainer insurance for yourself? Yeah, we thought so…
Rest assured, there are experts to help you through the process and alleviate that stress, so talk to an agent today about your needs or get started applying online at https://www.kandkinsurance.com/programs/event-insurance/bands-and-performing-groups-insurance for bands and https://www.kandkinsurance.com/programs/event-insurance/performer-insurance for solo musicians and performers.
SPECIAL BONUS!
Download this FREE BONUS quick guide, including the article here and some other helpful tips when it comes to navigating the waters of entertainer insurance.
