Spring is finally upon us and after Easter the fetes, parties and other events are upon us. Even in the teeth of a horizontal wind and rain we do our best to enjoy the spring and summer whatever the weather throws at us. But what else could go wrong?

It's not just fetes, there are special interest events like classic car shows or gymkhanas, music and theatre events. More weddings take place over the spring and summer than any other season; but there are other personal celebrations too, like birthdays and anniversaries.

What could possibly go wrong?

The weather isn't the only thing that can wreck an event, indoor or outdoor. Consider these too:

• Cancellation - for reasons beyond your control, you have to cancel the event
• Venue goes bust - leaving you with people arriving and nowhere to go
• Entertainment - what happens if the top act doesn't show?
• Fireworks - they're not just for Guy Fawkes these days - almost any celebration can have a display - what if it goes wrong?
• Theft - it's a charity event but some low-life steals the takings
• Marquees - they don't turn up or collapse halfway through the event.
• Third party damage - what if one of your guests damages a neighbour's fence or vehicle?
• Third party liability - what if someone is injured at your event - could you cope with being sued?

This is just the tip of the iceberg - the nature of events is that there's a huge variety and so many things that can go wrong.

These days perhaps the most worrying is third party liability - meaning you, as the organiser, are responsible for anything that affects other people.

So if you're the person organising an event, charity do or family party - you'll be the one in the hot seat if things go wrong.

Could you pay damages yourself?

A little while ago when something went wrong people would just apologise and move on. But now we're bombarded with adverts persuading everyone to take legal action if they fall over and hurt themselves. If someone's property is damaged, the event organisers will be responsible for that too.

Could you cope with paying out all the legal costs and damages yourself? Probably not, and that's why event insurance has become a necessity rather than a luxury.

Weather warning

It's worth mentioning that because of the unpredictable nature of the weather in the UK it's only very severe weather that an insurance policy will cover, not just a bit of rain.

The exact phrase in one policy for weather conditions that would trigger a claim is: "Adverse Weather conditions that render the fulfillment of the Event as being dangerous and irresponsible having consideration to life and limb of the public attending the Event".

You also have to have this signed off by a Health and Safety official for big events. For smaller events, get supporting evidence such as photos, statements from emergency services, weather records etc.

Compensation

Of course an insurance policy can't turn back the clock. But compensation can pay damages and legal fees, or provide funds which can help with rearranging the event for a later date.

Once you have your event insurance in place you'll know you're protected, so it's one less thing to worry about. We hope your event organisation goes well and that everyone enjoys themselves on the day.

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