Does Your Event Vendor Need Insurance? What to Ask Before Booking

You've found the perfect DJ, the catering is locked in, and the venue is confirmed. But what happens if a guest trips over a speaker wire? Or the food truck's generator catches fire? Vendor insurance is the safety net most planners forget to check.

Types of Vendor Insurance

• General Liability — Covers bodily injury and property damage. Most venues require vendors to carry at least $1 million in general liability. This is non-negotiable for professional vendors.
• Equipment Insurance — Covers the vendor's own equipment (sound systems, cameras, lighting rigs). If a $10,000 DJ setup gets damaged at your event, you don't want to be liable.
• Workers' Compensation — If a vendor's employee is injured on the job. Required by law in most states for vendors with employees.
• Professional Liability — Covers errors in service delivery. Important for photographers (lost photos) and planners (missed deadlines).

Questions to Ask Every Vendor

1. Do you carry general liability insurance? What's the coverage amount?
2. Can you provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI)?
3. Does your policy cover the specific venue we're using?
4. Are your employees covered by workers' comp?
5. What happens if you can't perform due to illness/emergency?

How Vensho Helps

On Vensho, insured vendors display a verified insurance badge on their profile. We verify COIs directly so you don't have to chase paperwork. Combined with our escrow protection, you're covered from booking through event day.

Browse insured vendors on Vensho →