The 6 Best Event Insurance Companies
If you’re hosting or participating in an event, special event insurance protects you against injury, property damage claims, and cancellation. Using our evaluation system focusing on financial stability, customer satisfaction, convenience, and policies offered, we reviewed more than a dozen providers to find the six best companies for event insurance:
- Travelers: Best overall
- GEICO: Best for wedding insurance
- Philadelphia Insurance Companies: Best for sports events
- The Hartford: Best for civic associations
- CoverWallet: Best for comparing prices
- Simply Business: Best for event planners
Top Special Event Insurers Compared
Company | Online Quote | Accessibility | Instant Certificate of Insurance (COI) | Financial Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Travelers | Yes | 24/7 availability | Yes | A++ Superior |
 Geico | Yes | 24/7 availability | Yes | A++ Superior |
 Phly | No, through a broker | 24/7 availability | Yes | A++ Superior |
 CoverWallet | Yes | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time; 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday | Yes | A (via Aon) Excellent |
 Simply Business | Yes | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET | Yes | A++ (via Travelers) Superior |
 The Hartford | No, through an agent | 24/7 availability | Yes | A++ Superior |
Travelers: Best Overall for Special Event Insurance
Overall Score:
4.75 / 5
What We Like
- Customer service
- In-house claims
- 24/7 availability
- Online quotes
What's Missing
- Not available in Hawaii, Alaska, or Louisiana
Deciding Factors
- Customer advocacy: Hotline for policyholders with a problem
- Independent agents: To help you with your policy
- App: User-friendly app for your policy and claims
- Online services: Log-in to manage your payments
Travelers Insurance is an excellent choice for your special event or wedding insurance policy. It scored the highest with a 4.75 out of 5 because of its financial position, convenience, and excellent customer service.
Cost & Coverage
An event for 200 guests, with liquor liability and $1 million in general liability coverage, costs $375.
The policies are provided through the Wedding Protector Plan® with coverage for cancellation or postponement, liability, gifts, and attire. Liquor liability can be purchased as an add-on. The policy starts at $160 with no deductible.
The Wedding Protector Plan®, while geared toward wedding insurance, also offers coverage for special events like retirement or anniversary parties.
Convenience is essential when planning your special event. There is an app for personal policies and an online portal to manage your account, file claims, and pay your premium. It’s available 24/7 for whatever service you need.
Complaints are lower than the national average. Travelers stood out in customer service by being the only provider reviewed offering a customer advocacy hotline.
Founded in 1853 and with a global presence, Travelers has the financial stability for protecting your big day. It’s rated A++ (Superior) by AM Best and Aa2 by Moody’s.
GEICO: Best for Wedding Insurance
Overall Score:
4.25 / 5
What We Like
- Online quotes
- Online claims
- 24/7 availability
- Bundling available
What's Missing
- Contact numbers are hard to find
Deciding Factors
- Next-day coverage: Available one day before the event
- Berkshire Hathaway: Owns GEICO
- Amazon Alexa: Check on a claim status through your Echo
- Certificate of liability: Ready for the venue
GEICO, scoring 4.25 out of 5, is the best provider for wedding insurance. Because of its excellent customer service, cancellation coverage, and convenient system for managing your policy, this is the company to trust with your special day.
Cost & Coverage
Wedding liability insurance can range from $75 to $235. Event cancellation starts at $130. Prices vary depending upon the event and coverages selected.
Its plan provides event cancellation and liability coverage. The event cancellation coverage covers lost wedding rings, damaged gifts, attire, and more. Available limits begin at $500,000 and go up to $2 million. Liquor liability is included automatically but, if there’s no alcohol, you can remove it to lower the premium.
GEICO provides wedding insurance in United States territories and Puerto Rico if you have a destination wedding. There’s coverage for events on a cruise ship. The cancellation policy must be purchased 14 days before the event, but the liability policy can be bought one day prior.
Its services are convenient. There is access to your policy documents anytime through its online portal. You can also link your policy to the GEICO app.
Since 1996, when Berkshire Hathaway purchased GEICO, it’s had the financial support of the world’s largest holding company and is rated A++ (Superior) by AM Best.
Philadelphia Insurance Companies: Best for Sports Events
Overall Score:
4.25 / 5
What We Like
- Instant policy documents
- A large number of covered events
- Comprehensive coverage
- High limits
What's Missing
- No online quote
Deciding Factors
- Acceptable risks: Offers coverage for a range of events
- Participant coverage: Participants and hosts are covered
- Independent agents: To help you get the best coverage
- Online services: For claims and premiums
Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) scored 4.25 out of 5 because of its convenient shopping experience. PHLY offers special event insurance for sports events and golf tournaments. That’s why PHLY is the best provider for sports events.
Cost & Coverage
Most premiums start at $175, and policy documents are immediately available once you pay.
PHLY provides a flexible and comprehensive policy for sports tournaments, entertainment, trade shows, fairs, reenactments, and much more. The liability policy has $3 million aggregate limits. Premises and liquor liability are available as an add-on as is hired and nonowned auto coverage.
PHLY offers special event insurance through its TotalEvent® Broker Portal. Unfortunately, only a broker can provide you with a quote. PHLY provides brochures explaining the coverage in-depth.
Claims filing is easy with four options: phone, fax, email, or online. Phly’s in-house claims team does a great job because their complaints are lower than the national average.
Customer service is available 24/7 through an emergency line and a risk management hotline.
Should the venue request it, a certificate of insurance (COI) is available immediately through their website.
As a subsidiary of the global holdings company, Tokio Marine Holdings, Phly has the financial strength you want for your tournament. They are rated A++ (Superior) by AM Best.
The Hartford: Best for Civic Associations
Overall Score:
4.00 / 5
What We Like
- In-house claims services
- Customer complaints below national average
- Years of experience
- Independent agents
What's Missing
- No online quote available
Deciding Factors
- Online portal: Access to policy documents instantly
- Experienced provider: Years of experiencing writing specialty lines
- Nationwide: Available in all 50 states
- Financial strength: Excellent financial rating
The Hartford scored a 4 out of 5 because of its financial strength, nationwide availability, and customer satisfaction. The Hartford has been writing a specialized policy for community events since 1950, which is why it’s the best provider for civic associations hosting special events.
Cost & Coverage
For this type of policy, you’ll need to fill out an application to obtain a quote.
The Hartford offers Special Participant Insurance. This is a special event policy designed to cover each participant if there’s an accident. The policy provides accidental medical expense and accidental death and dismemberment coverage for participants. This type of policy is intended to complement an existing general liability policy for the event and provide coverage for existing gaps.
Its target is higher-risk exposures, such as educational camps. It even has a specialized policy for community, civic association, or volunteer groups. Such as churches going on mission trips or nonprofit athletic camps.
There are multiple ways for you to file a claim or make changes to your policy. These services are available to you 24/7. The results speak for themselves as its complaints are lower than the national average.
It’s great for your organization because of its strong financial stability. It has maintained an A+ (Superior) rating by AM Best for years. Its financial strength is reflected in its nationwide availability. The Hartford is also best overall in our Best Small Business Insurance guide.
Get a Quote
Call for a Quote: 1-888-219-3051
CoverWallet: Best for Comparing Prices
Overall Score:
3.75 / 5
What We Like
- Online quotes
- Purchase policy online
- One-stop marketplace
- Multiple events covered
What's Missing
- Claims filing process
Deciding Factors
- Certificate of liability: Instantly download a COI
- Policy documents: Easy access to important documents
- Online management: Manage and pay your account
- Easy to use: Website for all your needs
CoverWallet scored a 3.75 out of 5 because of its convenience and policies offered. It’s the best provider for comparing prices for special event insurance. It’s also the best overall in our Best Business Insurance Broker guide.
Cost & Coverage
A two-day construction trade show with a $2 million aggregate limit is $530. The policy and claim services for that quote were through Chubb.
CoverWallet includes coverage for a wide range of special events. Art shows, 4H Fair, professional trade shows, and a convention are examples. The policy is highly customizable with options on your role: host, sponsor, owner, or organizer. You can add liquor liability or host liquor liability coverage. Acts of terrorism are available as an add-on.
Get a fast quote and purchase your policy on its website in only minutes. Once purchased, you can manage your payments and access your documents. If you need it, a COI is available instantly.
While it isn’t open 24/7, it’s open Monday to Saturday and provide the contact information for whatever carrier holds your policy.
Though they are a broker, CoverWallet is owned by Aon, rated A (Excellent) by AM Best. AON is an international company with the strength to support them.
Simply Business: Best for Event Planners
Overall Score:
3.75 / 5
What We Like
- Online quotes
- Owned by Travelers
- Purchase policy online
- Multiple resources available
What's Missing
- Claims filing process
Deciding Factors
- Policy documents: Available immediately
- Additional services: Like a COI
- Compare prices: Quickly
- Comprehensive coverage: With multiple options
Simply Business scored a 3.75 out of 5 because of the convenience of its website and the policies offered. It provides special event insurance and insurance for event planners so, if you’re an event planner, Simply Business is your best provider. It’s also in our 2022 Best Small Business Brokers guide.
Cost & Coverage
Insurance for an event planner starts at $220 annually.
The event planner/special event insurance policy considers the event type, venue, the number of guests, and if any celebrities will be present. The policy has a $1 million liability limit. Acts of terrorism are built into the policy, but you can choose not to have that coverage, which will lower the price.
A quick quote and a policy are only minutes away on its website. Answer a few questions about the nature of your business, the type of event, and the time frame to get a quote.
Customers can add other businesses as additional insureds to the policy. A COI is available through your online account, and it can send a copy to you if it’s urgent.
While Simply Business doesn’t handle claims, it provides the contact information for the claims department of every carrier it quotes. If you aren’t sure who your actual company is, you can contact Simply Business.
Travelers purchased Simply Business in 2017 and has a solid financial reputation. However, Simply Business is an independent brokerage and compares prices from multiple carriers, including biBERK, Hiscox, and CNA.
Methodology: How We Evaluated
To determine which insurance companies would be the best for your special event insurance, we utilized a proprietary evaluation system developed in-house. We reviewed over a dozen insurance providers and have presented the six with the highest scores. In evaluating insurance companies, we have focused on the customer’s needs. We paid particular interest to convenience, financial ratings (AM Best), customer service, types of policies offered, and the overall experience as a policyholder for a specific provider. Most people only care about insurance when they need it, and we wanted to ensure that what we’re recommending is something that, should that moment come, you’ll feel comfortable with your purchase.
Bottom Line
Standard insurance policies don’t cover cancellation or liability for special events. When it comes to your special day or an important trade show, you want to be sure you’re covered in case something happens. That’s why we have done the work in researching the best special event and wedding insurance providers for you. Travelers is our best overall provider for special event insurance. Visit Travelers today for a fast online quote.
