Why should I purchase event cancellation insurance coverage for my event?

The Importance of Event Cancellation Insurance for Running or Cycling Events

As an event organizer, ensuring the success of your running or cycling event is paramount. It involves meticulous planning, coordinating with vendors, securing permits, and promoting the event to attract participants. However, even with the most diligent efforts, unforeseen circumstances can arise that threaten to derail all your hard work. This is where event cancellation insurance comes into play.

Protection Against Financial Loss

Running or cycling events are susceptible to various risks, including adverse weather conditions, public emergencies, sudden venue unavailability, or even a significant drop in participation due to unforeseen circumstances. If any of these circumstances force you to cancel, postpone, or reduce the scope of the event, the financial repercussions can be devastating.
Event cancellation insurance offers protection against such financial losses. It can cover expenses such as non-refundable deposits, vendor fees, marketing costs, and ticket sales revenue that would otherwise become an irrecoverable loss if the event does not take place as planned.

Weather Woes

Weather conditions can be unpredictable and have a significant impact on outdoor events like running or cycling races. Adverse weather, such as heavy rain, storms, or extreme heat, may make it unsafe or impractical to proceed with the event.
Event cancellation insurance can provide coverage for weather-related cancellations. It can help reimburse expenses incurred in rescheduling the event or even cover the loss of revenue due to reduced participation caused by inclement weather.

Vendor and Venue Issues

Running or cycling events often rely on multiple vendors and require suitable venues to create a memorable experience for participants. However, vendors can unexpectedly cancel or fail to deliver their services as agreed upon. Additionally, venues can become unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances such as damage, double booking, or even closure.
With event cancellation insurance, you can safeguard yourself from these risks. If a vendor cancels or a venue becomes inaccessible, insurance can help cover the costs of hiring alternative services or finding a suitable replacement location. This ensures that your event can still proceed, minimizing the disruption and potential financial losses.

Participant Protection

Caring for the well-being of participants is a crucial responsibility for event organizers. In the unfortunate event of participant injuries leading to the cancellation of the event, event cancellation insurance can offer liability coverage. This coverage can help mitigate legal expenses associated with participant claims and provide financial protection for the organizer.

Peace of Mind

Above all, event cancellation insurance provides event organizers with peace

Event Cancellation Insurance and COVID-19

We are proud partners of Running USA and honored to be their chosen Event Cancellation Insurance benefit provider. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the event industry and event organizers especially hard. Together we will get through this historic time. If you have COVID-19 related event insurance questions, we encourage you to read the recent Running USA release highlighting comments and information provided by Nathan Nicholas. To view this information, please visit the link below…

https://www.runningusa.org/RUSA/News/2020/Event-Cancellation-Insurance-and-COVID-19.aspx

Events.com chooses Nicholas Hill Group, Inc. as it's event cancellation insurance partner

We are thrilled to add Events.com and Race Roster to our growing list of registration company clients.  These forward thinking organizations are changing the "no refund" status quo for cancelled events throughout North America.  If you're hosting an event, we encourage you to consider providing event cancellation refund protection by choosing a participating registration company.  The program is currently available through Events.com, imATHLETE, HAKU, USA Cycling, Race Roster and several other registration company partners! www.EventCancellationInsurance.com  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eventscom-now-offers-event-cancellation-refund-protection-to-event-organizers-300686867.html

Running USA Launches Event Insurance Benefits Exclusively for Members

By: Leah Etling, Running USA

Source: No Source

Date: January 30, 2018

Races and events can now secure event liability/participant accident and event cancellation insurance at a discounted rate created specifically for Running USA’s membership

 

DETROIT, Michigan (Jan. 30, 2018) – Running USA is pleased to announce two new benefits for its membership: the opportunity to secure event liability/participant accident insurance and special member pricing for event cancellation coverage. Policies for each circumstance are available.

In partnership with the Nicholas Hill Group, a leading provider of event insurance services, Running USA members will enjoy member exclusive pricing on any event cancellation policy purchased after verification of their active membership in the industry’s leading non-profit organization.

In recent years, natural disasters and unexpected weather events have forced the unanticipated cancellation of more running races than ever before. Wildfires, hurricanes and extreme rainfall are just a few of the circumstances that can force cancellation of a long-planned event. When the unexpected strikes, participants and event organizers are looking for ways to recoup their upfront investment costs.

Industry experts consider event liability/participant accident insurance coverage a best practice, due to the unforeseen liabilities inherent in hosting a mass participation athletic event.  Running USA and the Nicholas Hill Group believe that a properly desired liability policy is the foundation of any successful, responsible event.  Additionally, this critical insurance coverage is typically the first requirement that a venue or event location requires.

“We pursued this benefit for our members after listening to your feedback,” said Running USA CEO Rich Harshbarger. “Nicholas Hill Group offers competitive rates on all event policies and the discount for event cancellation policies is just one more great reason to become a member of the sport’s most valuable business-to-business organization.”

Information about the two policy types and details on obtaining an insurance quote can be found at http://www.nicholashillgroup.com/runningusa

Nathan Nicholas, co-founder & CEO of Nicholas Hill, stated that the process of receiving a quote and purchasing a policy from his group is simple and can be done entirely online.

“To secure event liability and participant accident insurance, members enter their event details using the electronic application and will receive a real-time quote. They can bind the coverage online by paying with a credit card. They'll then receive all policy documents, including certificates, electronically. Event cancellation insurance quotes will typically take less than 24 hours, but guaranteed within two business days,” Nicholas said.

The Colfax Marathon is among the Running USA members who have already taken advantage of the new insurance benefit. CEO Andrea Dowdy explained why the Denver, Colo. event sought to invest in coverage.

It was a top priority this year to add race cancellation insurance to ensure our financial longevity, even though it came with a significant investment,” said Dowdy.

“We are a nonprofit with one major race per year so could not afford to reimburse or defer runners to another event if we had to cancel.  In our market of hundreds of running events each year, we could no longer have the potential risk of alienating loyal runners by not having insurance.  We chose to work with the Nicholas Hill Group as they could provide event cancellation expertise, answers, and ideas, and options for coverage and companies based on our parameters.    They worked with us step by step, and were an integral part of our team.”

A webinar on event insurance best practices featuring the Nicholas Hill team will be held following the upcoming Running USA conference in February. Sign up here to receive information about webinar registration.

About Running USA

Running USA is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization devoted to improving the status and experience of distance running and racing in the United States through collective marketing and promotions, information and communications within the industry and to the national media, services to events and industry members, and the development of American world class stars. It seeks the advancement of the sport and the provision of value to each of its members' events and businesses. For more information, visit RunningUSA.org

About Nicholas Hill Group

Nicholas Hill Group creates custom insurance products for niche industries and organizations and introduces clients to products that suit their needs. Clients include national governing bodies (NGBs), trade associations, membership organizations, affinity groups, 3rd party registration companies, ski resorts and a variety of sports and outdoor recreation related events and businesses.  NHG also proudly represents individuals who are pursuing their passion through active, healthy lifestyles. Find out more at NicholasHillGroup.com

Categories: Running News, Business News, Running USA Blog

 

Discuss: Running USA Launches Event Insurance Benefits Exclusively for Members

Top 5 Reasons For Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance

Life is full of surprises and full of unexpected happenings, so why not protect yourself where you can? Travel insurance is something many people overlook or feel that they don’t need—Wrong!

Travel insurance is way more important and more beneficial than you ever thought.

Emergency Situations

The most obvious reasons people think about travel insurance are not always the most common. This includes typical emergency situations like sickness and injury. When you are going on vacation either stateside or to countries abroad, there is always the risk of sickness or potentially injuring yourself. Imagine walking down the beach enjoying your vacation and you suddenly get taken out by a wave (true story!). Now injured, how will you make your flight home? What about the medical expenses you've inccured?  If you've purchased insurance, you can focus on what's most important- getting better.

Cancellations

We all love planning a great trip and vacation for ourselves or our loved ones, but what happens when you need to cancel the trip due to unforeseen circumstances? Without travel insurance, you will be scrambling to get everything cancelled on time before fees are applied, and you’ll want to ensure you get some or all your money back as well. Yikes! What a hassle. Travel insurance takes the fear out of cancellation situations or situations where your dream vacation does not become a reality.

Missing or Lost Luggage Recovery

You finally get to your hotel after the longest day ever of traveling, the baby is crying, you’re exhausted and ready to lounge on the beach. Unfortunately, the airline lost all your luggage and you not only have no bathing suit, you don’t even have comfy clothes to change into and nap! This is when you are wishing you had purchased that travel insurance plan the guy at Starbuck’s was trying to pitch to you.  Having travel insurance will ensure that your bag is hunted down and recovered, and it will be seen to that you are reimbursed for essential items you need to buy to enjoy the remainder of your trip.

Natural disaster

One day the Florida Keys are a beautiful travel destination for thousands of people, the next it’s taken out by a horrifying category 4 hurricane—what do you do? You’ve been saving all year long for this trip and have been dying to experience the gorgeous Florida weather, had you purchased travel insurance back when you booked this trip you would have been able at least to recuperate some of your financial loses.  Buying travel insurance when you book a trip will save you from losing all your prepaid costs and help you re-book another trip to another gorgeous destination that you will be happy with.

Can You Say… Peace of Mind

Lastly, if not anything else, purchasing travel insurance gives you peace of mind. Taking a trip or vacation is an investment and it’s something you should want to protect just like you protect your other investments. Travel insurance is the perfect opportunity to give yourself that extra cushion and peace of mind when you are traveling away from home. You never need to worry about losing your financial investment into the vacation, and you also reap many benefits and services that you don’t have access to without insurance.

Top 5 Big Events Cancelled Throughout History

Ironman Cancellation

There have been many cancelled and postponed events due to awful things: terrorism, inclement weather, natural disasters, disease, and more. The most notorious villains of well-laid plains are Mother Nature and terrorism. We can’t control them; the best we can do is figure out how to adapt. What’s most surprising- these things happen and there is little anyone can do to predict how, why, or when. What we do know is that insurance is the best way to minimize any damage caused by weather.

Here are the top 5 events we’ve compiled that Mother Nature and terrorism ruined… and insurance saved.

#1- New York City Marathon

Since 1970 the New York City Marathon has taken place every year, regardless of rain or shine. Not even the terrorist attacks of September 2001 held back this event from taking place just a couple months later. However, Hurricane Sandy was enough to get this event cancelled in 2012. It was the consensus that it’s not right to hold this foot race through a part of the city that had just suffered so much damage. In addition, why take away the city services from working on storm relief to host this event? The health of the city and the citizens took precedent in this case.

#2- Iron Man Triathlon

Another disappointing day due to things beyond our control was the day the Ironman triathlon in Lake Tahoe was canceled. In September 2014 athletes that had trained and prepared for months and some even a year, were told that they couldn’t perform. What could cancel such a big and important event? The threat of a forest fire located nearby. The land on which this fire preyed had been battling drought conditions for three years, and very little snowpack. There was no way it was going to be safe to have the Ironman race on it was scheduled for in September. Although the athletes were very upset and disappointed they did not get to participate, at least they got to spare their lungs!

#3- Boston Marathon

When weather isn’t the reason things go awry, and it’s because of humans causing terrorism on one another, it’s much more devastating and has evil intent behind it. A prime example of this is the Boston Marathon Bombing that happened back in April of 2013. Two young brothers chose to place two bombs near the finish line of this great race, and three people were killed and more than 260 were injured. It was a horrible and saddening day, as everyone around the world watched everything unfold on TV, it became clear how blatant of an act of terrorism this attack was. When the bombs went off there were still runners participating in the race, and thus the race had come to a screeching halt. This is not the way anyone would have anticipated this event to go.

#4- MLB World Series

Take me out to the… Never mind! Ever set out to a professional baseball game and get worried about an earthquake? Probably not, but you never know what could happen—In 1989 Game 3 of the World Series had to be postponed because of the Loma Prieta Earthquake that affected both Oakland and San Francisco, California. Team member from the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants were warming up for the big game when, BOOM! An unexpected moment that caused many people not only physical pain, but plenty of financial pain as well.

#5- PGA Golf Tour

The last depressing event that was abruptly cancelled happened because of terrorism. September 11th, 2001 is one of the worst days every American will remember forever, and it essentially caused the entire country to go on hold. Amongst many of the other big sporting events that were canceled were the World Golf Championship on the PGA golf tour. After the shock and devastation of the horrific event, it became clear that the country was going to need some time to digest the events that had taken place on that day. PGA was simply following suit.

These events illustrate just how quickly things can go wrong, at, during, or before a major event. Weather and natural disasters occur on mother nature’s clock and we must expect the unexpected always. When it comes to humans, you never know what to expect, be prepared for anything.