Vendor Guide to Liability Insurance
Your booth covers you, but what’s covering your booth?
What Is Vendor Insurance?
Vendor insurance is a type of insurance plan that bundles liability coverages into one simple policy, helping you stay covered for common claims and easily meet insurance requirements for vendors.
☂️ General liability coverage for accidental injuries or damages.
🛡️ Protection for you, your business, or your booth during events.
💲 Financial coverage for medical bills, legal fees, repairs, and more.
👥 A type of policy you can add multiple additional insureds onto.
⌛ Short-term coverage that lasts anywhere from 1 to 90 days.
✔️ Accepted by most events and businesses requiring insurance.
Who Needs Vendor Liability Insurance?
Vendor liability insurance is used by individuals, businesses, independent contractors, and brands that operate as vendors, exhibitors, merchants, or concessionaires for a short time. It is typically required by venues or events and is used to help the cost of accidents that occur while working at an event.
The types of vendors who most commonly need liability insurance include:
Artists & Crafters 🎨
Beauty & Body Artists 💄
Booths & Kiosks 🎪
CBD Vendors 🍃
Food & Concessions 🍿
DJs & Entertainers 🎤
🖼️ Exhibitors
🥂 Liquor Vendors
🚐 Mobile Services
📸 Photographers
📽️ Videographers
💻 Virtual Vendors
What Are Common Insurance Requirements for Vendors?
The most common insurance requirements for vendors are general liability insurance and the ability to add additional insureds to your policy. Requirements can vary based on the event location, event type, and your business activities.
You may be asked to show proof of insurance with the following coverage and limits:
✅ General Liability Insurance
$2 million aggregate / $1 million per occurrence limit
✅ Professional Liability Insurance
$2 million aggregate | $1 million per occurrence limit
✅ Liquor Liability Insurance
$2 million aggregate | $1 million per occurrence limit
✅ Damage to Premises Rented
$300K per occurrence limit
✅ Raised / Increased Limits
Up to $5 million aggregate / $5 million per occurrence
✅ Additional Insured Coverage
1 or more parties to be listed on your policy
What is a Certificate of Insurance for Vendors?
A Certificate of Insurance for vendors is a document from your insurance company that shows you have an active policy and what coverage your policy includes.
Your vendor Certificate of Insurance:
☑️ Outlines coverages, limits, and deductibles
⏱️ Shows the start and end dates of coverage
👤 Lists any additional insureds added
🎖️ Also known as a COI or an ACORD
🧾 Commonly called “proof of insurance”
What Does Vendor Liability Insurance Cover?
Vendor liability insurance may cover third-party bodily injuries or property damage caused by you operating your business during an event. This can include:
Medical Treatment
Legal Expenses
Repairs & Replacements
If an accident occurs, your insurance is designed to help you shoulder the costs so you don’t have to pay for everything out-of-pocket. This keeps your business running smoothly while helping you care for those affected.
Common Risks Vendors Face
Accidents happen in the blink of an eye, leaving you with thousands of dollars in damages, lawsuits, or bills. Vendor insurance can help you cover the cost of common claims, like:
🌩️ Incidents caused by unexpected weather
🧰 Damages from your display or equipment
🩹 Patron injuries in or around your set-up
🍻 Accidents related to intoxicated guests
How Much Does Vendor Liability Insurance Cost?
Vendor liability insurance costs $49 per event for our most basic and popular 1–3 day event policy. Prices can vary based on the policy length and type, but most vendors opt for this policy to meet their insurance requirements.
Policy Length
7 days: $99
90 days: $149
Annual plans available
Policy Type
Photographers: $59
Liquor Liability: $105
GL + Liquor: $134
Host Liquor: $275*
*Prices vary by state.
Additional Coverage
*For DJ & Photo policies only.
Primary, Noncontributory: $20
Waiver of Subrogation: $20
What Types of Insurance Do Vendors Need?
General Liability Insurance
Covers bodily injury and property damage caused by business operations.
Medical Expense Limit
Damage to Premises Rented
Covers accidental damages to rented space or property for the first seven days. After seven days, only fire damage is covered.
Personal & Advertising Injury
Professional Liability Insurance
Errors and Omissions (E&O)
Covers bodily injury and property damage caused by paid services, consultations, or teaching.
Product Liability Insurance
Products & Completed Operations
Covers bodily injury and property damage caused by products you make, sell, distribute, or use during a paid service.
Gear & Equipment Coverage (Optional)
Inland Marine Insurance
Covers your moveable business tools, supplies, equipment, and inventory, against theft and damages (trailers excluded).
Cyber Liability Insurance (Optional)
Covers damages caused by cyber-attacks on your business. Can help you and your customers recover from stolen funds, data breaches, and more.
Liquor Liability
Covers those who make, distribute, sell, serve, or provide alcohol from third-party claims resulting from the business or the actions of an intoxicated customer.
Host Liquor
Covers event hosts for third-party claims resulting from the service of alcohol. This coverage only applies to businesses that don’t typically sell alcohol.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vendor Insurance
Additional insureds (AIs) are third parties (like a venue, business, event or event organizer, and so on) who could be impacted by a claim caused by you or your business. They are not yourself, employees, contractors, friends, or other vendors.
You can easily add one or more additional insureds to your policy during the purchasing process, or online at any time from your customer dashboard.
- Log in to your online account
- Locate the “Manage Policies” section
- Click “Add additional insureds” to only add one AI, or click “Add unlimited additional insureds” to add multiple (a small fee may apply)
- Please provide the information required for the AI
- A copy of your policy will be automatically emailed to the added AI
Venues often require you to add them as an additional insured on your policy in case an accident caused by you, your business, or your booth occurs on their property. This allows them to have coverage from your policy if you have to file a claim.
For example: if someone is hurt during an event, and they name you and the venue in a lawsuit, everyone named may be responsible for the fees and payout that stem from litigation. If you had the venue listed as an additional insured on your policy, they could receive coverage for the legal fees generated by the claim you caused.
Annual vendor insurance includes everything a short-term event policy offers, plus more—365 days of coverage, additional coverage options, and unlimited event protection. Because this policy comes with more coverage, it also has more exclusions and restrictions. It’s best suited for vendors that attend more than a few events in a year.
The event-only vendor insurance provides only general liability insurance for a short time. It does not have as many coverage options, but it also has fewer exclusions—making it more accessible and flexible. It can cover a wider range of vendors and helps you easily meet most insurance requirements events have. This is best suited for vendors who only need quick, temporary coverage during events a few times a year.
If a venue asks for proof of insurance, they want to see or may even ask for a copy of an official document detailing your limits and coverage information. This is your Certificate of Insurance (COI).
We issue your Certificate of Insurance instantly so you can immediately access it. You can get a copy in your online dashboard in the “Download Documents” section. The full-page “Proof of Insurance” document will be the official certificate you can share.
