General Liability (GL)

• Third-party bodily injury and property damage - a guest trip/fall, a tent collapse, AV equipment damaging venue flooring
• Typical limits: $1M/$2M; higher available for larger Louisiana venues and festivals
• Additional Insured, Primary & Noncontributory, and Waiver of Subrogation for venues and municipalities
• Per-event policies for single weddings/parties; annual policies for working vendors

Many Louisiana venues will not allow load-in without a current COI showing the exact AI and PNC wording they specify. We keep templates on file for major venues to speed up certificate turnaround.

Professional Liability (E&O)

• Claims alleging negligent planning, scheduling errors, or vendor mismanagement causing financial loss
• Pairs with GL to close the gap GL leaves for purely financial (non-physical) losses
• Claims-made form - retroactive date protection matters if you switch carriers
• Especially relevant for full-service wedding and corporate event planners coordinating multiple vendors

A double-booked venue or a missed vendor confirmation that costs a Louisiana couple their deposit is an E&O claim, not a GL claim. Planners taking on multi-vendor coordination responsibility should carry this alongside GL.

Liquor Liability (Host or Dram Shop)

• Host Liquor: incidental alcohol service at private events (most weddings, private parties)
• Dram Shop: required for any vendor selling alcohol or operating as a licensed caterer/bartending service
• Required by many Louisiana venues and municipalities for events with alcohol on public property
• Available as an event rider or standalone annual policy

Louisiana's Dram Shop Act imposes liability on servers who serve a visibly intoxicated person who then causes injury. For Louisiana caterers and bartending services, this is a critical exposure.

Event Cancellation & Weather

• Reimburses non-refundable costs and lost revenue from a covered cancellation or postponement
• Named perils (rain, wind, extreme heat) or all-cause coverage where available
• Particularly valuable for Louisiana's outdoor festival season
• Can cover vendor no-shows, venue unavailability, or key person illness depending on policy form

A rained-out outdoor festival weekend in Louisiana can wipe out a vendor's deposit and expected revenue. Cancellation coverage protects against a single bad-weather weekend derailing the season.

Inland Marine (Gear & Rented Equipment)

• AV/lighting equipment, cameras, lenses, drones, instruments, generators, and tents
• Covers owned and rented/leased gear on-site, in transit, or in storage
• Theft from vehicles and venues - a real risk during Louisiana load-in/load-out at busy venues
• Scheduled or blanket coverage; worldwide options for traveling performers and crews

Equipment left unattended during load-in at Louisiana venues is a common theft target. Standard property policies don't follow gear to job sites - Inland Marine is the coverage built specifically for mobile event equipment.

Workers' Compensation

• Required by Louisiana law for any business with employees
• Covers crew injuries from rigging, lifting, and electrical work during setup/teardown
• Includes Employers Liability for negligence suits
• Short-term/seasonal labor solutions available for festival-heavy schedules

Load-in and breakdown at Louisiana venues involve real physical risk. Louisiana requires WC even for small crews, and non-compliance fines can be significant.

Commercial Auto / Hired & Non-Owned Auto

• Owned trucks and vans for transporting gear, catering supplies, and staging materials
• HNOA extends liability when staff use rentals or personal vehicles for errands and deliveries
• Covers liability on I-10, I-20, and Louisiana city streets during load-in runs

Louisiana's event venues often have limited loading dock access, making HNOA coverage essential for any vendor whose staff use their own cars for business.

Cyber (Ticketing & PII) and Umbrella

• Cyber: incident response, notification, and business interruption for ticketing platforms, POS systems, and guest data
• Umbrella: extra limits over GL, Auto, and Employers Liability - often required for festivals and city permits
• Social engineering and funds transfer fraud options for Cyber
• Festival-scale events in Louisiana often require $2M-$10M total liability via Umbrella

Larger Louisiana festivals and ticketed events handling guest payment data face cyber exposure beyond a typical small vendor's risk. City permits for major events frequently specify umbrella limits well above a standalone $1M/$2M GL policy.

Major Venue Vendor Requirements

Louisiana's major venues maintain strict vendor and contractor insurance requirements - typically $1M/$2M GL minimums with specific Additional Insured, Primary & Noncontributory, and Waiver of Subrogation wording, submitted in advance of load-in. Some events may require higher limits or specific endorsement language unique to the venue's risk management office.

City Park & Street Permits

Events in Louisiana parks or requiring a street closure need a special event permit. Permit applications typically require a Certificate of Insurance naming the city as Additional Insured, often with specific per-event aggregate language. Permits for events with alcohol may require additional Dram Shop or liquor permit documentation.

Louisiana Liquor Licensing & the Dram Shop Act

Louisiana's Dram Shop Act holds licensed servers liable for injuries caused by a visibly intoxicated patron they served. Any catering or bartending service serving alcohol at a Louisiana event should carry Liquor Liability matched to the state's licensing and permit requirements.

Louisiana Worker Classification for Event Crews

Event production relies heavily on freelance and short-term crew. Louisiana's strict worker classification laws mean many "freelance" event workers may legally be employees for Workers' Compensation purposes. Misclassification is a common audit finding for Louisiana event production companies; review your crew staffing model with this in mind.