[Dixielandjazz] Liability Insurance

[Steve Barbone]

Some venues demand liability Insurance and will not let a band perform
without such a policy. They also need certificate of third party coverage
specifically naming the venue as additional insured under the policy. These
are usually major venues as it takes a little time to get a "third party"
endorsement signed and delivered by your policy holder.

Other venues ask for it, but will grant your band a waiver if you are small,
and "non-threatening" (e.g. no fireworks, smoke bombs, etc). But they demand
that you sign a hold harmless agreement guaranteeing that your band members
will not sue the venue if injured on the job.

We were refused permission to perform at The Franklin Institute Museum
because of such an issue. We were about to be contracted to perform there
for a third party who was renting the Museum. Had we been employees of the
third party, we would have been covered by their policy. The renter's
attorneys also refused permission for the company to "say" we were
employees, and thus covered.

The venues will not usually add you to their policy, The whole point of
asking for band insurance is to lower their own insurance costs. If
something happens, with a third party endorsement band insurance, your
company pays the first million, not the venue's company.

Other similar venues have no such requirements, e.g. The Philadelphia Museum
of Art, Constitution Center etc. Go Figure!!!!!

Yep, to solve the problem, "first we must kill all the lawyers."

Cheers,
Steve Barbone