Special Events: Post-Pandemic Trends Prompt Carriers to Tighten Coverage Terms

• By: Olivia Overman
• December 1, 2025

From weddings to concerts, festivals to corporate events, the special events industry presents a wide range of liability exposures for organizers. With risks including property damage and personal injuries, organizers need protection under a comprehensive special event liability policy. For agents operating in the market, it’s imperative to understand the transformation that has taken place since the coronavirus pandemic, with changes including event formats, planning for an event and audience expectations.

“Ever since the halt of in-person events during COVID-19 and the subsequent year, we’ve seen a surge in the demand for connection and community through special events,” says Spencer Batt, president, American Specialty Insurance & Risk Services Inc. “We also have seen an increase in expectations of event attendees when it comes to the quality of the event, including the food and beverage menu, maintenance of the space and the safety precautions taken to protect them.”

Events, both large and small, have taken on a different, multi-dimensional format, impacting the levels of coverage needed. “It used to be 50th birthday parties, anniversaries, weddings, and now it’s developed into a lot more than that, where companies are throwing much more extravagant parties,” says Travis Verdino, managing director at Burns & Wilcox. “One example is a dentist organization that threw a party in Las Vegas, rented out the entire nightclub, and also had a mechanical bull.”

“For these types of events, you’re talking about people who are more than likely high net-worth individuals, and if they have a claim, it’s going to be a much higher claim than if it’s somebody that is a friend or family member attending a special occasion,” Verdino says. “Those are the kind of events we’re seeing now where it’s broadening the special events markets.”

As the types of events change, carriers have responded by changing coverage terms. “Carriers are starting to restrict terms and coverages based on how many people are going to be there, what is going on at the event, and where the event is located,” Verdino says. “In the dentist example, while we have carriers that will consider the party, they’re going to exclude the mechanical bull, or they’re going to exclude participant coverage. They’re just trying to eliminate or mitigate any major losses.”

While capacity is not a concern within the market, “we are seeing limited capacity when it comes to excess liability and liquor liability coverage,” Batt says. “More events are serving liquor than before, leading to more claims.”

“A decade ago, it was common for most events and venues to be able to purchase up to $10 million limits for a relatively low price,” he explains. “That is no longer the case in 2025, so agents and insureds must ask themselves how much limit is needed, and if they can absorb the rising cost of capacity.”

Further, agents, carriers and event organizers alike are making use of technological advancements to transform how events are planned, insured and experienced.

“Carriers and agents can very easily look online and find event pages for the events that are happening, and it gives full details of what is going to be happening at the event,” Verdino says, where the number of attendees, genre of music and other variables can make it “a very different type of event to insure.”

Additionally, technology is now also allowing carriers “to look at the ticket purchasing process to see what kind of offerings will be available at the event,” Verdino says. “If you’re providing an open bar, carriers will look at what kind of restrictions are going to be put in place to keep track of how many drinks people are having.”

Further, event organizers have been able to utilize digital tickets to monitor and control the number of attendees. A digital ticket stored in a smartphone wallet “refreshes every 30 seconds, making it not a concern that someone is taking screenshots and trying to get four, five or six people in at the exact same time,” Verdino continues. “Advancements like that are helping mitigate some losses and also put some controls in place for the venues.”

Olivia Overman is IA content editor.