# Insurance for event agencies and event technology companies in Germany

> An event has many people involved and just one date. If the truss comes down, the decorations catch fire or a guest trips over a cable, everyone looks for someone responsible, and that is often the agency. On top of that you have equipment worth as much as a family home, loaded onto a lorry every week. This page shows what you should cover and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-event-agency.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Who is liable if a guest is injured at an event: the agency, the client or the venue?

Often all three, and each passes it on. The agency is liable for what it plans, builds and operates, meaning stage, equipment, decorations and walkways. That is why you need public liability cover that includes events, set up and take down, and your client's risk as organiser. Also read the venue's hire contract: many shift liability onto the organiser there.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No general legal obligation, but local authorities, venue operators and clients almost always require event organiser's or public liability cover as a condition
- **Biggest risk:** Guests injured by structures and equipment, and damage to rented venues
- **Basic cover from:** about 295 euros a year plus German insurance premium tax for an agency without technical staff
- **Statutory accident insurer:** VBG, the Berufsgenossenschaft for service businesses; membership is compulsory from your first employee, including casual helpers for set up and take down
- **Often forgotten:** Damage to rented rooms and rented equipment: basic tariffs cover it only with small limits or not at all
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 82.30 Messe-, Kongress- und Business-Event-Veranstalter, 90.31 Betrieb von Einrichtungen für kunstschaffende Tätigkeiten und darstellende Künste, 90.39 Erbringung von sonstigen Dienstleistungen für kunstschaffende Tätigkeiten und darstellende Künste

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **What comes from above:** Lights, trusses, banners and decorations hang above guests' heads. One badly secured point can cause serious injuries.
- **Trip hazards on the way:** Cables, risers, darkness and alcohol: guests falling is the most common injury claim at events.
- **The rented venue:** The smoke machine sets off the fire alarm, tape pulls the paint off the wall, a pallet truck damages the floor. The venue sends you the bill.
- **Equipment on the move:** Mixing desks, projectors and LED walls are constantly loaded, driven and set up. Transit damage and theft from the loading bay are common.
- **The date falls through:** Storms, a headliner falling ill, a power cut: if the event is cancelled, costs have already been spent and income is gone.
- **Nights, ladders, loads:** Overnight set ups, work at height, heavy flight cases: accidents during rigging and loading hit your own team.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 4, Theft 4, Cyber 3, Downtime 4, Health 3

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers harm to guests, venues and third parties during planning, set up, take down and the event itself, including damage to rented property. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Insures lighting, sound and video equipment against breakage, operating errors, power surges and theft, also at the venue. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Cargo insurance** (Strongly advised): Protects equipment and decorations on the way to the event and during loading and unloading. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cargo-insurance.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Depends on the business): For vans and lorries that take the equipment to events; from three vehicles usually cheaper. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For ticketing, guest lists and participant data, which can leak in an attack. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes with clients over acceptance and payment, and with subcontractors. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Pays your technicians and set up crew after serious accidents, outside work too. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php

## What it costs: example prices

For event agencies, public liability is usually calculated on turnover. If you operate and set up your own equipment, you pay a higher rate. Equipment insurance is based on the new value of the kit.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Event agency without technical staff, based on gross turnover | about 295 to 700 euros a year |
| Business liability | Agency with its own equipment and technicians | about 495 to 1,500 euros a year |
| Electronic equipment | Lighting and sound equipment with a new value of 100,000 euros, covered away from the premises | about 1,200 to 3,000 euros a year |
| Cargo insurance | Own vehicle transport of equipment up to 50,000 euros per journey | about 300 to 800 euros a year |
| Business liability | Single event with 500 guests, organiser's liability | about 80 to 300 euros per event |

For comparison: Public liability for a small event agency costs roughly as much per year as hiring a small PA system with a technician for one day at a company party.

_The minimum liability premiums are net figures publicly quoted by a specialist broker, excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. Equipment, transport and the single event are guide figures from our own quoting experience. Large events are rated individually._

- [erpam: Betriebshaftpflicht für Event- und Künstleragenturen](https://www.erpam.com/versicherungen/betirebshaftpflicht-fuer-event-und-kuenstleragenturen/)
- [veranstalterhaftpflichtversicherung.org: Haftpflicht für Eventagenturen](https://www.veranstalterhaftpflichtversicherung.org/haftpflichtversicherung-fuer-eventagenturen.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Planning** (agency that plans and books, without its own equipment): Business liability, Business legal expenses. Together: about 700 to 1,400 euros a year
- **Technology** (agency or hire company with its own equipment and technicians): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Cargo insurance. Together: about 2,000 to 5,000 euros a year
- **All round** (full service agency with vehicles, ticketing and permanent crews): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Cargo insurance, Fleet insurance, Cyber insurance, Group accident insurance. Together: about 6,000 to 14,000 euros a year

## The worst day at the event agency

Six things that really happen at events, all at one single company anniversary. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 07:30: While unloading, a flight case slides off the tail lift. The digital mixing desk is broken. (€9,000, Paid by: Cargo insurance)
- 10:45: A pallet truck leaves deep grooves in the parquet of the rented function hall. (€12,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 15:20: A power surge in the venue's supply: two moving heads and a projector fail. (€7,500, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 19:40: A guest trips over a badly taped cable and breaks an arm. (€9,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 21:10: The smoke machine sets off the fire detector. The fire brigade comes and the building is evacuated; the venue charges you the costs. (€3,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 01:30: During take down, two speakers and a laptop running the show control disappear from the open loading bay. (€8,500, Paid by: Electronic equipment)

**Damage so far:** €50,000

## Practical tips from your broker

- Include damage to rented buildings and rented equipment with a sufficient limit, not just 5,000 euros.
- Make sure your client's risk is included, so that your client as the organiser is protected too.
- Choose at least 5 million euros cover. For events with many guests, local authorities often ask for more.
- Insure equipment for use at changing locations and check the conditions for theft from vehicles.
- For large events consider event cancellation insurance, which we can request separately if needed.
- Ask subcontractors and freelancers to show you their own proof of liability cover.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We read hire contracts too:** The biggest gap is often in the contract with the venue. As a broker we check whether your policy matches it and get quotes from several insurers.
- **We know claims settlement:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. After an accident at an event, we know which photos, reports and witnesses the insurer needs.
- **Liability, equipment and vehicles aligned:** We handle liability, equipment, transport and vehicles together, so that damage in the loading bay does not get stuck between two policies.
- **A family business since 1989:** Our advice costs you nothing; the insurer pays our commission. You reach a fixed contact person, also just before the big date.

## FAQ

### Is event organiser's liability insurance compulsory in Germany?

There is no general legal obligation. Authorities often make it a condition of the permit, though, and venue operators require it in the hire contract.

### What does public liability for an event agency cost?

With a specialist provider it starts at 295 euros net a year without technical staff and 495 euros net with technicians; above that it depends on turnover.

### Are rented rooms and equipment covered?

Only if damage to rented property is included. Depending on the insurer, limits range from a few thousand to 50,000 euros, so compare them.

### Do I need separate insurance for every event?

Not if your annual policy includes events of your usual size. For unusually large or risky events it is worth checking the upper limits.

### Who pays if an event is cancelled because of a storm?

Not your liability policy. That is what event cancellation insurance is for, and it must be taken out before the date.

### Are casual helpers for set up insured?

Yes, through the VBG, provided you employ them properly. This also applies to short assignments and mini jobs.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-event-agency.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.