Liability insurance for Events & Creative

• What insurance do I need as a photographer?

  General liability first — because venues and clients demand proof of it before you can work, not because any law does. Add professional liability (E&O) if a lost or failed shoot would be a real claim, since general liability only covers injuries and property damage. Gear coverage is a separate property question; the liability exposures are certificates and contracts.

• Is a minimum of $5 million umbrella liability over a $2 million general liability normal for a vendor contract?

  Such demands are real and enforceable — venues and corporate clients set vendor insurance requirements through their risk departments, and $5M-over-$2M language does appear in event contracts — but there is no published market standard, and a requirement that size sits at the top of the range for a solo photographer. It is frequently negotiable.

• Do I need liquor liability insurance?

  If you sell or serve alcohol commercially, yes — your general liability policy excludes liquor claims for businesses in the alcohol trade, and in many places the liquor license itself requires coverage. South Carolina mandates $1 million for on-premises licensees open past 5 p.m. If you only host events where alcohol is served, host liquor coverage usually handles it.

Coverage mechanics for Events & Creative

Policy mechanics, exclusions, certificates, and claims questions live on our sister publication: Events & Creative on isthiscovered.org.