Event insurance in Australia: What you need and what you're probably missing

But here's the thing: many event organisers focus on getting public liability insurance sorted and assume that’s all they need. 

This guide walks through what event insurance options there are, what's legally required, what's often overlooked, and how to make sure both you and your participants are properly protected.

What is event insurance?

Event insurance is a term used to describe many different types of cover. It’s designed to give event organisers and participants a financial buffer when things go wrong. 

Event insurance isn't just one thing, it's several types of cover that can work together. For participant-facing events, the two that matter most are public liability insurance (protects you if something goes wrong and it's your fault) and group personal accident insurance (extra cash to help participants recover after injury). Depending on your event, you might also need cancellation cover, equipment insurance and worker’s compensation insurance.

Getting it right will help protect your investment, your participants and your reputation. For more on how public liability and participant accident insurance work together, read our guide on public liability vs personal accident insurance.

What types of event insurance are available?

Here are some of the key types of event insurance policies that you can get in Australia:

• Public liability insurance: Public liability insurance protects you if, as a result of your negligence, injury or property damage occurs. Venues and Councils usually need it and it's almost always mandatory.
• Group personal accident insurance: Group personal accident insurance like Flip Group Active protects your participants, not you. It pays cash directly to anyone who suffers an eligible injury at your event, no matter who is at fault.
• Event cancellation insurance: Event cancellation insurance covers financial losses if you have to cancel or postpone your event for reasons like severe weather, venue unavailability, key person illness or natural disasters.
• Property damage insurance: Covers your equipment like sound systems, staging, sporting infrastructure or any event gear. Relevant if you're using expensive equipment that would hurt to replace if damaged, lost or stolen.
• Workers compensation insurance: Mandatory if you employ people. Protects you if paid staff are injured while working at your event. If you're using volunteers, you may need voluntary workers insurance instead (varies by state).

The event insurance you might not know about

Public liability insurance is usually mandatory for events and is well known in the industry. Group personal accident insurance isn't so well known, but it fills a critical gap that most event organisers don't realise exists until someone gets hurt.

Did you know that if someone breaks their collarbone during your cycling event, dislocates their shoulder at your adventure race, or tears their ACL at your sports tournament, your public liability insurance won’t always cover them? But if you have a policy like Flip Group Active, they can claim directly for eligible injuries with cash payouts to support recovery. No lawyers, no blame and no waiting for negligence to be proven.

Group personal accident insurance is becoming more popular as a differentiator between events that genuinely look after participants and those that just meet minimum requirements. For more on why this matters, read why group personal accident insurance should be business as usual.

What types of events is group personal accident insurance designed for?

Basically, if participants are moving, exerting themselves, or facing any level of injury risk, group personal accident insurance is worth considering.

Here's a quick list of just some of the events group personal accident cover could work for, but always read the product disclosure statement carefully to decide if any insurance is right for your event.

• Running events (marathons, fun runs, trail races, ultramarathons)
• Cycling events (road races, gravel rides, criteriums, gran fondos)
• Triathlons and multi-sport events
• Adventure races and obstacle courses
• Team sports tournaments and competitions
• School camps and sporting events
• Snow sports events (skiing, snowboarding competitions)
• Water sports events (ocean swims, surf lifesaving carnivals)
• Fitness challenges and bootcamps
• Community sports days and school carnivals
• Corporate team-building activities with physical components

How can you incorporate group personal accident insurance into your event?

The most straightforward approach is to build it into participant fees. You can include group personal accident cover into your cost base and recover the expense in your registration fee. Participants don't need to opt in, you don’t need to itemise the cost, they're just automatically protected.

This is what Brisbane Roubaix does for their gravel cycling event and Thredbo does for some of their events. By incorporating participant accident cover into the entry fee, they send a clear message: participant welfare is a priority, not an afterthought. The result? A stronger reputation and growing participant numbers who appreciate the care taken.

How to choose event insurance

If you’re new to the world of event insurance, here are some practical tips for getting started.

1. Start early: Don't leave insurance until the week before your event. Venues and councils need proof of cover, and rushing can lead to stress and mistakes.
2. Understand what’s mandatory: Ask your venue what public liability coverage limits they require. Check with your local council what's needed for permits. If you have employees, workers compensation is legally required.
3. Get public liability sorted: Compare providers because prices may vary significantly. Make sure coverage limits match venue and council requirements. Single-day event cover is available if you're running a one-off event.
4. Don't overlook participant protection: This is where many organisers stop, assuming public liability covers everything. If you're running an event where people are physically active, group personal accident insurance can provide a financial buffer to help participants if they suffer an eligible injury, which your public liability doesn't cover.
5. Consider other cover types: Depending on your event, consider cancellation insurance if you've made significant upfront commitments and property insurance if you're using expensive equipment.
6. Read the fine print: Understand what's excluded. Some activities are automatically excluded from standard policies so make sure yours aren't.
7. Provide proof: Send certificates of currency to your venue and council as soon as you have them. Don't wait until they chase you.
8. Tell participants: Let people know what protection is in place. If you've added group personal accident cover, market it, it's a genuine value-add.

Key takeaways

Event insurance in Australia includes several types of cover serving different purposes. Public liability insurance is the most well known, and protects you from lawsuits if you're found negligent. It's usually mandatory and required by venues and councils.

What many event organisers miss is group personal accident insurance, which can provide participants some financial support to help their recovery regardless of fault. 

One-off event insurance and single-day event insurance options are available, making protection accessible even for smaller or occasional events. Participant accident insurance options like Flip Group Active offer flexible cover for one-day events, recurring events and full seasons.

While compliance is important, getting the right event insurance is also about looking after participants, strengthening your reputation and showing you genuinely care about the people who show up.

Frequently asked questions

What insurance do I need to run an event in Australia?

At minimum, you’ll likely need public liability insurance. It's usually required by venues and councils for permits. If you have employees, workers compensation is mandatory. Group personal accident insurance for participants is a great value-add but not compulsory.

What's the difference between public liability and group personal accident insurance?

Public liability protects you from lawsuits if you're found negligent. Group personal accident insurance provides participants with some financial protection if they're injured, regardless of who's at fault. They serve different purposes and work together. Read our detailed guide to learn more. 

Can I get event insurance for just one day?

Yes. Public liability insurers offer single-day event cover and Flip Group Active offers flexible one-day and single-event participant accident cover starting from just a few dollars per person per day.

How much does group personal accident insurance cost for events?

Flip Group Active pricing can start from less than $1 per person per day, depending on the risk level of activities and the level of cover selected. Submit an enquiry through our Group Active page and we can work out a cost for your event.

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​What if someone gets injured at my event and I only have public liability?

If you're not found legally negligent, your public liability won't pay the injured person anything. They're responsible for their own recovery costs. Group personal accident insurance provides direct financial support for eligible injuries regardless of fault.

Do participants claim directly or does the organiser handle claims?

With Flip Group Active, participants claim directly via the Flip app so there's no admin burden on organisers. They upload their injury details and supporting documents and receive payouts directly. 

Can I add group personal accident insurance into my event registration fees?

Yes, many organisers build it into participant fees as standard while others offer it as an optional extra during registration.Public liability vs personal accident insurance