Tips for a Successful Contest or Event

The following is a brief list of considerations for a successful contest or event. They may not all apply to all events, and there may be more considerations, so plan carefully. These Tips do not necessarily fall within the scope of your Prize Indemnity Insurance, but may assist you in your planning. You know your target attendees best, and you will always know best how to make your event successful.

1. Planning and Time - It is important to give yourself enough time to properly plan your event, and to get your Prize Indemnity Insurance in place. Especially if the event is public, and depends on gate receipts, tickets etc. for revenue, attendees need enough advance notice to plan to attend.
2. Delegate Responsibilities – If your event is being planned by a Group or Committee, it is essential that everyone is clear in understanding their responsibilities. You don’t want a situation in which months of planning and work is done, only to realize the week before the event that nobody was asked to get a required Permit. It does happen.
3. Permits, Permissions and Venue – It is imperative for a successful event that one of the first things you do, is secure all of the necessary Legal Permits, Permissions and the Venue. We have encountered occasions in which this has not been done and events have had to be cancelled, because these Permissions have not been in place. This is very disappointing for attendees and Sponsors, will negatively impact interest in your future events, and is totally avoidable.
4. Advertising – Especially with a Public event, it is important to advertise. With smaller events it may not be feasible to buy TV or radio spots, but you can always advertise in local newspapers, or on your Website. We are frequently surprised when we try to look up events on an Insured’s Website and find no mention of them.
5. Secondary Prizes – Prize Indemnity Insurance is usually only intended to cover the “Grand Prize” You should always consider Secondary Prizes, donated by your business or sponsors, so in the event that your Contestants do not win the Grand Prize, they still go home with something. A good example is the Dice Roll Game. If Contestants have to roll 6 correct dice to win a Car from your dealership, you could give away a free oil change, or get a local restaurant to provide a gift certificate if they roll 5 of the 6 correct dice, or 4 correct etc.
6. Know your Insurance Policy – It is extremely important that everyone involved in the planning and execution of your event reads and understands the Terms, Conditions and Warranties on your Prize Indemnity or any other type of Insurance Policy. While we concede that reading an Insurance Policy may not be the most exciting of tasks, it is necessary that the Policies be followed. The time to ask us any Questions you may have is early in the Event planning process.