It’s fast coming up to the busiest time of the year for DJs. The party season kicks off next month with Halloween, and then it’s high heels, balloons and streamers all the way through to the New Year.
If you’re already taking bookings then before you start planning to do with all that lovely money you’ll be getting for those extra events, make sure your venue doesn’t cancel on you because you’ve overlooked one important thing – Public Liability Insurance.
No PLI – your name’s not down, you’re not coming in…
If you’re a part-time DJ it can be easy to just do the occasional gig here and there for ‘cash in hand’. But if you want to make a career out of entertaining people then you have to treat your hobby seriously, and that means getting the right insurance. Many venues won’t even talk to a DJ who doesn’t have two key pieces of paper – a Public Liability Insurance cover note, and a PAT (Portable Appliance Test) certificate. If you don’t have those, then it’s unlikely that you’ll even make it through the door, let alone secure the gig.
What is PLI?
Public liability insurance is one of the most important insurance certificates you can have if you’re dealing with the public. It means that you’re financially covered for any legal costs for compensation claims made against you if someone is injured and they believe it’s as a result of your actions. It can also cover damage to property (so if you damage a wall carrying in your kit, for example, PLI would cover you if the venue then made a claim).
How do I get covered?
The best thing to do is to talk to a broker who specialises in DJ insurance packages. They’ll be able to advise you on the level of PLI cover you need (usually between £2-5million – don’t panic, the premiums are very affordable for that level of cover!), and how to combine it with other types of insurance to create a comprehensive package. That can include specialist motor insurance (as your normal car insurance will not cover you if you’re using it to drive to gigs).
They will also be able to use their expertise to find DJ insurance that’s specifically designed for people in the entertainment industry, so that you get the cover you need, whether you’re spinning the discs at a private Christmas party or work’s ‘do’, or are headlining at a major festive event.