Planning for Peace of Mind: Special Event Risk Management

The Greenwich Town Party is the largest annual special event in the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut. It is held on town-owned property and features big-name music artists each year, contributing to the event's draw. This event has taken place annually for the past twelve years and is always a huge success, running smoothly and safely every year. To ensure the smooth operation of this event, which draws nearly 8,000 people (a significant number for a Town of 60,000 residents), requires considerable planning and preparation on the part of the Town, sponsors, and vendors.

While the Greenwich Town Party is the largest event for which I am involved in the planning process, there are many other smaller events held throughout the year on Town property. It is imperative to plan to have peace of mind that these events will run smoothly and that the public and the Town are protected in the process.

For any special event sponsored by a third party to be held on Town property, there is an application process that involves various departments (depending on the nature and geographic location of the event). When an application is filed, it is essential to identify which departments need to be involved in the process and approvals to issue a permit. For larger events, a meeting is often held more than six months in advance of the event with the sponsor(s) and employees from the relevant Town departments to discuss the potential requirements for the event.

Prior to an application being accepted by the Town for review, a proposal for the special event on Town property must be submitted. The Recreation Supervisor in the Parks and Recreation Department will notify the applicant of all relevant departments they need to obtain approval from for the permit. This ensures that all applicable laws and regulations/codes are being followed and takes into consideration the safety of the public and all participants.

As a risk manager, I must ensure the transfer of any risk that can be transferred to the sponsor and/or vendors. While my approval is not formally required on the application as of yet (I am working on that), departments will come to me if there is anything on the insurance submissions with which they are not familiar, and, more often than not, they will bring to me the insurance documents for my review and to approve internally before signing their approval. I require a standard four documents with each application from each sponsor and vendor. My colleague, the recreation supervisor for the Parks and Recreation Department for the Town, has brilliantly referred to these documents as “the FAB 4.” These documents include a Hold Harmless Release form, a certificate of insurance (ACORD) form, endorsement page listing the Town and/or Greenwich Public Schools as additional insured, and the Vendor Insurance Agreement. The FAB 4 must be submitted at least three months before the event. It will usually take some back and forth with the sponsor and/or vendors to receive fully compliant documents.

While there are standard insurance requirements for the Town (vetted with the Town’s insurance broker annually), there are many “case-by-case basis” applications that I must review and determine the types, levels, and limits of insurance that should be required for the specific type of event. For example, an event with bouncy houses or carnival rides will require higher limits of general liability.  Be sure to consider any self-insured retention or deductible when setting the requirements. I have even required pollution insurance for a festival that took place on a public school field and featured carnival rides – and it’s a good thing I did! There was a small leak of hydraulic fluid on the field, and CT DEP and DEEP had to be notified; the cleanup was costly.

There are preliminary discussions at the Town regarding digitizing the process to make it more efficient and ensure that all relevant departments can review the proposals before the application is filed.

Don’t be left behind, plan for peace of mind!

**For additional information, please check out the Town’s website page for special events https://www.greenwichct.gov/493/Events-Concerts.

** For samples of the FAB 4, please feel free to reach out to me.