I've come across this insurance company that might be useful to some folks: https://www.thimble.com/industry/event-b......magician

An annual policy from other companies will run you from $235 to $500 depending on your
needs, and this one is also in that range for an annual policy, at around $350.

But this company has an option where you can buy insurance for less than a year,
even down to the hour. At the moment you can get a $1 million policy for $25
that lasts for a few hours on the date you choose.

So, if you don't work much through the year, or only want insurance for the
venues or clients that ask for a COI, you might save money buying short plans.

This isn't a sales thing, I'm not working for Thimble, just thought
this might be an interesting option to think about for some.

It said they don't cover a building that is being rented.

Good to know, it should still meet the needs of most clients needing a COI,
but thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't noticed.

In reality that is the very thing that most places require.

Insurance is something that most performers do not think about. When I did do small shows, insurance never even crossed my mind so I find what you said to be interesting. Is insurance something that all performers should think about getting? Also, what is usually covered?

Yeah, this insurance seems very...questionable to me. It's like the auto insurance that some companies have available for only $50 to start just to be able to prove you have insurance.

Most magicians only think of it as it pertains to themselves where in reality venues that require insurance and proof of insurance is because it is for them and their protection, the client, venue and so on. Its expected that you as a professional have it for yourself. Yes, you want it to protect yourself and equiment from unforeseen situations and accidents, but it should really be part of all entertainer's businesses.

Here are some key insurance types to carry:

General Liability Insurance: This insurance covers third-party claims for bodily injury or property damage at your gigs.

Commercial Property Insurance: This insurance protects your property, including equipment and inventory, from damage or loss due to fire, theft, or other covered events. Costs depend on the value of your property.

Equipment Insurance: This covers damage as well as theft of your equipment, sound systems, costumes, and accessories.

Vehicle Insurance: This of course covers your business vehicle or your personal vehicle and it's use for your entertainment business.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance: If you have employees, workers’ compensation insurance is usually required by law to cover medical expenses and lost wages for employees who are injured on the job.

Business Interruption Insurance: This insurance can help cover lost income and operating expenses if your business is forced to close temporarily due to a covered event, like a fire or more recently a pandemic.

Event Rain Insurance: This insurance covers you in the event of cancellation and loss of income due to weather conditions.

Many of these insurances are mandatory and required if you produce (2/4 wall) your own events and productions, but should also be considered for all typical live entertainment businesses.

Many entertainment performance markets require these (or at least some of these and proof of your amounts and dates of coverage.)

Yea this is kind of like the equivalent of a hospital gown coverage. It doesn't quite cover all, and probably not enough. If you think you want to be taken seriously, you need to be worthy of being taken seriously.

Hey Wravyn, insurance is generally a good idea for any business for the liability protections alone.

If you only work kid birthdays or house parties you will probably never be asked for a COI (certificate of insurance)
but if you are hired by a company, be it for a corporate event or just a office party they may ask you for proof
of having insurance.

If you don't perform much and it is a one off gig where the client is asking , it might make sense to buy insurance just for that
event as opposed to an annual policy.

You likely won't need some of the coverage Mindpro listed as some won't be necessary for your business,
a COI is for general liability insurance by the way.

I looked into what is covered by Thimble and this is what I've found:

Each occurrence: $1.000.000
Damage to rented premises: $100.000
Medical expenses: $5.000
Personal injury: $1.000.000
General aggregate: $1.000.000
Products completed operation aggregate: $1.000.000

Obviously do your own research before purchasing anything.

If you need an annual policy there are a few companies with plans specifically for magicians,
including PEEP insurance, they are the cheapest I have found. They are the ones used by
magic organisations such as the S.A.M and the FCM.

Specialty insurance is popular. The IBM also has a plan if you are a member.

Do you know what aggregate means and how it affects the insured? No Google give an answer.

And nobody who owns a theater or restaurant will take only $100,000 coverage for the place. That is ridiculous.

If a fire happens there is a million general aggregate. So if the premises is worth $1.2 you are already out if pocket before anyone injured comes after you.

You can get handed a$5,000 bill for having some X-Rays at an urgent care!

It is sad that when it comes to something as important as insurance, you still look for the cheapest way to get by instead of the best product. Not smart at all with insurance.

When working with kids, wouldn’t you WANT insurance? I mean kids choke on balloons and all sorts of terrible mayhem can ensue. Please don’t imply it isn’t a big deal. It really is. Most kids show performers are out there going and doing several shows on weekends. The opportunity for mishap is high. Just by the numbers it is.

Of course you want insurance in someone house! Just because you may not be “asked for it” in no way speaks to not needing it. The COI is the way post once you have paid.

Thank you for the answers. A part of the business side of the show that many don't know or realize.
If the performer is working through an agent, does (or should) the agent have a COI, or is it the performers responsibility?

It depends on your deal. I’ve never had an agent provide it.

You're responsible for your own business's insurance Wravyn.

It's kind of late at night for me to be answering this, but I can't tell if
you're trolling me or are really disparate for answers and forgot to ask nicely.

Liability insurance has two coverages, per occurrence and aggregate. If it says $1 million
per occurrence, that's how much they will cover for that one lawsuit before it comes
out of your pocket.

The aggregate, which in this case is $1 million, is the amount they will cover over
the total time frame including multiple lawsuits. So, if one
dude sues you and wins $500.000 and a second dude sues you for
$400.000, you will be covered for both.

Usually, the aggregate is higher than the per occurrence, but not in this case.

If you have any other questions on aggregate, I suggest speaking with an insurance
agent, you seem to not like google.


Take it up with Thimble.


Although I agree it is a bit low, that seems to be the standard for
these plans for some reason.


Indeed, and I wrote that anyone working regularly should have a long-term plan,
and suggested the possibility of a short-term for those who work rarely.

I suggest finding a different choir to preach at. I would accuse you of
trolling, but telling the guy that started the thread on insurance about
how he should care about insurance is an interesting tactic.


Read this 8 times and I still don't know what it means.

Thanks for the random questions, Danny. Good luck finding a plan that
meets your needs Wravyn.

1 Million coverage was the standard about a decade ago, today most policies, venues, and events require 2 million. The Thimlbe offering seems very minimal and perhaps outdated for most entertainers.

Yes, I agree kids performers should all really have this due to the age and nature of the kids, and the environments most have to work within. I have heard of more kids performers being sued than any others.

Yes, many legit agents require their acts to carry at the minimum General Liability requiring that they (the agency) be included and named as an additionally insured.

Funny how when writing about aggregate your whole way of speaking changed. I said no Google lol.

My way of writing is always the same, so is yours unfortunately.

Mindpro, Thimble does have a $2 million option for both the long and short term plans.
For the few hour plan mentioned previously it is $5 more at a price of $30 as of right now.

Yes, I see that. Why are you so bent on this Thimble thing? When it comes to insurance there are really two things that matter most 1. Their reputation and standing within the industry, and 2. their reputation, frequency and amount of payouts and within what time period.

These are things you (not you specifically) do not want to have to think about or find out when you are in the middle of a claim or lawsuit, or anything that you could lose your business over.

Anyone can offer insurance through brokers, but the real issue or concern is how well you are covered and if, when, and how much they will payout and stand behind you when a claim or lawsuit is brought against you.

Naw, the most important thing is being perceived as "knowing" and "funny". Don't forget that. Things like facts mean nothing.

Sorry, I interpreted that to mean you wasn't aware of the option.

It's the subject of the thread.

I do wish I could find more information on folk's experience making claims
with them, it is mostly people saying how easy it is to purchase.

There does seem to be a decent amount of people complaining about how slow
they are to communicate. Which is concerning if you need to make a claim.

I may make a list of the insurance companies I'm aware of and compare there
offerings when I have time.

what company do you use Mindpro?

Not taking the bait.

Great then how about the more important question of why it is so important to you to find the “cheapest” possible option instead of one that actually works?

Because insurance is one of those things that cheapest is almost never the best option. Sure it can fool people into thinking you have coverage you don’t. (Which oddly enough seems to be your goal and what you are preaching.)

Insurance is one of those things you’d rather have and not need than need and not have. I one a guy back in the 90’s in Chicago was doing high end birthday parties in the Good Coast in Chicago. Claimed to have insurance, but had one of these you are so heartily advocating for. Ran into a couple problems in a row. One with fire from the dive pan (not sure if this policy even covers fire.) and one with a kid cooking on a balloon and ending up in a coma. Yes really bad real life stuff. The policy was not at ALL easy to get paid out on and didn’t cover 1/3 of what he thought it would. He ended up financially ruined.

I get it. Insurance is a bet, a gamble almost. I’ve never had a claim and for 20 years worked under the umbrella of a much larger company that covered it. But the idea of just have a lane COI to show someone just to get the gig and hoping nothing ever happens is just crazy. It may never happen. I work probably more than anyone I know and it has never happened to me personally. I’d still never even think of just going there cheapest route just because it is cheap. It is ridiculous and very dangerous to advocate for that idea.

So why is the cheapest way to do things always your priority? Simple question with no bait involved.