The cover story of this week’s Newsweek magazine asks if the world’s scariest earthquake is still yet to come. And we are left to wonder if the recent spate of natural disasters; floods in Australia and major earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, New Zealand and Japan, are mere coincidence or if they mark a period in which the world will see more major disasters such as these.

It remains to be seen if this recent string of major catastrophes will prompt state and local governments to spend scarce resources on disaster preparedness. Seeing the devastation that these disasters can wreak, one would hope so. Yet at a time when many governments are facing huge budget deficits, it may be difficult politically to justify spending money on something that might happen.

Businesses on the other hand, especially business that organize and produce events, can easily protect themselves from the financial consequences of disasters, natural OR man-made, by purchasing Event Cancellation Insurance from BUA.

For a small fraction of an event’s budget, an event organizer can purchase Event Cancellation Insurance to reimburse them for unrecoverable revenue and expenses, if an event is cancelled, postponed or relocated due to circumstances beyond the organizer’s control.

Last week, the heads of America’s intelligence agencies released the National Threat Assessment. According to the report, the number one priority for these agencies is identifying Americans who want carry out an act of terrorism in their own country.

These so-called ‘homegrown’ terrorists may be small in numbers, but because they are already established in the US, it is more difficult for intelligence agencies to identify and track them. In addition, social networks have made it easier for like-minded, but perhaps isolated, individuals to link up, share ideas and hatch plots.

Acts of terrorism are designed to wreak havoc and take innocent life. They may also disrupt or cancel your organization’s carefully planned event. BUA’s Event Cancellation Insurance and Mono-Line Terrorism coverage offer protection against the financial consequences of acts of terrorism. While it may difficult to know when a terrorist attack will take place, event organizers can be prepared and protected with coverage from BUA.

As fall turns into winter, much of the country will be on the lookout for winter storms. The trend over the past ten years has been toward more extreme storms. If that trend continues, events that take place during these months are at risk of being interrupted, postponed or cancelled by such a storm. Before we officially enter Winter 2010-2011, parts of the Pacific Northwest have already received over two feet of snow. In the UK this week, the London area has received 10-15 inches and major airports have been closed.

Even if your event takes place in a city that is not known for severe winter weather, there may be cause for concern. Remember last winter in the Mid-Atlantic? Washington DC had its snowiest December ever and its second snowiest February. Baltimore had its snowiest February recorded. Winter weather may also disrupt air traffic in hub cities, which can cause major travel delays for attendees, exhibitors and speakers.

The best way to protect your winter event is with Event Cancellation Insurance from BUA. BUA will work with you to make sure your event has appropriate coverage for its exposure.

The massive storm that formed in the Midwest and moved eastward this week provides a prime example of why event organizers need to consider Event Cancellation Insurance, no matter where or when their event takes place. The storm, which has caused damage to a wide swath of the Midwest, is not a hurricane, though the winds did reach hurricane force. It is not a winter storm – the calendar says it’s October – though there are predictions of snow.

The storm brought strong wind and torrential rain to the Midwest on Tuesday. Forecasters predicted the giant storm could be the most powerful to hit Illinois in over seven decades.

In the Northern Plains, heavy is snow not far behind. Much of North Dakota was under a blizzard warning. The National Weather Service said up to 10 inches of snow could fall in some areas into early Wednesday. Forecasters said wind gusts of more than 50 mph in many areas would make travel treacherous.

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because your event isn’t being held in an area traditionally threatened by hurricanes or scheduled for a traditional ‘winter month’ that it can’t be impacted by severe weather.

This Midwest storm points out that adverse weather can happen anywhere and at anytime, and your event can be impacted if it is not protected. Protect your event with Event Cancellation Insurance. Call BUA and we can get you started.

As the calendar turns to October, the seasons are changing in many parts of the country. Whether you are a fan of the changing seasons or not, one season that is on its way despite being universally unwelcome is the flu season. According to the National Institute of Health, the H1N1 flu strain that caused so much concern last year will be prevented by this year’s seasonal flu vaccine.

What we don’t know is where the next, unanticipated flu strain might come from and how virulent it will be.

A number of trade shows, concerts and sporting events were cancelled when the news of the H1N1 flu outbreak was first reported in April of 2009. The concern of public health officials and event organizers is that the disease could spread rapidly in circumstances where large groups of people together in one place.

Event organizers can protect themselves from the financial impact of a disease outbreak by purchasing Event Cancellation Insurance that includes coverage for Communicable Disease.

The problem is that many event organizers wait till a disease has been identified and is making headlines, before they look to protect their event. Once a specific disease strain has been identified, it is often excluded from coverage quotes from that point forward. The time to immunize your event with Communicable Disease coverage is before the next outbreak occurs.

Many factors contribute to the amount of damage any given hurricane or tropical storm will do. One of the more important factors is the height of the storm surge. Some of the most destructive storms in US history have gained that distinction because of the height of their storm surge.

The National Hurricane Center provides an excellent description of storm surge here, but essentially the phenomenon is created by the pressure from the storm displacing the ocean water below it.

* Much of the United States’ densely populated Atlantic and Gulf Coast coastlines lie less than 10 feet above mean sea level.
* Over half of the Nation’s economic productivity is located within coastal zones.
* 72% of ports, 27% of major roads, and 9% of rail lines within the Gulf Coast region are at or below 4 ft elevation (CCSP, SAP 4-7)
* A storm surge of 23 feet has the ability to inundate 67% of interstates, 57% of arterials, almost half of rail miles, 29 airports, and virtually all ports in the Gulf Coast area (CCSP SAP 4-7)

If you are planning an event, exhibition, trade show, concert or sporting event that could be impacted by a storm surge, protect with Event Cancellation insurance from BUA.