What’s on the COI?

When Do We Get Them?

THE "WHAT" AND "WHEN" OF COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR VENDORS

The Details of Our Process

What will the COIs include or have covered?

We review every COI to identify and verify the following details:

  • Venue name and address noted as the Certificate Holder

  • Venue designated as Additionally Insured

  • General Liability coverage in the amounts of at least $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate

  • COI is active and expiration date is not before your event

  • Exclusionary language such as “when required by contract” is not included

  • Liquor liability coverage included (for catering vendor COIs)

Can I customize any of those details or ask for something specific to be included?

We try to be inclusive of your special requests. For example, maybe two LLCs need to be noted as Additionally Insured if your property is under one LLC and the business is under another LLC. Or maybe your insurance company requires certain text to be included in the Description of Operations section. If you have a unique situation, let us know and we’ll see if we have a solution.

When will you contact my vendors for COIs?

COIs are due 60 days before your event, so we send out our first communication to vendors 2 weeks before the due date. This allows a vendor time to gather a COI (or correct and resubmit) if they don’t have it available immediately. It also allows us time to follow up as needed before the due date arrives.

Why is the due date 60 days before an event? Can I change it to be 30 days instead?

We set COI due dates to be 60 days out from the event date. This allows a "buffer time" on your end if all of our efforts are unsuccessful. Meaning if a vendor doesn't respond or submit their COI by 60 days, then you still have time to get something from them and are not scrambling in the last weeks or days before an event when things can naturally be more hectic with other responsibilities. At this time, due dates cannot be changed.

It is recommended that you add events to COIdo at least 75 days before the event date for best results.

What kind of communications do you have with vendors?

We send a series of emails to vendors who need to submit COIs as follows:

  • An introductory email lets them know we are collecting COIs for “XYZ Event” at “Your Venue’s Name”

  • Reminder Email #1

  • Reminder Email #2

  • Past Due Email *

Each of these emails all contain details on your COI requirements, the COI due date, and a link for the vendor to submit their COI online.

Once a vendor submits a correct COI, we stop follow up messages. Their COI remains on file and can be applied to other future events as long as the insurance term is still valid. We do not reach out to them again until the COI is expired and needs updating.

* see more in the next question and answer

What happens if a vendor doesn’t submit a COI by the due date?

If the due date passes without receive a vendor’s COI, they will receive an email letting them know they are in non-compliance with your venue’s policies. Sometimes this alone spurs a previously unresponsive vendor into action and all is taken care of at that point.

Additionally, an email is sent to you as the venue letting you know that the vendor has been uncooperative with our multiple attempts to reach them. It will then be up to you to decide how to proceed with enforcing your COI policies with that vendor. We try hard to get COIs on your behalf, but sometime a vendor is difficult and won’t respond to our requests.

Only a small percentage of vendors miss the due date given the ample time and multiple communications. Fortunately, we have found most vendors respond quickly to our COI requests.

What happens when an existing COI expires or needs to be renewed?

We’ve got that covered too! When we see a vendor’s COI is going to expire, we follow up with them so they can submit an updated version. We reach out 10 days before the expiration date. This gives them time to gather and submit the new COI. If they fail to submit a new COI, we’ll them them know the are in non-compliance with your venue’s policies. We’ll also let you know so you can decide how to proceed with enforcing your COI policies with that vendor.

What happens if I add a vendor later in planning and the due date has passed?

We know couples may choose a last minute vendor or two, so you can add vendors to an event at any time.