Conference Insurance Program

The following summary of insurance coverage relates specifically to IEEE-sponsored and co-sponsored conferences and not for other activities of IEEE. The summary provides basic information regarding insurance coverage that is applicable to IEEE conferences.

Conference insurance program summary

The following insurance applies to conferences that are financially sponsored and co-sponsored by IEEE and approved by IEEE Conference Services:

Liability insurance

  • IEEE maintains Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance to protect IEEE in the event a claim is made against IEEE and/or its Volunteers. The CGL insurance provides coverage for third-party bodily injury and property damage.
  • IEEE Volunteers are included on IEEE’s insurance policies and protected while acting within the scope of their duly authorized duties as Conference Officers or Committee Members for the duration of the conference and its activities.
  • To the extent permitted by law, IEEE shall indemnify each person who serves as a duly authorized Volunteer of a duly authorized IEEE activity pursuant to IEEE Bylaw I-300.3 Indemnification (PDF, 566 KB).
  • The Conference must maintain a record of all Officers and Committee Members who are actively engaged in the management of the conference. This record ensures that coverage is afforded to the appropriate Volunteers acting on behalf of the conference.
  • In addition to the primary CGL insurance coverage, IEEE maintains Umbrella Liability coverage that provides additional limits of liability coverage.
  • Conferences utilizing a transportation service provider (e.g. Boat cruise, Bus tour, other) should obtain evidence of insurance coverage from the service provider. IEEE should be named as an additional insured. IEEE's liability insurance coverage does not apply to charters. For additional information, please contact ORIMS@ieee.org.
  • Conferences that are planning to include the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, during conference activities must contact ORIMS@ieee.org in advance in order to ensure that the appropriate liability insurance coverage is confirmed.  All applicable FAA regulations, and federal, state, and local laws must be followed.

Property on exhibition insurance

Contact ORIMS@ieee.org if you require insurance for any IEEE-owned, leased, rented, or borrowed equipment. Please include the following equipment information with your request:

  • Description
  • Owner
  • Replacement value (US$)
  • Copy of rental/lease agreement with insurance requirements (if applicable)
  • How will the equipment be safeguarded while on exhibition at the conference?
  • Dates coverage required


Business crime insurance (also referred to as fidelity bonding)

  • IEEE maintains business crime insurance that protects IEEE in the event of loss due to fraudulent acts (e.g., theft of conference funds) committed by staff or volunteers.
  • The IEEE business crime insurance does not provide coverage for theft of IEEE funds by third-party registration service providers.

Event cancellation insurance

All approved IEEE conferences that are 100% financially sponsored by IEEE are automatically covered by an event cancellation insurance policy. In order for a conference to qualify for coverage under the IEEE Event Cancellation Insurance Policy, the following conditions MUST be met:

  1. The conference must be 100% financially sponsored by one or more IEEE Society and/or organizational unit
  2. The conference must be approved by IEEE and included in the IEEE Conference Database
  3. A detailed conference budget MUST be submitted and included in the IEEE Conference Database

Update: In addition to approved conferences that are 100% financially sponsored by IEEE, coverage is now automatically included for IEEE approved conferences that are 50% or greater financially cosponsored by IEEE and maintain a minimum total revenue budget of USD $250,000 or more.  Please note that conditions 2. and 3. from above must be met for coverage to apply.

The Event Cancellation Insurance protects the conferences from lost revenue and/or additional expenses incurred as a result of an unforeseen cancellation, postponement, or curtailment of an event. Examples of such disruptions might include natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, etc.), fire or flood damage to a venue, airline or hotel staff strikes, and other unforeseen causes of event cancellation.

Please note: Effective March 2020, there is no event cancellation insurance coverage for claims arising out of COVID-19. COVID-19 is considered a pre-existing condition and excluded under the policy. 

All other conferences (not automatically included) continue to have the option to purchase individual Event Cancellation Insurance policies. To take advantage of the program IEEE has negotiated, please submit a completed Event Cancellation Insurance application (PDF, 172 KB) and a copy of the conference budget to ORIMS@ieee.org.

Please review the IEEE Event Cancellation Insurance FAQs (PDF, 160 KB).

Conference venue certificates of insurance

Certificates of insurance that are required by the conference venue are available upon request. They must be prepared by IEEE’s insurance broker and should be requested 30-60 days in advance of the conference. Please allow 5-7 business days for processing. 

To obtain a current certificate of insurance, submit a completed certificate request form (DOC, 67 KB) to ORIMS@ieee.org. Please include a copy of the venue's insurance requirements and a copy of the executed agreement between the IEEE and the venue.

Conference insurance claims

Thefts must first be reported to hotel/venue security and local authorities. IEEE is required to provide prompt notice to its insurance company of any possible insurance claim.

In the event that a loss (e.g., theft, property damage, bodily injury) occurs at an IEEE Conference, or an incident takes place which may reasonably give rise to a claim, please contact the Office of Risk and Insurance Management Services immediately at +1 732 562 5541 or ORIMS@ieee.org.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Does the IEEE Conference need to specifically request the liability insurance coverage?
A. No, the IEEE Conference liability insurance is automatically provided to IEEE financially sponsored and co-sponsored conferences that have been approved by IEEE Conference Services. 
Q. Does the Conference receive confirmation that the IEEE liability insurance applies to its activities?
A. Yes, a letter confirming coverage is distributed to the Conference once Conference Services has provided notification that the Conference has been approved by IEEE.
Q. What does the IEEE Liability insurance cost?
A. The IEEE liability insurance is provided at no direct cost to the conference. 
Q. What if IEEE is co-sponsoring the conference with a non-IEEE entity?
A. In the case of a co-sponsored conference, IEEE maintains liability insurance to cover potential liability that could arise from its participation in the conference. IEEE should obtain certificates of insurance from the non-IEEE financial co-sponsors indicating what types and limits of insurance coverage each maintains. If a loss were to occur, the non-IEEE entity may be liable for a portion of the loss. IEEE does not include non-IEEE organizations on its insurance policies.
Q. Does the conference need to do anything regarding insurance if it is hiring a third-party service provider such as a transportation company (shuttle buses), a caterer, or other?
A. Yes, IEEE should obtain certificates of insurance from the service provider evidencing their liability insurance coverage. The certificate should list IEEE as an additional insured.
Q. Who should I contact for more information regarding IEEE Conference Insurance?
A. Contact the IEEE Office of Risk and Insurance Management Services at +1 732 562 5541 or orims@ieee.org.
Q. Where can/should I archive my Committee List?
A. If you submitted your Committee List in conjunction with your Conference Application, then no additional action is required. If you didn't, or have made updates since the original version, please email a new copy to  events@ieee.org.

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