Honor & Wonder America's largest inland naval park


» More than 1600 new or renovated downtown hotel rooms


25 minutes from Niagara Falls Not enough for you? BUFFALO also has: » 8th least expensive U.S. airport


» World class dining, nightlife, entertainment and architecture


CALL 888.228.3369 OR GO TO visitbuff aloniagara.com


the courts have ruled that reunions are a “business” and Homeowners policies invariably exclude coverage for commercial ventures 6. Liquor laws vary from county to county - thus in some counties you cannot legally serve liquor, wine, or spirits from anything except 2 oz bottles. In others, you cannot buy a drink at the lounge and legally carry it across the hall into the hospitality room, because the connecting hallway is not licensed (a felony) 7. Even if you have the hotel put in a cash bar, if someone causes damage or injury, the planner may still be liable because the planner did not escort the offender to his/her hotel room.


Does this cover it?


Thanks and I guess I thought if people brought their own and kept it in their room we were out of the woods. According to this it is not the case. How can anyone stop another person from drinking or smoking does not make sense to me.


Crowne Plaza Austin — The Place to Meet


We would be honored to have you as our guest! Shelly Staff - Group Sales Manager • Direct: (512) 371-5243 sstaff@cphaustin.com • www.crowneplaza.com/austincentral


Continued from page 28


We’ve written about this so many times, I cannot even recollect the last time I did. However, fact is that there have been thousands of lawsuits with respect to serving liquor at meetings. Court decisions are nearly unanimous in that:


1. If anyone attends and has too much, and then causes property damage or personal injury, the planner is equally at fault. 2. Awards are based on who owned the liquor before it was served, and who served it. If the group brought their own


Page 30


liquor in, the planner is liable and he is the one who gets the judgment against him. 3. One of the ways the planner can avoid much of the liability is to be sure it is served by a licensed bartender 4. Having a glass or dish where people taking or having drinks served kick in a buck or even a quarter is tantamount to serving liquor without a license—a felony in every state—and the planner is liable (he’s the one that goes to jail)


5. Extended Liability Homeowners Insurance is NOT protection because


I think you misunderstood. If an attendee brings his/her own alcoholic beverage to his/her hotel room, that does not affect the planner. Tat hotel room becomes that attendee’s home (or castle). Whatever the attendee does there is the attendee’s responsibility. Te problem for the planner, as I outlined it, is when that attendee over-consumes IN THE HOSPITALITY ROOM.


Tis liability was recently extended in a case where an attendee over-imbibed, and the planner failed to escort that person to a place of relative safety—deemed by the court in this case to be the hotel room. Tis case really disturbed me because there have been a number of cases where the person having too much to drink, went to the hotel room, lay down, lit a cigarette, fell asleep, and started a fire.


Te only other situation I am aware of is the case where:


1) An attendee, whether under the influence or not, although much worse if, causes personal injury to a person in the hotel or property damage to the hotel, and


2) Te planner has agreed to a Hold Harmless or Indemnification Clause in the contract.


Tat is why I advise planners to avoid signing a contract with a Hold Harmless clause. If they have to sign such a clause, at the very least it should be mutual, so that the reunion group is legally protected if another guest or employee hurts a reunion attendee or damages their property (include valet-parked cars).


As you can see, it is more complicated than simply a question of whether the group brings booze or not - there is absolutely no question, however, that the PLANNER is better protected from liability by having the hotel serve any liquor, wine, spirits, beer etc in the hospitality room.


Note that the closest thing to 100% protection is coverage as supplied under the umbrella policy provided through AMRF (a non-profit veterans’ organization). For further information about AMRF, contact marc@reunionfriendly. com


I plan to go to the next WorkFAM©


. What con-


stitutes the “additional requirements” needed for certification?


Just send us a copy of a contract you negotiated AFTER attending. Tat’s all you need, unless you have not followed through on what you learned.


R E U N I O N F R I E N D L Y N E W S • Winter, 2011-2012


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56