Solicitors for events, festivals and venues
If you organise, host, supply or sponsor events, your business runs on contracts: venue hire agreements, sponsorship agreements, supplier contracts and ticket terms. Ansons Law helps you get them right before you sign and deal with cancellations, unpaid bills and disputes when plans change.
In short
Ansons Law advises event organisers, festival and concert promoters, venues, sponsors and suppliers. Our corporate and commercial team, led by Neil Jones and Jamie Gill, drafts and negotiates event contracts, from venue hire and sponsorship agreements to supplier, performer and ticketing terms. If an event is cancelled, a payment is missed or a contract is broken, Jason Alcock's dispute resolution team looks for a commercial solution first. Call us or use the enquiry form on this page.
What we help with
- Client agreements and terms of business for event companies
- Venue hire agreements, for venues and for hirers
- Sponsorship agreements and protecting sponsor rights from rival brands
- Supplier and subcontractor contracts
- Performer and artist agreements
- Broadcast, streaming and media rights
- Ticketing terms and conditions
- Cancellation, postponement and force majeure clauses
- Deposits, refunds and payment terms
- Licensing and dealings with local authorities
- Joint ventures between promoters and venues
- Buying and selling event businesses
Event cancellations and disputes
When an event is cancelled, a supplier lets you down or a bill goes unpaid, a commercial settlement is usually possible. We look for one first, within what your contracts say, aiming to settle the problem and keep the relationships your business depends on.
Talk to
Jason AlcockDirector, Head of Dispute Resolution and Employment
Cancellation and postponement
Who pays when an event is called off or moved, and whether a force majeure clause applies to what happened.
Non-payment
Unpaid invoices, deposits and final balances, whether you are chasing money or facing a claim you dispute.
Supplier failure
A supplier that pulls out late, does not turn up or delivers less than was agreed.
Venue disputes
Disagreements with a venue over access, damage, extra charges or the terms of hire.
Sponsor disputes
Sponsorship money that goes unpaid, rights that were promised but not delivered and sponsors who want to withdraw.
If a dispute cannot be settled by negotiation, our dispute resolution team can advise on the next steps, including mediation and court proceedings. For unpaid invoices, see debt recovery.
Getting the contract right first
The time to deal with cancellation, liability and payment is before you sign, not once something has gone wrong. These are the clauses we check first in any event contract.
Talk to
Neil JonesDirector, Joint Head of Corporate & Commercial, Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP)01543 431 184
Jamie GillDirector, Joint Head of Corporate and Commercial01543 431 185
Cancellation and postponement
Who can cancel or move the event, how much notice they must give and what happens to money already paid. Check that any force majeure clause covers the things most likely to stop your event.
Liability caps
The most each side can be asked to pay if something goes wrong. Check what the cap covers, what it leaves out and whether it matches what is at stake.
Insurance
Who insures what, from public liability to cancellation cover. Check that your policies cover everything the contract makes you responsible for.
Payment schedules
Deposits, staged payments and the final balance. The contract should say what is due and when, and what happens to money already paid if the event does not go ahead.
IP and image rights
Who can use the event name and logo, sponsor branding and images of performers, where and for how long.
Photos and footage
Who owns the photos, video and recordings made at your event, and who can use them afterwards. Without a written agreement, a freelance photographer or film crew usually owns the copyright in what they shoot, not you.
Our corporate and commercial team drafts and negotiates event contracts. If you run a venue from leased premises, our commercial property team advises on the lease. For event staff, freelancers and casual workers, see employment law for employers.
Common questions
Who is liable if an event is cancelled?
It depends on your contracts and on why the event was cancelled. Venue hire, supplier and sponsorship agreements should each say who can cancel, on what notice and who bears the cost. A force majeure clause may excuse a party when something outside their control stops the event, but only if its wording covers what happened. If a contract says nothing, the law on frustration may apply, but only in narrow circumstances. Ticket holders who are consumers are usually entitled to a refund if an event does not go ahead.
What should a venue hire agreement include?
It should set out the dates and access times, the spaces being hired, the hire charge, the payment dates and what the venue provides. It should also say who holds which licences and insurance, who is responsible for damage and what happens if either side cancels or the event has to move.
Can a sponsor stop a competitor associating with an event?
Partly. There is no general law against ambush marketing in the UK, so most of a sponsor's protection comes from contracts: the sponsorship agreement and the organiser's terms with the venue, exhibitors, traders and ticket holders. Trade mark and passing off claims can help where a rival uses the event's name or branding. Agree how far exclusivity goes, and who will enforce it, before you sign.
What happens to deposits if an event doesn't go ahead?
It depends on the contract and on why the event did not go ahead. Many contracts say deposits are non-refundable, but that may not hold if the amount is out of proportion to the loss or the customer is a consumer. If the event cannot go ahead for reasons outside either side's control, the law may allow money paid in advance to be recovered. Check the deposit terms before you pay or take one.
Do I need a solicitor to review a supplier contract?
Not always. A small booking on terms you have used before may not need one. A review is worth it when the contract is a large part of your budget, covers a season or a series of events, caps what the supplier owes you if they fail to deliver or says little about cancellation and insurance. It is easier to change a contract before you sign it than after.
Talk to us about your event
Tell us what you need and we will put you in touch with the right person.