After a particularly devastating hurricane season in 2004, Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing arm, came up with a reassuring idea: free meeting insurance for groups booking the state in August, September, or October when the storms are most likely to hit. The program has been popular since it launched in 2005, and Visit Florida has announced that it will continue to offer the coverage in 2007 and 2008.

The program, called Cover Your Event, provides supplemental business insurance to cover costs directly related to rescheduling an event if a meeting is displaced because of a named hurricane. The insurance will cover expenses such as reprinting marketing materials or programs, the difference in room rates, or signage, but does not compensate groups for their lost profits.

Eligible events must book a minimum of 100 room nights during a two-night period. The limit on a claim is $100,000 for 100 to 300 room nights; $150,000 for 301 to 500 room nights; and $200,000 for meetings of more than 500 room nights over a minimum of two nights. The insured meeting must be rescheduled in Florida at the same or nearest available venue within 12 months.