Despite inclement weather that weekend, the annual Brat Fest at Madison, Wisconsin was a huge success—due in no small part to the organizer’s decision to purchase rain insurance for the event, reported
The Cap Times.
On Saturday, forecasts anticipated stormy weather in the area where the food event was held. Predictions called for winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 mph and pea-sized hail. The event’s organizers fortunately managed to evacuate everyone from the Alliant Energy Center as the event grounds were struck by 10 minutes of heavy rain and strong winds.
When the storm passed, Brat Fest’s organizers announced on their Facebook page that the musical acts would resume at 8 p.m. About 8,000 people had returned to the event by that time, but Brat Fest lost an hour’s worth of sales (or approximately 10,000 brat sales) thanks to the storm.
While the annual food event attracts a lot of corporate sponsors, the Brat Fest’s only source of revenue is through concessions such as the brats themselves, soda, and beer. Any loss in sales would be devastating to the organizers, especially when the concession stands are manned by volunteers who are paid $8 an hour for their help.
The organizers of Brat Fest have been purchasing rain insurance for the last two years; they began buying insurance at around the same time the event attracted high-profile music acts.
For this year, Brat Fest organizer Tim Metcalfe bought rain insurance from Hausmann Johnson Insurance. The event’s policy covers for rain exceeding a quarter of an inch in the afternoon and evening hours of a single day. The time periods were chosen since the event’s largest musical acts occur during the afternoon and evening.
“As the costs go up, the risks go up, and you’re dependent on your guests to be there,” said Metcalfe.
He admitted that the decision to purchase insurance was a difficult one, since it was costly and required a significant amount of rain to take effect. Metcalfe, however, believes that the annual event will continue to secure rain insurance.
“After doing it this last two years, and knowing the type of costs associated with putting on Brat Fest, I think it's a very wise decision to continue to have rain insurance for Brat Fest,” he said.
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