General News
Creative Trade Forum: Five Insurance Checks Before Taking UK Media Work Overseas
- Nicky Whitson
- 13 October, 2026
The new Creative Trade Forum is intended to help UK creative businesses develop export, investment and international partnership opportunities. For production companies, camera operators and media teams, overseas work can be commercially attractive, but it also changes how people, equipment, contracts and data need to be managed.
Why the announcement matters
The Creative Trade Forum was announced on 26 August 2026 by the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It brings together government, creative businesses and industry bodies to identify barriers to growth, champion UK creative exports and encourage international commercial partnerships.
The Institute of Export & International Trade also reported the forum’s launch as part of wider export support for the UK creative sector.
The forum itself does not change insurance wording. It does, however, give media businesses a reason to examine whether their existing arrangements are ready for work outside the UK.
1. Check the territory and the activity
“Overseas work” can mean a short shoot, a permanent installation, a touring production, a location project or remote post-production for an international client.
Those activities may carry different requirements. Check where the work will take place, how long the team will be there, who is commissioning the work and what the business is contractually responsible for.
A policy arranged for UK-based activity should not be assumed to provide the same protection for every overseas project. The territory, local requirements and actual activity need to be disclosed accurately.
2. Review equipment cover
Media equipment can be valuable, portable and difficult to replace quickly. Cameras, lenses, lighting, sound equipment, computers and specialist accessories may be owned, hired or borrowed.
Before travelling, confirm how equipment is valued and whether it is covered:
- While in transit.
- At temporary locations.
- In vehicles or accommodation.
- While being used by employees or freelancers.
- If it is hired in for a specific production.
- If a replacement must be sourced locally.
Ratcliffes’ Media Insurance page describes cover areas including equipment, productions and liability, with options depending on the business and project.
3. Check liability and contracts
An overseas client may require particular liability limits, local evidence of cover, an additional insured party or responsibility for damage to a venue.
Read those requirements before signing. A contract can allocate responsibility between the parties, but it does not automatically create insurance cover.
Consider the locations where the team will work, the public or property exposed to the activity, the use of contractors and whether employees will be working on a customer’s premises. Employers’ liability obligations may also need specific attention when staff work abroad.
4. Include people and travel risks
A production may involve employees, freelancers, presenters, technicians or contractors travelling together. The business should know who is travelling, what they will do and how long they will stay.
Review medical, cancellation, curtailment, evacuation, personal accident and personal liability arrangements where relevant. A standard holiday policy may not be designed for professional media work, specialist equipment or production schedules.
Keep emergency contacts and policy information available to the production manager and travelling team. A missed flight or illness can affect both the individual and the project timetable.
5. Consider data, money and client material
Creative businesses often handle unreleased footage, personal data, client credentials and commercially sensitive information. A lost laptop, compromised account or ransomware incident can create costs that are separate from physical equipment damage.
Check access controls, backups and the process for notifying clients if information is lost or systems become unavailable. Cyber Liability Insurance may be relevant for some businesses, but the appropriate response depends on the systems, data, contracts and policy terms involved.
Review before accepting the next project
Export support may help a media business find new opportunities. The insurance review should happen before the project is confirmed, when there is still time to understand the territory, contract, equipment values, people involved and operational responsibilities.
If you are taking media work overseas or changing the type of production your business undertakes, contact Ratcliffes on 01242 544544.
Sources
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