Markel Insurance, the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc., announced the launch of PlayMicro in Canada, a special events portal offering short-term coverage for sporting events, meetings, and cultural and social gatherings, now available through its digital platform, Markel Connect.
According to a news release, PlayMicro supports a broad range of organised sport and fitness activities, including competitions, seasonal teams, tournaments, practices, camps, and related programmes. The portal also provides short-term coverage for meetings, cultural gatherings, trade shows, festivals, parades, theatre productions, fairs, fundraisers, private functions, and other events. Coverage also extends to events where alcohol is served on the premises.
The product carries comprehensive general liability, including participant and participant-to-participant liability, excluding products and completed operations.
Available through Markel Connect in Canada, excluding Quebec at this time, brokers can quote, bind, and issue policies on a 24/7 basis, with instant decline notifications and rapid referral turnaround. The platform aims to offer flexible limits, competitive pricing, no policy fees, and a 20% commission structure.
Brenda McClung, assistant vice-president of Markel Play, said in a statement that the integration was driven by broker and client needs.
“Integrating PlayMicro within Markel Connect reflects our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of Canadian brokers and event organizers,” McClung said. “Our goal was to create a user-friendly portal, giving clients fast, reliable access to coverage for the sporting activities and short-term events they rely on us to protect.”
Sachin Rustagi, head of digital at Markel, described the launch as part of a broader platform strategy.
“PlayMicro represents meaningful progress in our digital strategy,” Rustagi said. “Markel Connect is designed to simplify the quoting experience for brokers across various micro-SME errors and omissions, directors and officers, and office package risks. Adding PlayMicro to our primary portal extends that one-stop experience and single-login access for event and sports organizers who need quick, dependable coverage 24/7.”
The PlayMicro launch follows a period of steady platform expansion for Markel Canada. In November, the company added its Storage Tank Liability (STL) insurance product to Markel Connect, covering businesses such as auto garages, gas stations, campgrounds, golf courses, and commercial properties where storage tanks are in use. That product offered minimum premiums starting at C$500 for a C$1 million limit, with capacity up to C$5 million and a 25% commission structure – also available outside Quebec on a 24/7 quote, bind, and issue basis.
