Consum­ption of alcohol sometimes seems like a foundation of meetings. After all, who doesn’t want to have glass of wine and relax with one’s colleagues or newfound networking contacts after a day in meeting sessions?

And oftent­imes, the alcohol flows freely, in terms of liberal quantities and at no cost to attendees.

Nothing is free, however, so here are eight tips from leading meetings industry attorney Tyra Hilliard to help meeting and event planners limit liability when alcohol is being served

Remember liability for alcohol falls upon the entity that sells or serves the alcohol, so beware the hospit­ality suite!

If there is an alcoho­l-r­elated incident, the sponsor would have been held liable for it.

Something like TiPS, although most states (and some companies) have their own propri­etary program. Most hotel/­res­tau­ran­t/c­atering companies will tell you they train all their staff, but there is usually a 90-day window staff have to complete the training.

To mitigate against the risk of an alcoho­l-r­elated incident, planners should make sure the servers at their events have already completed the training.

Budget is not the only reason that some groups choose to have a cash bar or to give attendees a limited number of tickets for free drinks. It's also to discourage over-i­ndu­lgence.

Food is a mitigation measure. Not salty snacks, which will just encourage attendees to drink more, but protei­n-laden snacks that will fill attendees up and slow the absorption of alcohol in their system.

Studies show that people consume fewer drinks if they are seated than they do if they are standing and milling around.

Have a strong indemn­ifi­cation clause in your contract with whomever is providing alcohol. You want to be sure that they indemnify, defend and hold harmless you and your group from and against any and all liability related to the sale or service of alcohol at a group function

It’s important to find out if your commercial general liability insurance covers alcohol related incidents or whether you may need an additional rider for events that include alcohol.

I often see language in hotel or catering contracts that reads, “We may refuse service to a person that is underaged or intoxi­cated.” I change that may to will. By all means, please refuse them service!