NEW YORK, NY.- Superstorm Sandy caused the largest loss to artwork since World War II. 95% of the damage amounting in over $500M was paid for by the insurance industry. Disaster plans are now required by insurance carriers and lenders as a result. DeWitt Stern, the 114-year-old risk management and insurance brokerage firm specializing in the arts, has created a one day workshop, with very limited spaces, to equip galleries and collectors with a formal written disaster plan, specific to their inventory or collection, that can be implemented before the next storm. It is the only such workshop that exists. It will be instructed by Claire Marmion, president of the Haven Art Group, a privately held fine art claims adjustment and management firm.

Registration for the Tuesday September 24th workshop is now open on https://ds-disasterplan.eventbrite.com/ and will be held at New York's private members' club the Soho House in the Meatpacking district and will run from 9:30am to 4:00pm where the limited participants can expect breakfast, lunch, disaster kit, private consultations, personalized and customized disaster plans with Ms. Claire Marmion.

The workshop which seeks to bridge the existing knowledge gap and help the fine art community better prepare for a catastrophic event costs $250 for clients of DeWitt Stern and $300 for non-clients. As Sam Pugatch, Assistant Vice President with DeWitt Stern puts it, "Post-Sandy we are seeing a need to implement disaster planning techniques to obtain and manage the cost of insurance, specifically in Chelsea. The disaster planning workshop strives to aggregate the vast amount of information available and reduce susceptibility of the fine arts community to future disasters."

DeWitt Stern, is a privately held insurance broker and risk advisor that specializes in working with the worldwide fine art community. Based in New York City, the firm also has offices in Chicago and California. DeWitt Stern has been developing innovative risk solutions since its founding in 1899. DeWitt Stern's commitment to excellence has earned the trust of a varied clientele, including celebrated individuals, prominent corporations, professional firms, business executives, insurance managers, government leaders and cultural institutions. This diverse range of personages has long relied on DeWitt Stern for their formidable expertise in the areas of commercial risks, theatrical, film and music risks, fine arts risks, as well as many others.