Ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft can be convenient and affordable options for transportation. But they might leave meeting organizers who use them exposed, according to Cosimo Bruzzese, vice president of business development at destination management company Briggs Inc.
"Uber is the No. 1 most-talked-about, most-utilized transportation company in the world because it has addressed an important need in the marketplace," Bruzzese tells Successful Meetings magazine. "What it hasn't addressed, however, is the question of liability."
To protect your company, err on the side of caution, suggests attorney Ben Tesdahl, Esq.
"If you're going to use a company like Uber, avoid making claims on your meeting website like, 'Use Uber because it's better and safer than a taxi.' You don't know that, and you can't back that up," he says. "Also, I would include a disclaimer that makes it clear you haven't thoroughly vetted the company and aren't endorsing it; it's just an option."