Conference Code of Conduct

Be professional. Be respectful.

Harassment, discrimination, intimidation, threats, violence, unwanted sexual attention and seriously disruptive behaviour are not acceptable.

If someone asks you to stop behaviour that is making them uncomfortable, please respect that request.

Participants who seriously or repeatedly breach this Code may be removed from the event without refund and may be excluded from future emailexpert events.

This Code applies throughout the conference and to official activities associated with it, including:

• conference, workshop and exhibition spaces;
• networking sessions;
• gala dinners, receptions and other official social events;
• virtual sessions;
• official event community spaces and WhatsApp groups; and
• other activities or interactions directly connected with participation in the event.

We do not seek to regulate participants' private lives or ordinary professional disagreement outside the event simply because they happen to be attending the same conference.

Unacceptable behaviour may include:

• harassment or discriminatory abuse;
• offensive or demeaning comments directed at someone because of a personal characteristic;
• deliberate intimidation or bullying;
• stalking or persistent unwanted following;
• threats, violence or physical aggression;
• unwanted or inappropriate physical contact;
• sexual harassment or unwanted sexual attention;
• unwanted sexual comments or sexual material directed at another participant;
• sustained or deliberate disruption of talks, panels, workshops or other event activities;
• deliberately damaging another person's or the venue's property;
• repeatedly continuing unwanted contact after someone has clearly asked you to stop; or
• retaliation against someone for raising a genuine concern under this Code.

This includes conduct connected with characteristics protected by applicable equality law as well as other forms of targeted harassment or abuse.

Participants asked by event staff to stop unacceptable behaviour are expected to comply.

Sponsors, exhibitors, partners and their representatives are subject to the same standards as everyone else.

Commercial participation in the event does not give anyone permission to harass attendees, pressure someone who has made clear that they do not wish to engage, or otherwise disregard this Code.

A conference should be a place where people can disagree.

Criticism, robust discussion, challenging questions and disagreement about ideas, technology, companies, industry practices or professional opinions do not in themselves amount to harassment.

We expect those discussions to remain professional and not become personal abuse, intimidation, threats or persistent targeted behaviour.

Our events may be photographed, filmed or audio-recorded by or on behalf of Emailexpert UK Ltd. Further information about official event photography and recordings is provided in our attendee privacy information.

Attendees may also take ordinary photographs and recordings where appropriate.

Photography or recording must not be used to intimidate, harass or deliberately target another participant in an inappropriate way. We also ask participants to respect reasonable requests from other attendees not to be directly photographed or recorded by them.

If you experience or witness behaviour that you believe breaches this Code, please tell us.

You can:

• email urgent@emailexpert.org; or
• speak to a member of the event team.

If the concern relates to a member of the event team, you can ask for it to be referred to another senior representative of Emailexpert UK Ltd.

If there is an immediate threat to someone's safety, contact venue security or the emergency services as appropriate.

We will consider concerns raised with us and decide what action, if any, is appropriate in the circumstances.

Deliberately false or malicious allegations may themselves be treated as a breach of this Code. This does not mean that a report must ultimately be upheld for it to have been made genuinely.

Emailexpert UK Ltd is responsible for administering and enforcing this Code.

Depending on the circumstances, we may:

• speak to the participant concerned;
• issue a warning;
• ask particular behaviour to stop;
• remove someone from a session or event area;
• restrict access to an event activity or online space;
• remove someone from the event without refund; or
• temporarily or permanently exclude someone from future emailexpert events.

We are not required to use these measures in any particular order.

Serious or potentially unlawful conduct may also be referred to venue security, the police or other appropriate authorities.

Nothing in this Code limits any rights or remedies available to Emailexpert UK Ltd, the venue, another participant or any other person under applicable law.

Most people attending our events will never need to think about this Code.

It exists so that expectations are clear and so that we have practical options available if a problem does arise.

Thank you for helping us keep our events professional, respectful and enjoyable.