Online Privacy Statement

Effective Date: 1st January, 2016

At GEMS Event Management Australia, we are committed to safeguarding your privacy. We want you to know how we may collect, use, share, and keep information about you and the choices that are available to you.

This online privacy statement applies to the GEMS Event Management Australia Pty Limited or any Conference Websites created by our company or our Service Providers, online applications that run on smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices (“apps”) as well as your use or access of any of our online services or content and other online programs that we offer in conjunction with our Conferences provided by GEMS Event Management Australia or our Service Providers.

Since we may change this online privacy statement, we recommend that you check the current version available from time to time. If we make changes to this statement, we will update the Effective Date at the top of this page.

What's in this Online Privacy Statement?

• What information does this online privacy statement cover?
• What information do we collect online and how do we collect it?
• How do we use the information we collect about you?
• How do we share your information?
• How we treat your Personal Information?
• How we handle Aggregate and De-identified Information?
• How do we keep and safeguard your information?
• What are your choices?
• Do you have questions about the online privacy statement?

 What information does this online privacy statement cover?

This online privacy statement describes how we (and our Service Providers) may collect, use, share, and keep information that we get about you online. We gather Online Information if you:

• Register to attend a Conference or an Event online
• Make payment for your Conference or Event attendance online
• Complete an online evaluation in relation to one of our Conferences or Events
• Receive or reply to electronic communications from us;
• Interact with us through social media websites and other websites and apps.

What information do we collect online and how do we collect it?

The types of information we collect depends on which of the above options you use.
Sometimes you give information directly to us (or to our Service Providers). For example, you might give us your name, organisation, email, mailing address, phone number, or date of birth when you:

• fill out an online form or survey, including when you book accommodation or registration with us or complete an event evaluation
• register or join any of our social media groups e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook;
• submit a conference abstract
• purchase registration or accommodation services online

We (and our Service Providers) also collect information through Cookies and Similar Technologies. Most Cookies and Similar Technologies will only collect De-Identified Information such as how you arrive at our website or your general location. However, certain Cookies and Similar Technologies do collect Personal Information. For example, if you have the option to Remember my Password on our website of that of our service providers, a cookie will store your username and password.

We (and our Service Providers) may also collect information made publicly available through third-party platforms (such as online social media platforms), through online databases or directories, or that is otherwise legitimately obtained.

How do we use the information we collect about you?

We may use Online Information we collect about you on its own or combine it with Other Information to:

• deliver products and services, including to:
• complete transactions;
• update you about future events pertaining to the sector in which you work;
• answer questions and respond to your requests made through our websites or apps and through third-party websites (including social media);
• advertise and market our products and services – and those of our Clients – including to:
• present content that is tailored to your interests,
• provide you with information about the organisation or professional association for whom you have registered to attend an event
• conduct research and analysis, including to:
• allow you to give feedback by rating and reviewing your attendance at our events;
• obtain your opinion or feedback, on behalf of our Clients, on issues relating to your professional area of interest;
• review and change our products and services;
• use it in other ways as required or permitted by law or with your consent.

How do we share your information?

Some Online Information is Personal Information.

How we treat your Personal Information?

We do not share Personal Information with anyone except as described below. We may share Personal Information as required or as permitted by law, such as:

• with regulatory authorities, courts, and governmental agencies to comply with legal orders, legal or regulatory requirements, and government requests;
• with our Service Providers who perform services for us and help us operate our business (we require Service Providers to safeguard Personal Information and only use your Personal Information for the purposes we specify);
• with our Clients in the process of evaluating an event.
• with our Sponsors and Exhibitors, when you have given your consent.

Aggregated Information or De-identified Information does not identify you individually; it helps us to analyse patterns among groups of people. We will only share Aggregated Information or De-identified Information with our Clients for the same reasons as we might share Personal Information;

How do we keep and safeguard your information?

We use administrative technical and physical security measures to protect your Personal Information. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and facilities. We take reasonable steps to securely destroy or permanently de-identify Personal Information when we no longer need it.

We do not distribute your information to third parties, other than our Clients, Sponsors and Exhibitors. Information distributed to Clients, Sponsors and Exhibitors, it is only for the purposes of providing final reporting for the event that you attended.  Information provided to Sponsors and Exhibitors is only done if you have given us permission to do so.

We will keep your Online Information only as long as we must to deliver our products and services, unless we are required by law or regulation or for litigation and regulatory investigations to keep it.

What are your choices?

You will always have a right to access, update, and change or correct your Personal Information. If you want to do so, or if you have any questions about how we process your Personal Information, please contact GEMS Event Management Australia on +61 2 9744 5252.

You have choices about how GEMS Event Management Australia uses your information, such as how we market to you or how we manage Cookies and Similar Technologies.

If you do not want us to collect information about you using Cookies & Similar Technologies you can disable or delete them. Most computer systems and browsers offer their own privacy settings. We encourage you to use them to enhance your choices. Most browsers’ advanced settings (such as those in Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Safari) allow you to disable Cookies & Similar Technologies. 

Important - If you do disable or delete Cookies & Similar Technologies, some site features and services may not work. You will need to manage your settings for each computer and browser you use to access the Internet.

What are your choices about how we directly market to you?

GEMS Event Management Australia will provide you with marketing communications about events in your professional sector e.g. if you attend a Stormwater Victoria Conference we will provide you with marketing information about similar state or national conferences targeted at your professional sector. 

If you choose to not receive marketing communications from us, we will honor your choice. Please be aware that if you choose not to receive such communications, we may also be unable to send you information about other activities of our clients.  However, if you contact us directly via email we are able to block you from receiving marketing information about a particular Conference, while retaining your information on our Association database.  We will still communicate with you in connection with servicing your association membership, fulfilling your requests, or administering any event or activity in which you have elected to participate.

Do you have questions about the online privacy statement or how we process your personal information?

You will always have a right to access, update, and change or correct your Personal Information. If you want to do so or if you have any questions about how we process your Personal Information, please contact GEMS Event Management Australia on +61 2 9744 5252 or email jmcgraw@gemsevents.com.au

Glossary

Aggregated Information - data or information relating to multiple people which has been combined or aggregated. Aggregated Information includes information that we create or compile from our conference evaluations.

Cookies and Similar Technologies - a cookie is a small data file that an app or website transfers to your computer's hard drive.  Our Service Providers may place cookies when you use their websites or apps. We may also place cookies when you make purchases, request or personalize information, or register for certain services. If you accept these cookies, you may give us access to information about your interests. We may use that information to personalize your experience. Similar technologies such as web beacons, pixels, gifs, and tags also do the same thing. We use the term Cookies and Similar Technologies in this statement to refer to all technologies that collect information in this way.

De-identified Information - data or information used in a way that does not identify you to a third party. We often derive De-Identified Information from Conference evaluations.

Online Information - data or information which may include Personal Information, Aggregated Information and De-Identified Information collected on the websites and apps of our Service Providers.

Personal Information - means information or an opinion about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion (such as name, address or telephone number).

Service Providers - any vendor, third party and/or company that performs business operations on our behalf, such as Eway, EventsAir, Dun and Bradstreet, Constant Contact and QuestionPro.  These services include, but are not limited to printing, mailing, and other communications services, marketing, data processing, servicing or collections.