We may use your information for the following purposes, depending on the relationship we have with you.  Prior to submitting your personal data to us, we will provide you with more specific information where necessary about how we will use your data, and link you to this Privacy Policy.

Processing required to provide a service or fulfil a contract

In certain cases, processing your data is required for our products and services to function or for us to be able to deliver the service you have requested. For these processing activities, we are operating under the lawful basis of Performance of Contract to deliver on the terms of a contract and Legitimate Interest where the activity is necessary for our services to function. Examples, where this occurs, include activities such as taking payment, invoicing, delivery, creating event login details, website access control, match-making services and badge scanning to allow your requirement to be met at our events. This may also include sharing data with third parties.

Attending in-person or virtual events:

To assess the activity of our attendees at our events

We assess how people move around and engage with our in-person or virtual events.  We do this using any apps you have activated or signed up to, and where you allow your badge to be scanned by exhibitors and staff at our events.  We use this information for analytics, and to improve and enhance our events. It is our legitimate interest to monitor the location and engagement of our attendees at our events.

Live Event Feature Areas such as seminars and VIP areas

Where an event has a feature area such as a seminar or theatre, you may be asked to scan your badge on entry for the purpose of health and safety, analysing attendance to improve and enhance events and share your data in some cases with the feature area partner or sponsor. When we scan your badge for entry to feature areas we use legitimate interest for the purposes prescribed above. If you do not wish your data to be shared with a sponsor or partner of a feature area, advice will be given on how to notify us of your preference at the area entrance, dependent on the format of the feature area.

Badge Scanning Policy

Where you allow your badge to be scanned by an exhibitor or sponsor at one of our events your contact details will be transferred to the exhibitor or sponsor. When you hand your badge to an exhibitor or sponsor for them to scan, you are consenting to your Personal Data being passed to the exhibitor or sponsor.  If you do not wish for your information to be passed on, please do not allow your badge to be scanned. The third-party use of your details will be in accordance with their own privacy policy and is not covered by this Privacy Policy.

Enhance your Event experience

For exhibitors and sponsors, we engage logistic partners in order to enhance your experience at our events, such as engaging stand builders, electricity providers, carpeting, furniture, WIFI providers etc. We may share your details with logistic partners acting on our behalf: (i) as and when required in order to enable the performance of the contract we have with you; or (ii) so they may inform you of relevant services offered by such preferred partners as approved by the event organisers using legitimate interest or consent if and when required under applicable data protection laws.

Online Event Content & Networking Platforms (including, without limitation, digital apps)

Where we are hosting and managing a virtual event or live event with a virtual element to it including online networking or content, SmartCitiesWorld (and any event partner or third party platform provider acting on our behalf) will use your personal information provided during the registration process to host and manage this digital event and for analyzing visitor interactions and traffic with a view to improving the event experience for visitors and provide you with a personalized experience. Your personal information may be shared with sponsors and exhibitors to allow them to engage with you subject to the attendee privacy notice you may have been provided during the registration and login process and subject to applicable data protection laws.

Your data will be protected by the platform provider and not commercialised by them. You have the right to access your data, as well as editing or deleting it through the tools provided within the mobile application or web platform. 

Where data is passed to a sponsor or exhibitor they will assume the role of data controller when using the data in their systems and their privacy policy will apply not this Privacy Policy.

Profiling your data to develop, personalise and promote our services

Under the lawful basis of legitimate interest, we will profile and analyse your data to help us assess and optimise the performance of our website, events and other products as well as to assist future planning. 

Under this basis we will use your role, company, activity history and submitted job and company demographics to segment our marketing campaigns to ensure you are only contacted for opportunities relevant to you, to provide match-making services to connect you with people most suited to your interests and to tailor our messaging better of information or services we think will be of interest to you.

Service communications and marketing

We will send you newsletters, offers or other marketing emails that keep you up to date with our news, events and products that may be of interest.

Depending on the nature of your interaction with us and applicable data protection laws, you may have actively given us your consent (i.e. opted in) or we may be entitled to rely on your implied consent or legitimate interests to market to you. The opportunity to opt-out of future marketing will always be provided and you have the right to amend your marketing preferences at any time (see Your Rights section below).

Recordings

Photos, videos or recordings may be taken at our events, which may feature attendees, speakers, sponsors or exhibitors. Where we have taken photos, videos and recordings at our events that feature you as an attendee, speaker, sponsor or exhibitor, to the extent permitted by applicable data protection laws, those photos and videos (and presentations if used) may be used for promotional or, where applicable, commercial purposes.

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out by SmartCitiesWorld before you withdraw your consent.

International transfer of personal information

Due to the international nature of business and the technologies required, personal information may be accessed by our colleagues and third-party service providers from locations all around the world whose data protection laws may not be as extensive as those in regions such as the European Union and the UK.

We put in place appropriate protection to make sure your personal information remains adequately protected and is treated in line with this policy, EU and UK GDPR and other applicable data protection laws.

Cookies 

A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identifier that is automatically placed on a user’s computer or other device when the user visits a website.  Cookies allow us to monitor your use of the software and simplify your use of the site. For example, a temporary cookie is used to keep track of your “session” so you don’t have to log on every time you access a new page (this is not stored after you quit your browser).

If you do not wish for cookies to be installed on your device, you can change the settings on your browser or device to reject cookies. Please note, if you set your browser to reject cookies, you may not be able to access all functions of our websites. For more information, please visit our Cookie Policy.

Third-party links

This website contains links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these websites and do not accept any liability in connection with their content. We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of each third-party site linked from this website to determine its use of your personal information.

Who we might share your data with

• Internally with other brands within SmartCitiesWorld for specific purposes where there is an implied interest. For example, where they may offer relevant products and services which may be of interest. These brands manage and process data consistent with this Privacy Policy. 

• Selected third parties that we work with, where necessary for the purposes of delivering to you services that you request from us.  For example, when you register to attend an event that we host, we may share your information with third-party subcontractors or service providers including IT and marketing technology host suppliers, web and data hosting providers, mailing houses, ad servers, logistics and general service contractors, freight forwarders, onsite health and safety partners, event registration partners, sales platform providers, communication tool providers, suppliers of sponsorship/ marketing/ PR collateral and other event collaboration partners. Where we use such third parties, we take reasonable, appropriate steps to ensure that the contractor effectively processes the personal data in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy and our internal policies relating to the protection of personal data.

• Any other third parties where necessary to enable us to enforce our legal rights or to protect the rights, property or safety of our employees or where such disclosure may be permitted or required by law.

• We may share your personal information with third parties outside SmartCitiesWorld in the event of a sale, merger, acquisition, partnership, joint venture, collaboration, or negotiations related to the same with respect to all or part of our business.

• Some of our events and products are co-branded, co-delivered or sponsored by third-party exhibitors or sponsors. We may share your details with these third-party partners. Should we do so at in-person or virtual events, a clear notice will be provided that gives the opportunity to manage your preferences with regard to such sharing as required by applicable data protection laws. The third-party partner’s use of your details will be in accordance with their notice provided and its privacy policy and is not covered by this Privacy Policy. Generally, we will let you know at the time of collection if a product is sponsored.

Data security

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need. They will only process your personal data on our written instructions and they are also subject to a duty of confidentiality.