Privacy & Cookies Policy
This is the internet privacy policy for Open Forum Events Limited ("Open Forum Events", "us", "we" or "our"), we are committed to respecting your privacy and to complying with applicable data protection and privacy laws.
You can visit our websites without disclosing any personally identifiable information about yourself (although please note that we may use cookies and collect other non-personally identifiable information about your browsing activity - see our cookie policy for detailed information).
If you do submit personal information by ordering products, services or completing a web form registration, for example, you can be assured that we will use your personal information only to support your continuing relationship with Open Forum Events.
This policy covers all data that is shared by a visitor with us whether directly via www.openforumevents.co.uk or via email. This policy been created by the internet marketing experts at Surge Digital on our behalf, and is occasionally updated by us so we suggest you re-review from time to time.
This policy provides an explanation as to what happens to any personal data that you share with us, or that we collect from you either directly via this Website or via email.
We endeavour to collect and use your personal information only with your knowledge and consent and typically when you order and subsequently use products and services, make customer enquiries, register for information or other services, request product information, submit a job application or when you respond to communications from us (such as questionnaires or surveys).
We may also collect your information if you request a quote from us whether via a website form or via our live chat in which case it shall be within our legitimate interests to contact you to discuss a sale.
The type of personal information we may collect could include, for example, your name, email address, telephone number, email address, and credit/debit card information; and other information collected on registration or through surveys.
If you choose to provide us with personal information it will be used in support of the intended purposes stated at the time at which it was collected, and subject to any preferences indicated by you.
2. Non-personal Identifying Information
We may also collect non-personally identifying information about your visit to our websites based on your browsing activities. This information may include the pages you browse and products and services viewed or ordered for example. This helps us to better manage and develop our events, to provide you with a more enjoyable, customised service and experience in the future, and to help us develop and deliver better products and services tailored to your individual interests and needs.
From time to time, if you have consented accordingly we may also store and use your information to contact you for market research and marketing purposes. We may contact you by email, phone or mail.
In operating our Website we may collect and process the following data about you:
2.1 Details of your visits to our Website and the resources that you access including, but not limited to, traffic data, location data, weblog statistics and other communication data.
2.2 Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Website, such as when you register to receive information such as a newsletter or contact us via the contact us page.
2.3 Information provided to us when you communicate with us for any reason.
3. Use of cookies
On occasion, we may gather information about your computer for our services, and to provide statistical information regarding the use of our Website to our advertisers.
Such information will not identify you personally, it is statistical data about our visitors and their use of our site. This statistical data does not identify any personal details whatsoever. It is used by us to analyse how visitors interact with the Website so that we can continue to develop and improve this Website.
We may gather information about your general Internet use by using a cookie file that is downloaded to your computer. Where used, these cookies are downloaded to your computer automatically. This cookie file is stored on the hard drive of your computer as cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive. They help us to improve our Website and the service that we provide to you.
All computers have the ability to decline cookies. This can be done by activating the setting on your browser which enables you to decline the cookies. Please note that should you choose to decline cookies, you may be unable to access particular areas of our Website.
Any advertising featured on this Website may also incorporate cookies, over which we have no control. Such cookies (if used) would be downloaded once you click on advertisements on our Website.
For more information on cookies you can read the guidance at All About Cookies.
4. Use of your information
The information that we collect and store relating to you is primarily used to enable us to provide our services to you. In addition, we may use the information for the following purposes:
3.1 To provide you with information requested from us relating to our products or services and to provide information on other products which we feel may be of interest to you if you have consented to receive such information.
3.2 To meet our contractual commitments to you.
3.3 To notify you about any changes to our Website, such as improvements or service/product changes, that may affect our service.
3.4 If you are an existing customer, we may contact you with information about goods and services similar to those which were the subject of a previous sale to you.
3.5 We may use your data, or permit selected third parties to use your data, so that you can be provided with information about unrelated goods and services which we consider may be of interest to you. We or they may contact you about these goods and services by any of the methods that you consented to at the time your information was collected.
3.6 If you are a new customer, we will only contact you or allow third parties to contact you only when you have provided consent and only by those means you provided consent for.
3.7 If you do not want us to use your data for ourselves or third parties you will have the opportunity to withhold your consent to this when you provide your details to us on the form on which we collect your data.
3.8 Please be advised that we do not reveal information about identifiable individuals to our advertisers but we may, on occasion, provide them with aggregate statistical information about our visitors such as your area of residence or age group
3.9 If you have consented to receive details of products and services, events and training you can contact us at any time to have your details removed from lists used by us for any or all of those purposes or from lists maintained by our research division, to update your information or to otherwise tell us how you would like to receive information about our and/or third party products and services - the choice is yours.
To update your marketing preferences please email info@openforumevents.co.uk and tell us what you want us to do (i.e. 'opt-out Email', 'opt-out Calls' etc or if you have previously objected to receiving information by post for example, but would now like to change your mind and receive information then just say, 'opt-in post' in the subject header of your email).
Storing and protecting data and information
4.1 Please note that Open Forum Events does not sell or pass your personal information to third parties (other than as set out in the paragraph above) unless you have given us permission or unless it is strictly necessary to deliver the products and services ordered or used by you and you are notified beforehand.
For example, we may disclose your data to a credit card company to validate your credit card details and obtain payment when you buy a product or service. We may also have to disclose some limited details to third party suppliers of software for audit reasons.
We may also be obliged to disclose your personal information to meet any legal or regulatory requirements (for example to comply with a court order) or obligations in accordance with applicable law.
We will take all reasonable steps to make sure that your data is treated securely and in agreement with this privacy policy.
4.2 Data that is provided to us is stored on our secure servers. Details relating to any transactions entered into via our site will be encrypted to ensure its safety.
4.3 The transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure and therefore we cannot guarantee the security of data sent to us electronically and the transmission of such data is entirely at your own risk. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password so that you can access certain areas of our site, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential.
4.4 To make sure we meet our legal data protection and privacy obligations, we only hold on to your information for as long as we actually need it for the purposes we acquired it for in the first place.
4.5 In most cases, this means we will keep your information for as long as you continue to use our services, and for a reasonable period of time afterwards if you stop doing so, to see if we can persuade you to come back to us. After that we will delete it other than where we lawfully can keep any data for audit or legal reasons.
4.6 We shall keep data on our prospect database for not longer than 3 years from receipt subject to an individual’s right to unsubscribe or be forgotten at any time.
5.1 Where applicable, we may disclose your personal information to any member of our group. This includes, where applicable, our subsidiaries, our holding company and its other subsidiaries.
5.2 We may also disclose your personal information to third parties:
5.2.1 Where we sell any or all of our business and/or our assets to a third party.
5.2.2 Where we are legally required to disclose your information.
5.2.3 To assist fraud protection and minimise credit risk.
Any social media posts or communications will be shared under the terms of the relevant social media platform (e.g. Facebook / Twitter / Linkedin) on which they are written and could be made public.
Other people, not us, control these platforms. We are not responsible for this kind of sharing. We recommend you should review the terms and conditions and privacy policies of the social media platforms you use. That way, you will understand how they will use your information, what information relating to you they will place in the public domain, and how you can stop them from doing so if you are unhappy about it.
Any blog, review or other posts or comments you make about us, our products and services on any of our blogs, reviews or user community services will be shared with all other members of that service and the public at large. Any comments you make on these services and on social media in general must be not offensive, insulting or defamatory. You are responsible for ensuring that any comments you make comply with any relevant policy on acceptable use of those services.
You might find links to third party websites on our Website. These websites should have their own privacy policies which you should check. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for their policies whatsoever as we have no control over them.
Information Security
Open Forum Events recognises and shares concerns about how companies protect personal information from misuse and abuse and about privacy in general. We are constantly reviewing and enhancing our technical, physical and managerial procedures and rules to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss and/or destruction. Our partners use industry standard TLS certificates to provide encryption of data in transit, for example, all access to our Website and management portals is covered by HTTPS.
Please be aware that communications over the Internet, such as emails/webmails, are not secure unless they have been encrypted. Your communications may route through a number of countries before being delivered - this is the nature of the World Wide Web/Internet. Open Forum Events cannot accept responsibility for any unauthorised access or loss of personal information that is beyond our control.
You can write to us at any time to obtain details of the personal information we may hold about you. Please quote your name and address together with your mobile and/or account number (if relevant). We would be grateful if could also provide brief details of what information you want a copy of (this helps us to more readily locate your data.)
We will take all reasonable steps to confirm your identity before providing you with details of any personal information we may hold about you. Should you wish to receive details that we hold about you please contact us using the contact details below.
We welcome any queries, comments or requests you may have regarding this policy please do not hesitate to contact us at info@openforumevents.co.uk.
If you would prefer to write to us then our contact address is: Data Protection Officer, Quebec Offices, Bury Street, Manchester M3 7DU.
