Code of Conduct
Media & Entertainment Leaders Summit (MELS) believe our community should be truly open for everyone. As such, we are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, or religion. This code of conduct outlines our expectations for participant behavior as well as the consequences for unacceptable behavior. We invite all sponsors, volunteers, speakers, attendees, media, exhibitors, and other participants to help us realise a safe and positive conference experience for everyone. All determinations of appropriate or inappropriate behavior are in Informa’s sole discretion and the decision(s) of the Informa representatives will be final.
What we expect
Expected Behavior
- Be considerate, respectful, and collaborative.
- Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.
- Be mindful of your in-person and online presence and those of your fellow participants. Alert conference organisers if you notice a dangerous/inappropriate situation or someone in distress.
- Comply with instructions of any session moderators, monitors or any event staff.
- Comply with all applicable laws.
What we won't tolerate
Unacceptable Behavior
- Unacceptable behaviors include: intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning conduct by any attendees of MELS and related events. Many MELS venues are shared with members of the public; please be respectful to all patrons of these locations.
- Harassment includes: offensive verbal comments related to (but not limited to) race, gender, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or other protected category; inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public areas (including presentation slides); deliberate intimidation, stalking or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
- Wearing clothing that is not suitable for a professional work environment, that is provocative, or otherwise potentially offensive.
- Written, verbal or other abuse, intimidation, threats, annoyance, harassment, stalking, and/or spamming, against any person, which in any way creates a disturbance that is disruptive or dangerous, or creates apprehension in a person, as determined by MELS and its show management, in their sole discretion.
- Any boisterous, lewd or offensive behavior or language, including but not limited to using sexually explicit or offensive language, materials or conduct, or any language, behavior or content that contains profanity, obscene gestures, or racial, religious, gender, or ethnic slurs.
- Assembling for the purpose of, or resulting in, disturbing the peace, or committing any unlawful act or engaging in any offensive behavior.
- Failure to obey any rules or regulations of the event or its vendors.
Our Next Steps
Scope
We expect all event participants (including MELS employees, moderators, attendees, vendors, sponsors, speakers, and volunteers) to uphold the principles of this Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct covers all MELS events (virtual or in-person) and all related events (social or otherwise). Informa employees participating in virtual events must continue to abide by all company policies at all times.
Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior
Unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated whether by other attendees, media, speakers, volunteers, organisers, venue staff, sponsors, or exhibitors.
Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.
If a participant engages in unacceptable behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including expulsion from the conference without warning or refund.
What to Do If You Witness or Are Subject to Unacceptable Behavior
If you are subject to unacceptable behavior, notice that someone else is being subject to unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please notify a conference organiser as soon as possible. All reports will remain completely confidential.
The MELS team will be available to help participants contact venue security or local law enforcement, to provide escorts, or to otherwise assist those experiencing unacceptable behavior to feel safe for the duration of the conference.
Report all Code of Conduct violations to: Stephenie Hawkins – Event Director - Stephenie.Hawkins@informa.com
The above policies may be revised at any time by Informa Tech and are non-negotiable. This Code of Conduct is without prejudice to Informa Tech's rights, all of which it expressly reserves.