Terms and Conditions of Attendance and Participation in Consensus
Effective Date: October, 2022.
These are the terms and conditions (the “Agreement”) governing your attendance at and participation in Consensus 2024 (the “Conference”), which will take place from May 29 to May 31, 2024 at the Austin Convention Center and various locations in downtown Austin (the “Venue”).
By completing registration for the Conference (“Registration”) you agree to these terms, which form a binding legal contract between CoinDesk, Inc. (“Company” or “we) and you, the registered attendee or participant (“Attendee” or “you”). If you are registering on behalf of another individual, it is your responsibility to ensure the person attending is aware of these terms and accepts them. By completing the registration on behalf of another individual as Attendee you (a) represent and warrant that (i) you have the full authority to register the Attendee and to bind the Attendee to the terms hereof; (ii) you have made the Attendee aware of these terms and that they have accepted these terms; and (b) you shall indemnify, hold harmless and defend Company, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims arising out of a breach of such representation and warranty.
Arbitration Notice and Class Action Waiver: Please note that this Agreement is subject to an arbitration agreement and class action waiver as set forth in section 11.6 below.
1. Registration Confirmation
1.1. Once you have completed registering for the Conference, you will receive your Registration
confirmation
by email. Please ensure that (a) you enter your valid email correctly when entering your
information on the
registration form; and (b) you check your junk email box in case any email(s) from us are caught
by spam
filters.
1.2. You will receive essential information for registered Attendees electronically at the email address that you provide during Registration.
2. Attendee Requirements
2.1. Admittance. Subject to full payment by you of any applicable registration fees
(“Registration Fees”),
your Registration entitles you to admittance to the Conference. You acknowledge and agree that
certain
events at the Conference are subject to capacity restrictions and are available on a first come,
first
served basis. Any and all fees, expenses or other costs associated with your attendance at the
Conference
(including without limitation travel and accommodation expenses) shall be borne solely by you,
and Company
shall have no liability for such costs.
2.2. Age Requirements. No one under the age of 18 will be permitted to attend the Conference. You hereby represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years of age. Some performance or event venues may require patrons to be 21 years of age.
2.3. You will be required to sign in for the Conference at the Venue (“Sign-In”), where you will receive a badge (“Badge”) and other registration materials (“Registration Materials”).
2.4. Identification. Attendees must provide a government issued photo ID at Sign-In in order to collect your Badge and Registration Materials. Unless you are an exhibitor or a member of a group who has arranged for an advance group pick up of Badges, you must collect your own individual Badge and allocated Registration Materials.
2.5. Attendee Badge Usage. For security and safety reasons, you agree that you will wear your Badge at all times in Conference areas.
2.6. Conference Content. You acknowledge and agree that Company, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to change any and all aspects of the Conference, including but not limited to, the Conference name, themes, content, program, speakers, performers, hosts, moderators, venue, and time.
2.7. Visa Requirements. It is the sole responsibility of the Attendee to take care of any government visa requirements. Attendees who require a visa to enter the United States should allow sufficient time for the application procedure. Attendees may contact the nearest embassy or consulate to determine the appropriate timing of their visa applications. Company will not contact embassies and consulates on behalf of Attendees who require visas or provide any other assistance relating to visa issues. Failure to obtain a visa in advance of the Conference does not constitute a valid basis for obtaining a refund.
2.8. Proof of Covid-19 Vaccination: Currently, we or the Venue do not require you to provide a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, we and the Venue retain complete discretion to change this policy for any reason. In the event that we change this policy, we will inform you of any requirements for entry into the Conference. If required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result or proof of vaccination, failure to provide such proof does not constitute a valid basis for obtaining a refund.
3. Special Rates. Company does not offer special rates for daily attendance, exhibit hall only, etc. If you register using a special or discounted rate that is not applicable to you, you hereby authorize CoinDesk to charge your card for the difference upon notice that CoinDesk does not agree with your selection of the special or discounted rate. All determinations of the discounted/special rates are in the sole discretion of CoinDesk. CoinDesk reserves the right to not provide you with any special rate.
4. Event Recordings: Use of Likeness
4.1. During the Conference, attendees, sponsors, speakers and others may be photographed and
videotaped by
Company, its sponsors and vendors in capturing the Conference. By attending the Conference, you
hereby grant:
4.1.1. Company, its sponsors, vendors, service providers, agents, licensees and assigns (“Company Entities”) the right to record, film, photograph, or otherwise capture your likeness and voice at the Conference in photos, videos, audio recordings or other media (“Recordings”); and
The Company Entities the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, fully-paid up right and license to (i) copy, display, reproduce, edit, distribute, create derivative works of and otherwise use your comments as captured by the Recordings; and (ii) reproduce, copy, display, perform, distribute, broadcast or otherwise use the Recordings and your name in connection therewith in any media now available or hereafter developed (including without limitation on CoinDesk.com, brochures, association publications, web- based media such as blogs, websites, e-newsletters) for any purpose, including, but not limited to, for promotional purposes, in future Consensus conference programs, without any further approval from you or any payment to you. This grant to the Company Entities includes, but is not limited to, the right to edit such Recordings, the right to use the Recordings alone or together with other information, and the right to allow others to use or disseminate the Recordings.
4.2. You hereby waive any and all rights that you may be afforded by any applicable statute, law or regulation in any way relating to the Recordings, including, but not limited to, any right to inspect or approve any use of the Recordings, any right of privacy or publicity, any copyright or moral right, and any right to injunctive or other equitable relief.
4.3. You hereby release and discharge the Company Entities and their respective employees, directors, officers, agents, and affiliated companies (the "Releasees") from and against any and all claims, actions and liabilities, whether known or unknown, that You may have by reason of the Releasees’ use of the Recordings or exercise of the rights granted herein, including without limitation, claims arising from rights of privacy, defamation, publicity portrayal in a false light, false endorsement, copyright infringement or unfair competition and/or economic damage or loss, whether foreseen or unforeseen, or delay of any kind, that You may now or in the future have. For the purposes of this Section 4.1.4 and Section 9.1 below, “You” means you, your assigns, heirs, guardians, and legal representatives.
5. Cancellation, Substitution, and Lost Badge Policy
5.1. Cancellation by Attendee. If you cancel your Registration, Company will not provide any
refund, regardless
of the reason for cancelling. However, you may request to transfer your Registration to another
person to take
your place, but such substitutions are not guaranteed and Company may grant and arrange the
requested
substitution at its sole discretion in accordance with the Attendee Change Policy set out in
Section 5.3 below.
5.2 Cancellation by Company:
5.2.1. Company reserves the right to cancel, in its sole discretion, Attendee’s Registration upon refund of the Registration Fees paid to Company; provided, however, that if an Attendee’s Registration is cancelled due to Attendee having violated any prohibition or requirement set forth in Section 7 below, Company may retain all Registration Fees paid.
5.2.2. Please note, Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to unilaterally abbreviate, cancel and/or reschedule the Conference due to circumstances beyond Company’s control, including but not limited to civil disturbance; earthquake; electrical outage; explosion; fire; freight embargo; strike or labor unrest; flood, hurricane, tornado, or other acts of God; pandemic (including COVID 19), epidemic, or an act of war, terrorism, any government (de facto or de jure), or any government agency or official (“Force Majeure Event”). If Company abbreviates, cancels and/or reschedules the Conference due to a Force Majeure Event, you expressly agree to waive any claim you may have against Company for damages or compensation, including but not limited to Registration Fees, housing, airfare, and/or incidental charges.
5.3. Attendee Change Policy. If you wish to make any changes to your Attendee Registration or make a substitution for any Attendee in the Registration, you may to do this by emailing CoinDesk at events@coindesk.com (“Change Request”) and CoinDesk may, at its sole discretion, process your Change Request. If CoinDesk processes your Change Request, it will be subject to the following fees (collectively, “Change Fees”):
5.3.1. For Change Requests made prior to 6pm EST on Friday, May 17, 2024: the difference in price for upgrading to a higher tier (e.g. transferring the Two-Day tier to the Pro tier).
For Change Requests made after 6pm EST on Friday, May 17, 2024: Any Tier Change Fees plus an administrative fee of US$100.
The individual submitting the Change Request is responsible for paying any and all Change Fees. We will not process the Change Request until payment has been made. Please note that we will not be able to process any Change Requests once Badges have been printed.
5.4. No Substitution On Site. Once you have received your Badge on site, it cannot be changed, substituted, or reissued to a different person.
5.5. Lost Badge Fee. If your Badge is lost or misplaced, we will charge you a $200 USD fee for a replacement Badge.
6. Personal Information
6.1. Email Notifications. By registering for the Conference, you agree to be engaged with
Company and
will be added to the Company email distribution list. You will have the opportunity to amend or
terminate your
email subscription by clicking Unsubscribe in an email received from Company and following the
instructions.
6.2. Privacy Policy. Company owns and operates the Conference and is committed to protecting the privacy of Conference attendees. Company does not rent, share, or sell your contact information or other identifying personal information to any third parties. Company’s privacy policy is available at: coindesk.com/privacy
6.3. Scanning of Badges. Attendees are required to have their Badges authenticated to enter session rooms and other Conference events. In addition, Attendees may be asked to have their Badge scanned either at exhibit booths and/or other sponsored events. You acknowledge and agree that your name, address, phone number and email address are stored in the bar code on your Badge. When your Badge is scanned by exhibitors and/or sponsors during the conference, you acknowledge and agree that you are providing that information to those exhibitors and/or sponsors and opting-in to receiving communications from that entity. You will be subject to their communications and privacy policy and must opt-out with them directly.
7. Prohibited Conduct
7.1. Limitations on Use. You agree not to sell, trade, transfer, or share your Badge. In
the event that
Company determines that you have violated the foregoing policy, Company may cancel your
Badge(s), retain any
payments made by you, report you to law enforcement authorities, and ban you from future Company
conferences.
7.2. Disruptive Conduct. You acknowledge and agree that Company reserves the right to remove you from the Conference if Company, in its sole discretion, determines that your presence or behavior creates a disruption or hinders the Conference or the enjoyment of the Conference by other attendees.
7.3. Badge Misuse. Company reserves the right to immediately eject from the Conference and ban from future conferences any Attendee wearing a badge from previous Company conferences or counterfeit or otherwise falsified badges and/or sharing or swapping badges. Company considers such conduct theft of service, trespassing, and fraud and may report violators to law enforcement authorities. If such conduct is discovered after the Conference, violators may be invoiced according to onsite registration pricing and will be required to pay their invoice in full in order to avoid being reported to law enforcement authorities.
7.4. Use of Registration Credentials as Prizes. You acknowledge and agree that you may not use registration credentials for the Conference as a prize or incentive in any form of promotion, contest, game or sweepstakes without Company’s advance prior written approval.
7.5. Suitcasing. “Suitcasing” refers to the practice of attending a trade show but “working the aisles” from a suitcase or briefcase, soliciting business from other attendees and exhibitors. For the good of the Conference and the exhibitors supporting the Conference, you acknowledge and agree that the only legitimate place to conduct business during the Conference is within a contracted exhibit space on the show floor. Attendees observed soliciting business in the aisles or other public spaces, or in another company’s booth, may be ejected from the Conference and may be banned from future conferences in Company’s sole discretion
7.6. Recording, Live Streaming, and Videotaping. Attendees may not record or broadcast audio or video of sessions at the Conference unless they have written permission from the CoinDesk Events Team. Attendees are responsible for compliance with all applicable intellectual property, privacy and publicity laws, rules and regulations.
7.7. Unethical/Non-Compliant Marketing. Company reserves the right to deny admission to or eject anyone who engages in or is reputed to engage in unethical or non-compliant marketing practices.
7.8. Weapons-Free Policy. The Conference is a private event and maintains a weapons-free policy for the Conference and all events at the Conference. Attendee is prohibited from carrying weapons of any kind, including, without limitation, concealed or displayed firearms, and is not permitted to bring weapons onto the premises of any Events. Attendee’s bags may be checked prior to entering the Venue or any other physical, in-person venue (whether part of the physical events or production for the online events) by employees, contractors and/or representatives of (a) Company, (b) the Venue or venue for the applicable event, and/or (c) Company clients or Consensus sponsors. Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, without refund, deferral or credit to Attendee, to deactivate and/or revoke the Attendee’s registration credentials and Badge if Attendee violates this policy. Attendee acknowledges and agrees that this weapons-free policy is in force, and Attendee agrees to comply with such policy, regardless of the terms of any signs posted on the Venue or venue of any event.
7.9. Hold Harmless. Attendee agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Company harmless from any breach or violation of the requirements and prohibitions set forth in this Section 7. This Section 7.9 shall survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement.
7.10. Return of Badges. All Badges are the property of Company and must be returned to Company upon request.
8. Intellectual Property
8.1. As between you and Company, all intellectual property rights in and to the Conference, the
Conference content, and all materials distributed at or in connection with the Conference
(collectively, “Conference Materials”) are owned by Company, or the Conference sponsors or
speakers presenting at the Conference.
8.2. You may not use or reproduce or allow anyone to use or reproduce any Conference Content, trademarks, service marks, logos, names (including without limitation “CoinDesk”) or other trade names appearing at the Conference for any reason without the prior written permission of Company.
8.3. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to vest in you any legal or beneficial right in or to any trademarks or other intellectual property rights owned or used under license by Company or any of its affiliates; nor does this Agreement grant to you any right or license to any other intellectual property rights of Company or its affiliates, all of which shall at all times remain the exclusive property of Company and its affiliates.
9. Waiver; Release of Claims; Indemnity
9.1 You attend the Conference at your own risk and you hereby release the Releasees, from any
and all liability of any actions, claims or demands that You may have now or in the future,
for any loss, injury, illness, death or property damage (“Loss”) in connection with your
attendance at and participation in the Conference, including, but not limited to, any Loss
resulting from your interaction with staff, any equipment, stairs, food, goods sold, or
virus or infectious disease, whether or not caused by Releasees’ negligence. You expressly
agree to assume all risks of injury to you that could arise as a result of your attendance
at and participation in the Conference. For the purposes of Section 4.1.4 and this Section
9.1, “You” means you, your assigns, heirs, guardians, and legal representatives.
9.2 You shall not assert any claim, action or demand against the Releasees in connection with your attendance at and participation in the Conference, and You hereby release the Releases from and against any and all claims, actions and liabilities, whether known or unknown, that you now have or may have in connection with your attendance at and participation in the Conference.
9.3 You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Company, as well as its officers, directors, employees, agents and consultants from any and all claims, losses, damages, liabilities, judgments, or settlements, including attorney’s fees, costs and other expenses arising from or related to (i) your negligent acts or omissions or intentional misconduct in connection your attendance at the Conference; and (ii) a breach or alleged breach of this Agreement, including without limitation any representations, covenants and warranties.
10. Disclaimer of Warranties, Limitation of Liability
10.1. Company gives no warranties in respect of any aspect of the Conference or any materials
related thereto or offered at the Conference, including without limitation, the Conference
Materials, and, to the fullest extent possible under the laws governing this Agreement,
disclaims all implied warranties, including but not limited to warranties of fitness for a
particular purpose, accuracy, timeliness, and merchantability. The Conference is provided on an
“as-is” basis. Neither Company nor its affiliates accept any responsibility or liability for
reliance by you or any person on any aspect of the Conference or any information provided at the
Conference.
10.2. Except as required by law, neither Company nor its affiliates shall be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential costs, damages or losses arising directly or indirectly from the Conference or other aspect related thereto or in connection with this Agreement.
10.3. The maximum aggregate liability of Company for any claim in any way connected with, or arising from, the Conference or this Agreement, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise (including any negligent act or omission), shall be limited to the amount paid by you to Company under this Agreement.
11. Miscellaneous
11.1. No Waiver; Enforceability, No Assignment. Company’s failure to exercise any right
provided for herein shall not be deemed a waiver of any further rights hereunder. If any
provision of this Agreement is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be
limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that this Agreement shall otherwise
remain in full force and effect and enforceable. This Agreement is not assignable, transferable
or sub-licensable by you except with Company’s prior written consent.
11.2. Force Majeure. Company shall not be liable or in default for any failure to perform, its obligations hereunder where such failure results from a Force Majeure Event.
11.3. Governing Law and Venue. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any conflict of law or other principles that provide for the application of the law of another jurisdiction. Subject to Section 11.6 below, to the extent the parties are permitted under this Agreement to initiate litigation in a court, the parties shall submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts sitting in New York County, New York.
11.4. Entire Agreement. Both parties agree that this Agreement is the complete and exclusive statement of the mutual understanding of the parties and supersedes and cancels all previous written and oral agreements, communications and other understandings relating to the subject matter of this Agreement, and that all modifications must be in a writing signed by both parties, except as otherwise provided herein.
11.5. No Agency. No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment is created as a result of this Agreement and you acknowledge that you do not have any authority of any kind to bind the Company in any respect whatsoever.
11.6. Dispute Resolution; Arbitration Agreement; Class Action Waiver.
11.6.1. In the unlikely event that Company is unable to resolve a complaint you may have to your satisfaction, the Parties agree to resolve such dispute through binding arbitration on an individual basis in accordance with the American Arbitration Association’s rules for consumer arbitration, which shall be conducted in the English language before a single arbitrator in the City of New York, New York, except that (i) you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify, as long as the matter remains in such court and advances only on an individual (non-class, non-representative) basis, and (ii) you or Company may seek equitable relief in court for infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights.
11.6.2. IF YOU AGREE TO ARBITRATION WITH COMPANY, YOU ARE AGREE ING IN ADVANCE THAT YOU WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST COMPANY ALLEGING CLASS, COLLECTIVE, AND/OR REPRESENTATIVE CLAIMS ON YOUR BEHALF. This dispute resolution provision shall apply to this Agreement unless, within thirty (30) days of signing this contract, you notify Company in writing that you reject this provision.
11.7. Unsecured Items Policy. Personal belongings such as briefcases, backpacks, purses, coats, book bags, laptops, tablets or mobile devices, etc. should not be left unattended in meeting rooms or public areas. These items are the responsibility of their owner and Company will not be held responsible for their safekeeping should they become lost or stolen. Additionally, any unattended items may be subject to removal by security upon being discovered. If you lose or find an item, please ask about the lost and found at registration.