Conference Policies – Cancellation State and Local 2021

General Conference Policies

CANCELLATION POLICY

For in-person registrants: You may cancel your registration or transfer to the bonus recorded content only option and receive a full refund 21 days or more before the conference. Less than 21 days before the conference, registrants may cancel for a $200 processing fee or transfer to virtual content, in which case the processing fee will be subtracted from the price difference reimbursement. Registrations can be transferred to someone else at any time for no additional fee. Any registrants exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or who have been exposed to COVID-19 within 10 days of the conference MUST cancel their in-person registration, transfer it to another person, or transfer to bonus recorded content only. Registration transfers will not be charged a fee, and for transfer to bonus recorded content only, the processing fee will be subtracted from the price difference reimbursement.

For bonus recorded content registrants: Recorded content registrations are refundable 21 days before the conference. After 21 days, no refund will be granted. Virtual registrations can be transferred to someone else at any time with no additional fee. As long as space is available, recorded content l registrants can transfer their registration to in-person with no additional fee beyond the price difference, at any time prior to one week before the conference.

SPONSOR & EXHIBITOR CANCELLATION POLICY
For our annual sponsorship package options, cancellations are not permitted once payment has been remitted. For all other sponsorships, cancellations received prior to the redemption of any sponsor/exhibitor benefits will receive a full refund. Cancellations received on or before the materials deadline will receive a refund equal to half of the sponsor/exhibitor fee. No refund will be issued after the materials deadline has passed. For a list of benefits and the materials deadline, please reference the sponsor/exhibitor agreement that was included with the registration form. Cancellations must be submitted in writing to Kristin Hanley.

FEES/PAYMENT
Payment must be received before the meeting. Participants who choose to register onsite at the conference will be required to provide payment at the time of their registration. For those who have registered in advance, if payment has not been received in the Public Affairs Council offices by the start of the meeting, you will be required to provide a credit card number before you can gain access to the conference. You will have the option to use that credit card to pay for your registration in its entirety OR to have the Council hold the credit card for 30 days so that you may provide an alternate form of payment. If payment is not received within 30 days of the close of the conference, the credit card provided will be charged the full conference fee.

If your organization is not a member of the Public Affairs Council at the time of the meeting, you will be charged the non-member registration fee. However, if your organization joins within one month after the meeting, you will be refunded the difference between the member and non-member fees.

MARKETING TO CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS
E-mails and/or marketing to the full conference participant list by conference participants, sponsors or exhibitors is strictly prohibited. This is due to numerous complaints from our attendees. Sponsoring companies are welcome to send targeted e-mails to select groups of clients and/or prospective clients to aid in event-related communications. Attendee lists are non-transferrable and sharing outside of the sponsoring organization is prohibited. If the Council receives complaints about e-mails or marketing sent to participants, the company will be notified. Should there be continued issues, the Council reserves the right to cancel sponsorship, exhibitor and/or event registrations for current and future programs, in which case no refunds will be granted.

GUEST POLICY
Guests at conferences are defined as friends/family of paid participants without company affiliations. Requests to register individuals with company affiliations as guests will be denied. Guests are only permitted at certain Public Affairs Council conferences and participation may be limited to individual events. Please contact Kristin Hanley for more information.

SPONSOR POLICIES

• E-mails and/or marketing to the full conference participant list by conference participants, sponsors or exhibitors is strictly prohibited. This is due to numerous complaints from our attendees. Sponsoring companies are welcome to send targeted e-mails to select groups of clients and/or prospective clients to aid in event-related communications. Attendee lists are non-transferable and sharing outside of the sponsoring organization is prohibited. If the Council receives complaints about e-mails or marketing sent to participants, the company will be notified. Should there be continued issues, the Council reserves the right to cancel sponsorship, exhibitor and/or event registrations for current and future programs, in which case no refunds will be granted.
• Materials deadlines help the Council ensure sponsor or exhibitor information is included in the printing of attendee materials and other sponsorship fulfillment is completed, where applicable. The Council will send reminders in advance of deadlines, but the Council cannot guarantee the fulfillment of benefits if sponsors and exhibitors miss those deadlines.
• Advance payment of sponsorship fees is required. Payment must be received no later than the materials deadline for the conference. Please reference the sponsorship confirmation you received via e-mail for specifics on the materials deadline for the event you are sponsoring.
• Per our general conference policies, conference registrations, including complimentary registrations that are part of a sponsorship, may not be split between multiple attendees.
• At most events, the Council will provide a table where sponsor materials may be displayed. Sponsors may also distribute information at their sponsored event. Otherwise, the general distribution of unauthorized marketing materials during conference sessions is strictly prohibited.
• Any applicable complimentary registrations must be assigned in advance of the conference. Beyond these complimentary registrations, if you or your staff would like to attend any of the conference sessions beyond your sponsored event, you must register and pay the conference fee.

For additional information, take a look at our Sponsor and Exhibitor Tip Sheet

EXHIBITOR POLICIES

• E-mails and/or marketing to the full conference participant list by conference participants, sponsors or exhibitors is strictly prohibited. This is due to numerous complaints from our attendees. Sponsoring companies are welcome to send targeted e-mails to select groups of clients and/or prospective clients to aid in event-related communications. Attendee lists are non-transferrable and sharing outside of the sponsoring organization is prohibited. If the Council receives complaints about e-mails or marketing sent to participants, the company will be notified. Should there be continued issues, the Council reserves the right to cancel sponsorship, exhibitor and/or event registrations for current and future programs, in which case no refunds will be granted.
• Materials deadlines help the Council ensure sponsor or exhibitor information is included in the printing of attendee materials and other sponsorship fulfillment is completed, where applicable. A reminder will be sent in advance of deadlines, but the Council cannot guarantee the fulfillment of benefits if sponsors and exhibitors miss deadlines.
• If you or your staff would like to attend any of the conference sessions beyond the Resource Marketplace, you must register and pay the conference fee.
• Advanced payment for your booth is required. The Resource Marketplace fee includes one six-foot table and entrance to the marketplace for a total of two non-registered staff members of your organization. Exhibitors must pay for any audio-visual or additional items needed for the execution of your booth. The Council will provide a request form upon receipt of a completed registration form. Please complete that form and return it at your earliest convenience.
• To assure the safety and timely delivery of your property, we ask that you contact the meeting venue directly and work with their staff to coordinate the shipping, storage, and on-site retrieval of any shipped items. Though Council staff is available to assist you if a problem arises, we are often tied up with other responsibilities related to the successful execution of the conference as a whole and will be unable to coordinate the handling of exhibitors’ property.
• Due to last-minute additions and changes, booth assignments will not be provided prior to your arrival at the conference. Booth assignments are made at Council staff’s discretion, with preferential placement given to event sponsors.

For additional information, take a look at our Sponsor and Exhibitor Tip Sheet.

MEDIA AND REPORTING POLICY

Unless otherwise noted, the Public Affairs Council’s conferences are closed to the news media. In addition, detailed reporting on conference proceedings by members or non-members without the expressed written consent of the Public Affairs Council is strictly prohibited. This policy allows participants to speak candidly about the successes and failures of their public affairs programs without concern about being misquoted or misrepresented. We also prohibit the use of tape recorders or other recording devices in all conference sessions. Journalists who would like more information about corporate and association public affairs and the Public Affairs Council’s programs should contact the Council’s president, Doug Pinkham, at +1 202.787.5964 or email.

CONSENT TO USE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES AND VIDEO
Registering for and attending Public Affairs Council conferences constitutes an agreement by the registrant/attendee to the Council’s use and distribution of the registrant/attendee’s image and/or voice in videos and photographs.