Purpose and scope

Protecting the privacy of visitors to this website is a fundamental priority for AEGIS EVENT.

This policy explains how personal data collected by AEGIS EVENT is processed in connection with the use of https://www.metrics-summit.org. It also covers AEGIS EVENT’s follow-up activities with people who have asked to be contacted again or expressed an interest in working with AEGIS EVENT.

This policy applies to website visitors, people who contact the organiser, participants and guests, speakers, committee candidates, and representatives of sponsors, exhibitors, partners and service providers. It covers data collected online, by email, through forms and order forms, or during exchanges relating to the congress.

Processing is carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), and the Belgian Act of 30 July 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data.

Optional processing applies only if you use the relevant service, after you have been informed and, where required, have given your consent.

Data controller and contact person

AEGIS EVENT is the controller of the processing described in this policy and determines its purposes and means.

AEGIS EVENT oversees matters relating to the protection of the data of users and the persons referred to in section 1 of this policy.

For any specific question, you may also contact Mr Antoine RIZK, the person responsible for personal-data processing matters, by email or by post addressed to him at AEGIS EVENT’s registered office.

Source of the data

The data mainly comes from information you provide directly: contact requests, exchanges with the organiser, registrations, orders, proposed contributions and communication choices.

Some professional data may be provided by your employer, your organisation, a sponsor inviting you or the person arranging your participation. It may also come from relevant public professional sources, such as your organisation’s website or a professional directory. Its public nature does not exempt AEGIS EVENT from complying with the GDPR.

Where data is collected indirectly, AEGIS EVENT will inform you in particular of the source and the categories of data concerned, no later than the statutory period of one month or, if earlier, at the time of the first communication with you or the first disclosure to another recipient, unless a statutory exception applies.

Technical browsing data is described in section 4.7 and in the cookie policy.

Data processed and purposes

Responding to requests and preparing a contractual relationship

Forms and exchanges may involve processing your surname, first name, position, organisation, business email address, telephone number if you provide it, your message and the documents needed to handle your request.

This data is used to reply to you, provide the requested information, prepare a sponsorship or exhibition offer and follow up on exchanges.

Where you act on your own behalf with a view to entering into a contract, processing is based on steps taken at your request before entering into a contract. If you represent an organisation, or make a general information request, it is based on AEGIS EVENT’s legitimate interest in responding to its contacts and organising its professional relationships.

Managing registration and participation in the congress

When registration opens, the required data may include your identity, professional contact details, organisation, position, participation category, selected services, information needed to issue your badge and manage access, and correspondence relating to your participation.

It is used to process registration, issue supporting documents and badges, organise reception, manage access and send you the practical information required for the congress.

Processing is based on performance of the contract where you are personally a party to it. For people registered by their organisation or invited by a partner, it is based on AEGIS EVENT’s legitimate interest in fulfilling commitments made to that organisation and managing the participation of the designated persons.

Communications essential to a registration or service are separate from promotional communications. Unsubscribing from the latter does not stop information needed to provide the service from being sent.

Managing sponsors and exhibitors and handling invoicing

AEGIS EVENT processes the contact details of relevant contacts, information about the selected offer, orders, invitations and agreed services, invoicing details, purchase-order and VAT numbers, signatures, and payment references and status.

This data is used to prepare and perform agreements, organise exhibition spaces and the agreed visibility, manage invitations and maintain accounts.

Online payments through the ticketing service are made via PayPal. Data required for the transaction, including information concerning the payment card used, is processed to authorise and complete payment and, where applicable, issue a refund. Information about how this provider processes data is available at: https://www.paypal.com/fr/legalhub/paypal/privacy-full

AEGIS EVENT also uses the payment information provided to verify payment for services, issue supporting documents and maintain accounting records. This includes the names, addresses and contact details provided, as well as any company number supplied for legal entities.

This processing is necessary for performance of the contract where you are personally a party to it. If you represent a company or another organisation, it is based on AEGIS EVENT’s legitimate interest in managing that professional relationship. Data needed for accounting and taxation is also processed to comply with applicable legal obligations.

Reviewing proposals and presenting speakers

Applications to committees and proposed contributions may require your identity, position, organisation, contact details, professional background, biography, photograph and information about the proposed contribution.

This data is used to review the proposal, communicate with the people concerned, organise committees and contributions and, for selected contributions, present the programme and speakers in congress materials.

Review and organisation are based on pre-contractual steps or the contract where you are personally a party to it; otherwise, they are based on AEGIS EVENT’s legitimate interest in developing its programme and coordinating people proposed by their organisations.

Public presentation of speakers is limited to the professional information agreed and needed to inform participants. Photographs, recordings and other uses requiring specific permission are governed by separate arrangements. An unsuccessful application is not published as confirmed participation.

Facilitating professional meetings and providing a list to sponsors

AEGIS EVENT publishes a list of exhibitors to present their activities and promote their participation in the congress. Exhibitors authorise the use and public disclosure of their name or business name and a description of their activities for commercial purposes in AEGIS EVENT’s marketing materials and in newsletters occasionally sent to the public. Where this information constitutes personal data, its publication is based on the data subject’s prior consent.

Participation in the congress does not automatically register you in a directory available to other participants or result in your contact details being sent to sponsors.

After the event, disclosure of a participant list to sponsors authorised to receive it is based on your prior and separate consent. As announced, this list is limited to your name, company or organisation and position. It does not include your email address or telephone number.

At the time you make your choice, you are informed of the recipient sponsors, their purposes for using the data and how to exercise your rights. This option is intended to facilitate professional introductions and congress follow-up within the stated limits. It does not constitute general consent to receive third-party advertising.

Refusing or withdrawing this consent has no effect on your registration. Before disclosure, withdrawal prevents your data from being included in the list. After disclosure, AEGIS EVENT informs the relevant recipients of the withdrawal and the action required; you may also exercise your rights directly with them. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing already carried out.

A badge-reading system also allows exhibitors, with your prior consent, to collect your surname, first name, address, business name, country and area of activity in order to continue professional discussions initiated during the congress. Before scanning, you are informed of the identity of the recipient exhibitor, the data transferred, how it will be used and its retention period. You may refuse this transfer without affecting your access to the congress. Scanning your badge does not constitute consent to uses that were not announced to you or automatic subscription to the exhibitor’s advertising communications. You may withdraw your consent in the manner indicated when the data is collected.

Sending METRICS news and invitations

Newsletters and promotional invitations are sent on the basis of your consent where this is required. AEGIS EVENT then processes your contact details, communication language and the preferences you choose to provide.

With your prior consent, messages may contain links specific to each recipient. When a recipient clicks one of these links, AEGIS EVENT may associate that click with their email address and identify the content that attracted their attention. This information is used to measure interest in communications and tailor future news, invitations or commercial offers to topics of interest.

You may receive METRICS communications without agreeing to the tracking of your clicks. Your consent is obtained separately and may be withdrawn at any time by email or through our contact form.

You may unsubscribe at any time, free of charge, using the link in each message or by contacting Mr Antoine Rizk. Unsubscribing ends promotional communications and the use of your data to analyse your interests for those purposes.

Sponsorship of a message sent by AEGIS EVENT does not, by itself, give the sponsor access to the recipient list. If AEGIS EVENT wishes to transfer your data to a sponsor so that it can send you its own commercial communications, you will be informed beforehand and your consent will be obtained where required.

Ensuring website operation and security

Technical data needed for operation and security may include the IP address, date and time of requests, requested pages, browser and device information, and error and security logs. At present, no technical data is collected as of the date of this update; any change to the cookie policy or tracking technologies that would enable users to be geolocated or their devices to be identified by IP address will be notified directly to website users.

This data is used to provide the website, diagnose incidents and prevent abusive access. Processing is based on AEGIS EVENT’s legitimate interest in providing a reliable and secure service, within the limits necessary for those purposes.

Cookies and trackers that are not strictly necessary, including those used for audience measurement or advertising, require prior consent under the conditions set out in the cookie policy. The legitimate interest relied upon for security does not cover these optional uses.

Photographs and recordings

Arrangements for photography, recording and distribution are announced before the event and reiterated on site. The information provided specifies the distribution media, recipients, retention periods and ways to exercise your rights.

Portraits, interviews, testimonials and individual promotional uses require appropriate permission and, where processing is based on consent, a free and separate choice. Participation in the congress does not constitute general permission to use your image or voice.

General views intended to report on the event may be based on AEGIS EVENT’s legitimate interest in documenting its activities, after assessing their necessity and the rights of the people depicted. Prior information and an effective means of objecting are provided. Image rights and the rules applicable at the location where images are captured remain reserved.

Recordings and rebroadcasts of contributions are governed by an agreement specifying their conditions.

Specific requests and sensitive data

For an accessibility requirement or a health-related dietary restriction, please contact the organiser directly at the email address indicated above. Only information needed to make the adjustment is requested. General forms are not intended for sensitive data.

Where this information reveals health data and is needed to provide requested assistance, processing is based on your explicit consent, in addition to the basis applicable to organising the service. It is limited to people who need to know and ends once the adjustment has been provided, subject to a separate legally justified need.

Withdrawing consent may affect the requested adjustment. The organiser will explain the consequences to you.

Handling complaints and protecting rights

Data needed to handle a complaint, prove a transaction or establish, exercise or defend a legal claim may be retained and used to the extent required for that purpose. This processing is based on AEGIS EVENT’s legitimate interest in protecting its rights or on a specifically applicable legal obligation.

Requests to exercise GDPR rights are processed in order to comply with AEGIS EVENT’s legal obligations. Additional identity verification is requested only where there is reasonable doubt and remains proportionate.

Mandatory or optional nature of information

Mandatory fields are identified at the point of collection. Without the information needed to respond to your request, process a registration, provide a service or comply with a legal obligation, AEGIS EVENT may be unable to provide the relevant service.

Optional data and choices are presented separately. In particular, you may refuse promotional communications, transfer of your data to sponsors or non-essential cookies without losing access to services that do not depend on them.

Data recipients

Authorised people within the organisation access only the data needed for their duties. Technical or operational service providers may access it within the limits of their assignment: hosting, maintenance, messaging, registration management, invoicing, communications, reception and congress logistics.

Where a service provider acts on behalf of AEGIS EVENT, its involvement is governed by an agreement compliant with Article 28 GDPR. It must follow the instructions received and preserve data confidentiality.

Committee members may receive information needed to assess proposals and organise the programme. The venue and security providers receive only the information needed for their duties and are identified in the practical information where they carry out their own processing.

Sponsors receive participant lists only under the conditions in section 4.5. Biographies and professional information intended for the programme are publicly available within the stated limits. Authorities, professional advisers, insurers or payment bodies may receive data needed for their duties where a legal basis permits it.

A third party that determines its own purposes and means acts as controller of its processing and must provide its own information. AEGIS EVENT does not indiscriminately describe all its service providers or partners as processors.

Transfers outside the European Economic Area

Where data is transferred outside the European Economic Area, AEGIS EVENT verifies that it benefits from a valid mechanism under Chapter V GDPR: an adequacy decision applicable to the recipient or appropriate safeguards, such as the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses, together with any necessary supplementary measures.

You may obtain information about the safeguards used and a copy of the relevant material by contacting Mr Antoine Rizk. Confidential third-party information may be redacted to the extent necessary.

Data retention periods

AEGIS EVENT limits retention to the needs of the processing. Data used in day-to-day activities is deleted or anonymised once its purpose has been fulfilled. Documents that must remain stored to comply with a legal obligation or defend a legal claim are archived separately with restricted access.

Where no statutory period applies, retention is limited to what is strictly necessary and does not exceed ten years from collection. This maximum does not mean that all data is retained for ten years; it is deleted or anonymised earlier when retention is no longer justified.

In the event of a dispute, only data needed to defend AEGIS EVENT’s rights may be retained until proceedings are finally concluded. Data retained solely to comply with a legal obligation or defend a legal claim is archived separately with restricted access.

Retention periods for cookies and the associated data are specified in the cookie policy.

Security and confidentiality

AEGIS EVENT implements technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risks, particularly concerning access authorisation, confidentiality, protection of communications, backups and incident management. These measures are defined according to the tools and service providers actually used.

In the event of a data breach, AEGIS EVENT assesses the risks to the people concerned and makes the notifications and communications required by the GDPR. No technical measure can, however, guarantee absolute security.

Your rights

Under the conditions provided by the GDPR, you have the following rights:

to obtain confirmation that your data is being processed, access it and receive a copy;
to have inaccurate data rectified or incomplete data completed;
to request erasure where the statutory conditions are met;
to request restriction of processing in the cases provided by law;
to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to processing based on legitimate interests. AEGIS EVENT will then stop processing unless there are compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests and rights or processing is needed to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim;
to object at any time and without justification to direct marketing, including related profiling;
to receive, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, data that you have provided where automated processing is based on your consent or a contract, and to request its direct transfer where technically feasible;
to withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

To exercise your rights, contact Mr Antoine Rizk using the details in section 2. Specify your request and the information needed to identify the data concerned. A full copy of your identity card is not systematically required.

You will receive a response within one month of receipt of the request. Where justified by the complexity or number of requests, this period may be extended by two months; you will be informed of the extension and the reasons for it within the first month.

Exercising your rights is in principle free of charge. Any restriction, refusal or request for a fee must satisfy the conditions of the GDPR and be explained to you.

Automated decision-making

If such a system were to be used, prior information would explain how it works, its consequences and the safeguards enabling you in particular to request human intervention, express your point of view and challenge the decision.

Complaint to a supervisory authority

You may lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority, whose contact details are set out below:

Rue de la Presse 35,

1000 Brussels

Tel.: +32 2 274 48 00;

Email: [email protected];

Website: https://www.autoriteprotectiondonnees.be.

You may also contact the competent authority of the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or the place where you consider that an infringement occurred. A complaint to the authority is not conditional on first contacting AEGIS EVENT.

Changes to this policy

Every update is dated. Substantial changes are brought to the attention of users and data subjects before they take effect or where required by law.

Notification of an update does not constitute consent. Users and data subjects will be expressly asked to agree to the new privacy policy at each update.