What Does This Privacy Policy Cover?

EPMS, Inc. (referred to as “EPMS”, “we” or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our customer’s and website user’s personal information. This privacy policy (“Policy”) applies to the information we collect on behalf of the events we produce, whether on behalf of our association clients or for EPMS produced events. EPMS may amend this Policy at any time without notice. Amendments to this Policy will be posted at this URL and will be effective when posted. Your continued use of this site or related sub-domains following the posting of any amendment, modification or change shall constitute your acceptance thereof.

What Information do we collect?

The information we collect includes information you provide to us related to such activities as event registration, abstract and paper submission or review, exhibition space or event sponsorship, mailing lists, user forums, virtual events and other event related activities. Information collected includes personally identifiable information such as your name, company, mailing address and email address. In addition, you may be asked to provide information regarding your job function, industry, and products to be used to better target communication to you. Automatically collected information may include usage details, IP addresses, and information collected through cookies, web beacons and other tracking technologies per the cookie policy listed in the “Cookie Use” section of this policy.

Information we collect includes:

• Your name and contact details
• Copies of identification documents
• Online profile data/usage
• Social media profile information
• Registration and participation in EPMS or its client’s events and activities
• Professional profile preferences
• Information about the device(s) you use
• Information about service usage
• Cookies
• Authentication data
• Location information
• Author and peer review information
• Other information you upload or provide to us

How We Collect Information:

We collect information on behalf of our clients and events through website forms, physical forms, and client managed opt-in lists.

• The information we collect on or through our Websites may include information provided at the time of registering for an event, subscribing to a mail list, submitting a paper or abstract for review, participating in a paper or abstract review, posting material (where permitted) or requesting further services.
• Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses), if you contact us.
• Your responses to surveys that we might ask you to complete for research purposes.
• Forms that are physically completed onsite at a meeting or event and later entered into a database

Use of Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

Cookies and web beacons are electronic placeholders that are placed on your device by websites to track your individual movements on that website over time. EPMS uses both session-based cookies (which last only for the duration of the user's session) and persistent cookies (which remain on your device and provides information about the session you are in and waits for the next time you use that site again).

These cookies and web beacons provide useful information to EPMS, enabling us to recognize repeat users, facilitate the user's access to and use of our sites, and track usage behavior.

Tracking cookies, third-party cookies, and other technologies such as web beacons may be used to process additional information, enable non-core functionalities on EPMS and Client websites and enable third-party functions (such as a social media "share" link). We may also include web beacons and other similar technology in promotional email messages to determine whether the messages have been opened.

Do Not Track (DNT)

The online advertising industry has self-regulatory initiatives designed to provide consumers a choice in the types of ads they may see online and to conveniently opt-out from online behavioral ads served by some or all of the companies participating in these programs. Our websites do not respond to DNT consumer browser settings.

Individuals under the Age of 14

We do not knowingly solicit or collect information from persons under the age of 14 without the permission of parent(s)/guardian(s). If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 14, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under age 14, please contact us.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

EPMS may update its Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make any material changes we will notify you by email if you have registered with us, or by means of a notice on this website prior to the change becoming effective. Please note that if you’ve opted not to receive legal notice emails from us (or you haven’t provided us with your email address), those legal notices will still govern your use of our Services, and you are still responsible for reading and understanding them. If you use our Services after any changes to the Privacy Policy have been posted, that means you agree to all of the changes. Use of information we collect now is subject to the Privacy Policy in effect at the time such information is collected.

How We Use Your Information

To communicate with you about a meeting, conference, or event. We may communicate with you about a meeting, conference, or event hosted or co-sponsored by EPMS or one of its clients or business associates. This may include information about the event's content, event logistics, payment, updates, and additional information related to the event. Information you provide when registering for or participating in a conference managed by EPMS may be shared with the client (event sponsors), and the treatment of such information is further subject to the privacy policies of those parties. EPMS or its clients (event sponsors or co-sponsors) may contact you after the event about the event, subsequent iterations of the event and related events. Please note that EPMS, conference sponsors, meeting or event organizers, co-sponsors, exhibitors, and other third parties may directly request your personal information at their conference booths or presentations. Providing your information to them is optional, and you should review their privacy policies to address your particular needs and concerns about how they will treat your personal information.

To process transactions. EPMS uses personal information such as name, physical address, telephone number, email address, and company/institution to engage in interactions with you, including contacting you about your order or event participation. We use financial/credit card and payment information to process your order and may need to share some of this information with delivery services, credit card clearing houses, and other third parties to complete the transaction.

To engage with third parties. EPMS may share your personal data with third parties in connection with services that these individuals or entities perform for or with EPMS or its clients. These third parties are restricted from using this data in any way other than to provide services for EPMS or its clients for the collaboration in which they are contractually engaged (for example, processing lead retrieval at an event). These third parties are carefully selected by EPMS and obligated to keep your data secure. From time to time, we may also share your information with third parties whom we think might provide content, products, or services of interest to you.

To provide support or other services. EPMS may use your personal information to provide you with support or other services that you have ordered, requested, or need to fulfill an event obligation. EPMS may also use your personal information to respond directly to your requests for information, including registrations for events, newsletters, webinars, or other specific requests, or pass your contact information to an appropriate third-party supplier for further follow-up related to your interests.

To provide information based on your needs and respond to your requests. EPMS may use your personal information to provide you with notices of changes or developments to events or other services.

To administer products and services. EPMS may contact you if you purchase event products to confirm certain information about your order or if we need additional information about use of our services such as paper submission or review. We may also use this information to confirm compliance with licensing and other terms of use and may share it with your company/institution.

To select content, improve quality, and facilitate use of the websites. EPMS may use your personal information, including the information gathered as a result of site navigation and electronic protocols and cookies (including third-party cookies), to help create and personalize website content, improve website quality, track marketing campaign responsiveness, evaluate page response rates, conduct usability testing, and facilitate your use of the websites (for example, to facilitate navigation and the login process, avoid duplicate data entry, enhance security, keep track of registration products, and preserve order information between sessions).

To serve personalized advertising to you. We don't share your information with advertisers without your consent. We allow advertisers to choose the characteristics of users who will see their advertisements, and we may use any of the non-personally-identifiable attributes we have collected to select the appropriate audience for those advertisements. When you click on or otherwise interact with an advertisement, there is a possibility that the advertiser may place a cookie in your browser and that your attributes meet the criteria the advertiser selected.

To protect EPMS content and services. We may use your information to prevent potentially illegal activities and to enforce our terms and conditions. We also use a variety of technological systems to detect and address anomalous activity and to screen content to prevent abuse, such as spam. These efforts may, on occasion, result in a temporary or permanent suspension or termination of some functions for some users

To get feedback or input from you. In order to deliver products and services of most interest to our customers, from time to time, we may ask members, customers, volunteers, and website visitors to provide us input and feedback (for example through surveys, usability studies, focus groups).

How We Share Your Information

We may share your Personal Information with third parties for the purpose of providing or improving the Services to you. We may share your Personal data with third parties who perform services on our behalf or on behalf of our clients. This includes, without limitation, third parties that send communications, process payments, analyze data, provide lead retrieval to companies exhibiting or sponsoring events we produce, review abstract/paper submissions, event surveys, and other event services that are required from time to time.

Security

We have implemented measures designed to secure your Personal Information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration and disclosure.

• Your Personal Information is contained behind secured networks and a firewall and is only accessible by a limited number of persons and service providers who have special access rights to such systems and are required to keep the information confidential.
• In addition, all sensitive/credit information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and currently is processed by a third-party processor and are not held by us.
• Any payment transactions will be performed using our third-party payment processors or gateways, who will use appropriate security procedures designed to protect your information.
• Our websites are scanned on a regular basis for security holes and known vulnerabilities in order to make your visit to our websites safer.

Retention of Personal Information

We will retain your information for as long as necessary for the uses set out in this Policy, or while there is a legitimate reason for doing so. If you ask us to delete your information before that time, we may not be able to do so due to technical, legal, regulatory or contractual constraints.

If you ask for your data to removed, we will do this as soon as is reasonably possible subject to any applicable terms and conditions relating to the account. Personal information from closed accounts is retained in order to comply with legal obligations, prevent fraud, collect any fees owed and to resolve disputes.

We will delete backup copies of that personal data from our archives as soon as is practically possible, to the extent allowed by our other data retention obligations (e.g., to protect other data stored in the same backup archives or meet other regulatory or legal requirements). As soon as those obligations have been fulfilled, we will permanently delete those archives as quickly as possible.

Right to access, change or delete personal data

Upon reasonable request and to the extent the request does not compromise the protections set forth in this Policy, EPMS allows Customers reasonable access to their own Personal Data. Data Subject’s may request that EPMS correct, amend or delete such data where it is inaccurate. EPMS will grant such requests, except where doing so would cause unreasonable burden or expense, or pose a risk to such individual’s privacy. If you wish to access, change, or delete your Personal Data held by EPMS, please e-mail support@epmsinc.com. EPMS will endeavor to respond in a timely manner to all reasonable requests.

Transfer of information to other countries

EPMS engages in international events and activities. In connection with the management of those events and activities, EPMS may transfer information to other countries. By submitting your information to EPMS via the websites, or in connection with your interactions with EPMS offline, you consent to such transfers and to the processing of this information in other countries.

Responses to legal requests

EPMS reserves the right to share your information to respond to duly authorized information requests of governmental authorities or where required by law.

In the event of bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization or sale of assets, your information may be sold or transferred as part of that transaction. The promises in this privacy policy will apply to your information as transferred to the new entity.

Your European Union privacy rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation EU 2016/679) (also known as GDPR), if you are an individual protected by the GDPR you may have certain rights as a data subject.  To request information about or avail yourself of those rights, please send an email to support@epmsinc.com with "GDPR Request" in the subject line. In the email please describe, with specificity, the GDPR right you are requesting assistance with. Please note additional information may be requested prior to initiation of a request and that EPMS reserves the right to charge a fee with respect to certain requests.  Upon EPMS’s completion of its review you will be notified if your request has been granted, denied, or exemptions apply.

Your California privacy rights

Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83 (also known as S.B. 27), if you are a California resident and your business relationship with EPMS is primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, you may request certain data regarding EPMS’s disclosure, if any, of personal information to third parties for the third-parties’ direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an email to support@epmsinc.com with "Request for California Privacy Information" in the subject line. You may make such a request up to once per calendar year. If applicable, we will provide you, by email, a list of the categories of personal information disclosed to third parties for their direct marketing purposes during the immediately preceding calendar year, along with the third parties' names and addresses. Please note that not all personal information sharing is covered by S.B. 27's requirements.

How do I contact you if there is an issue?