Event Terms and Conditions and Code of Conduct

The following sets out the terms and conditions between the National Restaurant Association (“Association”), The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (“Foundation”) and their related organizations (each, an “Association Entity”) and you when you register for any event, conference or meeting organized by any Association Entity (an “Event”). By registering for an Event, you are agreeing to comply with these terms and conditions. 

Conduct
The Association Entities strive to provide a hospitable, safe and educational environment during all of their Events. The Association Entities expect all of their exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, staff, and other Event attendees to assist in creating a positive experience for all Event participants.

By registering for events hosted by the Association Entities, you agree to comply with the below Code of Conduct.

  • All Event attendees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and be respectful of other attendees, and conduct themselves in a collaborative and polite manner.  
  • In their sole discretion and without refund, the Association Entities reserve the right to refuse admittance to or expel anyone from any Event who it determines is engaging in any unacceptable behavior. Unacceptable behavior includes any rude, intimidating, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory, demeaning, violent or harassing conduct.  Though any such conduct may lead to disciplinary action, violent, harassing or discriminatory behavior in particular are strictly forbidden and will not be tolerated.  Harassment includes all forms of offensive or unwanted physical or verbal attention or conduct related to race, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, religion, national origin or any other protected characteristic. Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to derogatory jokes, slurs, insults or name-calling; the use of sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation, stalking or following; harassing photography or recordings; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention, touching, or flirtation, or other threatening conduct. Discriminatory conduct includes treating an individual differently because of race, age, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, religion, national origin or any other protected characteristic.
  • Unacceptable behavior or conduct violating this code of conduct should be promptly brought to the attention of on site, executive Event staff or security.  Violations of law, including threats to physical safety, should immediately be reported to on-site security or local law enforcement. 
  • By registering for an Event, you agree that the Association Entities shall have the sole discretion to interpret or assess any behavior or conduct of an attendee either reported or witnessed at an Event, and to take any and all necessary actions to deal with actions that may violate these terms and conditions, including but not limited to cancelling or terminating an attendee’s right to attend or participate in any current or future Events.
  • If an attendee engages in harassing, discriminatory or interfering behavior, the Association Entities may take appropriate steps to remedy the situation. Sanctions may range from verbal warning, to ejection from the Event without refund, to notifying appropriate authorities. Retaliation for complaints of inappropriate conduct will not be tolerated. You agree that if asked to stop unacceptable conduct, you will comply with the request immediately. 
  • The Association Entities take this Code of Conduct seriously and requests all Event attendees to report any violations they experience. If you experience or witness any unacceptable behavior at an Event, please immediately bring it to the attention of an on-site, executive staff member. You may also submit an incident report to legal@restaurant.org. The Association Entities will attempt to honor any request that your report remain confidential (to the extent such report does not allege any violation of law or other required action).

Data Privacy
By submitting registration details, attendees agree to the terms of the Association’s Privacy Policy, which applies to all Association Entities. By registering to attend Event, you give such Association Entity the limited permission to use your name and logo in attendee lists included in emails or other advertisements promoting the Event. You may also be listed in an attendee directory or uploaded to an event app allowing attendees to connect. 

Name, Image and Likeness
In order to allow the Association Entities and their sponsors and other Event related parties to promote and publicize the events, you hereby consent and agree that the Association Entities as well as the Event sponsors, donors, and other attendees, along with their respective employees, subcontractors, officers, directors and agents (collectively, “Likeness Release Parties”) shall have the right to publish, modify and/or otherwise use your name (including the name of your company or employer), biographical information, statements, photographs, video and/or voice recordings, digital images, and the like (collectively, your “Likeness”), that the Likeness Release Parties have taken or made of you in connection with the Event, for publicity, promotion, display, broadcast, internet usage, sale, licensing, transfer, creation of derivative works, reproductions or any other lawful purpose, in perpetuity and worldwide in any medium or format. You hereby waive all claims for any compensation for use of your Likeness and waive any right that you may have to inspect and/or approve the finished product or its use.

Photography and Video
The Association Entities impose certain restrictions on the use of multimedia at their events. Multimedia that you capture may not be commercially exploited in any manner whatsoever.  You are encouraged to capture your Event experiences and post your own social content from the Event, provided that such content is not defamatory or disparaging and does not infringe upon the intellectual property or other rights of any other person or entity.  
  
Liability Waiver, Release, Indemnity and COVID-19
In consideration of being allowed to register for, and participate in Events, you hereby warrant and represent that you are age 18 or older and freely waive, release from liability, assume all risks, and covenant not to sue the Association Entities and their respective officers, directors, employees, members and agents (the “Released Parties”) from any and all liability for any injury, loss, or damage (“Loss”) arising out of or in connection with your participation in the Event, including loss of life, illness, disability, property damage, or property theft, unless the Loss is caused by the sole, gross negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify and hold the Released Parties harmless from and against any liability for any Loss arising out of or in connection with your negligence or misconduct at or in connection with the Event.

The Association Entities shall have no liability for any advice given, or views expressed, by any third-party speaker, sponsor and/or exhibitor at the Event or in any material provided to attendees that is prepared by third parties.

YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOUR ATTENDANCE AT THE EVENT IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. FURTHER, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL THE ASSOCIATION ENTITIES OR ITS REPRESENTATIVES BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST OPPORTUNITY, LOST SAVINGS, LOSS OF GOODWILL, LOST BUSINESS, LOSS OF ANTICIPATED BENEFITS, OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHER DAMAGES, EVEN IF THE ASSOCIATION ENTITY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

By attending the Event, you agree to comply with all COVID-19 safety directives and recommendations in effect at that time, or as adopted by the Association Entity or the event venue.  If you develop any symptoms, you agree to immediately notify a representative of the Association Entity and cease participating in any Event activities.  

By attending an Event, all guests and attendees assume the risk and liability for any exposure to COVID-19 and any related loss, liability, or injury incurred.

Force Majeure
No Association Entity shall be held responsible for any delay or failure in performance of such Association Entity’s obligations hereunder to the extent such delay or failure is caused by fire, flood, strike, civil, governmental or military authority, acts of God, acts of terrorism, acts of war, epidemics, the availability of the venue where an event is to be held, or other similar causes beyond its reasonable control of the Association Entity.  In the event the Event cannot be held or is postponed pursuant to this section, the Association Entity shall not be liable to attendee for any damages, costs, or losses incurred, such as transportation costs or accommodations costs.  

General; Changes
The Association Entities reserve the right to change any of the above terms in its sole discretion and without prior notice. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, these terms and conditions applies to all Event participants.

These terms and conditions and the resolution of any dispute related to them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law provisions.