Privacy Policy

Event:                                                                   Swiss Expo (the “Event”)

Event’s website/page:                                       https://swiss-expo.com/wordpress/ (the “Website”)

Event’s virtual platform:                                     N/A (the “Platform”)

Platform Operator (if applicable):                    N/A (the “Provider”)

The Website has been created and published by the ASSOCIATION SWISS EXPO GENEVE (ASEG), which is headquartered in Switzerland at Route François-Peyrot 30, c/o Palexpo SA, 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex (hereinafter: “ASEG”). By the use of terms such as “we”, “us”, “our” and any other expressions or designations reflecting the same approach, reference is also made to ASEG, to the extent appropriate, within the framework of the provisions contained in this document.

Where the organisation of the Event includes a specific resource such as the Platform, ASEG specifies that it is hosted by the Provider, under a service contract between ASEG and the Provider. For all intents and purposes, the relevant information on data protection at the level of the Provider is available here.

If any edition of the Event does not include a Platform, as the case may be, all provisions referring to the Platform herein may be disregarded.

We are committed to handling your personal data responsibly, both when we act directly and when we act through the Provider. As such, we believe that it is obvious for us to comply with the legal requirements set out in the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP), the Ordinance to the Federal Act on Data Protection (DPO), the Telecommunications Act (TCA) and other provisions of Swiss data protection law. We also comply with the provisions of the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) insofar as they apply to us.

We hereby wish to inform you about how we process your personal data.

In the event that a user carries out any of the steps referred to below on his own behalf and/or on behalf of any third parties, we assume that the user is proceeding on an authorised basis, in particular for the transmission of personal data concerning any such third parties for processing in accordance with the following.

Furthermore, in the event that any of the above-mentioned third parties have not yet given their full consent to the relevant elements of their personal data, each of such third parties concerned, when they take themselves one or other of the steps referred to below and/or continue with the related process, confirms the assumption allowing ASEG to legitimately continue processing the underlying personal data.

Scope and purpose of the collection, processing and use of personal data

When you visit the Website

When you visit our Website, our servers temporarily store each instance of access in a protocol file.

These data are generally collected and processed anonymously, with no personal references, for the purposes of allowing use of our Website (establishment of a connection), ensuring the long-term security and stability of the system and optimising our Internet offering, as well as for statistical purposes. The aforementioned information is not linked to, or stored with, personal data.

The IP address can be analysed for the purposes of clarification and defence only in the event of an attack on the network infrastructure of the Website, or in the event that another form of illicit or abusive use of the Website is suspected. As appropriate, such data may be used in the context of criminal proceedings for identification and in the context of criminal and civil proceedings against the user concerned.

Please refer to “Tracking tools” below for more information about protocol files.

When creating an account on the Platform

When you create an account on the Platform, you will be provided with several online services or features to enhance your experience and you will be able to access the relevant content as per your interests, the Event, its partners, sponsors and exhibitors. For the proper running of the Platform, the data on the Event registration form (on the Platform) identified as “mandatory” (or similar) must be completed by the user.

The data transmitted via the Platform will enable ASEG and the Provider to personalise the content that you can access on the Platform and the means of communication linked to the Event, according to your identified interests. This data may also be used to put you in touch with and interact with other participants registered on the Platform.

Finally, such data is also used for reporting, statistical purposes and to measure user engagement on the Platform.

Please refer to the User Interaction Data section for more information on this.

When presenting your access pass (scanning) at an access point

When your pass is presented, we know where it is physically presented (entrance door, stand, restaurant, etc.). This data is part of the behavioural data referred to in the section When creating an account on the Platform.

If you are signing up for newsletters, using a contact form, participating in a competition in connection with the Event or similar steps on the Platform

To receive any of the newsletters concerning the Event or contact us through a contact form, you must truthfully provide us with some or all of the following personal data:

• email address;
• title;
• given name;
• surname;
• postal address (including NPA, city, country);
• telephone number;
• language;

We need this information to be able to process your request, send you newsletters and/or use your data for marketing purposes, as described below.

If you are purchasing ticket(s) online

We require the following data:

• email address;
• title;
• given name;
• surname;
• postal address (including NPA, city, country);
• telephone number;
• date of birth;
• payment data (credit card information or other accepted payment method);

We need this information to process your order. We may also use some of this information for marketing purposes, as described below.

If you are using media accreditation

We require the following data:

• email address;
• title;
• given name;
• surname;
• job title;
• company and business sector of the user;
• type of media/coverage area/periodicity;
• postal address (including NPA, city, country);
• telephone number;
• press card and card number;
• interests.

We need these details to legitimise your activity as a representative of any entity connected with the media, in order to be able to grant you specific access to the Event.

The data you provide us with in this context is also used to give you access to certain content on the Website or Platform which, in our experience, could be useful to you for the performance of your tasks in connection with your media activity.

If you are registering for the Event as a professional exhibitor/visitor

We require the following data:

• email address;
• title;
• given name;
• surname;
• job title/role;
• company and its business sector;
• postal address (including NPA, city, country);
• country;
• telephone number;
• language;
• interests.

We need this information in order to enter into a business relationship. We may also use this information for marketing purposes, as described below.

Transmission of data to third parties

By accepting our privacy policy, you consent that we process your personal data. We will transfer your data if we are required to do so by law or in order to exercise our rights. We also transmit your data to our affiliates.

Furthermore, we transmit users’ personal data to third parties to the extent necessary for the use of the Website and in order to answer questions, to handle requests for information or, as applicable, to provide the services requested by the user. Third-party use of data transmitted to this end is strictly limited to the purposes mentioned above, subject to the following clauses on use of data for marketing purposes.

Use for marketing purposes

User Interaction Data

The Event is designed to be a place of exchange between exhibitors and visitors, i.e. a crossroads bringing together economic players who offer commercial services in line with the interests of the participants. In this respect, certain personal data may be accessible (name, first name and/or interests) or transmitted to other users (exhibitors, sponsors, partners or visitors) connected to the Platform, for networking purposes (establishing contacts or interactions and in connection with videoconferences, webinars or other sessions broadcasting content on the Platform), marketing and/or commercial projects related to the Event. ASEG may also act as an intermediary to disseminate content on behalf of any of the users, based in particular on the interests that have been identified for each of the users.

Newsletter and other marketing campaigns

By signing up for any newsletter, you specifically agree that we can use your address and your personal data for marketing purposes, such as sending newsletters about the Event, invitations to related events, commercial proposals from ASEG partners and satisfaction surveys. You can unsubscribe from all marketing campaigns at any time. You will find the relevant contact details below, in the Contact section. There is also an unsubscribe link in all newsletter e-mails.

Furthermore, we are authorised to entrust the technical development of marketing campaigns to third parties and thus have the right to make your personal data available to third parties to that end.

In principle, we collect, with each newsletter sent, information on the address file used, the subject, and the number of newsletters sent. In this context, we can see which addresses have not yet received the newsletter, which address it was sent to and for which addresses sending failed. In addition, we can see the opening rate, including information about the addresses that opened the newsletter and clicked on the various links and/or made a purchase (tracking pixels). We will also have information about unsubscribing addresses. We use this data for statistical purposes and especially with a view to optimising the newsletter’s content and structure.

Transmission of personal data abroad

ASEG has the right to transmit all or part of your data to providers who may be located in Switzerland and/or abroad, to the extent necessary for handling your requests for information, providing services and conducting marketing campaigns. These providers are required to respect the privacy of users in the same way as we do.

Right to information, deletion and correction

You may at any time request information about your personal data that may be processed by ASEG. Information requests must be submitted in writing with all means of identification that allow you to be identified (proof of identity). In addition, following the same process, you have the right to request the deletion or rectification of your data processed by us at any time, subject to any applicable requirements and in accordance with the applicable data protection provisions (see below).

Such request can be made by e-mail to dpo@palexpo.ch. Further contact options can be found in the Contact section.

In this context, please note that certain data must be stored for a certain period of time by law. Such data must therefore remain stored by us until these periods expire. However, we take the necessary steps to ensure that such data stored is only retained for the purpose of complying with the applicable legal regulations.

Information for children and parents

The Website of the Event is intended for an adult audience. Minors, especially children under the age of 16, are prohibited from sending us their personal data or signing up for a service. If we discover that such data have been transmitted to us in violation of the above, they will be inactivated in our database. The parents (or legal representatives) of each minor concerned may in principle contact us and request the appropriate rectification. For this purpose, we will need to receive a copy of an official document certifying that the person contacting us has sufficient authority to do so.

Data security

We use technical and organisational security measures which we consider appropriate, in particular to protect your data against manipulation, partial or total loss and unauthorised access by third parties. Our security measures are continuously adapted in line with technological developments.

We also take our own data protection very seriously, i.e. within ASEG and its related entities. Our employees and the providers to whom we entrust the execution of certain tasks are particularly bound to confidentiality and comply with the legal provisions on data protection. Moreover, access to personal data is only granted to the extent that it is necessary.

Cookies

Cookies help, among other things, to make your visit to the Website of the Event easier, more pleasant and more useful. Cookies are information files that your web browser automatically saves in the memory of your terminal (computer or smartphone) when you visit the Website of the Event.

Cookies do not damage the memory of your terminal and do not send us your personal data which would be found there.

One way in which we use cookies is to recognise you as a registered user without requiring you to log in every time. In this case, it does not mean that we receive new personal data about you as a connected user.

Some of the web browsers accept cookies automatically. In principle, you can also set up your browser so that cookies are not filed on your terminal or you receive a warning message when a new cookie is set during your browsing. See your browser’s settings for more information.

Disabling of all or part of cookies that we offer you may result in you being unable to use all the features available on the Website and/or the Platform.

Tracking-Tools

The Website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (www.google.com). The data collected through the cookies in connection with the Website is processed through Google Analytics and stored, in principle, for a period of 14 months. Google Analytics uses methods to analyse the use of the Website, such as the cookies referred to in the section Cookies. The information on the use of the Website is generally transferred to servers controlled by Google Inc. in the USA and stored there. If IP anonymisation is activated on the Website, the IP address will be shortened if it refers to an address in Switzerland and/or in the EU Member States and in other countries that are signatories to the European Economic Area Convention, before it is transmitted to Google Inc. servers in the USA. In some cases, the full IP address may also be transmitted. According to the information available to us, the anonymised IP address transmitted within the framework of Google Analytics is not combined with other data held by Google Inc. in connection with any potentially concerned user.

For your information, the following data are collected in connection with the above and stored by us:

• the IP address of the terminal used for access;
• the date and time of access;
• the name and URL of the data viewed;
• the website from which our domain is accessed;
• the operating system of your computer and the browser you are using;
• the country from which our website is accessed; and
• the name of your Internet service provider.

The information is used to analyse the Website use, produce reports on Website activity and provide other services linked to Website use for the purposes of market research and organisation of websites according to user needs.

Each user can prevent the collection of all or part of the data referred to in the cookies relating to the use of the Website by the user concerned (including the IP address) as well as its transmission to Google Inc. and/or the processing of this data by Google Inc. in particular by downloading and installing the browser-plugin available in principle at the following address:

http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en

As an alternative to the above-mentioned browser plug-in, every user can also click on the banner at the bottom of the page to prevent the collection and further processing by Google Analytics. This results in an opt-out cookie being stored on the user’s terminal. If the user deletes the cookies (generally and/or specifically in this context), the user will have to click on the banner at the bottom of the page again to set up an opt-out cookie.

Social media features

Links to our social media profiles

We have included links on the Website to our social media profiles, in particular to the following social networks:

• Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA,
• Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
• Pinterest, Inc., 808 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA,
• Twitter Inc.,1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
• LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
• Snap Inc., 63 Market Street, Venice, CA 90291, USA
• YouTube, a service operated by Google Inc.

Some content (text and pictures, username) which is published on social networks in connection with the Event may be picked up for display on the Website and/or any of the aforementioned social media.

You are linked to the social network you select by clicking on the icon proposed to access the social networks of your interest. Effective access, however, presupposes that you are logged in to your corresponding user account (before or as part of this process).

A direct connection between your browser and the server of the social network concerned is then established. The relevant social network thus receives the information that you have visited our Website with your IP address and viewed the link. According to the information available to us, when you visit a link to a site while you are logged into your account in the relevant social network, the contents of that site can be linked to your profile in the relevant social network, which means that the relevant social network can make the connection between your visit to our Website and your user account with the relevant social network. According to our knowledge, if you wish to prevent this, you should log out of your user account with the relevant social network before following any of the relevant links. According to our knowledge, a link to the relevant social network occurs in any case if you log in to the relevant social network through the relevant link.

Contact

If you have any questions about data protection on our Website, would like to request information or if you are considering to have your data deleted, please contact us by e-mail at dpo@palexpo.ch.

By mail, send your request to the following postal address:

Association Swiss Expo Genève
Data Protection Office (dpo)
c/o Palexpo SA
Case postale 112
1218 Le Grand-Saconnex

In all cases, we would be grateful if you could provide us, on this occasion, with the supporting documents that we will need, depending on the request that you submit to us.

Whenever possible, ASEG and each of the stakeholders mentioned in this privacy policy prefer to communicate by e-mail. We therefore thank you, when you contact us, for identifying an e-mail address that you use regularly and that is acceptable to you from a confidentiality point of view. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will assume that the address you may use to contact us by e-mail is acceptable to you under these criteria. Although we cannot guarantee the confidentiality and security of e-mail communications, we recommend this method of communication and invite you to let us know if have a different opinion in that regard.

Consent and permission

By accepting our privacy policy, you give us your consent and permission in accordance with the applicable portions of the content above. For the purposes of clarification, your consent and permission relate, specifically, to one or more of the points listed below (depending on the context in which the data are processed), it being specified that you can withdraw your consent and connection at any time and for the future. Your consent may therefore imply, depending on the case(s) in question, that you agree to allow ASEG, assisted by third parties as appropriate, to:

• process your personal data to provide the services that you requested from ASEG and/or any of its related entities;
• regularly email you information about ASEG and the Event and/or send you invitations to events relating to ASEG;
• collect cookies with a view to gathering, storing and using usage data for marketing purposes;
• inform you, through targeted advertising, as applicable, including through sending invitations, satisfaction surveys and/or offers and special services, if necessary on the basis of additional data to be subject to specific analysis.

In case of translation, partial or total, of the content of this privacy policy (irrespective of the source of such translation) only the French version prevails.

Place of jurisdiction: Courts of the Republic and Canton of Geneva.