WORLD FOOD TRAVEL ASSOCIATION & FOODTREX EVENTS

CODE OF CONDUCT

The World Food Travel Association (WFTA) is dedicated to providing an inclusive and harassment-free experience for participants at all of our FoodTreX events. FoodTreX events are working conferences intended for professional networking and collaboration in the community. They exist to encourage the open exchange of ideas and expression and require an environment that recognizes the inherent worth of every person and group. While at a FoodTreX event or related ancillary or social events, any participants, including members, speakers, attendees, volunteers, sponsors, exhibitors, booth staff, and anyone else, may not engage in harassment in any form.

This Code of Conduct may be revised at any time by the World Food Travel Association and the terms are non-negotiable. Your registration for or attendance at any FoodTreX event indicates your agreement to abide by this policy and its terms.

EXPECTED BEHAVIOR

All event participants are expected to behave in accordance with professional standards, with both this Code of Conduct as well as their respective employer’s policies & the World Food Travel Association’s policies governing appropriate workplace behavior and applicable laws of the jurisdiction in which the FoodTreX event is held.

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR

Harassment will not be tolerated in any form, including but not limited to harassment based on gender, gender identity, and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical ability, physical appearance, mental ability, body size, race, age, religion, or any other status protected by area laws in which the conference or program is being held. Concern for harassment applies to all event attendees (delegates, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, Association staff, volunteers), in any bidirectional communication situation.

Harassment includes the use of abusive, offensive, or degrading language, intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, inappropriate physical contact, sexual imagery, and unwelcome sexual advances or request for sexual favors. Any report of harassment at one of our events will be addressed immediately. Anyone engaged in harassing behavior will be expected to comply by ceasing and desisting immediately. Anyone who witnesses or is subjected to unacceptable behavior should notify a conference organizer at once.

Exhibitors should not use sexualized images, activities, or other material in their booths and must refrain from the use of sexualized clothing, uniforms, costumes, or otherwise creating a sexualized environment. Speakers should not use sexual language, images, or any language or images that could constitute harassment as defined above in their talks. Speakers should also use inclusive language and are recommended to take the online course designed to teach the viewer about inclusion, diversity, and unconscious bias.

Unless a sponsorship fee has been paid in advance, delegates are prohibited from leaving behind promotional materials on session tables, registration table, or other public areas in and around the event.

Individuals who participate (or plan to participate) in FoodTreX events should conduct themselves at all times in a manner that comports with both the letter and spirit of this policy prohibiting harassment and abusive behavior, whether before, during, or after the event. This includes statements made in social media postings, on-line publications, text messages, and all other forms of electronic communication.

CONSEQUENCES OF UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate depending on the circumstances, ranging from issuance of a warning to the offending individual to expulsion from the conference with no refund. The World Food Travel Association reserves the right to exclude any participant found to be engaging in harassing behavior from participating in any further World Food Travel Association events, a FoodTreX event, training, or other activities.

If a participant (or individual wishing to participate in a WFTA event), through postings on social media or other online publications or another form of electronic communication, engages in conduct that violates this policy, whether before, during, or after a WFTA event, WFTA may take appropriate corrective action, which could include imposing a temporary or permanent ban on an individual’s participation in future WFTA events.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU WITNESS OR ARE SUBJECT TO UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns relating to harassment, please contact a member of the event staff immediately. Event staff can be identified by staff badges onsite, and an organizer can be found at the event registration counter at any time. You may also reach out to the following individuals:

INCIDENT RESPONSE

Our staff has had incident response training and responds to harassment reports and does so in accordance with the process recommended by the Ada Initiative. As referenced above, if a participant engages in harassing behavior, the event organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, ranging from issuance of a warning to the offending individual to expulsion from the conference with no refund, depending on the circumstances. the World Food Travel Association reserves the right to exclude any participant found to be engaging in harassing behavior from participating in any future Cloud Foundry events, training, or other activities.

Event staff will also provide support to victims, including, but not limited to:

And otherwise assisting those experiencing harassment to ensure that they feel safe for the duration of the conference.

PRE-EVENT CONCERNS

If you are planning to attend an upcoming event, and have concerns regarding another individual who may be present, please open a support ticket here. Precautions can be arranged to ensure your comfort and safety, including, but not limited to providing an escort, prepping onsite event staff, keeping victim and harasser from attending the same talks/social events, and providing onsite contact cell phone numbers for immediate contact.