EVENT TERMS & CONDITIONS
These are the terms and conditions (the “Agreement”) governing your participation in any World Affairs Council of Philadelphia owned and operated virtual, hybrid, and/or in-person event, meeting, show, seminar, workshop, round-table discussion, a student program, or conference (“the event”).
By registering for an event, you agree to these terms, which form a binding legal contract between the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and any and all partners or sponsors of the event (“World Affairs,” “World Affairs and Partners,” or “Owner and Organizer”) and the registered participant (“you,” “Participant,” or “Parent/Guardian of the student participant/minor,” “Teacher of student participant/minor,” or “School of student participant/minor”).
If registering a guest for an event: If you are registering on behalf of another individual (including your employees, guests, clients, vendors, student/minor, etc.), it is your responsibility to ensure the person participating is aware of these terms and accepts them. By completing the registration on behalf of another individual you are warranting that (a) you have made the Participant aware of these terms, (b) that they have accepted these terms, and/or (c) you have the authority to accept them on their behalf or have obtained permission from a parent or legal guardian to accept them on their behalf.
1. PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS
1.1 Access. Your registration entitles you access to the event for which you have registered. All other costs associated with your attendance (e.g., transportation, non-event provided food/beverages, etc.) shall be borne solely by you, and World Affairs shall have no liability for such costs.
1.2 Use of Likeness. By participating (or allowing your child or ward to participate) in the event, you acknowledge and agree to grant World Affairs the right at the event to record, film, live stream, photograph, or capture your (or your child’s or ward’s) likeness in any media now available or hereafter developed and to distribute, broadcast, use, or otherwise globally disseminate, in perpetuity, such media without any further approval from you or any payment to you. This grant to World Affairs’ event includes, but is not limited to, the right to edit such media, the right to use the media alone or together with other information, and the right to allow others to use or disseminate the media. If you do not consent to the “Use of Likeness” clause, you must contact World Affairs with explicit written notice a minimum of three business days in advance of the event.
1.3 Event Content. You acknowledge and agree that World Affairs, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to change any and all aspects of the event, including but not limited to, the event name, themes, content, program, speakers, performers, hosts, moderators, venue, time, and setting. Materials provided as part of the event are the sole and exclusive property of World Affairs or its licensors. Such materials are provided for general informational purposes only. You may only use such materials for the purpose of learning about and/or using World Affairs services or products. You may not use, reproduce, or distribute the text, graphics, downloads, tools, or any other content on the Site for any other purpose.
1.4 Inspection of and Checking Personal Belongings. World Affairs reserves the right to check the bags, coats, or personal belongings of participants upon their entrance to the event. Due to health and safety protocols, a World Affairs staff person may ask you to open your bag or other personal belongings and show its contents instead of opening and inspecting it. World Affairs reserves the right to ask you to keep your coat and any and all other personal belongings on your person, rather than providing a coat check, in the interest of health and sanitation.
- If a bag, personal belonging, or coat check is provided during an event, World Affairs is not responsible or liable for any lost and/or stolen items. Using the bag or coat check is at your sole discretion, and World Affairs cannot guarantee the safety and security of any items left at a bag or coat check during an event.
- Participants of the event are not allowed to bring the following items, including but not limited to outside alcohol, drugs, weapons of any kind, laser pointers, large objects, banners, flags, poster board, etc. This list is not comprehensive, and World Affairs reserves the right to disallow other items at its own discretion.
1.5 COVID-19 Protocols and Release. By registering and/or participating in the event, you agree to comply with the latest COVID-19 Health and Safety Event Policy put forth on World Affairs’ website or otherwise made available by World Affairs. While World Affairs has enacted these measures as an attempt to limit the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus, you acknowledge and agree that there is a risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus as a result of your participating in a hybrid and/or in-person event, that the disease caused by the COVID-19 virus is serious and could result in death, and that such risk cannot be eliminated. Accordingly, you also hereby release World Affairs and its employees, affiliates, officers, directors or trustees, successors, and assigns, and the event organizers and operator and/or its agents from any and all claims, actions, causes of action and liabilities, whether known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, of every nature whatsoever, that you have, or may have, now or in the future, relating to you having contracted the COVID-19 virus as a result of your participation in the event. You understand and agree that the waivers of liability and releases contained within this form are intended to be as broad and inclusive as is permitted by applicable law and that if any portion of the waivers and releases within this form is held invalid, you agree that the remaining portion(s) will continue in full legal force and effect. If any such provisions are determined to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be ineffective to the limited extent of such invalidity or unenforceability, without rendering invalid or unenforceable the remaining provisions. If a court of competent jurisdiction declares any such provisions to be invalid or unenforceable, you agree that such court can reduce the scope, delete specific words or phrases from the provision, or replace the provision with a provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the original intention of the parties hereto, and the waivers and releases within this form shall be enforceable as so modified in the court in which the provision was declared invalid or unenforceable.
2. PROHIBITED CONTENT
2.1 Limitations on Use. By registering for World Affairs’ event, you agree not to sell, trade, or transfer your ticket, unless such transfer is granted by World Affairs. By registering for the event, you agree not to share, sell, or trade your access. If World Affairs determines that you have violated this policy, World Affairs may cancel your access, retain any payments made by you, and ban you from future events.
2.2 Disruptive Conduct. You acknowledge and agree that World Affairs reserves the right to remove you from the event if World Affairs, in its sole discretion, determines that your participation or behavior creates a disruption or hinders the event or the enjoyment of the event content by other event attendees.
2.3 Recording, Live Streaming, and Videotaping. Participants may not record or broadcast audio or video of sessions at World Affairs’ events.
2.4 Unethical Practices. World Affairs reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to deny participation to anyone who engages in or is reputed to engage in unethical practices.
2.5 Solicitation. World Affairs maintains a no-solicitation policy covering all of its events. To provide a distraction-free environment for our members and other attendees, we do not allow solicitation of any kind during any event. Additionally, World Affairs members expect that participation in events will not result in future solicitations unless the participant specifically invites future contact. Accordingly, we ask that all participants at events refrain from using attendee lists or similar information for solicitation purposes without the express permission of World Affairs. Examples of prohibited solicitation activity include, but are not limited to:
- Unauthorized receptions & parties (including off-site events)
- Unauthorized membership recruitment activities
- Unauthorized promotion of non-World Affairs events
- Unauthorized on-site distribution of printed or electronic materials including literature, signs, flyers, invitations, tickets, forms, etc. (except business cards)
- Unauthorized requests of and/or harassment of speakers, panelists, moderators, staff, sponsors, partners, and others affiliated with the event.
Any person and/or organization found to be violating this policy may be expelled from the event without refund of registration fees. Egregious and/or multiple violations of this policy may result in disqualification from future events at the discretion of World Affairs.
2.6 Nondiscrimination Policy. World Affairs does not discriminate. We respect and welcome individuals of diverse backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
2.7 In addition to the requirements and prohibitions set forth in this Section 2, World Affairs may also exclude any prospective participant from registering for or participating in any event, at World Affairs’ sole discretion.
3. FEES AND REGISTRATION
3.1 Payment for events. If the event requires a fee to attend, the payment of the applicable fee for the event is due upon registration. If such payment is insufficient or declined for any reason World Affairs may refuse to allow you access to the event and shall have no liability in that regard. Participation in certain student programs may require a school membership, which also must be paid in advance of participation. If schools/students require financial assistance, please contact a World Affairs staff member.
3.2 Taxes. The fees may be subject to sales tax, value-added tax, or other taxes and duties which, if applicable, will be charged to you in addition to the fees.
4. CANCELLATION & QUALITY ASSURANCE
4.1 World Affairs strives to provide you with the most productive and effective experience possible. If, after the event, you feel there is some way we can improve, please provide us with your comments in writing on the survey provided at the conclusion of the event. Please note, by submitting such comments, you hereby grant World Affairs a worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to use, copy, modify and prepare derivative works based on any comments or feedback provided.
We will evaluate individual complaints in the context of collective comments from the event. As speakers may be confirmed weeks or months before the event, some speaker changes or topic changes may occur in the program. World Affairs is not responsible for speaker changes but will work to ensure a comparable speaker is secured to participate in the program.
4.2 Cancellation timeline. If you cancel your participation at a fee-based event, a refund will be issued to you only in the case that your cancellation is made three business days in advance of the event. If your cancellation occurs within three business days of the event, regardless of the circumstance that the cancellation is made, World Affairs is not obligated to refund all or a portion of your registration fee. If the event is a student program, no adjustments will be made to program fees after the date set forth on that programs’ registration page.
4.3 If World Affairs is prevented from carrying out its obligations due to any cause beyond its control, or such event cannot be virtually conducted because of a software or issue with the hosting platform or due to acts of God, strikes, labor disputes, government requisitions, restrictions or war or apparent act of war, terrorism, disaster, civil disorder, epidemic or pandemic, curtailment or restriction on transportation facilities, or any other comparable calamity, casualty or condition (collectively a “Force Majeure”) World Affairs shall have the right to immediately terminate the affected event without liability and shall be relieved of its obligations to participants. If the affected event is canceled, World Affairs reserves the right to reschedule the affected event where possible and your registration fee will be applied to the rescheduled event.
5. EVENT REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION
5.1 Once you have completed your registration, you will receive your registration confirmation by email. Please ensure that your valid email is entered correctly on the registration form. Be sure to check your junk email box too in case any of your event email(s) are caught by spam filters. World Affairs is not responsible if you have not entered your email correctly, or if your confirmation is sent to your junk email box.
5.2 You will receive essential information for registered attendees electronically at the email address and/or mailing address that is provided on your registration form.
5.3 In addition, you will also be added to World Affairs’ email distribution list for notifications of future events.
5.4 If you would like to opt out of any of these benefits, a link is provided in each email to do so.
6. DATA COLLECTION & DATA PRIVACY
6.1 World Affairs’ Privacy Policy is incorporated and made part of these Terms of Use. You hereby agree to such Privacy Policy. Any personal data (for example, your name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address) that you transmit to World Affairs by electronic mail or otherwise will be used by World Affairs in accordance with the Privacy Policy. Any other communication or material you transmit to World Affairs, such as questions, comments, suggestions, or the like, will be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary.
7. MISCELLANEOUS TERMS & CONDITIONS
7.1 Governing Law. These Terms and Conditions and your use of the website are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, without regard to its choice of law provisions. The courts of general jurisdiction located within Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will have exclusive jurisdiction over any and all disputes arising out of, relating to or concerning these Terms and Condition, the website and/or an event or in which these Terms and Conditions, the website and/or an event are a material fact.
7.2 Regulatory Compliance. This website is controlled and operated by World Affairs from the US. World Affairs does not make any representation that materials, software, and/or the facilities or services offered through this website are appropriate or suitable for use in countries other than the US, or that they comply with any legal or regulatory requirements of such other countries. In accessing this website, you do so at your own risk and your own initiative, and are responsible for compliance with local laws, to the extent any local laws are applicable. If it is prohibited to make this website, the Materials, Software and/or facilities or services offered through this website or any part of them, available in your country, or to you (whether by reason of nationality, residence or otherwise), this website, the Materials, Software and/or facilities or services offered through this website or any part of them are not directed at you.
7.3 Disclaimer of Warranties. This website, its content, materials, and products on the website, as well as all events and all materials provided in connection therewith, are provided “as is.” To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law, World Affairs hereby disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. World Affairs does not represent or warrant that the functions contained in the website will be uninterrupted or error-free, that the defects will be corrected, or that the website or the server that makes the website available are free of viruses or other harmful components. World Affairs does not make any warranties or representations regarding the use of the materials on the website or provided in connection with an event in terms of their correctness, accuracy, adequacy, usefulness, timeliness, reliability or otherwise. Some states do not permit limitations or exclusions on warranties, so the above limitations may not apply to you.
7.4 Limitation of Liability and Indemnification. Your use of the website and attendance at any event is at your own risk. Neither World Affairs, nor any of its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers or directors, nor any of its agents, or any other party involved in creating, producing, or delivering the website or its content or any event and any related materials, are liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of or in any way connected with the use of the website or attendance of any event whether based on contract, tort, strict liability or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of any such damages. Some states do not permit limitations or exclusions on warranties, so the above limitations may not apply to you. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless World Affairs, its officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors, and suppliers from and against all losses, expenses, damages, and costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, resulting from any violation of these Terms and Conditions or any activity related to your account (including negligent or wrongful conduct) by you or any other person accessing the website using your Internet account.
7.5 Third-Party Links. In an attempt to provide increased value to our visitors, World Affairs may link to sites operated by third parties. However, even if the third party is affiliated with World Affairs, World Affairs has no control over these linked sites, all of which may have separate privacy and data collection practices, independent of World Affairs. These linked sites are only for your convenience and therefore you access them at your own risk. Without limiting the foregoing, World Affairs specifically disclaims any responsibility if such sites: infringe any third party’s intellectual property rights; are inaccurate, incomplete or misleading; are not merchantable or fit for a particular purpose; do not provide adequate security; contain viruses or other items of a destructive nature; or are libelous or defamatory.
World Affairs does not endorse the content, or any products or services available, on such sites. Nonetheless, World Affairs seeks to protect the integrity of its website and the links placed upon it and therefore requests any feedback on not only its own site, but for sites it links to as well (including if a specific link does not work).
7.6 General Terms. Any waiver of any provision of these terms and conditions must be in writing and signed by World Affairs to be valid. A waiver of any provision hereunder shall not operate as a waiver of any other provision, or a continuing waiver of the same provision in the future. If any court of competent jurisdiction finds any provision of these terms and conditions to be void or unenforceable for any reason, then such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of the court’s finding without affecting the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. These terms and conditions represent the entire understanding and agreement between you and World Affairs relating to the use of this website and supersede any and all prior statements, understandings, or agreements whether oral or written and shall not be modified except in writing, signed by you and by World Affairs. You may not assign or transfer these Terms and Conditions, by operation of law or otherwise, without World Affairs’ prior written consent. Any attempt by you to assign or transfer these Terms and Conditions, without such consent, will be null and of no effect. World Affairs may assign or transfer these Terms, at its sole discretion, without restriction. Subject to the foregoing, these Terms will bind and inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors, and permitted assigns.
SOCIAL MEDIA STATEMENT & COMMUNITY GUIDELINES
World Affairs welcomes you to engage on our social media accounts in healthy and productive discourse about world affairs.
The following provides a better understanding of how to engage with World Affairs on social media and what you can expect from us. In short, our values are a top priority for World Affairs, and this extends to our social media communities. We ask that users treat each other with courtesy and respect at all times.
We reserve the right to delete any comments or block users that fall outside of our values and guidelines outlined below:
- Refrain from Hate Speech and Bullying: Make sure everyone feels safe. Bullying, cursing, and harassment of any kind are not allowed, and degrading comments about race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, or identity will not be tolerated.
- Be Courteous and Considerate: We’re all in this together to create a welcoming environment. Let’s treat everyone with respect. Healthy debates are natural, but be kind: do not personally attack your fellow commenter during a disagreement.
- Be Respectful of Everyone’s Privacy: Being part of World Affairs’ social media community requires mutual trust. Authentic, expressive discussions make for great interactions, but may also be sensitive and private. Make sure you have permission from an identified and known person before posting a likeness.
- Respect Intellectual Property: Before posting, make sure you have the right to post protected intellectual property, including copyrights, trademarks, and service marks.
- Stay on Topic: We welcome your feedback, provided your comments are relevant to the topic that World Affairs has shared.
- No Promotions or Spam: Self-promotion, spam, posts for political gain, and irrelevant links are not acceptable for World Affairs’ social media channels.
We appreciate your support. You can follow World Affairs on: