PETE&C Attendee Policies

Event Code of Conduct
To give all participants the opportunity to benefit from PETE&C events and activities, PETE&C is committed to providing a friendly, safe, supportive and harassment-free environment for all event attendees and participants, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion or other group identity.

This code of conduct outlines the PETE&C expectations for all event attendees and participants, including all members, speakers, vendors, media representatives, commentators, exhibitors, sponsors and volunteers. Cooperation is expected from everyone, and organizers will actively enforce this code throughout this event. Violations are taken seriously.

All attendees, speakers, sponsors, vendors, partners, PETE&C staff and volunteers at any PETE&C event and any related events are required to adhere to the following Code of Conduct. Event organizers will enforce this code throughout the event entirety.

Expected Behavior
PETE&C expects event attendees and participants to communicate professionally and constructively, whether in person or virtually, handling dissent or disagreement with courtesy, dignity and an open mind, being respectful when providing feedback, and being open to alternate points of view. Likewise, PETE&C expects that any sharing of information about the organization or any event attendees or participants via public communication channels be shared responsibly and in a way that clearly distinguishes individual opinion from fact.

Unacceptable Behavior
PETE&C does not tolerate harassment of event attendees or participants in any form. Harassment includes offensive verbal or written comments and negative behavior, either in real or virtual spaces, including those that are related to or are based upon gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion or other group identity. Harassment also includes display of sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, and unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention.

Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for any PETE&C event venue, including talks, workshops, social gatherings and within social media channels. Sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, media representatives, commentators and activity organizers may not use sexualized language, images, activities or other material, or otherwise create a sexualized environment.

Registration for PETE&C entitles an individual attendee access to live and archived content delivered through the event. Any attempt to share event access with others is strictly prohibited. Instances of login credentials will be monitored throughout the event, and attendees may be ejected without refund if found to be in violation of this policy.

Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior
If an attendee or participant, in either real or virtual space, engages in inappropriate, harassing, abusive or destructive behavior or language, event organizers will determine and carry out the appropriate course of action, including any or all of the following: warning the offender, expulsion from the event without a refund, banning the offender from future PETE&C events and activities, and/or notifying relevant authorities or employers. All participants are expected to observe these rules and behaviors in all event venues, including online venues and conference social events. Event participants seek to learn, network and enjoy themselves in the process, free from any type of harassment. Please participate responsibly and with respect for the rights of others.

What To Do
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed or have any other concerns about an individual's conduct, please report the information to a PETE&C organizer(s).

Age Restrictions
Participants under 18 years of age - Individuals under the age of 18 are not permitted to participate in PETE&C as conference attendees; however, in limited circumstances and with prior approval from the PETE&C Board of Managers, they may participate in specifically identified components of the PETE&C program under constant supervision of school authorized chaperones. A student team may not be comprised of more than 4 students at any one session, event, or poster. (Exceptions may be requested in limited circumstances by contacting program@peteandc.org).

Participants under 21 years of age - As part of the PETE&C registration process, attendees and exhibitors will be required to indicate whether they are under 21 years of age. Individuals under the age of 21 shall not be permitted to participate in or attend any PETE&C event at which alcohol is being served. 

This policy is in effect to address safety/liability concerns, and to ensure the PETE&C event is an exceptional professional development and learning opportunity for attendees and participants who have a vested interest in the content and learning taking place. Additionally, as sessions are frequently at capacity, this policy helps ensure that paid attendees have access to event content to the fullest extent possible.

Cancellations
Attendee Cancellation Policy
Attendee registration may be canceled by sending an email cancellation notice  to registration@peteandc.org or by mail to PETE&C, 2608 Market Place, Harrisburg, PA 17110. Your refund request must be received by the specified dates listed below to receive a full or partial refund:
  • Full refunds will be issued if your cancellation notice is received by January 1.
  • Refunds, minus a $25 cancellation fee, will be issued if your request is received by not less than three weeks from the conference start date.
  • No REFUNDS will be approved for requests received less than three weeks from the start date of the conference.
Event Cancellation Due to Inclement Weather
Unless the Governor declares a State of Emergency prior to the event starting, the PETE&C event will run as scheduled and the above cancellation policy will apply.

Media Capture and Attribution
PETE&C maintains the sole right to record, stream and host all content at PETE&C events, whether in person or virtually. Video recording, including streaming of sessions for commercial use or outside of PETE&C’s virtual platform, is strictly prohibited. Recordings will be hosted online by PETE&C for a limited period of time following the event.

Presenters may share additional media and resources as part of their sessions or session records. These resources are provided for attendees’ personal use and are not for distribution unless the resource explicitly states that it can be broadly distributed or written permission is individually granted by the presenter. In either case, proper attribution to the original creator is required.

Video and Photo Consent
Registration and attendance at, or participation in, PETE&C event meetings and other activities constitutes an agreement that allows PETE&C to use and distribute the registrant, attendee and/or participant's image, name or voice in recordings, photographs, videos, websites, social media and/or print and digital collateral.

Influencer Disclosure
A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruling requires that anyone who endorses a product through social media or presentations should make their relationship with the brand (“material connection”) obvious. A “material connection” to the brand includes a personal, family or employment relationship, or a financial relationship, such as the brand directly paying fees, covering travel, or providing free or discounted products or services.

Health and Safety Guidelines
We continue to monitor health and safety recommendations from the CDC, Pennsylvania, and conference host city. We reserve the right to implement policies should the current public health environment change. Guidelines for attending the conference will take into consideration the well-being of the PETE&C community and federal, state and/or local guidance.

PETE&C has a dedicated Lactation Room onsite

Information Sharing and Data Use
PETE&C is sincerely committed to protecting the privacy of our membership and all others who come to our website in search of educational technology resources and information.

PETE&C is an interactive experience, customized for participants by using information and preferences shared with PETE&C during registration and entry into the event. As a participant experiences the event platform and digital toolset, PETE&C is capturing behaviors of individual users for purposes of gamification and general analytics.

Contact information sharing with other participants (attendees, presenters, and vendor representatives) is controlled through a participant’s own preferences and interactions. Virtually, contact information may be captured for exhibitors and sponsors if a participant chooses to share it during registration; by participating in sponsored sessions or booth demos; by submitting their contact information to the exhibitor at the virtual booth; by engaging in direct communication with vendor representatives through event digital tools; by scheduling exhibitor meetings; or by entering official raffle opportunities, offers, and games.

Other behaviors are consolidated into aggregate analytics (attendee counts without personally identifiable information) and shared with companies post-conference. Please note that if a participant chooses to engage in other activities hosted by exhibitors and sponsors outside the event, those organizational policies apply and are not related to PETE&C or its products and services.