Terms and Conditions/ Privacy Policy/ Cookie Policy/ Code of Conduct Policy

COVID-19 WAIVER OF LIABILITY/ASSUMPTION OF RISK AT THE SECO 100 CONGRESS

CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY

LEGAL RESTRICTIONS AND DISCLAIMERS

SECO INTERNATIONAL, LLC/ATTENDSECO/SECO UNIVERSITY WEB SITE/SECO 100 CONGRESS

ATTENTION: PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND POLICIES CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEB SITE AND/OR REGISTERING FOR THE SECO 100 CONGRESS.

Agreement. By using the Site and registering for the SECO 100 Congress, you agree to this Terms and Conditions of Use Agreement (“Terms of Use” or “Agreement”) and policies. SECO reserves the right to change these Terms of Use and policies from time to time. The current “Terms and Conditions of Use Agreement” will always be posted on the Site and you may view it at any time through the link at the bottom of any public page of the Site.

COVID-19 Waiver of Liability / Assumption of the Risk at the SECO 100 Congress

In consideration for being allowed to attend the SECO 100 Congress, you hereby acknowledge, agree and represent as follows:

I am aware that the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). I understand COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and exposure to contaminated objects. I am aware that millions of COVID-19 cases have been confirmed throughout the United States, including in the State of Georgia. I acknowledge that the circumstances regarding COVID-19 are changing from day to day and that, accordingly, the CDC guidelines are periodically modified and updated, and I accept fully responsibility for familiarizing myself with the most recent updates at www.cdc.gov.

I am also aware that:

• The Federal, State, and Local governments and government agencies recommend social distancing and other safeguard steps to prevent the spread.
• The CDC has further recommended that certain individuals with underlying health conditions avoid public gatherings altogether.
• SECO International, LLC has put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and other viruses or bacteria, and has contracted with the Georgia World Congress Center to take necessary precautions required by the CDC to cause their facility to be safe.

However, I understand neither the SECO International, LLC nor the Georgia World Congress Center can guarantee that I will not become infected with COVID-19, or any other virus or bacteria while in attendance at the SECO 100 Event.

By agreeing to these terms and conditions/policies by checking the box during the registration process and completing your registration to attend the SECO 100 Congress, I acknowledge that there is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19, and potentially other unknown viruses or bacteria, in any public space where people are present. This exposure could result in loss or damage, illness, disability, or death.

By attending the Event:

• I voluntarily ASSUME ALL RISK AND AGREE NOT TO SUE the SECO International, LLC organization nor the Georgia World Congress Center.
• I further agree to release, hold harmless, indemnify and defend SECO International, LLC and the Georgia World Congress Center and their employees, officers, directors, staff, contractors, agents vendors, volunteers, invitees, next of kin, successors and/or assigns from and against all claims and agree not to sue for any property damage, or any injury to, or any illness or the death of loss, damages, or liability resulting from exposure to COVID-19, or any other virus or bacteria.
• I also agree to abide by any safety rules issued by SECO International, LLC before the Event or at the Georgia World Congress Center (e.g., wearing a mask in public areas, engaging in social distancing at all times during the Event, not attending a function if ill, and washing your hands before participating in any planned function).
• I am aware that by agreeing to this agreement I am giving up legal rights, including the rights to recover damages from the SECO International, LLC organization and the Georgia World Congress Center. I further agree that this Waiver and Assumption of the Risk agreement in full is binding on my family, my heirs and my next of kin.

Intellectual Property and Use of Site. The entire content and design of the Site, including all trademarks, logos, tradenames, documents, databases, graphic representations, and other information, are the property of SECO, and are used by SECO with permission, and protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws, whether or not a notice of copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights appears on the screen displaying the information. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, or sell any information, software, products or services obtained from the materials at this Site for any public or commercial purpose. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of the Site may save and use information contained on the Site only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including without limitation, reproduction, retransmission, or editing of the Site information may be made without prior written permission of SECO which may be requested by contacting SECO at info@secostaff.com. If you breach any of these Terms, your authorization to use this Site automatically terminates and you must immediately destroy any downloaded or printed materials.

The material on this Site and during the SECO 100 Congress is furnished for continuing education and reference purposes only. It does not constitute the practice of optometry or medicine, nor should it be relied upon for dealing with a specific medical or health condition. You should consult a qualified eye care professional for advice about a specific condition.

Use of Software. If you download software from this Site (“Software”), use of the Software is subject to the license terms in the Software License Agreement that accompanies or is provided with the Software. You may not download or install the Software until you have read and accepted the terms of the Software License Agreement.

User Submissions. Any material, information or other communication you transmit or post to this Site or on SECO’s social media sites will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary (“Communications”) other than personally identifiable information, which is covered under the SECO Online Privacy Statement. SECO will have no responsibilities with respect to the Communications. SECO and its designees will be free to copy, disclose, distribute, incorporate and otherwise use the Communications and all data, images, sounds, text, and other things embodied therein for any and all commercial or non-commercial purposes. You are prohibited from posting or transmitting to or from this Site as well as our social media sites any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, or other material that would violate any law.

Photo and Video Recording. Recording or live streaming content delivered in the education courses at SECO 100 is prohibited. If there is a violation of this policy, the individual will be removed from the event and no education credit or refund will be provided (if applicable). Participants are not permitted to take photos or shoot video where it is unsafe or disruptive, such as in doorways, escalators, fire exits, expo floor aisles, hallways, sidewalks, etc. Not complying with a request to move or stop capturing content could result in participant’s removal.

SECO International may take pictures or record videos during the SECO 100 Congress. In registering for the event, you grant SECO the freedom to photograph you during the meeting, and you acknowledge and agree that we may include images of yourself, intact or in part, for conference promotional activities or other related endeavors. This material may also appear on the conference website, print and digital collateral or associated social media outlets.

Privacy

Effective as of January 1, 2022

This website is owned by SECO International, LLC .

Our postal address is:

SECO International

4661 N. Shallowford Road

Atlanta, GA 30338

Contact us at:

Email: info@secostaff.com

Phone: 770-451-8206

General Information

The Southern Council of Optometrists/SECO International, LLC ("SECO") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. We want to share with you how we treat personal information about you that we receive in connection with this Website.

This policy applies to all customers of SECO, who include but are not limited to, our show exhibitors, show visitors, conference visitors, customer inquiries, speakers, press, and other individuals with whom SECO maintains business relationships or communications.

Information Collected and its Use

We collect two types of information about our customers:

Traffic Data is anonymous information that does not personally identify you but is helpful to improve your experience on the Site and to track site usage. We may also use “cookies” to customize content specific to your interests, to ensure that you do not see the same promotional content repeatedly and to store your password (if one is required to be issued) so you do not have to re-enter it each time you visit the Site. We automatically track and collect this information when you visit our Site, which includes your: (i) IP address; (ii) domain server; (iii) type of computer; and (iv) type of web browser (collectively "Traffic Data").

Personal Information is information that personally identifies you. It includes but is not limited to Contact Data (name, address, company name, company address, phone number, fax number and email address), Financial Data (payment information when purchases are made), and Demographic Data (age, gender, type and size of practice, etc.). We may require you to provide us with “Personal Information” in order for you to access certain specialized services and/or to purchase products offered at the Site, as well as registration for the annual SECO Congress. If you communicate with us by email, or complete survey forms online, any information you provide may be collected as Personal Information.

The information we collect is used to improve the content of our website, used to notify consumers about updates to our website and used by us to contact consumers for marketing purposes.

If you register for or inquire about a SECO congress or online course, you may receive periodic mailings or emails from us with information on new products and services or upcoming events. We may also share the information you have provided us with others for convention-related purposes. Please refer to the Physician Payment Sunshine Act regarding information shared as required by the federal government. If you do not wish us to share that information, please check the box provided for that purpose when completing the registration process.

We may use Contact Data to send you information about SECO or our products or services, or promotional material, or to contact you when necessary. We may use your Financial Data to verify your qualifications for certain products or services and to bill you for products and services. We may use your Demographic Data to customize and tailor your experience on the Site, displaying content that may interest you according to your preferences.

Physician Payment Sunshine Act

The Physician Sunshine Act 6002 of the Affordable Care Act (P.L.111-148 (2010)) (“the Sunshine Act”), requires eye product manufacturers to report attendance registration information for any SECO continuing education program, including courses and/or meals or other items of value which are supported (in whole or in part) by grant funding from such companies, SECO’s sponsors in the pharmaceutical and device industries have asked SECO to assist them in gathering this information. In honoring these requests, SECO will attempt to gather and provide its sponsors with the information required by the Sunshine Act. To best facilitate this process, companies covered by the Sunshine Act should ensure that their National Provider Identifier (NPI) number is correct in the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) and that the address used for registration is the same as the primary office address reported to the states and to the NPI database.

As a part of SECO’s commitment to complying with relevant legal requirements, we regret that meals cannot be provided to healthcare professionals licensed in the states of Massachusetts, Minnesota, or Vermont, or who are affiliated with any state or federal institution that prohibits the acceptance of meals at industry-sponsored events. Alternative options are available to attendees that are licensed in one of these states, affiliated with any such institution or simply prefer to not accept a reportable meal during the Symposium Series.

Use of Cookies

A "cookie" is a piece of data stored on your hard drive containing non-personally identifiable information about you. We may use cookies in order to collect certain information about you, such as IP addresses (e.g., whether you are logged on from a .com, .gov, or .edu domain), domain names (the Internet address of a computer), and the type of computer and operating system being used. We may also use cookies to identify your computer when you revisit our Website, to recall your authentication information, or to track statistical information related to navigation throughout the Website. We may collect such information in order to better operate the Website so as to enhance your experience while using the Website, and to share with advertisers to provide you with a more personalized visit to the Website. Usage of a cookie is in no way linked to any personal information while on our Website.

Depending on the type of browser you are using, your browser may be set to alert you of cookies. You do not have to accept all cookies sent to you by this Website; however, depending on the particular cookie you reject, you may not be able to use some of the features of this Website. To disable all cookies, follow the instructions for the type of browser you are using.

Email

SECO does not sell email addresses. SECO will not share its list(s) of email addresses with third parties, except when asked to do so by law, regulation or government request, or on a restricted basis with SECO contractors fulfilling obligations directly related to SECO activities.

We may contact you by email to confirm purchases, enrollment to services, or to check the accuracy of the information you provide. We may also send you notices about special offers, new products, services, promotions, and other similar information. We may also send emails on behalf of third-party companies. When we contact you by email, all email campaigns from SECO will contain instructions and/or hyper-links to Opt-In or Opt-Out (unsubscribe) of our email lists.

Security of Information and Disclosures

SECO uses reasonable security measures to safeguard information concerning, and submitted by, users like you. Despite the security measures employed by SECO, you should be aware that it is impossible to guarantee absolute security with respect to information sent through the Internet.

SECO will, to the extent possible, control your personal information, and, except as otherwise set forth in this Privacy Policy, we will not disclose your personal information to third parties. Although we are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your personal information, if required by law, we reserve the right to disclose such information without first obtaining your consent.

Lost or Stolen Information

For those who are registered to use the site for specialized services or to purchase products, you must promptly notify us if your credit card, user name or password is lost, stolen or used without permission. In such an event, we will cancel that credit card number, user name or password and update our records accordingly.

Other Limits to Your Privacy

The Site contains links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites. Please understand that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes subject to the privacy policies and practices of those site. We have no control over its use and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information.

Children’s Privacy

This children's privacy statement explains our practices with respect to the online collection and use of personal information from children under the age of 13 and provides important information on your rights under federal law with respect to such information.

1. We do NOT knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13 as part of the Site. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received personally identifiable information from a user under the age of 13 as part of the Site, we will delete such information from our records.
2. Because we do not collect any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13 as part of the Site, we also do NOT knowingly distribute such information to third parties.
3. We do NOT knowingly allow children under the age of 13 to publicly post or otherwise distribute personally identifiable contact information through the Site.
4. Because we do not collect any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13 as part of the Site, we do NOT condition the participation in the Site's online activities of a child under 13 on providing personally identifiable information.

 

Opting-Out

If you have any questions or concerns about your customer information or your request to opt-out of communications from SECO or if you would like to review the information we’ve collected about you, please call or write us using the contact information above. We will accept, implement and maintain any customer request to opt out of future communication.

Indemnity of Liability

SECO International, LLC reserves the right to cancel the SECO 100 Congress without penalty, and accepts no liability for damages, financial or otherwise, incurred as the result of cancellation. SECO International, LLC will refund fees paid to SECO in the event of cancellation of the SECO 100 Congress. Attendees are responsible for their safety in transit to and from this event, and all costs and risks are assumed under arranging travel (travel and lodging costs, etc.) Vendors, speakers, and supplies of this event do not necessarily represent the views, opinions or policies of SECO International, LLC.

Disclaimer

SECO has provided directories of information and links to other internet sites only for the convenience of users, and is not responsible for the materials, activities or content of other sites. SECO does not endorse, warrant or guarantee any products or services described or offered at these companies, addresses or websites.

Also, please bear in mind that use of this Website is governed by the Terms of Use posted on the Website. As noted in those Terms of Use, although we operate internationally, SECO is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Georgia, in which SECO has its headquarters. SECO expressly excludes any representation or warranty, express or implied, with respect to the information available on this Website. SECO makes no representation about any third-party websites that may be accessed via links from this Website. By using this Website, you agree that the laws of the State of Georgia, without regard to its conflict of laws principles, will govern all matters between you and SECO with respect to your use of this Website.

SECO reserves the right to modify these terms and conditions/policies at any time without prior notice. Your continued use of this website shall constitute your acceptance of the privacy policy. Policy revisions only apply to information gathered as of the effective date of the revised policy, unless we give you notice and choice as to the changes in use, in which case all information is subject to the new policy.

CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY (SECO 100 Congress)

As a professional organization, the Southern Council of Optometrists, Inc./SECO International, LLC (“Association”) is dedicated to providing a safe, harassment-free, and inclusive experience for all participants at all Association-organized events and has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of participants in any form. Participants include but are not limited to Association employees, volunteers, members, attendees, guests, staff, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, vendors, etc. An Association-organized event includes business at the Association office, SECO International Annual Congress Meeting, official social events such as receptions, membership meetings, board meetings, committee meetings, and any other event for which participants are asked to RSVP or register through the Association.

Harassment includes but is not limited to offensive comments or gestures related to gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, or religion. Harassment also includes but is not limited to intimidation, bullying, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sexual images in public spaces, sustained disruption of presentation or other event, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Harassment can occur in real or virtual space, including social media related to an Association-organized event.

If you observe or experience harassing behavior that you believe is in violation of the Code of Conduct, please report the incident immediately to the SECO office at (770) 451-8206 and ask to speak to the Executive Director regarding an incident of harassment. The Association will take every complaint seriously and the Executive Committee will investigate each complaint promptly, thoroughly, and impartially. All complaints will be handled as confidentially as possible. The Association reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether any behavior at any Association-organized event is unacceptable and in violation of this Code of Conduct. In the event that it is determined that an individual has violated this Code of Conduct or has otherwise engaged in conduct that is deemed to be improper, prejudicial, or detrimental, the Association reserves the right to discipline such individual, including but not limited to (1) removing any such individual from the event or meeting with no refund of any fees paid, and/or (2) barring any individual from attending future Association events or meetings.

The Association shall have no liability whatsoever arising out of its interpretation and enforcement of the Code of Conduct 2023