Privacy Policy

Collection and Processing of Your Personal Data

We appreciate your visit to our website and your interest in Better Stands by Net Zero Carbon Events (“Better Stands” or “Better Stands by NZCE”). Protecting your personal data is of great importance to us. This privacy notice explains in a transparent manner how we collect and process your personal information, the purposes and legal bases for such processing, and the rights you have under applicable data-protection law.

We are committed to respecting your privacy and handling your data responsibly. Your trust and satisfaction are essential to us, and we want you to be fully informed and retain control over your personal data.

1. Controller

The controller responsible for processing personal data on this website is:

IFES ASBL, the International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services
(hereinafter: IFES)
Rue de l’Amazone 2
1050 Brussels
Belgium
E-mail: director[at]ifesnet.org
Association registration Number.: 0436.936.993

IFES is an international federation of companies and associations that are active in the field of exhibition, experience and live marketing as well as the meetings, incentive, congress and event (MICE) Industry. IFES represents and promotes the economic, professional and social interests of its members and their profession. It is non-profit organization.

For further details, we kindly refer you to the IFES Statutes.

Who is involved in IFES’ activities and services?

IFES has appointed the following service providers to render dedicated services to Better Stands by NZCE on behalf of IFES:

ECONSOR GmbH
Services: Website Administration Services and Hosting

Neckarstraße 193, 70190 Stuttgart, Germany

E-Mail: info[at]econsor.de
Telephone: 0711 / 46 05 89 – 50

Website: https://www.econsor.de/

Commercial register: HRB 728737

Please observe that the preferred languages for contacting the Central contact point under the Digital Services Act of Econsor are German and English.

Holtmann GmbH & Co.KG

Service: Website and Business Development

Adam-Stegerwald-Str. 9-11, Langenhagen/ Hannover, Germany

E-Mail: info@holtmannplus.de

Telephone: +49 511 740 74 – 0

Website: https://www.holtmannplus.de/

Comercial register: HRA 26400

2. Hosting

Our website is hosted by Mittwald CM Service GmbH & Co. KG, Königsberger Straße 4-6, 32339 Espelkamp, Germany.

For the purpose of providing and delivering the website, connection data are processed. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interest (technical necessity to provide and deliver the service explicitly requested by you – the website) in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Connection data and additional personal data are also processed to enable various functions or services of the website. Detailed information on such processing is provided in the relevant sections of this privacy notice.

Further information is available in Mittwald’s privacy notice.

3. Processing of Log Files

Our web servers automatically record the following standard log data:

the name of the webpage accessed,
date and time of access,
amount of data transferred,
notification of successful retrieval,
IP address of the requesting device,
URL of the accessed page,
the referring page,
the browser identification string.

IP addresses are stored only in anonymised form, preventing any personal identification. The logs are used solely to ensure website operation, analyse errors, and protect against misuse. Log data are routinely deleted after seven days at the latest.

The processing is based on our legitimate interest under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, namely ensuring the technical functionality of the website, analysing and remedying faults, and preventing unauthorised or unlawful use.

4. TLS Encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (e.g. enquiries submitted via the contact form), this website uses current TLS encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the “https://” prefix and the padlock symbol in your browser’s address bar.

4.1. Contact Form

Our website includes a contact form that can be used to reach us electronically. The data you enter in the input fields are transmitted to and stored by us.

Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory. Before submitting the form, you must confirm that you have read this privacy notice.

We process these data pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR in order to respond to your enquiry. Where your request relates to pre-contractual measures, the processing is based on Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.

Providing additional information (such as telephone number or comments) is voluntary. The processing of such optional data is based on your consent in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) GDPR. You may withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by sending an informal message, for example by email to info@betterstands.org.

4.2. Contact by Email

If you contact us by email, we will store and process your enquiry, including any personal data contained therein (such as your name, contact details, and message), for the purpose of handling your request.

The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR where the request is related to a contractual relationship or pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, processing is based on our legitimate interest in efficiently managing incoming enquiries (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR), where applicable.

For the operation and delivery of our business emails, we use the services of Data at Work GmbH, Gewerbepark Rahlmühle 11, 31848 Bad Münder, Germany, acting as a processor on our behalf. Further details on the scope and purpose of processing, sub-processors, and any international transfers are available in the Data at Work GmbH privacy notice.

Data transmitted via contact requests will be retained until you request deletion, withdraw your consent, or the storage purpose no longer applies (e.g. after your enquiry has been fully processed). Mandatory statutory retention obligations remain unaffected.

4.3. Appointment Scheduling

When you arrange an appointment with us, we collect personal data such as your name, email address, and any other contact details you provide. These data are processed solely for the purpose of scheduling and communicating about the appointment.

The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR, as the processing is necessary to perform pre-contractual steps or a contractual obligation.

5. Membership Application

You may apply for membership via our website. The personal data you provide in this context are processed for the purpose of assessing your application and, upon approval, administering your membership.

For the assessment of membership applications, the submitted data are also shared with the Event Supplier and Service Association (ESSA), 119 High Street, Berkhamsted, Herts HP4 2DJ. ESSA reviews the information based on a checklist and provides an evaluation. If the evaluation is positive, the membership is approved. This is governed by a Service Level Agreement between IFES and ESSA.

The legal basis for processing is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of a contract or pre-contractual measures) and Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (our legitimate interest in conducting a proper assessment of applications and involving ESSA’s expertise).

6. Members’ Portal – Login Area

The Better Stands Portal is a collaboration platform for exhibition organisers, stand-construction service providers, and assessors to evaluate and certify exhibition stands according to the Better Stands 10-point framework. The portal supports pre-event and on-site assessments and issues corresponding certificates.

The following categories of data are processed as part of the evaluation and certification process:

Company Information

(see also Section 6 – Membership Application)

Exhibitors: contact details

Sub-contractors/service providers: contact details

Event Information

Mandatory:

Name and date of the event

Event location and details

Optional:

Event description

Event type (e.g. exhibition, conference)

Event website

Organiser contact email

Project Data

Mandatory:

Event reference

Exhibitor name

Stand number

Evidence of material reuse

Optional:

Stand type (e.g. space-only)

Stand size

Comments and discussions among users

Access management for subcontractors and exhibitors

Approval status of assessments

Assessment and Certification Data

Evaluation results and certification level

Type of assessment (pre-event or on-site)

Date of assessment

Issued certificates

The processing of personal data for providing and operating the Members’ Portal is based on Article 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of a contract) and Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (our legitimate interest in operating a collaborative platform and providing related services).

If you wish to delete your user account for the Better Stands Portal, please contact us at info@betterstands.org.

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies that are necessary for its operation. Cookies are small text files that facilitate and manage your visit and provide secure access to certain areas of the site.

Cookies can be categorised by origin (first-party vs third-party), duration (session vs persistent), and whether they require consent.

First-party cookies are created and stored by the website operator and accessible only to us.

Third-party cookies originate from external providers not acting as processors on behalf of the operator.

Session (transient) cookies are deleted automatically when you close your browser.

Persistent cookies remain stored for a defined period or until manually deleted.

Some cookies are essential for the functioning of the website and therefore do not require consent, while others are used for analysis or optimisation and require prior consent.

We take data protection seriously and therefore use only essential cookies and a limited number of analytical cookies. No cookies are used for marketing purposes.

Technically Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential to provide basic functions of our website and to ensure its security. Without them, the website cannot be used properly.
Name	Provider	Purpose	Expiry
PHPSESSID	Own domain	Enables session control during your visit	End of session
wp-settings-*	Own domain	Stores user-specific display and admin settings	1 year
itsec-*	Own domain	Enhances website security (protection against attacks, misuse)	1 to 7 days

Analytics & Tracking Cookies: These cookies help us better understand how our website is used and identify potential issues. The analysis is carried out exclusively in an anonymized form.
Name	Provider	Purpose	Expiry
sbjs_*	Own domain	Enables anonymous analysis of website traffic and origin	6 months

The data collected through the use of these cookies is processed on the basis of Section 25 (2) No. 2 of the German TDDDG and Article 6 (1) (f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in ensuring the functionality, security, and user-oriented provision of our website.

8. Social Media Channels

We maintain online presences on social media networks to communicate with users and provide information about our initiatives:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/betterstands

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterstands/

These links are provided as static icons only. When you visit our website, no connection is established with the social-media provider’s servers. A connection occurs only when you click on the respective icon, at which point the provider may collect information about you (such as IP address, time, date, and the page visited). Data may be processed outside the EU, particularly in the United States.

If you are logged in to your social-media account, the provider may associate your visit to our website with your user profile. Interactions (such as “Share” actions) may also be recorded and displayed within your account.

To prevent such association, log out of your social-media accounts before clicking the icons or adjust your account settings accordingly.

Further details can be found in our Social Media Privacy Notice below.

9. Your Data Subject Rights

Under the GDPR, you have several rights in relation to the processing of your personal data.

9.1. Right of Access (Art. 15 GDPR)

You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you are being processed, and, where that is the case, access to such data and to detailed information as set out in Article 15 GDPR.

9.2. Right to Rectification (Art. 16 GDPR)

You have the right to request the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you and the completion of incomplete data.

9.3. Right to Erasure (Art. 17 GDPR)

You have the right to request the erasure of your personal data without undue delay where one of the grounds listed in Article 17 GDPR applies (for example, if the data are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were collected).

9.4. Right to Restriction of Processing (Art. 18 GDPR)

You may request restriction of processing under the conditions set out in Article 18 GDPR (e.g. while verifying the accuracy of data you contest).

9.5. Right to Data Portability (Art. 20 GDPR)

You have the right to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit those data to another controller, where processing is based on consent or contract.

9.6. Right to Object (Art. 21 GDPR)

You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to processing of your personal data carried out under Article 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR. You may also object to the processing of your data for direct-marketing purposes at any time. If you exercise this right, your data will no longer be processed for such purposes. An objection can be made informally, for example by email to the contact details above.

9.7. Right to Withdraw Consent (Art. 7(3) GDPR)

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. The lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal remains unaffected. You may withdraw consent informally, for example by email to the contact address above. Consent for cookies can be withdrawn via the banner displayed when you access this privacy notice.

9.8. Right to Lodge a Complaint (Art. 77 GDPR)

Without prejudice to other remedies, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement, if you believe that the processing of your personal data infringes the GDPR.

10. Final Provisions

IFES reserves the right to update this privacy notice at any time to reflect legal requirements or changes to our services, for example when introducing new functionalities or revising the website. The latest version will apply when you next access the site.

Privacy Notice for BetterStands’ LinkedIn Page

1. General Information

BetterStands maintains publicly accessible profiles on various social networks, in particular on LinkedIn. When you visit these profiles, personal data may be processed both by BetterStands and by the respective platform provider.

“Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual (for example, name, profile details, comments, or IP address).

Please note that BetterStands has only limited influence over the data processing carried out by LinkedIn. The processing activities are primarily carried out under LinkedIn’s responsibility and are described in LinkedIn’s privacy policy, available at: LinkedIn Privacy Policy.

2. Joint Controllership with LinkedIn

BetterStands operates a LinkedIn company page to share information and communicate with interested parties.

When you visit our page, data is processed both by LinkedIn (as platform operator) and by BetterStands (as page operator).

BetterStands and LinkedIn are joint controllers within the meaning of Article 26 GDPR. The allocation of responsibilities between the parties is set out in the Page Insights Joint Controller Addendum, available at: https://legal.linkedin.com/pages-joint-controller-addendum.

3. Purposes and Legal Basis of Processing

BetterStands uses its LinkedIn presence to share information about sustainable exhibition stand concepts, projects, and partnerships; to highlight events and collaborations; and to promote dialogue on sustainability and innovation in the exhibition industry.

The processing is based on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in conducting modern public relations and promoting sustainable exhibition practices.

4. Categories of Data Processed

When visiting our LinkedIn page, LinkedIn may process the following categories of personal data:

Information included in your LinkedIn profile (e.g., name, job title, company affiliation)

Interactions with our content (e.g., comments, likes, messages)

Aggregated usage statistics

LinkedIn processes these data in accordance with its own Privacy Policy.

BetterStands has no control over the type, scope, or duration of the data processing conducted by LinkedIn.

LinkedIn provides BetterStands with aggregated “Page Insights” statistics that do not reveal personal information about individual users but offer insights into page reach, engagement, and demographic trends.

BetterStands itself only processes data that users have made publicly available on LinkedIn (e.g., names, comments, or profiles visible to us).

Please note that the option to contact BetterStands directly via LinkedIn messages is currently disabled. For any enquiries, please use the contact details provided below.

5. Recipients of Personal Data

BetterStands processes personal data in connection with its LinkedIn presence. The initial recipient of these data is LinkedIn, which may use them for its own purposes and may share them with third parties under its sole responsibility. Posts or comments published by BetterStands are visible to the public.

6. International Data Transfers

LinkedIn may transfer personal data collected through the use of our LinkedIn page to countries outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland. To ensure an adequate level of protection, LinkedIn relies on the Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission. These include binding data protection commitments that both LinkedIn Ireland and its recipients—such as LinkedIn Corporation in the United States—must adhere to.

In addition, LinkedIn Corporation participates in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF), the Swiss-U.S. DPF, and the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF, as administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce. LinkedIn has certified its compliance with the relevant privacy principles.

The use of the Standard Contractual Clauses and participation in the DPF constitute appropriate safeguards under Article 46 GDPR. Further information can be found in LinkedIn’s Privacy Policy or on the official DPF website at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov.

Despite these safeguards, data transfers to third countries may carry a residual risk, for example, of access by U.S. authorities where EU individuals may have limited legal remedies.

7. Data Retention

BetterStands stores personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which they were collected or as required by applicable law.

LinkedIn retains data in accordance with its own Privacy Policy.

8. Your Rights under the GDPR

As a data subject, you have the following rights under the GDPR:

Right	Description
Access (Art. 15 GDPR)	Obtain confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you are being processed.
Rectification (Art. 16 GDPR)	Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure (Art. 17 GDPR)	Request deletion of your personal data.
Restriction (Art. 18 GDPR)	Request limitation of data processing in certain circumstances.
Objection (Art. 21 GDPR)	Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Data portability (Art. 20 GDPR)	Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format or have them transferred to another controller.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work, or the alleged infringement.

You may exercise your rights directly with us or with LinkedIn. Please note that BetterStands does not have access to data processed solely by LinkedIn, and such rights should therefore be exercised directly with LinkedIn.

9. Updates to this Notice

BetterStands may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect legal requirements or changes to the functionality of its LinkedIn page.

10. Contact

BetterStands by Net Zero Carbon Events

Email: info@betterstands.org

Address:

IFES AISBL

Rue de l’Amazone 2

1050 Bruxelles

Belgium

For privacy enquiries directed to LinkedIn, please use LinkedIn’s contact form:
https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/TSO-DPO