GDPR for Event Marketing: 10 Frequently Asked Questions

When planning an event, we can all agree that there’s one universal goal -- to ensure that everyone is able to have a fantastic time.

More often than not, accommodating accessibility is usually more of an afterthought in event planning (or not even a thought at all). As event planners, it’s on us to make sure that every component of the events we plan is accessible to every single participant -- no matter ability.

So before you fall into ADA rule-fatigue, Splash is here to give you some simple accessibility tips for your next event -- everything from venue accessibility to communications.

With GDPR (EU’s new data privacy regulation) in place starting May of 2018, and even companies like Facebook and Google not getting out fine-free, it’s clear that all event marketers will have to be hyper-conscious moving forward with every event they host and every piece of guest data they capture.

However, with any new regulation comes a lot of uncertainty and a lot of questions. How does GDPR affect badge scanning? How does it affect sponsorships and sharing lists? How do you track opt-outs when we have to comply under “the right to be forgotten”?

To help you navigate this new-to-all-of-us GDPR era, we’ve gathered the most common GDPR questions we’ve received from our customers.

For a more in-depth look into how GDPR affects event marketers, download our free guide, The Uncomplicated Guide to GDPR and Event Marketing.

Legal Disclaimer: One Clipboard, Inc. d/b/a Splash provides this blog post for informational purposes only and not as legal advice. Splash cannot determine whether or not the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) applies to you or your organization, and following the compliance steps contained in this blog post does not guarantee compliance with the GDPR. Splash is not a law firm, and the information in this blog post is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.

Increase Trust, Transparency, and Access to Engaging Prospects

1. Understand and Align with Key Company Metrics

1. Do I need to obtain consent if I’m sending emails that are simply transactional (e.g., invoices and confirmations) and not promotional?

You do not need consent to send invoices and other transactional emails to your customers, if they are directly related to the service/product they opted in for.

By understanding who you’re trying to capture, you can not only target the right people, but know exactly where your promotions should be coming from.

For example: if you’re trying to nurture net-new opportunities, and create a brand for yourself, you likely should be sending HTML branded communications from marketing. If you’re trying to convert opportunities into deals, you should be automating those promotions from the lead owner or an exec who is involved in the deal.

Bonus: this is also a great time to decide which internal teams need to be involved, so you can start communicating planned follow-ups or any other details early.

2. Should I permission-pass my existing database (even if they were added before May 25)?

A permission pass is a one-time double opt-in email campaign. It’s sent to all the contacts in your database who haven’t officially confirmed their subscriptions.

GDPR doesn’t only apply to contacts added after May 25 — it applies to all existing EU contacts in your database. If the contacts in your database have already appropriately given you consent — and you have history and records of all consent — you do not need to obtain consent again.

If you have not received consent that’s compliant to GDPR, you will have to collect consent again.

First thing's first: any event venue must meet required ADA guidelines! Here are a few things to always double check when it comes to the accessibility of your events:

1. Does your venue provide elevator or ramp access?

Some venues will cover accessibility on their website, usually somewhere in the FAQs. However, for those that don’t, just send a quick email to the venue asking about accessibility.

2. What do accessible transportation routes to and from your venue look like?

If you’re in a metro area, it’s good to check if nearby metro/subway/train stations are accessible. To save guests some time, it’s also a great idea to provide instructions around what the most accessible routes are.

Pro tip: If you’re in a major metro area, Google has recently added wheelchair accessible routes to Google Maps on both desktop and mobile. This should make your research into routes around your venue a total breeze!

3. If I’m a sponsor or partner of an event and receive a list of leads, do I have to get everyone on my list to opt in or can I add them to my database and market to them immediately?

First things first: For the event host to be compliant, they must be upfront about data usage and obtain consent for any partners who will be receiving their data (with a checkbox on the registration form). Those EU attendees have to proactively agree that they want to receive emails from sponsors or partners. Also, make sure to check with the host to verify they have obtained consent.

But you’re still responsible for your own database (on the off-chance the host does not comply).

You must follow up with an email to the list of leads explaining the purpose and usage of their data simply and clearly. (You don’t necessarily need to ask them to opt in, but it's never a bad thing to double check and provide a clear and easy opt-out).

2. Organize your data and simplify data-tracking

4. Does GDPR apply to EU residents who go to an event outside the EU? For example, if someone from France goes to an event in San Francisco, do I still have to add consent captures on all of our registration forms?

GDPR defines personal data as any information related to an individual or “data subject” in the EU that can be used to directly or indirectly identify the individual. So if your attendee resides in the EU, but their data is processed and stored outside the EU, you still need to obtain consent. To be safe, you should proactively obtain consent on all your registration forms.

Your Communications Checklist: What to Include

5. How does GDPR affect retargeting for an event?

In retargeting, cookies or device IDs are still considered “personal data” under GDPR. To gain consent, you should include language in your privacy policy that outlines the use of personal data for retargeting purposes and/or include a site banner that indicates the site collects cookies.

6. If badges are scanned at an event, is this implied consent or does the booth exhibitor need to obtain consent via email?

6 weeks out: start identifying topics, content, and speakers, and get logistics in place.

4 weeks out: build promotions - work with designers and writers to craft landing pages and determine the number of touchpoints

2 weeks out: first webinar communication

Week of: last minute promotion for registration, final run-through

Post-event: send post-event emails, route leads ASAP, communicate follow-up and progress internally

3. Is there accessible parking available?

Is there parking nearby the event that’s accessible to wheelchairs, canes, and walkers? Can a person with mobility challenges or fatigue get from the parking section to the event venue?

4. Is there enough seating and personal space?

If you have seating, do you have space for persons living with disabilities? Are you making sure that it’s communicated in your event space that persons living with disabilities get priority seating in a designated area? What about personal space, is there enough space per person in the venue to accommodate those with wheelchairs, canes, walkers, and service animals?

5. Did you confirm access days before your event?

Making your event accessible is a big part of it. The other part is making sure your attendees know about all the details so they can prepare ahead of time.

There is so much room for upfront attendee communications when it comes to the inclusion and accessibility of your events.

Consider doing the following:

1. Put accessibility information in your event page footer.

Take a look at the example below of an event page that looks great, feels great, and is displaying helpful accessibility information at the footer of the page.

2. Use your RSVP form to gather attendee needs ahead of time.

Your RSVP or ticket order form is the perfect opportunity to help yourself be better prepared, all while assuring your attendees up front that you’re thinking about their needs.

Here are some custom questions you can include in your forms:

• Dietary restrictions

• Requests for interpreting services or assistive listening devices

• Requests for accessible parking or seating

• An open text area asking about other accommodations that will help ensure full guest participation

• If you’re going to be using your attendee’s information to print badges, it’s also a good idea to include preferred pronouns on your form so you can display them on those badges.

Here's an example in Splash:

You don’t necessarily have to obtain consent for direct marketing purposes like badge scans or business card exchanges, but it's a good practice to tell the person how you'll be using their information (sales follow-up, add to mailing list, etc). Under Legitimate Interest, you can contact prospects, but you must provide the person with notice that you have their data, and explain the purpose and usage of their data (within the first 30 days of reaching out).

7. If we delete someone in our database at their request, it’s difficult to track who has actually opted out. How do you suggest managing this?

If they ask to be deleted, they are evoking their right to be forgotten. Therefore, some companies are choosing to anonymize the person’s personal data instead of deleting it. This means that any data that can be tied back to that individual needs to be masked so no one can tie the data back to the specific individual.

Of course, if you anonymize the person it will still be difficult to track who asked to be deleted — but you can at least retain the measurable data you want to keep intact. And the person’s identity will not technically “exist” in your database if you were ever to be audited.

Should you ever receive a request that you’re unfamiliar with, you can simply collaborate with the requesting attendee. There is no shame in asking questions - if anything, it shows that you take accessibility seriously and want your event to be as enjoyable as possible for all who wish to attend.

3. Send an email about accessible transportation options.

In the weeks before your event, whip up an email in the Splash Email Sender that let’s all of your guests know how they can best travel to your event. Within this email, take some time to lay out accessible route options.

Take a look at this example:

8. Is there explicit guidance on whether it needs to be opt-in (check to give your consent) or opt-out (check if you don't want to give consent)?

Consent needs to be opt-in. You shouldn’t have a consent box pre-checked; it should be a check to opt-in.

9. How are data backups impacted by the “right to be forgotten”?

When individuals request their personal data to be erased, controllers should be transparent with them about what will happen to the backups.

4. Disclose any specifics in your pre-event communications.

In terms of accessibility, it’s better to over-communicate. It's extremely important to note the following in your pre-event communications to your attendees:

10. What are the implications of contacting someone by accident when they already opted out? Any tips to avoid this?

We all make mistakes. Though it is unlikely that accidental non-compliance would result in the maximum fine, the best way to avoid penalties is to be proactive and vigilant with regard to compliance.

• Use of flash photography

• Any sort of strobe lights or flashing images that may cause seizures

• Distinctly amplified sounds/music

• The use of fog machines/any other chemicals or smells that may make your space inaccessible to individuals with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) or Idiopathic Environmental Intolerances (IEI)

• Whether or not interpreting services will be provided for various speakers, panels, talks, etc.

• Whether or not you will be providing assistive listening devices for hard of hearing attendees. (Fact: these are fairly inexpensive!)

• Disclose all additional/optional parts of your event. This pertains to social activities off site, recreational activities, and more. If an activity is not fully accessible, communicate those details in advance so individuals living with disabilities can determine their interest and ability to participate.

5. Let your speakers know about any special accommodations beforehand.

The speakers at your event should know about any special accommodations so they can be prepared. Some accessibility notes to provide speakers may include some of the following:

• Speak clearly (ideally facing forward without covering your mouth)

• Avoid acronyms and colloquialisms as much as possible

• When addressing someone specifically, ask for his/her/their name and pronouns to confirm

• Specify when you’re finished speaking

• If there is an interpreter, avoid addressing them in a conversation with a hard-of-hearing attendee. Always look at/address the participating attendee.

Explore the three core GDPR requirements and how they will impact you throughout the event lifecycle.

Become an advocate

Making your event more accessible and inclusive is the first step. It also opens up a space to begin a much-needed conversation around accessible event planning and becoming an advocate.

This may require some thought and work, as it will probably force you to rethink how you typically throw events and do business around your events.

Part of this rethinking might also include reaching out to your attendees both during and after the event to see how things went and if they were comfortable, informed, and able to fully participate. It’s a great idea to get feedback and continue to improve your planning practices around accessibility.

Once you’ve thrown some events with these accessibility tips put to the test, we also encourage you to educate others within your business and within the event planning and marketing community! It’s up to us all to create a conversation around accessibility in order to spread best practices and throw events that are that much more inclusive and, in turn, that much more extraordinary.

Do you have any accessibility best practices from your own events? Let us know in the comments below!

We surveyed event planners and they shared their biggest planning mistakes. See the surprising results.

author

Brett Boskoff

Brett Boskoff is the Co-Founder and CTO of Splash, the leading event marketing platform. Brett leads the engineering and product teams at Splash and is committed to growing, building, and innovating the platform. In his spare time, he enjoys kicking rocks down the sidewalk and tending to his ant farm.

About the Author

Ben Hindman is co-founder and CEO of Splash, the country's fastest-growing event marketing platform that helps businesses and brands more effectively market through their events. An event planner turned tech entrepreneur, events are in Ben’s DNA. Prior to starting Splash, Ben was the Director of Events at Thrillist, where he produced large-scale events from concerts to mystery fly-aways.