COVID-19 Health & Safety
AAFA will not require guests to show proof of vaccination to attend meetings or events in 2023. For safety reasons, AAFA recommends that guests be vaccinated (and wear masks if not vaccinated or immune-compromised) but we will not check the vaccination status of each attendee.
- Your attendance at the Traceability & Sustainability Conference 2023 (and any related activities) indicates your agreement that you will comply with all policies and that AAFA holds no responsibility for anyone who is infected by COVID-19 or any other disease.
- By attending the Traceability & Sustainability Conference 2023, you agree to abide by and engage in health and wellness beneficial conduct. This includes, but is not limited to washing hands often, covering your nose or mouth when coughing or sneezing, and not attending the event if you are ill or have tested positive for COVID-19.
- Should local, state, or federal guidelines be updated to include new mandates related to COVID-19 precautions, AAFA will follow those requirements.
AAFA Events & Meetings Code of Conduct
AAFA is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all meeting participants and AAFA staff. All participants, including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, sponsors, industry partners, AAFA staff members, service providers, and all others are expected to abide by this Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct applies to the AAFA meeting and related events, including those sponsored by organizations other than AAFA but held in conjunction with AAFA events.
This Code of Conduct outlines AAFA’s expectations for participant behavior, as well as the consequences for unacceptable behavior. AAFA promotes equal opportunities and treatment for all participants. All participants are expected to treat others with respect and consideration, follow venue rules, and alert staff to any violations of this Code of Conduct, dangerous situations, or any participant in distress.
Code of Ethical Conduct
- Be considerate, respectful, and collaborative.
- Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.
- Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants. Alert AAFA staff if you notice a dangerous or harassing situation or someone in distress.
Unacceptable behavior includes:
- Intimidating, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory, or demeaning speech or actions by any participants at or in relation to the AAFA meeting or related events. All who participate in the AAFA meeting and related events deserve respectful treatment, regardless of the capacity in which they are attending or participating. Discussion of opposing or different viewpoints is appropriate but is expected to be conducted in a respectful tone and manner that avoids personal attacks.
- Verbal or physical abuse, intimidation, or efforts to annoy others, which in any way creates a disturbance that is disruptive or dangerous or creates reasonable apprehension in a person.
- Harassing behavior (including, but not limited to, offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in AAFA-sponsored spaces or in presentations, yelling at or threatening participants, stalking or unwelcome following, harassing photography or recording, or unwelcome physical or verbal contact or sexual attention.)
- Disrupting a meeting or related event. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any AAFA staff.
Additional Rules
In addition, participants must adhere to the following rules:
- Pre-event content is encouraged (e.g., inviting stakeholders to your sessions), however the recording or sharing of any meeting or related event content (including education sessions, presentations, demos, etc.) in any format is strictly prohibited.
- Photography and social media posts are acceptable and encouraged. Direct quotes of speakers are discouraged during closed press events.
- Presentations should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services. AAFA reserves the right to ban sources of those solicitations.
- Any direct selling of products/services offered by speakers, industry partners, or consultants in any AAFA-sponsored spaces is prohibited.
Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior
Unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated at AAFA meetings or related events.
Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately. AAFA reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the meeting without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior, and AAFA reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting, virtually or in person.
Participants must also cooperate with any AAFA investigation into reports of a violation of this Code of Conduct by providing the information requested by AAFA that is relevant to AAFA’s investigation.
What to do if you witness or experience conduct that violates this Code of Conduct
Conduct in violation of this Code of Conduct should be promptly brought to the attention of Corinne Suder, CMP, AAFA, Vice President, Events and Programming, csuder@aafaglobal.org, so that AAFA can take appropriate action.