Policies

Here you can find conference policies.

Why we ask for your consent 
We ask for your personal data to facilitate your registration for this event and / or abstract submission. 

Why are we processing your personal data 
We ask for your personal data to facilitate your registration for this event and / or abstract submission. 

How long will we store your personal data 
Your personal data will be retained by us for up to 5 years after the conclusion of this event. 

The right to withdrawn your consent 
You retain the right to withdraw consent of use of your personal data at any time. Please be aware that a withdrawal of consent before the start of this event will incur a full registration cancellation and cancellation fees as noted in the registration terms and conditions. Please contact us at [email protected] with any inquiries you may have. If you are submitting an abstract the withdrawal of consent will result in your abstract not being submitted for review or inclusion in the conference program. 

The right to forget or anonymize your personal details 
If you have attended any event with us, we will retain any financial, tax or event attendance records for reporting reasons, but will remove all personal data from our database, leaving an “anonymised” record for reporting reasons. 

Other third parties that will have access to your personal data  
If you are registering for the conference some of your data will be shared with other organisations and third parties in order to process your registration and / or abstract submission. 

These will include: 

  • Eway (ecommerce provider) 
  • Should you elect to be on the delegate list, your name, organisation, state and country will be provided to sponsors of this event 
  • Registration category will only be shared between relevant ASHM conference staff working on the Australasian HIV&AIDS and Australasian Sexual & Reproductive Health Conferences  

If you are submitting an abstract for the conference your data will be shared with other organisations and third parties in order to process and review your abstract. 

This will include: 

  • Australasian HIV&AIDS and Australasian Sexual & Reproductive Health Conference organising committee 
  • Australasian HIV&AIDS and Australasian Sexual & Reproductive Health Conference Abstract Reviewers (your first name, last name and organisation) 

Photo and video consent 
ASHM will take photographs, videos and audio recordings of the conference for use in ASHM’s news and promotional materials in print, digital, email and other media, including ASHM’s website and social media platforms. Event participants grant ASHM the right to use any image, photograph and voice in this context without compensation. All media become the property of ASHM and may be displayed, distributed or used by ASHM. 

Live presentations may be video and/or audio recorded and made available on demand. Delegates submitting questions as part of the Q&A / discussion consent to their questions being made available online as part of the discussion. 

Data controller contact 

ASHM Health 
Level 3, 160 Clarence Street 
Sydney NSW 2000 

Point of Contact: Conference Secretariat 
 Phone: +61 458 291 166 
 Email Address: [email protected] 

Nominated data protection officer  

NameandTitle: Amy Sargent 

 Phone: +61 458 291 166 
 EmailAddress: [email protected] 

ASHM Conference & Events Division implements a waste-reduction policy that addresses Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Our aim is to research and prioritise purchasing items and equipment that support the use of recycled materials or can be recycled after use. 

Delegate Satchels: We no longer offer delegate satchels for in-house conferences. All sponsors and funders are promoted electronically and support our decision to reduce hardcopy paper items, therefore the delegate satchel was no longer required and in return means less items contributing to landfill. 

Lanyards: We use eco-friendly bamboo fibre lanyards for all ASHM run conferences. 

Name badges: We provide recyclable name badges without a plastic pouch 

Conference Handbook: Our conference handbook has reduced in size to only include the essential information.  Our aim in the next few years is to move towards digital communications only and to no longer have a need for the conference handbook. Our conference app already captures all of the content that is included in the handbook and in addition provides delegates the functionality to connect with each other, participate in live polls and conduct session Q&A. 

Catering: We monitor final delegate numbers for an accurate forecast of catering requirements in order to avoid waste 

Travel: There are lots of options out there for delegates travelling interstate or internationally to attend our conferences who want to offset CO2. Most airline companies offer this as part of their booking process: 

Jetstar: Fly Carbon Neutral Program 
Qantas: Fly Carbon Neutral Program 
Virgin Airlines: Carbon Offset Program 

Other organisations that allow you to offset your CO2: 

Atmosfair 
Greenfleet 

Committee Meetings and Site Visits: We endeavour to minimise travel for planning the conferences through the use of teleconferences meetings or skype for business. This removes the need to organise face to-face meetings and to only hold meetings when necessary. 

Based on the current reporting of COVID infections in Australia the organising committee would like to model best practice behaviour at the conference to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. 

The organising committee will continue to monitor risk and government advice in the lead up to the conference and may institute additional precautions if the risk changes. 

For those attending the HIV&AIDS Conference and the Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference: 

  • Mask wearing is recommended during the conference, (preferably N95 masks). Please bring your own mask. 
  • A COVID rapid antigen test (RAT) should be undertaken before travelling to attend the conference (you should do a RAT prior to setting off to attend the conference). 
  • Audio and slides of sessions available post conference: If you cannot attend or become unwell or if you feel uncomfortable about travelling and attending then we will make audio recordings and PowerPoints of presentations available post conference. 

Other measures that have been implemented to reduce the risk of COVID-19 include: 

  • Contactless check in / registration available (use your barcode)  
  • Hand sanitisation places  
  • Reminders around social distancing and effective venue spacing 
  • Post conference presentations available 

In addition, the Venue have implemented the following safety measures:  

  • COVID compliant venue   
  • Adherence to current government space restriction and capacity  

Please make yourself familiar with our COVID Safety Policy and requirements. 

COVID Safety Policy 

Attendees are reminded not to attend if:   

  • they are feeling unwell and displaying COVID-19 symptoms (and of loss or change in sense of smell or taste, fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or runny nose),   
  • are a household contact with a person with COVID-19 (with a positive test) within the last 7 days 

If a refund is required in the case that delegates are unable to attend due to COVID-19 infection or being a close contact, the organiser will assist them on presentation of evidence. 

All attendees at the Conference will be required to comply with the COVIDSafe guidelines and protocols in place at the conference venue, which will be aligned and compliant with all relevant Government health advice during this time.  

At the Conference, participants will be reminded to social distance where possible and follow the instructions of ushers when entering the meeting rooms, or in public areas.  Please also follow all hand hygiene requirements.  

Being COVIDSafe is a shared responsibility, and we want you to enjoy and make the most of the HIV&AIDS Conference and the Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference.  

If you are concerned about any COVID-19 related risks during the conference, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Conference Secretariat: [email protected] or on +61 458 291 166. Our operating hours are 9am – 5pm AET, Monday-Friday. 

This code of conduct outlines our expectations for all participants’ behaviour at or related to the Australasian HIV&AIDS and Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conferences, including -but not limited to- media, sponsors, volunteers, speakers and attendees to all conference venues and any conference-related activity. All attendees at the conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organisers will enforce this code throughout the event. 

We are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), health and lifestyle choices or technology choices. We expect all attendees to behave accordingly, addressing other participants in an inclusive, mindful and respectful manner.  

Peaceful Protest 

The conference welcomes peaceful protest. However, the ASHM has zero tolerance for discrimination against groups or individuals based on their identity, harassment, intimidation, hate speech, violence against people, destruction of property, prolonged disruption of conference sessions, or any other action preventing other participants from fully benefitting from the conference for a prolonged period.  

Due to the sensitive topics that will be discussed during the conference, it is crucial to consider that some of the speakers or participants may have lived experience of stigma and discrimination. Therefore, we invite all sponsors, volunteers, speakers, attendees, media, exhibitors and other participants to help us make the Australasian HIV&AIDS and Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conferences a safe and positive experience for everyone. 

Unacceptable behaviour 

  • Unacceptable behaviour includes: intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning conduct by any attendees of the conference and related events 
  • Harassment includes: offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention 
  • Physical, written, verbal or other abuse, intimidation, threats, annoyance, harassment, stalking, pushing, shoving or use of any physical force whatsoever against any person, which in any way creates a disturbance that is disruptive or dangerous, or creates anxiety in a person 
  • Any boisterous, lewd or offensive behaviour or language, including but not limited to using sexually explicit or offensive language, materials or conduct, or any language, behaviour or content that contains profanity, obscene gestures, or racial, gender or religious slurs 
  • Assembling for the purpose of, or resulting in, disturbing the peace, or committing any unlawful act or engaging in any offensive behaviour 
  • Failure to obey any rules or regulations of the venue and the conference organisers  

Expected behaviour 

  • Be considerate and respectful 
  • Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behaviour and speech 
  • Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow attendees. 
  • Alert conference organisers if you experience or notice a dangerous situation or someone in distress 

What to do if you witness or are a victim of unacceptable behaviour 

If you are subjected to unacceptable behaviour, notice that someone else is being subjected to unacceptable behaviour, or have any other concerns during the event, please notify a member of the ASHM Conference team as soon as possible. All reports will remain completely confidential. 

The ASHM Conference team will be available to assist those experiencing unacceptable behaviour to feel safe for the duration of the conference. 

Consequences of unacceptable behaviour 

  • Unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated 
  • Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behaviour is expected to comply immediately 
  • If a participant continues to engage in unacceptable behaviour after being given a warning, the conference organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including expulsion from the conference without warning or refund. In extreme cases the conference organisers will contact the appropriate authorities. 

If you have any questions, please contact the ASHM Conference Secretariat via [email protected] or phone +61 458 291 166.