Conference Terms and Conditions | Folk Alliance International Conference

Below are the terms and conditions that attendees (“you” or “participant”) agree to when registering for the Folk Alliance International (“FAI”) Annual Conference or otherwise participate in FAI events. FAI is grateful to welcome you to their annual conference, including livestreams, and all online and in-person events (collectively, “Events”). These terms and conditions (“Terms”) are binding by your registration for and/or participation in the Events and/or by clicking “I Agree” to the Terms.

Code of Conduct and Harassment Policy

FAI is committed to providing a professional, friendly, safe, and welcoming environment for all participants at its Events, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, or other protected class. We expect all participants and speakers to help ensure a safe and positive experience for everyone, and unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated during the Events. As defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA). In accordance with US law, the FAI board has adopted refined language regarding harassment in our employee handbook. For reference, please see the way FAI defines and informs our staff of this important issue. We encourage our members to adopt similar policies in their places of work and to adhere to this standard at their events.

Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to:

Intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory, or demeaning speech or actions.
Harmful or prejudicial oral or written comments or visual images related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, or other personal characteristics, including those protected by law.

Inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images.
Real or implied threat of professional or financial damage or harm.
Inappropriate disruption of meetings or events.
Photographing, video, or audio recording of slides, or oral or poster presentations without the permission of presenter and author with intent to use or distribute.
Violating the rules, regulations or policies of the event venue or applicable online platform(s), or laws, rules or regulations of the pertinent city, state or United States of America.

If you experience discrimination and/or harassment at our conference or any FAI event, take the following actions as are appropriate:

Report harassment and disruptive behaviors to FAI staff on site.
Cite the FAI value statement and linked definition, tell the offending party to stop.
Talk immediately with a trusted colleague.
Contact your union, if applicable.
Contact an FAI staff member or email fai@folk.org.
Contact Hotel Security by dialing 0 to reach an operator.
Call the 24-hour National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
Call the local police at 911, if appropriate.

Consequences of misconduct may include but are not limited to:

Immediate removal from meeting or event without warning and without refund or compensation of any kind whatsoever.
Restrictions from future FAI meetings and events.
Termination of FAI membership.
Any and all legal causes of action and remedies available.

FAI, employees and staff are not vested with any law enforcement powers and may be limited in certain enforcement actions and will work with venue security and local police when required for safety and enforcement.

Media Policy

You give permission for FAI and its representatives, contractors, volunteers, licensees, assigns, and partners (“Licensees”) to photograph, videotape, or otherwise record your presentation, including your image and voice, at the Events (collectively, the “Media”). You grant the Licensees a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, sub-licensable right to use the Media and your biographical information solely in connection with FAI’s mission, including providing online access to the Media following the Events. You represent and warrant that you have the right and authority to grant such rights and will notify FAI of any third-party clearances that may be required, including record label waivers. On behalf of yourself, your heirs, and any company or organization you represent, you release FAI from all claims of any nature, known or unknown, that you have or may have relating to the Licensees use of the Media, and you agree to indemnify and hold the Licensees harmless from any third party claims related to the authorized use of the Media.

You are prohibited from copying, recording, distributing, or otherwise using any content delivered by FAI as part of the Events, unless express permission has been obtained in writing from FAI and the applicable rightsholders. You agree to not use any device, software, internet site, or other means to remove, alter, interfere with, or circumvent any intellectual property notice or protection or access control measure associated with the Event content, including, without limitation, any applicable geo-filtering mechanisms. Participant may not use any technology or technique that obscures or disguises Participant’s location when accessing the Events online.

Official FAI Credentials and Cancellation/Refund Policy

FAI, its agents, and representatives have the sole right to distribute and control FAI credentials. Any credentials not created by and legally acquired from FAI or its authorized representatives will be considered fraudulent and invalid, and subject to revocation. Any third-party information, including without limitation, delegate lists or membership information obtained as a participant of the Events may not be sold, licensed, assigned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from FAI.

You agree to the Cancellation and Refund Policy identified in the registration form and available here, and which is incorporated into these Terms. If an Event is cancelled in its entirety for any reason, you may use your registration for the next FAI Event of the same type for which your credentials were purchased. Otherwise, you will have no claim against FAI, including, without limitation, for a refund of payments made, expenses incurred, or any actual or consequential damages of any kind. All payments made to FAI are not refundable for failure or inability to use credentials due to “force majeure” events, including illness, public health crisis, government restrictions, natural disasters, wars, riots, insurrections, civil unrest, travel-related problems, and/or loss of employment.

If wristbands are lost or stolen, new wristbands will need to be purchased at the full price in effect at that time for your continued access to the Events. Use of credentials by anyone other than the authorized individual may result in revocation of the credentials without a refund. Up to fourteen (14) days prior to the start date of an Event, FAI will accept a request to transfer credentials by changing the Participant name on the credentials for a processing fee of $50 per credential transferred. Within fourteen (14) days of the start date of an Event, FAI will only accept such request onsite at the event and the participant name change processing fee will be $75 per credential transferred. Event credentials are non-transferable after they have been picked up. All refunds, deferral, or cancellations must be received in writing using the Conference Registration Refund request form.

Event admission and participation are subject to certain limitations, including, without limitation, venue capacity, geo-blocking, technical limitations, and age restrictions in compliance with state and local laws. FAI credentials may not be used as a prize or incentive in any form of promotion, contest, game, or sweepstakes without advance written approval from FAI.

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ASSUMPTION OF RISK AND WAIVER OF CLAIMS

PARTICIPANT UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES THAT PARTICIPATING IN THE EVENTS IS VOLUNTARY AND MAY INVOLVE CERTAIN RISKS OF PHYSICAL INJURY, DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, WHETHER PHYSICAL PROPERTY OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, AND OTHER DAMAGES OR LOSSES THAT MAY BE SUSTAINED BY PARTICIPANT, AND PARTICIPANT ASSUMES ALL RISK OF DAMAGE, PROPERTY LOSS, AND/OR PERSONAL INJURY WHICH MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE EVENTS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, EXPOSURE TO CDC IDENTIFIED PANDEMIC LEVEL COMMUNICABLE ILLNESSES (INCLUDING COVID-19). PARTICIPANT HEREBY RELEASES FAI AND ITS SPONSORS AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, MANAGERS, EMPLOYEES, VOLUNTEERS, CONTRACTORS, SUPPLIERS AND REPRESENTATIVES (THE “RELEASED PARTIES”) FROM ANY LIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICIPATING IN THE EVENTS, INCLUDING LIABILITY FOR THE NEGLIGENCE OF ANY RELEASED PARTIES, UNLESS SUCH LIABILITY IS DUE TO THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASED PARTIES, IN WHICH CASE THE RELEASE WILL STILL APPLY TO ANY OF THE RELEASED PARTIES THAT WERE NOT GROSSLY NEGLIGENT.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. IN NO EVENT SHALL FAI BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTICIPANT, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR ANY PERSONAL INJURY OR DAMAGES TO PROPERTY, DATA LOSS, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS, INCLUDING ANY DIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR SIMILAR DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF ANY PARTICIPANT’S USE OF THE CREDENTIALS AND/OR PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENTS, EVEN IF FAI OR PARTICIPANT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

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EXCEPT AS MAY BE EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THESE TERMS, PARTICIPANT’S PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENTS, AND ALL SERVICES AND PRODUCTS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE EVENTS, ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. FAI EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS OR CONDITIONS, WHETHER WRITTEN OR ORAL, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, SECURITY, RELIABILITY, INTEGRATION, SAFETY, OR ANY WARRANTIES THAT MAY ARISE FROM COURSE OF DEALING. FAI EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES NOT EXPRESSLY STATED HEREIN AND HAS MADE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES TO PARTICIPANT ABOUT THE SUITABILITY, CONDITION OR SAFETY OF THE FAI EVENTS, FAI PLATFORM OR DIGITAL TRANSMISSION OF THE EVENTS, YOUR ABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE FAI CONTENT OR SERVICES, ANY EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY FAI OR ITS VENDORS, FAI SERVICES OR PRODUCTS SUPPLIED AS PART OF THE EVENTS OR THAT THE EVENTS, INCLUDING ANY STREAMING, WILL OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION OR BE ERROR FREE.

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Miscellaneous

FAI Lost and Found. FAI is not responsible for lost or damaged items. Any lost and found items will be delivered to the venue and will be the responsibility of the venue.
Weapons-Free Policy. FAI is a private event and maintains a weapons-free policy for all its Events. You are prohibited from carrying weapons of any kind, including, without limitation, concealed or displayed firearms, and are not permitted to bring weapons onto the premises of any Events. Participant’s bags may be checked prior to entering the Events by employees or representatives of FAI, a venue, and/or FAI’s clients or sponsors. FAI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, without refund, deferral or credit to deactivate and/or revoke your credentials if you violate this policy. You must comply with this policy regardless of the terms of any signs posted on the premises of any venue.
Safety Participant agrees to comply with the safety, hygiene, and CDC-identified pandemic level communicable illnesses (including COVID-19) guidelines established by relevant health authorities and FAI.
You agree to the Privacy Policy on the FAI website, which includes information about how FAI collects and uses personal data.
Participant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold FAI and its affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, managers, employees, volunteers, contractors, suppliers, and representatives harmless from and against any and all claims, demands and all other liabilities, including, without limitation, costs and attorneys’ fees, made by any third party arising out of or in connection with Participant’s participation in the Events, use of the credentials, or any violation of the Terms by Participant.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Missouri, without regard to its principles of conflicts of law. Both you and FAI agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction to a court of competent jurisdiction located in Kansas City, Missouri, for the purpose of litigating any claims or disputes.
FAI reserves the right to make changes to the Terms herein. Any dispute between you and FAI will be governed by the Terms agreed to at the time of your purchase.
Nothing in these Terms establishes an agency, partnership or joint venture between the parties, or relationship of employer or employee, between the parties (or between either party and the other party’s personnel). Headings are included for convenience only and will not be used to construe these Terms. In the event that any term or provision of these Terms is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability will not affect any other term or provision hereof (which will remain in effect), and the parties agree thereafter to use their best efforts to substitute a provision of similar economic intent and effect. FAI may assign this agreement to a third-party at its discretion.

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Thank you to our Funders!

Kemper Family Foundations

Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation

Missouri Arts Cuoncil

Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

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