AOCS Meetings & Events Registration – Terms and Conditions

This document sets out the terms and conditions between AOCS and you when you register for any Society-sponsored or -organized meetings, conferences, or events, wherever located, including all virtual events organized by AOCS. By registering for an AOCS sponsored meeting, conference, or event, you and all of your registered guests are agreeing to comply with these terms and conditions.

Acceptance of policies and registration conditions

The following AOCS Registration Terms and Conditions (the “Terms & Conditions”) apply to all AOCS events and all attendees, including guests of registrants. Should you not wish to accept the Terms and Conditions, you should not register. Submission of a registration is regarded as affirmation of our acceptance of the Meetings and Event Terms and Conditions. If a meeting or event registration requires payment, registration will not be finalized until full payment is received by AOCS.

Web-event participation may require you to configure your software settings on your web-device upon first use or require you to download the software for your operating system. Please note that you may require administrator privileges on your computer to be able to manually install software.

Cancellation

Registration cancellations need to be made in writing to the AOCS Registrar at karen.kesler@aocs.org. Registration cancellation and refund requests received on or before Monday, March 31, 2025, will receive a refund of paid registration fee, less a US $80 administrative fee. Registration cancellation requests received after Monday, March 31, 2025, will result in forfeiture of registration fees.

How we will use your information

AOCS is committed to data privacy and protecting your personal information. Information on how AOCS collects, processes, and uses your data is included in the AOCS Privacy Policy which is hereby incorporated into these Terms & Conditions. Additionally, by submitting your email address during the event registration process, you agree that AOCS and its event partners may send you event-related information. A valid email address is required for all registrations.

AOCS uses the personal data you provide in this registration for administering your participation in this event. This may include information about the event’s content, event logistics, payment, updates, and additional information related to the event.

AOCS may disclose your personal data to third party service providers engaged by AOCS to assist in the conduct of the event (e.g. housing bureau, mobile application provider, platform provider, general service contractor). Information you provide when registering for or participating in an event managed or co- sponsored by parties other than or in addition to AOCS may be shared with those parties, and the treatment of such information is further subject to the privacy policies of those parties. Except as described herein, AOCS will not disclose your personal data to any other third party without your consent except where required to do so by law.

Nondiscrimination policy

AOCS prohibits discrimination, harassment, and bullying against any person for any reason—for example, because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religion, gender, sexual or affectional orientation, gender identity, appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Participants’ conduct at AOCS meetings and events must meet these requirements to satisfy the meetings’ purpose of advancing excellence by enabling equitable and full engagement and contributions by all participants and gaining the benefit of a full range of perspectives. See, AOCS Statement of Diversity & Inclusion.

Event conduct and safety

AOCS is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment to all participants, including staff and vendors at AOCS-related events. AOCS has no tolerance for discrimination, harassment, or bullying in any form at AOCS-related events. Participants are expected to adhere to these principles, respect the rights of others and must abide by the AOCS Meetings Conduct Policy.

Meetings may be recorded

AOCS staff or hired professional service providers may record (photography, video, online streaming, and all future mediums) at its events to document and display the event experience. Virtual events will record audio and any documents and other materials exchange or viewed during the session. By joining a session, you automatically consent to such recordings.

Intellectual Property

All protectable intellectual property available through AOCS events are our property or the property of our speakers, advertisers and licensors and are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. The content presented must under no circumstance be recorded or reproduces. If you seek to reproduce or otherwise use the content in any way it is your responsibility to obtain approval for such use where necessary. Any breach of copyright, including recording the presentation or any unauthorized use of the material may lead to legal action.

Liability waiver & release

In consideration of being allowed to register for, and participate in the event, I hereby warrant and represent that I am age 18 or above and freely waive, release from liability, assume all risks, and covenant not to sue AOCS or its members, employees, board members, agents, or volunteers for any expense, loss, damage, personal injury, including loss of life, disability, property damage, or property theft or actions of any kind that I, or my guests, may hereafter suffer or sustain before, during, or after the event, unless said expense, loss, damage, personal injury, including loss of life, disability, property damage or property theft or actions of any kind is caused by the sole, gross negligence of AOCS. This Liability Waiver and Release is specifically binding upon my heirs and assigns and is knowingly given.

General

AOCS reserves the right to change, amend, add, or remove any of the above Terms & Conditions in its sole discretion and without prior notice. If one or more of the conditions outlined in these Terms & Conditions should become invalid, the remaining conditions will continue to be valid and apply. These Terms & Conditions apply to all event participants (attendees, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors). The views expressed by any event attendee, speaker, exhibitor, or sponsor are not necessarily those of AOCS. All attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors are solely responsible for the content of all individual or corporation presentations, marketing collateral, and/or advertising.