NGS Virtual Programs Code of Conduct

NGS is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all meeting participants and NGS staff. All participants, including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, NGS staff members, service providers, and all others are expected to abide by this Virtual Programs Code of Conduct. This policy applies to all NGS meeting-related events, including those sponsored by organizations other than NGS but held in conjunction with NGS events, on public or private platforms.

NGS has zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at our meetings. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, NGS asks that you inform either Matthew E. Menashes, CAE, Executive Director, [email protected] or 703-525-0050, or Erin Shifflett, Conference Manager, [email protected] or 703-525-0050, so that we can take the appropriate action.

Unacceptable Behavior is defined as:

• Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
• Verbal or written abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, NGS staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest. Examples of verbal or written abuse include, but are not limited to, verbal or written comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations, or threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, NGS staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
• Disruption of presentations during sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other events organized by NGS throughout the virtual meeting. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any NGS virtual event staff.
• Presentations, postings, and messages should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, solicitation for services, or anti-competitive statements (see Antitrust Policy below). NGS reserves the right to remove such messages and potentially ban sources of those solicitations.
• Participants should not copy or take screen shots of Q&A or any chat room activity that takes place in the virtual space.

NGS 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 NGS reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting, virtually or in person.

Antitrust Policy

NGS has a policy of strict compliance with federal and state antitrust laws. The antitrust laws prohibit competitors from engaging in actions that could result in an unreasonable restraint of trade. Consequently, NGS participants must avoid discussing certain topics when they are together: prices, fees, rates, profit margins, discounts, rebates, or other terms or conditions of sale; pricing strategies, methods, trends, plans, or timing of price changes; salaries, costs, and other factors that affect pricing; allocation of markets or customers or division of territories; topics that may lead participants to not deal with or to boycott a particular supplier, customer, or third party; reductions of output; or any other anti-competitive topics.