Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the NetWorks website (networksevents.com) (the "Website") and the NetWorks speed networking platform (the "Platform"), operated by ExpoPlatform Limited ("ExpoPlatform", "we", "us").

By accessing or using the Website or Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Website or Platform.

These Terms should be read alongside our Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy, which are incorporated by reference.

1. About NetWorks

NetWorks is a speed networking platform operated by ExpoPlatform Limited. The Platform enables event organisers to set up structured networking sessions and uses a hybrid matching algorithm to connect participants based on their professional interests and preferences.

ExpoPlatform Limited
Company number: 8709065
Registered office: 28 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, CB4 3AZ, United Kingdom

2. Definitions

"Acceptable Use Policy" or "AUP" means the acceptable use policy published at networksevents.com/acceptable-use-policy, as updated from time to time.

"Attendee" means an individual who participates in a Networking Session on the Platform, or who uses the Website.

"Content" means any text, data, images, profile information, preferences, feedback, votes, ratings, or other material submitted to or generated through the Platform.

"Intellectual Property Rights" means patents, rights to inventions, copyright, trade marks, service marks, business names, domain names, rights in get-up and trade dress, goodwill, rights to sue for passing off, rights in designs, database rights, rights to use and protect the confidentiality of confidential information, and all other intellectual property rights, in each case whether registered or unregistered.

"Networking Session" means a structured speed networking event configured by an Organiser on the Platform.

"Organiser" means a professional event organiser, association, conference host, or other business customer that uses the Platform to run Networking Sessions.

"Platform" means the NetWorks speed networking platform, including all associated web applications and interfaces.

"Privacy Policy" means the privacy policy published at networksevents.com/privacy-policy, as updated from time to time.

"Website" means networksevents.com and any associated subdomains.

3. Eligibility

3.1 The Website and Platform are intended for use by business professionals aged 16 and over.

3.2 If you are under 16, you may not use the Platform unless you have the agreement of your parent or legal representative and the Organiser (where relevant).

3.3 By using the Platform, you represent that you meet these eligibility requirements.

4. Account Registration and Security

4.1 To participate in a Networking Session, you may need to create an account or be registered by an Organiser on your behalf.

4.2 You are responsible for:

• providing accurate and complete information;
• keeping your login credentials confidential;
• all activity that occurs under your account; and
• notifying us promptly at support@expoplatform.com if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your account.

4.3 We reserve the right to disable any account if we reasonably believe there has been a breach of these Terms or the AUP.

5. Organiser Terms

5.1 Separate agreement

If you are an Organiser, your use of the Platform is also governed by the separate service agreement between you and ExpoPlatform. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and your service agreement, the service agreement prevails to the extent of the conflict.

5.2 Organiser responsibilities

As an Organiser, you are responsible for:

• obtaining all necessary consents and providing all necessary privacy notices to Attendees whose data you upload to the Platform;
• ensuring that the personal data you provide to us is accurate, lawful to process, and provided in accordance with applicable data protection law;
• configuring Networking Sessions appropriately, including session parameters, participant groups, and visibility settings;
• complying with all applicable laws and regulations in connection with your use of the Platform; and
• your own event-level terms and conditions and privacy notices.

5.3 Data processing

Where you upload Attendee data to the Platform, you act as a data controller (Article 4(7) UK GDPR / EU GDPR) and ExpoPlatform acts as a data processor (Article 4(8)) in accordance with a written data processing agreement that meets the requirements of Article 28(3) UK GDPR / EU GDPR. You acknowledge that ExpoPlatform may also process certain data as an independent controller for limited purposes as described in the Privacy Policy.

5.4 Article 14 obligations

You acknowledge that where you upload Attendee personal data to the Platform, ExpoPlatform will provide Attendees with the information required by Article 14 UK GDPR / EU GDPR (including a link to our Privacy Policy) at the time of first communication or within one month of receiving the data, whichever is sooner. You agree to cooperate with ExpoPlatform in fulfilling these transparency obligations.

6. Attendee Terms

6.1 Participation

As an Attendee, you may be registered for a Networking Session by an Organiser or may register directly. Your participation is subject to these Terms and any additional terms set by the Organiser.

6.2 Your responsibilities

As an Attendee, you agree to:

• provide accurate profile information and networking preferences;
• engage professionally and respectfully with other participants;
• comply with the Acceptable Use Policy;
• not misuse the Platform or interfere with other participants' experience; and
• not use the Platform to send unsolicited commercial communications to other participants.

6.3 No guarantee of outcomes

We do not guarantee any particular networking outcome, number of meetings, quality of matches, or business result from your participation in a Networking Session.

7. The Matching Algorithm

7.1 The Platform uses a hybrid approach combining rule-based logic and algorithmic optimisation to match Attendees into meeting slots based on their profiles, interests, and preferences.

7.2 The algorithm is designed to create the best possible meeting schedules, but we do not guarantee that all preferences will be satisfied or that all requested matches will be made.

7.3 You may vote on matches and provide feedback, which may be used to improve future matching.

7.4 We do not consider that the matching algorithm constitutes solely automated decision-making producing legal or similarly significant effects within the meaning of Article 22 UK GDPR / EU GDPR. However, as a precautionary measure, we provide the safeguards described in section 8.4 of the Privacy Policy (including the right to request human intervention, to contest outcomes, and to obtain meaningful information about the algorithm's logic). Meeting suggestions are not binding and do not create any legal obligation between matched participants.

8. User Content

8.1 Ownership

You retain ownership of the Content you submit to the Platform, subject to the licence granted below.

8.2 Licence grant

By submitting Content to the Platform, you grant ExpoPlatform a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence to use, reproduce, process, adapt, and display that Content for the purpose of operating and improving the Platform, including running the matching algorithm, generating analytics, and providing the service.

8.3 Content standards

All Content must comply with our Acceptable Use Policy. We reserve the right to remove Content that violates these Terms or the AUP.

8.4 No monitoring obligation

We are not obliged to monitor Content submitted by users but may do so to ensure compliance with these Terms, the AUP, and applicable law.

9. Intellectual Property

9.1 ExpoPlatform's rights

All Intellectual Property Rights in the Website, Platform, matching algorithm, and our proprietary content (including software, design, text, graphics, logos, and trademarks) belong to ExpoPlatform or our licensors.

9.2 Restrictions

You may not:

• copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the Platform or Website;
• reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the Platform or matching algorithm;
• use our trademarks, logos, or branding without prior written consent;
• use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access or extract data from the Platform; or
• remove, alter, or obscure any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices.

9.3 Feedback

If you provide us with feedback, suggestions, or ideas about the Platform, you grant us an unrestricted, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free licence to use that feedback for any purpose without compensation to you.

10. Availability and Maintenance

10.1 We aim to make the Platform available at all times but do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service.

10.2 We may suspend or restrict access to the Platform for maintenance, updates, security reasons, or circumstances beyond our reasonable control, and will use reasonable efforts to give advance notice where practicable.

10.3 We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from unavailability of the Platform, including during a Networking Session.

11. Third-Party Links and Services

The Website or Platform may contain links to third-party websites or integrate with third-party services. We are not responsible for the content, availability, privacy practices, or terms of third-party services.

12. Limitation of Liability

12.1 Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
• any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded by applicable law.

12.2 Subject to clause 12.1, we shall not be liable to you (whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise) for:

• any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages;
• loss of profits, revenue, business, contracts, anticipated savings, goodwill, or data;
• any loss arising from your reliance on Content provided by other users or the matching algorithm;
• any loss arising from the actions or omissions of an Organiser or other Attendee; or
• any loss arising from circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

12.3 Subject to clause 12.1, our total aggregate liability to you under or in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the greater of:

• £100; or
• the total fees paid by you directly to ExpoPlatform for access to the Platform (if any) in the 12 months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim. For the avoidance of doubt, fees paid by an Organiser on your behalf do not count as fees paid by you for the purposes of this cap.

12.4 These limitations apply to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

13. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold ExpoPlatform, its officers, directors, employees, and agents harmless from any claim, demand, loss, liability, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:

• your breach of these Terms or the AUP;
• your Content;
• your use of the Platform in a manner not authorised by these Terms; or
• your violation of any applicable law or third-party rights.

14. Disclaimer of Warranties

14.1 The Platform and Website are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis.

14.2 To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

14.3 We do not warrant that:

• the Platform will meet your specific requirements;
• the Platform will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free;
• the matching algorithm will produce optimal or satisfactory results for you; or
• any defects will be corrected.

15. Termination and Suspension

15.1 Termination by you

You may stop using the Platform at any time and may request account deletion in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

15.2 Termination or suspension by us

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform immediately if:

• you breach these Terms or the AUP;
• we reasonably believe your account has been compromised;
• we are required to do so by law; or
• we decide to discontinue the Platform or any part of it (with reasonable notice where practicable).

15.3 Effect of termination

On termination:

• your right to access the Platform ceases;
• we may delete your account and associated data, subject to the retention periods in our Privacy Policy; and
• clauses that by their nature should survive termination will continue to apply, including: intellectual property, limitation of liability, indemnity, disclaimer, governing law, and any accrued rights.

16. Data Protection

16.1 We process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law, including the UK GDPR, EU GDPR, BDSG, and TTDSG.

16.2 By using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the Privacy Policy.

16.3 If you are an Organiser, your data processing obligations are set out in your service agreement with us and the data processing agreement (Article 28 UK GDPR / EU GDPR). You are responsible for ensuring that your own processing of Attendee data complies with applicable data protection law, including providing appropriate privacy notices to Attendees.

16.4 We have appointed a Data Protection Officer, contactable at gdpr@expoplatform.com.

17. Changes to These Terms

17.1 We may update these Terms from time to time by posting the revised version on the Website.

17.2 We will indicate the date of the most recent update at the top of these Terms.

17.3 Material changes will be notified to registered users via email or through the Platform where practicable. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

17.4 If you do not agree with any changes, you should stop using the Platform and contact us to request account deletion.

18. General Provisions

18.1 Entire agreement

These Terms (together with the Privacy Policy, AUP, and any Organiser service agreement) constitute the entire agreement between you and ExpoPlatform in relation to your use of the Website and Platform.

18.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

18.3 Waiver

No failure or delay by us in exercising any right under these Terms shall operate as a waiver of that right.

18.4 Assignment

We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations without our prior written consent.

18.5 Third-party rights

These Terms do not confer any rights on any third party under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

18.6 Force majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control (including but not limited to: acts of God, natural disasters, pandemic, government actions, war, terrorism, internet failures, power outages, and third-party service provider failures).

19. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

19.1 These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

19.2 Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

19.3 If you are a consumer in the European Union, you retain any mandatory consumer protection rights available under the laws of your country of residence.

19.4 Nothing in these Terms affects your rights under the UK GDPR, EU GDPR, BDSG, or other applicable data protection law. To the extent any provision of these Terms conflicts with your data protection rights, the data protection rights prevail.

20. Contact Us