Digital Policy
Whenever you visit our website to browse, read articles or download information, we collect and save data related to your visit: e.g. a clearly defined ID; the name of the host and the domain from which you have accessed the Internet, your computer’s Internet Protocol (IP) address, the date and time at which you accessed the website, and the URL of the website from which you have directly accessed our website. We use this information to monitor visits to our websites and to recognize repeat visitors. This information helps us make our websites even more useful. However, we delete this information again after a certain amount of time has elapsed.
Additional data is saved only if it is needed to process a visit to a trade fair or other event staged at Koelnmesse or if you voluntarily provide us with such information.
However, Koelnmesse may from time to time also receive your personal data from third parties. This can happen, for example, when personal information is forwarded by associations, exhibitors, foreign representatives, chambers of commerce and industry, or commercial address brokers. If you do not want us to use personal data that you have not directly sent us, please contact the address in the legal notice and notify us of this fact.
If you send us any emails, we collect, process and use your personal data to help us provide our services and conduct any necessary correspondence. This is also the case when you send us contact forms, letters or faxes. You can of course stipulate at any time that your details should not be used for advertising purposes. You are regularly made aware of this right in all of our informational and advertising letters.
We have taken every technical and organizational step required to ensure that all of the data that is collected, processed or used is protected against loss, deletion, tampering, forgery, unauthorized access or unauthorized forwarding.
In addition, our employees are obliged to keep data confidential. They regularly receive training in data protection and data security.
Which information do we forward?
Koelnmesse forwards your personal data to third parties if this is necessary to process your orders, organize your trade fair participation or invoice services.
However, our aims are more far-reaching. We wish to get to know you and bring you in o contact with our partners and interesting exhibitors. What’s more, we want to be able to give you even more support for your next trade fair participation.
However, it is your choice if you wish to take advantage of additional services and provide us with data that we can forward to third parties.
For visitors to events organized by Koelnmesse, we forward trade visitor data to exhibitors, associations or other third parties only under the following conditions:
The trade visitor has not objected or, if necessary, has given permission to have his/her data forwarded to exhibitors, associations or third-party companies
Before forwarding data to exhibitors, associations or third-party companies based abroad, we always check to see if the data protection standards in the recipient’s home country are comparable to those in Germany. If not, the recipient is obliged to contractually assure Koelnmesse that corresponding data protection standards will be met
or
Koelnmesse sells a trade fair event to another company. As a result of such a sale, personal data that is directly related to the event may be forwarded to the buyer.
Koelnmesse does not sell or otherwise transfer your personal data to third parties for any other reason.
Our foreign representatives and our service partners in Germany and abroad are contractually obliged to fully comply with the pertinent data protection and data security regulations and guidelines. Koelnmesse checks to see that this obligation is met.
The protection of your data
We take our responsibility for protecting the information that has been entrusted to us very seriously. Koelnmesse uses a wide range of data security techniques, including secure servers, firewalls and encryption of financial data.
Koelnmesse websites can include forums, notice boards and newsgroups as well as chat rooms. Please bear in mind that personal data which you disclose at these sites is accessible to other users. You should therefore carefully consider the potential consequences before disclosing such information.
Your rights
If you have given us personal data, we will provide you with appropriate access to the information that we have stored about you so that you can change or delete it. You can do so by writing to the address in the legal notice below and requesting a copy of your profile.
Contact
Our contact details
You can find our address in the ‘legal notice’ in the lowerleft margin of this page.
Please let us know if you should have any concerns regarding the way we treat your personal data. We will immediately look in o the matter.
The public procedural directory
As stipulated by Par. 4g of the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), data protection officers must provide the following information in accordance with Par. 4e of the BDSG:
1. Name of the responsible organizations 2. Management 3. Address of the responsible organizations
Koelnmesse GmbH Gerald Böse (Chief Executive Officer)
Katharina C. Hamma
Herbert Marner
Authorized head of Data Processing:
Achim Stolzki Messeplatz 1, 50679 Koeln, Germany
Koelnmesse Ausstellungen GmbH Sandra Orth
Authorized head of Data Processing:
Achim Stolzki Messeplatz 1, 50679 Koeln, Germany
4. The purpose of collecting, processing and using data
The company’s mission is to promote business by organizing trade fairs and exhibitions in Germany and abroad, by organizing and staging congresses and conferences, and by engaging in activities and offering services related to the trade fair, exhibition, congress and conference business. To fulfill its mission, the company maintains trade fair and exhibition facilities as well as conference rooms and convention halls. It uses these facilities for its events or rents them out for an appropriate fee. The company is also entitled to use its grounds for events of an athletic, cultural or other nature or to rent out its facilities for this purpose. Data is collected, processed and used to fulfill the above-mentioned mission.
5. Description of the groups affected and the relevant data and data categories
Visitor data, exhibitor data, other business partner data, employee data insofar it is needed to fulfill the purpose listed in item 4.
6. Recipients or categories of recipients to whom the data can be transmitted
Public authorities if higher-priority legal regulations require it; external contractors in accordance with Par. 11 BDSG; representatives in Germany and abroad; subsidiaries; service partners; exhibitors; associations; external organizations and internal departments in order to fulfill the purposes listed in item 4.
7. Standard periods until the data is deleted
This law contains many regulations concerning the obligations for data storage and the duration of data storage. At the end of these time periods, the affected data will be regularly deleted. Once the purposes listed in item 4 no longer apply, the data that has not been deleted yet will be removed.
8. Data transmission to non-EU countries ("third countries")
Only when the data recipient accepts the provisions of the EU standard contract will the personal data of German citizens or citizens of other EU countries be transferred to a third country that does not provide adequate levels of data protection.
(Status: January 2016)