Introduction
The Grounds Management Association takes the privacy and protection of personal data very seriously. We will only use your personal data in a way that is fair to you. We will only collect personal data where it is necessary for us to do so and we will only collect personal data if it is relevant to our dealings with you.
This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) explains how and for what purposes we use the information collected about you. Please read this Policy carefully.
We may update this Policy from time to time to take account of changing requirements, and we request that you refer back to this Policy frequently to review any revision.
The Grounds Management Association, a company registered in England (Company Number 553036) with registered address: 28 Stratford Office Village, Walker Avenue, Wolverton Mill East, Milton Keynes, MK12 5TW is the data controller under the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and specific UK legislation incorporating the requirements of GDPR in relation to the processing of your personal data. If you have any queries relating to our use of your personal data or any other related data protection questions, please contact our Privacy Officer via communications@thegma.org.uk.
What personal data we collect, and where/how we collect it
We collect and maintain information that you voluntarily submit to us. For example:
• When you register on our website or for a product or service, you may provide us with certain information including your name, email address, demographic information, bank details or credit card details
• If you enter a competition or participate in social networking activities, you may provide us with contact information (e.g. email, telephone and/or physical address)
• You may provide us with information in the course of email, customer support interactions and surveys.
We also:
• collect certain personal data automatically whilst you browse our website, for instance your IP address, the browser you are using, and the pages you have visited; and
• use cookies on website, which are small text files stored on your computer that can be used to track you across pages. Cookie opt-in consent it controlled via the cookie consent pop-up on the website.
We may also combine personal data we already hold with personal data received from third parties, which is used for variety of purposes including to verify other information about you (e.g. verify your mailing address to send you requested products or services, or to update out of date information we hold for you) or to enhance the content and relevance of the advertising we provide to you.
How we use your personal data, and our legal basis for doing so.
We use personal data in the following ways:
To provide our services to you, to run our events, and to improve our events through feedback
• For billing purposes. Any financial details supplied to us such as bank details and/or credit card details are used solely for the purpose of processing payments. We do so because it is necessary for the performance of a contract between you and us.
• To provide you with information about a GMA service you have registered for. We do because it is necessary for the performance of a contract between you and us.
• To invite individuals to be speakers at our events. We do so on the basis of our legitimate interest in organising events.
• To invite you to participate in surveys and seek your views in relation to The GMA’s products and services. We do so on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving them.
• For health and safety purposes at and after the event, for instance in connection with an evacuation. We do so on the basis of our and other attendee’s legitimate interest of safety.
• For statistical analysis and reporting. We do this on the basis of our and our clients’ legitimate interest in gaining commercial insight into our events, e.g. the efficacy of campaigns, the level of engagement with certain exhibits, etc.
• For identification purposes. We generally rely on our legitimate interest in the security of our events.
To promote our and our partners products and services
Please note that SALTEX run by the GMA is a business-to-business event. We therefore assume that all attendees are attending in their business capacity, not their personal one. We therefore recommend that all attendees register with their business contact details.
• To provide you with information about third party services relating to an event you are attending (e.g. accommodation, travel and hospitality services). We do so on the basis of our and those suppliers’ legitimate interest in making attendees aware of the services available.
• To provide you with other information relating to our other events. We do so on the basis of our legitimate interest in selling our products and services.
• To provide you with other information about third party events such as meetings, conferences, information sources, seminars, offers, products or services which we believe could be of interest to you or your organisation. We do so on the basis of their legitimate interest in selling their products and services.
• To share your details with our partners, such as exhibitors and sponsors, so that they may contact you about their own products and services. We do so on the basis of their legitimate interest in selling their products and services.
• To provide you with personalised online advertising and/or website retargeting with relevant advertising in other websites. We do so on the basis of your consent.
To enable engagement between visitors and our exhibitors or sponsors
• To share your details with exhibitors and sponsors where you engage with their content online, so that they can follow up to see if they can assist in anyway. We do so on the basis of their legitimate interest in selling their products and services.
• To share your details with exhibitors, sponsors and other relevant attendees at our events where they have scanned your badge. We do so on the basis of their legitimate interest in selling their products and services.
Objecting to legitimate interests processing or withdrawing consent
If you wish to object to any processing where we rely on legitimate interests, or should you wish to withdraw your consent where we rely on consent, please email communications@thegma.org.uk
Alternatively, in relation to marketing email communications from us, you can use the “Unsubscribe” link found at the bottom of our emails.
Sharing of personal data
Your data may be passed to partner companies who provide technology, mailing services, facilitated meeting services and event management on behalf of The GMA.
In addition, we may pass your information to carefully selected business partners, or other carefully selected third parties who may contact you to provide information in relation to upcoming industry events, meetings, conferences, seminars, offers, products, or services which could be of interest to you or your business in reliance on the lawful basis set out in the section above.
Other than as set out above, we will not disclose any of your personal information without your permission unless we are required by law to do so (for example, if required to do so by a court order or for the prevention of fraud or other crime) and for essential event security purposes when we may be required to provide your mobile number.
The full list of our verified suppliers with whom your information may be shared can be found here https://www.saltex.org.uk/verified-suppliers.
Data retention
We will only keep your information for as long as we are either required to by law or as is relevant for the purposes for which it was collected. We maintain a data retention policy to meet our GDPR obligations in this respect.
Transferring your Information Outside of the United Kingdom and European Economic Area (“EEA”)
In some instances, personal data may be transferred to countries outside the United Kingdom and EEA. For example, this may happen if one of our service providers is located in a country outside the EEA. We also share information between our industry partners, business partners, or other carefully selected third parties which are located in other countries worldwide. Countries outside of the United Kingdom and the EEA may not have similar data protection laws to those within the United Kingdom and the EEA, but we will only make such transfers in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Your rights
Under GDPR you have the following specific rights in respect of the personal data we process:
1. The right to be informed about how we use personal data. This Policy satisfies that right by explaining who we are; the purposes for which we process personal data and our lawful basis in so doing; the categories of data we process; third party disclosures; and details of any transfers of personal data outside the UK.
2. The right of access to the personal data we hold. In most cases this will be free of charge and must be provided within one month of receipt. To obtain a copy of the personal information we hold on you, please write to us and provide us with your details or email communications@thegma.org.uk
3. The right to rectification where data are inaccurate or incomplete. In such cases we shall make any amendments or additions within one month of your request.
4. The right to erasure of personal data, but only in very specific circumstances, typically where the personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purpose for which it was originally collected or processed; or, in certain cases where we have relied on consent to process the data, when that consent is withdrawn and there is no other legitimate reason for continuing to process that data; or when you to the processing and there is no overriding legitimate interest for continuing the processing.
5. The right to restrict processing, for example while we are reviewing the accuracy or completeness of data, or deciding on whether any request for erasure is valid. In such cases we shall continue to store the data, but not further process it until such time as we have resolved the issue.
6. The right to data portability which, subject to a number of qualifying conditions, allows individuals to obtain and reuse their personal data for their own purposes across different services.
7. The right to object in cases where processing is based on legitimate interests, where our requirement to process the data is overridden by the rights of the individual concerned; or for the purposes of direct marketing (including profiling); or for processing for purposes of scientific / historical research and statistics, unless this is for necessary for the performance of a public interest task.
Please contact our privacy officer at The Privacy Officer, The GMA, 28 Stratford Office Village, Walker Avenue, Wolverton Mill East, Milton Keynes, MK12 5TW, UK or email communications@thegma.org.uk if you would like to exercise one of your rights.
What to do if you are unhappy with our processing of your personal data
In the first instance, please contact our privacy officer at The Privacy Officer, The GMA, 28 Stratford Office Village, Walker Avenue, Wolverton Mill East, Milton Keynes, MK12 5TW, UK or email communications@thegma.org.uk
If you are unhappy with how we deal with your query, you can contact the ICO, our supervisory authority for data protection compliance:
• Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
• Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate)
Linking to Third-Party Websites
We are not responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other sites, even if you access them using links from this Site. We strongly recommend that you check the policy of each site you visit, and contact its owner or operator if you have any concerns or questions.
Last updated 06/06/2024