Attendee Code of Conduct

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  Ethical Business Practices

• Suitcasing and Outboarding Prohibited:
  • Suitcasing  Defined as any attempt by non-exhibiting companies or individuals to solicit business within the conference venue – including tradeshow aisles, session rooms, and common areas – without proper authorization.
  • Outboarding: Refers to the conduct of non-exhibiting entities organizing unofficial events, demonstrations, or meetings in nearby locations, such as, hotels or restaurants, with the intent of drawing attendees away from the official conference events.

Attendee Guidelines

• Sales and Promotion Restrictions:
  • Direct sales activities or promotions are strictly prohibited in all official  conference areas and adjacent public spaces, including hotel lobbies and restaurants.
  • Unauthorized display or advertisement of products/services outside designated exhibit areas is not allowed.
  • Tampering with official conference badges, unethical registration methods, and the use of deceptive credentials to gain information or a competitive edge are unacceptable.

Enforcement and Penalties

• Addressing Violations:
  • Immediate action will be taken against any attendee or company found suitcasing or outboarding. This includes warnings, and the possibility of shutting down unauthorized events.
  • Continuous disregard for these rules may result in removal from the conference and a ban from future SDA events.

Reporting 

• Incident Reporting: Participants are encouraged to report any observed violations to SDA staff or directly to Kathie Ritterson, Member Experience Manager, at kathie@seniordining.org

Other Unacceptable Behavior

In addition to previously stated rules, the following behaviors are deemed unacceptable and are strictly prohibited:

• General  Misconduct: Engaging in intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory, or demeaning speech or actions of any kind is forbidden.
• Verbal Abuse: Any form of verbal mistreatment directed at exhibitors, attendees, participants, or SDA team members is unacceptable. This includes but is not limited to comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, race, religion, national origin, competitor products, use of nudity/sexual images inappropriately, and any form of threatening or stalking behavior.
• Discriminatory Comments or Images: Making harmful or prejudicial verbal or written remarks or displaying visual images targeting gender, sexual orientation, age, race, religion, disability, or any other personal characteristics protected by law are strictly prohibited.
• Harassment: Unwelcome attention, deliberate stalking, or intimidation of any event participant in any form is not tolerated.
• Threats: Any real or implied threats causing physical, professional, or financial harm are strictly forbidden.
• Disruption of Events: Inappropriate disruption of exhibits, demonstrations, educational sessions, networking events, meetings, or any SDA-organized activities is prohibited. Compliance with moderator instructions and SDA staff directions is mandatory.
• Unauthorized Recording: Photographing, video, or audio recording of exhibits, product demonstrations, sessions, slides, oral or poster presentations without the explicit permission of the presenter/author is prohibited.
• Unapproved Promotions: Presentation content, postings, or messages should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job opportunities, or solicitations unless authorized as a session host or supplier. SDA reserves the right to remove such content and may ban the sources of these solicitations.
• Unauthorized Advertising Materials: Displaying pop-up banners, signs, flyers, magazines, or other materials that promote an event or exhibitor outside of rented exhibitor space, unless contracted under an SDA sponsorship or media partnership, is not allowed.
• Non-compliance with Requests: Failing to cease unacceptable behavior when requested by a fellow participant or SDA staff member is a violation of this code.
• Credential Misuse: Sharing SDA event credentials with others is prohibited.
• Negative Social Media Conduct: Posting derogatory comments or content on social media or apps against competitors or other participants is against the code of conduct.

Personal Responsibility and Health Safety

As a participant at the Senior Dining Association (SDA) event, you are agreeing to a commitment towards maintaining a healthy and safe environment. This encompasses the following responsibilities:

• Adherence to Health Guidelines: You are expected to follow all relevant health and safety guidelines. This includes, but is not limited to, compliance with state and local regulations and adherence to recommendations and guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Acknowledgment of Risks: While SDA, in collaboration with event venues, strives to implement robust health safety measures, it is important to understand that these measures do not eliminate the risk of exposure to infectious diseases. By attending the event, you acknowledge and accept these inherent risks.
• Waiver of Liability: In choosing to attend the SDA event, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to infectious diseases. Furthermore, you agree not to hold SDA or its affiliates – including partners, sponsors, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, volunteers, or the venues hosting the event – liable for any illness or health complications that might arise from your participation in the event.

Right to Take Action

The Senior Dining Association (SDA) maintains full authority to implement any measures deemed necessary and suitable in response to any instance of unacceptable conduct. This authority includes, but is not limited to:

• Immediate Removal: In the event of a breach of the code of conduct, SDA may remove the offending individual or party from the event instantly, without prior warning. This removal may be enforced without any refund for participation fees or related costs.
• Future Event Prohibition: SDA holds the right to forbid individuals or entities who have violated the conduct guidelines from attending any future meetings, trade shows, or events. This prohibition applies to both physical and digital formats of SDA-organized events.

SDA emphasizes the importance of adhering to the established code of conduct to maintain a respectful, inclusive, and professional environment for all attendees and participants. All participants at SYNERGY 2025 are expected to adhere to these guidelines to ensure a respectful and professional environment. Violations may lead to corrective actions as deemed appropriate by SDA.