Virtual Meeting Code of Conduct

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

ACA 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, ACA asks that you inform either Heather Krejci, ACA, Operations Director or Pat Gouhin, ACA, CEO so that we can take the appropriate action.

Unacceptable Behavior is defined as:

  • Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
  • Verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, ACA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
  • Examples of  verbal abuse include, but are not limited to, verbal 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, ACA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
  • Disruption of presentations during sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other events organized by ACA throughout the virtual meeting. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any ACA virtual event staff.
  • Presentations, postings, and messages should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services. ACA 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.

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