Event Safety & Responsibility Policy

Expectations

URMIA is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all event/meeting participants and URMIA staff. All participants, including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, URMIA staff, service providers, and others are expected to abide by this Event Safety & Responsibility Policy.

This Policy applies to all URMIA meeting-related events, including those sponsored by organizations other than URMIA but held in conjunction with URMIA events, in public or private facilities.


Reporting Concerns

URMIA works diligently to provide a safe and secure environment at its meetings and events by working with venue staff to make sure meeting participants are safe. We ask that all attendees report any questionable or concerning activity to URMIA staff so that they can take immediate action.

No concern is too small. If you see something, say something.

Unacceptable Behavior

  • Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
  • Physical or verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, sponsor, URMIA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
  • Examples of unacceptable behavior 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, sponsor, URMIA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
  • Disruption of presentations at sessions, or at other events organized by URMIA at the meeting venue, hotels, or other URMIA-contracted facilities.

 

Public Health Precautions

Perform a daily health assessment before attending any URMIA function. If unwell, please isolate from other conference attendees and seek medical assistance as needed.

Responsible Drinking

At some URMIA networking events, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are served. URMIA expects participants at our events to drink responsibly. URMIA and meeting host event staff have the right to deny service to participants for any reason, and may require a participant to leave the event.

No Discrimination, No Harassment

URMIA has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment of participants or our staff at our meetings. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, URMIA asks that you complete an Incident Report Form so that we can take the appropriate action. You may also contact our volunteer parliamentarian with questions.





Personal Safety and Security

  • Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
  • Use the buddy system when walking to and from the event venue or networking event locations during early or late hours.
  • Don’t wear your meeting badge on the street. Take it off as soon as you leave the building/venue.
  • Don’t carry a lot of cash or credit cards. Leave in your hotel room safe.
  • Don’t leave personal property unattended anywhere, anytime.
  • If it is an emergency or if you need immediate assistance, you should ask any URMIA staff member or the on-site security personnel to help you.

 


URMIA's Response

URMIA 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 URMIA reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting.


Protection Against Retaliation

URMIA will not tolerate harassment or retaliation in any form against any person for reporting harassment or discrimination in good faith, for providing information regarding harassment or discrimination, or for cooperating in the association’s investigations. Retaliatory conduct is a serious violation of this policy and will subject the individual to discipline, up to and including termination for home office staff and loss of membership for a member. Anyone who believes he or she has been retaliated against in violation of this policy is urged to report it to inform URMIA.