Terms and conditions of event and course registration
This page (together with the documents referred to on it) defines the terms and conditions of which we enable you to register for a place on any of our face-to-face or virtual courses, conferences or seminars (‘Events’ “Virtual Events”) listed in our e-newsletters, on social media, through our Website or advertised in an external publication. Please read these terms and conditions carefully before registering for our Events or Virtual Events. You should understand that by registering for our Events or Virtual Events, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
Price and payment
The price of our Events or Virtual Events is available on our Website. Prices listed are inclusive of VAT (if VAT is applicable) at the prevailing rate unless otherwise stated. Prices are liable to change at any time, but changes will not affect bookings in respect of which we have already sent you a Booking Confirmation, except in cases of obvious error.
You may pay for your booking online by credit and debit card. Credit and debit card payments made online through our Website are processed by a secure payment collection service. Our online payment processing is undertaken Stripe, a leading secure internet payment service provider.
To successfully process your online booking, we will take your name, address and other details. Your credit or debit card information is processed via Stripe securely.
Payment must be made at the time of registration. Your registration will not be confirmed until payment has been recieved.
Unless we are proven to be fraudulent or negligent, we will not be liable to you for any losses caused because of unauthorised access to the personal and transactional information that you provide us when making a booking.
Early bird prices and other special offers
We reserve the right, from time to time, to run special promotional offers on events. These may include, but are not limited to, price promotions such as early bird pricing. Additional terms and conditions may apply which will be made available at the time of booking.
Confirmation of booking
After making a booking you will receive an e-mail from us acknowledging that we have received your registration request. Your registration is not confirmed until full payment has been received.
The contract between us (‘Contract’) will only be formed when we send you the order confirmation and receive full payment. Should there be a limited number of places at an Event these will be allocated in order of receipt of registration.
Joining instructions
You will receive joining instructions confirming timings and venues once your booking has been processed. If you have not received these one week prior to the event please contact us via registration@bess.ac.uk. Prior to contacting us, please ensure you have checked your email inbox as well as your spam and junk mail.
Code of conduct
BESS requires all event attendees to abide by a Code of Conduct when attending a BESS event. By agreeing to the terms and conditions of registration you are also agreeing to conduct yourself safely, professionally, and respectfully in line with this Code of Conduct.
Event and virtual event content
We reserve the right to make changes to the published programme of an Event (but not the overall content), for example to timings and/or speakers if one of the advertised speakers is unable to attend. In such cases, you will not be entitled to a refund if you cancel your place.
Event venue and accommodation
Our Events are held at several venues throughout the UK and Ireland. You acknowledge that we may have to change the published venue for the event for reasons beyond our control and in such cases, you will not be entitled to cancel unless the change in venue represents a significant disadvantage to you.
You are liable for any loss or damage which you may cause to our premises or that of the external venue and agree to adhere to all housekeeping rules, procedures, and policies (including policies as to behaviour and conduct) that may be in place at any venue from time to time.
If you have a disability or medical condition that requires special arrangements to be made, or specific dietary requirements, please notify us of your requirements when making your booking. BESS will not be held responsible for arranging any special diet, medical requests etc, of a delegate or accompanying persons but will endeavour to do so if these requirements are advised to BESS at the time of registration.
Virtual courses and events
To allow Society activities, and in particular Events, to continue despite restrictions imposed by COVID 19, BESS sometimes organise Virtual Events. These Virtual Events might include courses, meetings and conferences. Currently we are using Talking Slides to deliver these events online. Talking Slides is a GDPR compliant video conferencing provider with full end-to-end encryption. A separate policy provided by Talking Slides can be accessed here.
If you have any questions on our Virtual Events and how this may affect your personal data, please contact registration@bess.ac.uk
Continuing professional development (CPD)
Our courses are accredited for CPD by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. You will be awarded a CPD certificate either by BESS or one of its representatives following the completion of an event evaluation survey.
Our cancellation and refund policy
Face-to-face events
Cancellations received in writing more than one month but less than 3 months before the Event, will be subject to a 50% administration fee. No refunds will be made for cancellations less than one month prior to the Event or for non-attendance. If cancellation by the delegate is prior to 3 months before the Event – the delegate shall be entitled to a refund of fees paid less a 15% administration fee. Substitution may be possible but should a non-member replace a member the appropriate supplement will be charged.
Refunds for additional options such as dinners when cancelled by the delegate, will be made on a case-by-case basis. Please email registration@bess.ac.uk with your request.
We reserve the right at any time and without prior warning to change the venue of the Event and/or Speakers/Chairperson from those described in the programme. We also reserve the right in our absolute discretion, to cancel your booking where we need to do so due to circumstances outside of our control (including, but not limited to, situations, where sufficient numbers have not been booked for the Event or the speakers are unavailable or cancel the Event or if you are more than 30 days in arrears with any payment due to us, or if it may prejudice our reputation). We shall have no liability for losses or costs which you may incur due to such cancellation but we shall refund your booking payment (in full as soon as possible) or offer you an alternative Event if one is available. You have the choice of accepting the refund, a credit note or attending the alternative Event.
We will usually refund any money received from you using the same method originally used by you to pay for your purchase but reserve the right to refund using an alternative method.
Virtual events
Virtual Events often have a much shorter timescale between when booking opens and the event takes place. There are also less individual costs associated with the attendance of a virtual attendee than there are with an in-person one.
In the cases where no additional resources have been purchased for the attendee, such as a licence to use software or to grant access to a platform, or that places were not limited on the number that could attend, BESS will consider providing a full refund, provided it is requested at least 3 weeks prior to the start of the Virtual Event. Requests should be made in writing to registration@bess.ac.uk.
If the refund is requested for a limited capacity event or training course or if licences have been purchased, BESS will provide a refund on the condition that we are able to resell the reserved place at the Virtual Event and that the refund request has been made at least 3 weeks prior to the start of the Virtual Event.
Rights in materials
All copyright and other rights (including all intellectual property rights) in materials provided to you during or for the purposes of any of our Events or Virtual Events (including, without limitation, course notes, slides, brochures, articles or case studies) are the property of BESS or of our speakers. You are entitled to use such materials only for your own personal use. You are not entitled to copy such materials (except as permitted by law) nor are you entitled to use or authorise others to use such materials for any commercial purposes.
Images
We often take photographs at events for marketing purposes. By attending an event, you are giving us permission to use images in which you may be present. In addition, these images may be shared and stored on third-party platforms. Should you not wish to appear in any images, please notify the BESS representative at the event.
Our liability
Event attendees shall be required to always keep their personal belongings with them and we accept no liability for damage to, or loss of, personal belongings. We do not accept any responsibility for any loss (including, without limitation, theft) of any property occasioned on our premises or at external venues save for any damage caused by our negligence in which circumstances our liability shall be limited to the amount of our insurance for such losses.
We will not be responsible to you or any third party for any business loss (including loss of revenue, profits, contracts, anticipated savings, wasted expenditure, data or goodwill) or any other loss or damage which does not result directly from our actions.
Nothing in these online event registration terms and conditions excludes our liability to you for personal injury or death caused by our negligence.
Events outside our control
BESS shall not be liable for the delay or cancellation of an Event or Virtual Event, if the delay or cancellation is caused by circumstances or events outside our reasonable control. A Force Majeure Event includes any act, event, non-happening, omission, or accident beyond our reasonable control and includes (without limitation) the following:
• Strikes, or industrial action;
• Riot, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack, war;
• Fire, explosion, storm, flood, earthquake, subsidence, epidemic or other natural disaster;
• Impossibility of the use of railways, shipping, aircraft, motor transport or other means of public or private transport;
• Impossibility of the use of public or private telecommunications networks; and
• The acts, legislation, regulations or restrictions of any government;
Our performance under any Contract is deemed to be suspended for the period that the Force Majeure Event continues. We will use our reasonable endeavours to bring the Force Majeure Event to a close or to find a solution by which our obligations under the Contract may be performed despite the Force Majeure Event.
Written communications
We will contact you by e-mail, mobile phone (text message) or provide you with information by posting notices on our Website. For contractual purposes, you agree to this electronic means of communication and you acknowledge that all contracts, notices, information and other communications that we provide to you electronically comply with any legal requirement that such communications be in writing. This condition does not affect your statutory rights.
Privacy
Our Privacy Notice explains how we will use the information which you have provided to us.
Publicity
We may use photographs taken at Events in publicity and marketing materials, including use on our Website. Your attendance at an Event may mean that you are featured in such photographs and you are deemed not to object to the taking of such photographs as detailed above. If you do not wish to be included in any photograph, please notify BESS representative at the relevant Event prior to the photographs being taken.
Our right to vary these terms and conditions
We have the right to revise and amend these terms and conditions from time to time to reflect changes in technology, changes in payment methods, changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements and changes in our system’s capabilities.
Other information relevant to your registration
Last update: June 2022