Personal Data Protection and Privacy Policy

The Business Network provides professional regional networking events. We are committed to personal data protection.

If you are not booking a place at an event or if you are not a member of the network, we process your personal data for direct marketing to you on the legal basis of ‘legitimate interest’ to find new members for our network. We will continue to use your personal data for as long as we believe it is accurate. We are passionate about connecting people, and would welcome you into our network.

If you have booked a place at an event or you are a member of the network, we process your data to fulfill our contract with you to run the network. We share limited personal data after events with other attendees, and we may make introductions between members where we believe you may benefit. As you know, we are passionate about connecting people, and we will keep your personal data unless you tell us not to, to enable us to make
professional introductions.

The data we hold about you is your name, possibly your email address and possibly your telephone number. You can contact us at The Business Network, Linley House, Dickinson Street, Manchester, M1 4LF.

You have rights concerning your personal data. You have the right to request from us, access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing. You also have the right to object to processing, to lodge a complaint with the ICO www.ico.org.uk , and to ask for a version of your data to facilitate data portability, which we will supply in CSV form if required.

If you are a member of the network you may also add information in the Members Area. Members always find it interesting to know more about each other. But when sharing information, please think about protecting personal data:
• Only share information you are happy for other members of the network to see.
• If you share information about other people, your children for example, only share what they would be happy for other network members to see.

We use a “cookie” or your IP Address to recognise your computer. Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your hard drive. They are perfectly safe and do not contain any personally identifying information. You are free to prevent us collecting this information by turning this capability off on your browser.

We have considered the the implications of sending a digital magazine, published via Flipsnack, to members and identify it as presenting the same personal data protection concerns as our website in terms of cookies.

Our Policy on Video Conferencing Communications

Introduction

Business Network is successful through enabling members to meet face to face. Given the challenge of coronavirus and COVID-19, video conferencing is a rapidly evolving technology which can be used to enable ‘virtual’ face to face meetings.

Our members, by definition, are people who value face to face interaction and find it is beneficial to their organisation.

Many established video conferencing tools have significant costs of usage which act as a barrier to some members, consequently it is not practical to limit usage to high-cost and proven technologies.

Risk Assessment

We believe we should help our members to remain in touch during the coronavirus crisis. We should aim to do this in a way that most closely resembles the face to face get meetings they usually benefit from.

We assess the risks to our organisation of not embracing video conferencing at this time are great.

We believe that by embracing video conferencing we can continue to help our members benefit from their membership.

We understand the risks posed by using immature technologies, but we also recognise the risks of setting the barriers to access unreachably high.

We also understand the potential risks of users exposing personal data inadvertently when using new technologies.

Risk Treatment

We will encourage members to use video conferencing technologies that suit their circumstances.

We will not use or cease to use video conferencing tools if they are shown to compromise information security or personal data and privacy requirements. We will make efforts to be aware of information in this area as it becomes available and respond with urgency if required.

We will inform our members of the risks posed by exposing information unintentionally and aim to educate them about good practice where appropriate.

Decision

Given the risks posed and the treatments we have implemented, we believe the benefits of using video conferencing technologies more widely outweigh the risks posed.

Consequently we decide to make use of these technologies more widely, while ensuring our risk treatment programme is put in place.

Business Network are unable to vouch for the adequacy of the security provisions of Video Conferencing providers., nevertheless the personal data exposed is small, participants have the right not to engage if they are concerned. We make them aware of the risks before they join the video conference. We believe the residual risks to personal data are outweighed by the benefits of using the service.

There have been some suggestions that Zoom Inc. may be retaining or using personal data in ways that would not be expected. However, Zoom is approved for use by MOD personnel, though not for secure communications. Zoom Inc. are members of the recently struck down Privacy Shield scheme. We are therefore continuing to keep the matter under continual review until the planned new guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is available.

IMPORTANT – During any Video Conferencing event your name may be available to other participants, and please be aware of the background in any video, including your family.

Refund Policy

Please note that to be eligible for a full refund for your event booking cancellations must be notified 48 hours prior to the lunch i.e. for a lunch on a Wednesday the cancellation would need to be received by us via email by 12.00 noon on the Monday before the lunch. The refund will then be made via Worldpay or by BACs. 

Because Benefits of Membership are made available to new Members immediately on receipt of a completed Membership Application Form, refunds of membership payments will not be offered. Hosts may, in certain circumstances, offer extensions to a membership term if they feel it appropriate, however, this is discretionary, and the extension will not exceed three months.

Terms and Conditions

Any Documents & Materials that are made available to download from this website are the copyrighted work of Partners, Mr. R Bennett and Mrs. H Bennett (T/A The Business Network) or have been licensed to us. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with this copyright notice, which forms part of our terms and conditions. Disclosure or dissemination of this material outside of The Business Network would be in violation of copyright laws and is prohibited. 

Permission to use Documents (such as Manuals, Tool Kits and Forms) from this website is granted, provided that (1) all copyright notices appears in all copies (2) use of such Documents from this website is for the education and instruction of individual Business Network Members and/or Business Network Hosts and will not be copied or posted on any network computer or broadcast in any media, and (3) no modifications of any Documents are made. Use for any other purpose is expressly prohibited by law and may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. Violators will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible. 

Documents specified above do not include the design or layout of this website or any other Business Network owned, operated, licensed or controlled site. Elements of The Business Network websites are protected by trade dress, trademark, unfair competition, and other laws and may not be copied or imitated in whole or in part. No logo, graphic, sound or image from any Business Network website may be copied or re-transmitted unless expressly permitted in writing by The Partners. 

The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness,
performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law. Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements. 

Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to English Law.