Events

Event Code of Conduct

OCTLA is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and harassment-free experience for all participants at every event. All participants, including but not limited to, attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors, and OCTLA staff and service providers are expected to comply with the OCTLA Event Code of Conduct and to treat each other with respect, refrain from disparaging comments or remarks, and to dress appropriately at all times.

This Policy applies to all OCTLA events, seminars, mixers, board meetings, committee meetings and gatherings, including those sponsored by companies and firms held in conjunction with OCTLA, in public or private facilities.

Unacceptable Behavior is defined to include:

• Harassment or discrimination as defined below;
• Physical or verbal abuse;
• Inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or presentations;
• Unwanted touching, unwanted remarks of a sexual or intimate nature, unwelcome comments about someone’s body or personal appearance, and unwelcome attention;
• Unsafe behavior;
• Irresponsible drinking;
• Illegal drug use, possession or attendance at an event while under the influence of illegal drugs.

OCTLA will not tolerate harassment in any form, including aggressive selling at events, and sexual language and/or imagery not appropriate for any part of the event. Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• Verbal comments intended to humiliate or belittle
• Sexual images in public spaces
• Deliberate intimidation
• Stalking
• Following
• Threats
• Intrusive, unwelcome or harassing photography, video or audio recording
• Sustained disruption at seminars or other events
• Inappropriate, unwelcome or uninvited physical contact
• Unwelcome attention

OCTLA will not tolerate discrimination in any form. Discrimination is conduct motivated by bias towards or containing a negative reference to: race, color, national origin, gender, age, sex, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault and/or stalking, family responsibility or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.

In response to any incident of unacceptable behavior, OCTLA reserves the right to take any immediate action deemed necessary and appropriate, including removal from the meeting or event and suspension and termination of membership.

If you experience harassment, discrimination, or notice that someone else is the victim of harassment or discrimination, please immediately contact OCTLA staff at info@octla.org or 949-916-9577 so that OCTLA can investigate and take appropriate action. If OCTLA staff cannot be immediately reached, please report the conduct to an OCTLA officer or director. If you believe you are in imminent danger, please call 911.

Additionally

• Responsible Drinking at OCTLA events. Including receptions and events where both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are served, participants and staff who choose to drink alcoholic beverages are expected to drink responsibly. OCTLA staff and hotel or venue staff have the right to deny alcohol service to attendees for any reason and may require an attendee to leave the event.
• Personal Safety & Security.  OCTLA is committed to providing a safe and secure environment at its meetings and events by working with venue staff to make sure participants are safe. We ask that all attendees report any questionable or concerning activity to OCTLA staff or hotel or venue event staff. OCTLA, hotel or venue event staff have the right to ask anyone engaging in behavior that is deemed unsafe to leave the event.
• PR, Marketing and Social Media. OCTLA promotes events, announcements and accolades through our Gavel Magazine, OCTLA website, direct email, Constant Contact email, Face Book and Instagram.  Members, sponsors, vendors or other persons or businesses may not use or revise the OCTLA logo, event header, title, description or graphics in their own event promotions, invitations, announcements or other communications without first seeking approval of the promotional piece from OCTLA’s executive director.
• Unregistered Attendance at OCTLA Events. At any OCTLA event where preregistration and confirmation is required to attend, OCTLA reserves the right to refuse entrance to the individual(s) or remove any individual(s) from the event and surrounding event space who is not preregistered and confirmed to attend.

OCTLA reserves the right to take any immediate action deemed necessary and appropriate for any unacceptable behavior described in this Policy, including removal from the meeting or event without refund, removal from the association without refund, refusal to allow future admittance or sponsorship to any OCTLA meeting or event without reason and refusal to allow future membership to the association.

Consent to use of electronic media

Registration and attendance at, or participation in, OCTLA meetings, social events, and other activities constitutes an agreement by the registrant to allow OCTLA to use and distribute (both now and in the future) the registrant or attendee's image or voice in photographs, video, electronic reproductions and audio of such events and activities.