AACE International Conference & Expo FAQs

Registration Cancellation Policy
 

All cancellation requests for registration must be received in writing. Registration payments made via credit card will be refunded to the original credit card on file and will take four to six weeks

• Cancellations received on or before May 1 will receive a full refund, minus a $100 processing fee.
• No refunds will be given for cancellations received after May 2.
• At any time, should you need to transfer your registration to another person, you can do so without penalty by contacting AACE: meetings@aacei.org.
• Cancellation requests must be emailed to meetings@aacei.org.

 

 

Code of Conduct
 

 AACE is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all meeting participants and AACE staff. All participants, including but not limited to attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, AACE staff members, service providers, and others, are expected to abide by this Code of Conduct.

AACE has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment by participants or our staff at our meetings. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, AACE asks that you inform an AACE staff member.

In addition, participants are expected to engage in professional and respectful conduct in all business interactions throughout the Conference & Expo, including adherence to AACE policies regarding commercial activity, solicitation, use of the AACE brand, and of the event environment.

Professional Conduct & Commercial Activity

The AACE Conference & Expo is designed to support education, networking, and professional engagement among participants. To maintain a productive environment for all attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors:

• Commercial activity at the Conference & Expo is limited to organizations participating as approved exhibitors or sponsors.
• Attendees may not conduct organized marketing, promotion, or solicitation of products, services, or events directed at other attendees, exhibitors, or sponsors.
• The Conference & Expo may not be used as a platform to promote or market competing events, services, or memberships.

Invitations, promotions, or outreach related to external events or competing programs should not be conducted during official Conference & Expo dates.

Exhibitor & Sponsor Engagement

The exhibit floor is reserved for contracted exhibitors and sponsors to showcase their products and services.

• Attendees who are not participating as exhibitors or sponsors may not engage in sales activities, product promotion, or lead generation on the exhibit floor.
• Any activity that competes with or detracts from exhibitor or sponsor participation may be restricted or prohibited.

Participants are expected to respect the investment made by exhibitors and sponsors and engage with them in a professional manner.

Recording, Media, and Content Creation

AACE recognizes the value of sharing insights from the Conference & Expo while maintaining a respectful and professional environment.

• Photography, video recording, and interviews involving attendees, exhibitors, or sponsors must be conducted with their consent.
• Organized or commercial recording activities, including interviews or content creation intended for external distribution or commercial use (e.g., podcasts, video channels, or promotional materials), require prior written approval from AACE.
• Recording or interviewing on the exhibit floor is restricted to approved media or authorized participants and may be limited or prohibited at AACE’s discretion.
• Live streaming of AACE technical sessions is prohibited.
• By attending the Conference & Expo, participants consent to being photographed or recorded and grant AACE the right to use their image, voice, and likeness in promotional and marketing materials, without compensation or further approvals.
• Media representatives seeking to cover the Conference & Expo must request approval and credentials by contacting the Director of Marketing and Membership.

Use of AACE Name and Brand

Attendees may not use the AACE name, Conference & Expo name, or branding in a manner that implies endorsement, partnership, or affiliation without prior authorization.

The Conference & Expo environment may not be used for external promotions that suggest official involvement by AACE.

Antitrust Compliance

Participants are expected to comply with all applicable antitrust and competition laws. The Conference & Expo may not be used as a forum for discussions or activities that could be interpreted as limiting competition, including agreements or understandings related to pricing, market allocation, or other competitive practices. Participants are responsible for ensuring their own compliance.

Health and Safety

The health and safety of our attendees is our top priority. We monitor local and international health alerts and follow applicable guidelines. Attendance is at each attendee's discretion. By registering, attendees assume all risks and waive any liability against AACE, its affiliates, staff, and volunteers for any illness, injury, or loss that occurs before, during, or after the event.

Our events will adhere to local health and safety regulations, which may include health screenings, mask requirements, or other preventive measures based on current public health guidelines. For any questions, please contact our Events team. 

Additional Policies

AACE reserves the right to make changes to the Conference & Expo schedule at any time.

No vendor, exhibitor, sponsor AACE Region or Section or outside organization may organize an event during the Conference & Expo without express written permission and approval by Director of Events and Governance. In no instance will permission be granted if the event competes directly with any part of the technical program, planned social activities or receptions. All events must be coordinated with AACE’s Director of Events and Governance to determine an acceptable date/time. The outside event will be fully funded by the outside party. Additionally, the outside party will supply its own liability insurance as appropriate.

AACE Regions and Sections will not directly solicit sponsors/exhibitors during AACE’s Conference & Expo. Promotional material that features events or contain sponsorship opportunities are prohibited from being distributed to our exhibitors/sponsors during the event.

While a hotel or venue may be “Pet Friendly” AACE will strictly enforce a service animal only policy as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in those areas of the hotel that our event occupies including meeting rooms, reception rooms, exhibit halls, lunch/dinner rooms, etc. The ADA defines service animals as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. In situations where it is not obvious that the animal is a service animal, an inquiry must be made. An AACE staff member or volunteer may only ask two questions:

• Whether the animal is required because of a disability

• What work or task the animal is trained to perform

Individuals unable or unwilling to provide the information can be asked to remove the animal. A service animal may be removed from AACE’s venue if disruptive (e,g, barking, wandering or displaying aggressive behavior, ill, unhygienic and/or unsanitary service animals are not permitted.) The individual responsible for such an animal will be required to remove the animal.

AACE does not allow any organization or individual to distribute promotional materials, invitations, or marketing communications without prior approval.

This includes both physical and verbal promotional activity. Informal or in-person solicitation, including conversations intended to promote competing events, services, or memberships, is considered promotional activity and is subject to these same restrictions.

Collection of attendee information for the purpose of marketing competing products, services, or events is not permitted outside of approved exhibitor or sponsor participation.

Enforcement

 AACE reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the Conference & Expo without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior.

This includes, but is not limited to, violations related to harassment, unauthorized commercial activity, solicitation, promotional conduct, or unapproved recording or media activity.

AACE reserves the right to address any activity that does not align with the intent of these policies and to restrict participation in future AACE events where necessary to protect the experience of attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors.