[ Code of Conduct ]

Who is our Code of Conduct for?

The [un]prompted.au conference team aims to run a conference for EVERYONE. We expect all event attendees, speakers, sponsors, partners, vendors, venue staff, committee and board members to agree to and follow these guidelines. Should you have questions, concerns or doubts about whether an action would be in violation of the Code of Conduct, please contact us at [email protected].

Publication

This Code of Conduct is published at unprompted.au/code-of-conduct. Printed copies will be made available at all official [un]prompted.au events and activities, and links will be supplied on all official [un]prompted.au community forums and chat rooms.

Purpose

Security events present opportunities to learn, share knowledge and network. As a security event organiser, we believe these events should represent a safe, enjoyable and inclusive environment for all people, irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, religion, disability, socioeconomic background, experience, size, shape and so on. No one should undergo harassment, bullying or abuse. Such behaviour is deemed unacceptable and will be addressed. We will, when possible, address the behaviour directly. We will apply consistent, specific sanctions as required, regardless of the circumstances, to ensure they do not recur. This Code of Conduct explains what we mean by unacceptable behaviour and outlines the steps someone subjected to such behaviour at an event can take to report it.

Why do we need a Code of Conduct?

Unfortunately, unwanted behaviour still occurs, and while harassment metrics are yet to be introduced and measured, anecdotal reports are widespread and have been reported in the media and on social media platforms for years. This has reportedly resulted in increased dissatisfaction and non-attendance by women, nonbinary people, people of colour and other minorities who feel disenfranchised and threatened. The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to get participants fully aligned on what constitutes unacceptable behaviour, how the aggrieved can report it, and what will be done about it by [un]prompted.au organisers and staff.

How we define acceptable and unacceptable behaviour

People’s interpretation of acceptable or unacceptable behaviour is subjective and influenced by personal experience, religion and cultural background. That is why we believe it is important to define what we mean by both.

Acceptable behaviour

As an event organiser, we expect everyone to be professional and respectful to others at all times. Everyone should be aware of the impact their behaviour can have on others. We ask that you:

• Respect ILUMINA, its staff, and any equipment you may be allowed to use.
• Be courteous and well-mannered when speaking to someone or engaging with them.
• Treat people the same way you would like to be treated.
• Respect someone’s personal space and body — when someone says no it is no, not maybe.

Unacceptable behaviour

Unacceptable behaviour is offensive in nature — it disturbs, upsets or threatens. It lowers self-esteem or causes overwhelming torment. It can take the following forms:

• Derogatory, inflammatory or discriminatory language, comments or conduct.
• Engineered episodes of intimidation, aggressive actions or repeated gestures.
• Repetitive heckling and disruption of talks.
• Wearing of inappropriate attire (e.g. sexualised clothing).
• Using sexual images or sex toys in public spaces.
• Inappropriate photography or recording (where inappropriate is defined as used later in a sexual, derogatory or defamatory manner, or for exploitation).
• Stalking or following.
• Persistent and unwanted sexual advances.
• Unwanted physical contact.
• Intentional use of improper or incorrect pronouns.
• Contact with assistive devices or assistance animals without affirmative consent.
• Encouraging any of the above behaviours.

Alcohol and other substances

The following substance-related conduct is prohibited:

• Excessive or irresponsible consumption of alcohol.
• Possession, sale or use of any illicit or prohibited substance under Australian and New South Wales law. Medicines lawfully prescribed to you — including medicinal cannabis prescribed under the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s frameworks — are a matter for you and your prescriber; we may ask for documentary proof of a prescription where a substance would otherwise be prohibited.
• Supplying alcohol to, or participating in the service of alcohol to, anyone under 18 years of age, consistent with the NSW Liquor Act 2007 and the venue’s Responsible Service of Alcohol obligations.
• Smoking or vaping other than in designated outdoor areas, consistent with the NSW Smoke-free Environment Act 2000.

ILUMINA and its operators reserve the right to further restrict the use or possession of drugs (legal, prescribed or otherwise), alcohol, tobacco, vaping products or other substances on their property, per the terms of the venue hire agreement.

Photography, video and recording

Ensure you have permission from anyone you photograph or record. This includes those in the background of your shot. “Crowd shots” taken from the front, facing the crowd, are not allowed. If you have accidentally taken a picture without permission, delete it. If a participant asks you to delete or blur a picture they did not give you permission to take, please do so immediately.

The [un]prompted.au media staff will be taking photos of the event and are the only people permitted to take “crowd shots” and general room photos. Our media staff will work towards taking crowd shots with the least number of identifying faces possible, and any close-ups with approval. [un]prompted.au reserves the right to use photography taken by media staff in advertising, marketing and promotional materials. If you do not want to be in a photo, please notify our media staff or tell us at any point at [email protected].

Upon a first infraction, you will receive one warning from [un]prompted.au staff. Upon a second infraction, you will be asked to stop recording and to leave the event. We will not take or hold your property. If you decline to stop, we will ask venue security to escort you from the premises and, where appropriate, involve NSW Police.

How to report unacceptable behaviour

Option 1: if you feel safe to do so, speak up. See it, say it, sort it.

If you are disrespected, or witness this happening to someone else, engage politely with the person involved, if you feel able to, and let them know that you find their behaviour unacceptable and offensive. Sometimes the best way to change unacceptable behaviour is by bringing it to the person’s attention and giving them an opportunity to acknowledge it and apologise.

Option 2: report it to the [un]prompted.au team

• Tell any member of our event staff — they will be wearing red T-shirts and red badges.
• Venue security will be present throughout the conference.
• Email us at [email protected]. Reports sent here go to the organising team and are treated confidentially.
• Complete our event feedback form, which is sent to all attendees after the event concludes. This can be done anonymously.

When reporting, please provide as much detail as possible, preferably:

• Your name and contact details (email, mobile phone and address).
• The time it occurred.
• The place it occurred.
• The names and contact details of any witnesses.
• The outcome you are expecting (e.g. a letter of apology, steps taken to prevent a similar instance from occurring).

You can remain anonymous if you wish, and providing any of the above information is optional.

Anyone can report harassment. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please report the situation to us as indicated above.

We do not have a time limit for reporting unacceptable behaviour, although we encourage you to do it as quickly as possible, as it can be difficult to obtain accurate witness statements the longer time passes. If you report unacceptable behaviour more than three months after an incident, you should explain why, as it may affect our ability to respond accordingly. We will consider your explanation and then endeavour to deal with your report.

Support beyond the conference

Our process does not replace the formal avenues available to you as an individual. If you need help outside the event, these Australian services are available:

• Emergency (police, fire, ambulance): 000 — or 112 from any mobile, or 106 text relay.
• NSW Police Assistance Line (non-emergency reporting): 131 444.
• 1800RESPECT (sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling, 24/7): 1800 737 732.
• Lifeline (crisis support, 24/7): 13 11 14.

How we handle unacceptable behaviour

We are committed to ensuring you experience a positive, enjoyable and inclusive event. We strive for excellence when responding to reports of unacceptable behaviour. For the duration of our event we will have a number of reporting mechanisms available, including suitably informed event staff and event feedback forms. When you report unacceptable behaviour to us, we will respond promptly and with care, consideration and respect. Our process does not replace nor remove the formal mechanisms available to you as an individual to report inappropriate or offensive behaviour, such as making a report to NSW Police. Our process is as follows:

• We will acknowledge your report and reply by email, if an email was sent, as soon as is practical.
• We will perform a thorough investigation starting immediately.
• We will not comment on your experience or your perception of it.
• We will keep it wholly professional and confidential.
• We will treat all of the people involved fairly and objectively, irrespective of our relationship with them.
• We will apply the appropriate sanctions or remediation — for example warnings, direction to learning resources on harassment, bullying or anti-social behaviour, temporary or permanent suspensions, and if necessary a report to NSW Police. We will take your wishes into consideration in any enforcement.
• We will suggest measures we can take to ensure incidents of this nature do not recur at future events.
• We reserve the right to remove people from the event or to prevent people from joining the event.
• We will not name and shame individuals, but we will analyse our progress with regard to unacceptable behaviour and publish our findings annually on this website.

Attribution

With thanks to Carl Hertz and Blue Team Con, whose thoughtful Code of Conduct was the original template, and to our sibling event [un]prompted, whose Code of Conduct this document is adapted from for our Australian venue.