Privacy Policy

Effective Date: [Insert Date - e.g., October 26, 2023]

1. Introduction

Spiele Messe ("we," "us," or "our"), located at Messeallee 17, 30521 Hanover, Germany, is committed to protecting the privacy of visitors to our website (spielemesse.it.com). This Privacy Policy explains the types of information we collect, how we use, share, and protect that information, and your rights regarding your personal data, particularly in compliance with the GDPR. This policy covers information collected through this website, including interactions related to affiliate links for products like BoothConnect.

2. Information We Collect

• Personal Data You Provide: Information you voluntarily submit through contact forms or email inquiries, such as your name, email address, phone number, company name, and the content of your message.
• Usage Data: Information automatically collected when you visit our website, which may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and the dates/times of your visits. We strive to anonymize this data where possible for analytics.
• Cookies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate the website, enhance user experience, and analyze traffic. See Section 6 for more details.
• Affiliate Link Interactions: We use affiliate links (e.g., for BoothConnect). When you click these links, the third-party partner may place a cookie on your device to track the referral. We do not receive personally identifiable information about you from the affiliate partner. We may receive aggregated, non-identifiable information about affiliate link performance.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To respond to your inquiries and provide information about our exhibition services.
• To operate, maintain, and improve our website and services.
• To analyze website usage and trends (typically using aggregated or anonymized data).
• To manage our relationship with affiliate partners (using non-identifiable data).
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our legal rights.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

• Consent: Where you have given consent for specific purposes (e.g., accepting non-essential cookies).
• Contractual Necessity: To process inquiries related to potentially entering into a contract for our services.
• Legitimate Interests: For website security, analytics, responding to general inquiries, and managing affiliate relationships, provided these interests are not overridden by your data protection rights.
• Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

• Service Providers: With third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf (e.g., website hosting, analytics providers), under strict data processing agreements.
• Legal Requirements: If required by law or if necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or others, or respond to legal processes.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred as part of the transaction.
• Affiliate Partners: We share only aggregated or anonymized data regarding affiliate link performance. We do not share personal data with partners like BoothConnect unless you submit it directly to them.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies (small text files placed on your device) for various purposes:

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function properly.
• Performance/Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with the website. We aim to use these in an anonymized way.
• Functionality Cookies: Remember choices you make to improve your experience.
• Affiliate Cookies: Placed by third-party affiliate partners to track referrals when you click affiliate links. These are governed by the partner's privacy policy.

You can manage your cookie preferences through our cookie consent banner and/or your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may impact functionality.

7. Affiliate Link Disclosure

This website contains affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you click a link (like those for BoothConnect) and make a purchase or sign up on a third-party site. This comes at no extra cost to you. Clicking an affiliate link will take you to a third-party website governed by its own privacy policy and terms. We are not responsible for their privacy practices.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. However, no internet transmission or storage method is completely secure.

9. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Usage data is typically retained for shorter periods unless required for legal or security reasons.

10. Your Data Protection Rights (GDPR)

If you are within the EEA, you have the right to:

• Access, update, or delete the information we hold about you.
• Rectify inaccurate information.
• Object to data processing.
• Restrict processing.
• Request data portability.
• Withdraw consent at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact us. You may also lodge a complaint with a data protection authority.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and maintained on servers outside your country where data protection laws may differ. If we transfer your data outside the EEA, we use appropriate safeguards like Standard Contractual Clauses.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the updated policy on this page and revising the "Effective Date" above. Please review this page periodically for updates.