ASTA Code of Conduct for Conferences, Meetings, and Events

This policy applies to in-person and virtual spaces

ASTA is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all conference, meeting, and event participants and ASTA staff. All participants—including but not limited to attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, ASTA staff members, service providers, students, and all others—are expected to abide by this code of conduct.

This policy applies to all ASTA meeting-related events—in-person or virtual, in public or private facilities or platforms—including events sponsored by organizations other than ASTA but held in conjunction with ASTA events.

ASTA has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, verbal and physical, by participants or our staff at our conferences, meetings, and events. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, ASTA asks that you notify us immediately so we can take appropriate action. Notification should be done by contacting an ASTA staff person onsite or by emailing ASTA Executive Director and CEO Lynn Tuttle at ltuttle@astastrings.org.

Unacceptable behavior is defined as:

• Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form at in-person or virtual conferences, meetings, and events.
  
  
• Physical or verbal abuse. Examples of verbal abuse include, but are not limited to, disparaging comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.
  
  
• Sexual language/images or nudity in public spaces or presentations, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention, threatening, or stalking.
  
  
• Disruption of presentations during sessions, performances, in the exhibit hall, or at other events organized by ASTA throughout the meeting. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any ASTA event staff.
  
  
• The inclusion of promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services during presentations or when posting messages. ASTA reserves the right to remove such messages and potentially ban sources of those solicitations.
  
  
• Unauthorized photography or recording. Taking screen shots or otherwise copying chat room discussions, Q&As, or other activities in virtual spaces.
  
  

ASTA reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the meeting without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior. In addition, ASTA reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting, virtual or in person.