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[email protected] +32 2 513 63 23

Legal Notice

About this privacy policy

When you visit www.hotrec.eu (the “Website”) or you interact with HOTREC in another way, HOTREC (hereinafter also “we” or “us”) collects, uses, stores, and discloses certain personal data about you. We are committed to protecting your privacy and to handling your personal data in accordance with applicable data protection and privacy laws, including the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (also referred to as the “General Data Protection Regulation” or the “GDPR”). This privacy policy (the “Privacy Policy”) is meant to inform you in a transparent manner about how we collect, process, and protect your personal data. We would therefore like to ask you to read this Privacy Policy carefully and reach out if you have any questions or complaints through the contact information below.

Please note that we will change this Privacy Policy from time to time to adjust it to developments in applicable data protection and privacy laws or to changes in our data protection practices. If we make any material changes, we will always endeavour to draw your attention to such changes, by sending you an email if we have such information about you or posting a note on the Website.

About us

HOTREC is a not-for-profit association established under Belgian law. We are the controller of your personal data, meaning that we are responsible for any processing as set out in this Privacy Policy. Our registered offices are located at Dautzenbergstraat 36-38, 1050 Brussels, Belgium and we are registered with the Crossroads Bank of Enterprises under number 0451.258.945. You can contact us through the following details with any queries relating to this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal data:

  • By email at: [email protected];
  • By telephone at: +32 (0) 2 513 63 23; or
  • By regular mail at:

HOTREC

Dautzenbergstraat 36-38

1050 Brussels,

Belgium

About

the personal data that we collect about you

    • How do we collect personal data?

We collect personal data from several sources:

  • Information you provide to us:

For example, when you contact us via email or telephone, subscribe to our newsletter, register, or attend our events or when you use our contact form on the Website, we collect your name, address, email address, phone number, and other relevant information, such as the query for which you contact us.

  • Information that is automatically collected:

For example, when you visit the Website, we collect your IP address, geographical location, device information, browser type, referral source, website analytics and other tracking technologies.

  • Information that is publicly available:

For example, we collect personal data that you choose to make public, including your professional background, views, opinions, or posts about us on social media platforms.

  • Photographs and video footage:

We collect pictures or video footage taken during events organized by or on behalf of HOTREC, which you have attended.

  • Which personal data do we collect, for which purposes, for how long, what is our legal basis under the GDPR and with whom do we share such data?
  • To answer your query

When you contact us via email, phone, regular mail or the contact form on our Website, we collect your name, contact details, organization and query. We collect such information to adequately answer your query. We keep this information for as long as necessary to answer your query.

We collect such information based on our legitimate interest in answering your query.

Your personal data will be shared with suppliers or service providers that help us in maintaining our communication channels.

If you fail to provide us with your personal data, it is possible that we are unable to answer your query properly.

  • To send you our newsletters

We collect your name, organisation, and email address to send you, our newsletters. We keep this information for as long as you wish to receive our newsletters. If you unsubscribe from our newsletter, we will delete your personal data within 1 month after you have unsubscribed.

We collect such information based on your consent or based on our legitimate interest in making such information available to you if you have already been in contact with us in respect of our services. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link below each email.

Your personal data will be shared with service providers that help us in making the newsletter available to you.

If you fail to provide us with your contact details or you do not provide us with your consent to process personal data, we are unable to send you, our newsletter.

  • To receive your services or products

If you are a supplier to us, we collect your name and contact details and any information that is relevant for the services or products you provide to us. We retain such data for as long as necessary in the context of the services or products that you provide to us and might keep such data longer if needed for compliance with legal obligations.

We collect such information based on a contract that we have with you or our legitimate interest in receiving services or products from you and/or based on a legal obligation.

Your personal data can be shared with our members, other suppliers or the authorities if needed for the purpose of receiving your services or products.

If you fail to provide us with your personal data, we might not be able to establish a professional relationship with you.

  • In the context of an event or congress

If you register to or attend an HOTREC event, we collect your name, contact details and certain photographs, video, or audio recordings from you and/or any feedback you may provide on any evaluation form. We do this for the purpose of making the event available to you, to communicate with you about the event, to create content about the event to make public on our online and offline channels and to stay in contact with you after such event.

We collect such information based on our legitimate interest in organizing and promoting our events.

Your personal data can be shared with other attendees, certain suppliers, or service providers of HOTREC or the audience of our online or offline channels.

If you fail to provide us with your personal data, we might have difficulties in sending you appropriate information about the event or maintaining the relationship with you.

  • In the context of your membership

If you are a HOTREC member or wish to become one, we collect your username, password, name, contact details, organisation, and title. We do this for the purpose of managing your membership and grant you certain membership advantages. We keep this data as long as you are a member and for 1 month afterwards unless HOTREC has not been notified of your leaving your organisation.

We collect such information based on the contract we have with you or any legal obligations we may have.

Your personal data can be shared with other members and certain suppliers or service providers of HOTREC and the authorities if required.

  • Incidental information collection

From time to time, we also collect personal data for the following purposes:

  • If we believe a partnership or collaboration with you would be opportune or for the purpose of other business development activities, we make use of publicly available information, information you provide us with or that we receive from a third party such as your identification and contact information and any information about your professional background to establish, manage or maintain the relationship with you.
  • We also collect personal information about you to comply with our legal obligations, court orders or the request of an authority, to establish, exercise or defend legal rights, to protect the rights of third parties or to prevent or investigate fraudulent or criminal activities.
  • We also use personal information such as your identification information, contact information, information about your professional and academic background and any information we need for background checks (such as references of third parties) and/or that are relevant for the recruitment process if you apply for a position at HOTREC or if we contact you for an open position.

We retain such personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the above purposes or for as long as required by law.

We collect such information based on our legitimate interest in fulfilling the missions of HOTREC, to comply with our legal obligations or to (take steps at your request to) enter a contract with you.

Your personal data will be shared with our suppliers or service providers or the authorities, if required.

If you fail to provide us with your personal data, it is possible that we are unable to fulfil the purpose for which we aim to collect such data, such as assessing whether you would be qualified for a position at HOTREC.

The protection of your personal data

We have implemented several measures to keep your personal data under our control safe. These include technical measures such as firewalls, encryption and password protections but also include organizational and contractual measures, such as internal data protection policies and ensuring that our staff and our service providers are bound by confidentiality in respect of your personal data.

We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties. We do share your personal data with third parties, such as service providers or suppliers or (other) members, as set out above, to achieve our purposes. Sometimes those third parties are in countries outside the European Economic Area which do not offer the same protection as you own country. If such is the case, we have implemented adequate safeguards to ensure that your personal data is also protected outside the European Economic Area. You can contact us at any time to receive specific information about such safeguards through our contact information above.

Your rights

You have certain rights in respect of the personal data that we hold about you, which you can exercise by making use of the contact information as set out above. The following rights could be available to you, but note that the GDPR sometimes imposes restrictions on when such rights can be exercised:

  • Right to access: You have the right to obtain confirmation from us if, and to which extent, we process personal data about you. Unless it adversely affects the rights and freedoms of others, you can obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you upon your request.
  • Right to rectification: Without undue delay, you have the right to rectify any incorrect or incomplete information we have concerning you.
  • Right to erasure: In some instances, you will have the right to have the personal data we hold about you deleted. This right to be forgotten applies if:
    • the personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.
    • you withdraw your consent on which the processing is based and where there is no other legal ground for the processing.
    • you object to the processing and/or there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing.
    • the personal data have been unlawfully processed.
    • the personal data must be erased for compliance with a legal obligation; or
    • the personal data have been collected in relation to the offer of information society services.

The right to erasure will not apply if processing is necessary:

  • for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information.
  • for compliance with a legal obligation.
  • for reasons of public interest in public health.
  • for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes if the right to erasure is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of the objectives of that processing; or
  • for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.
  • Right to restrict processing: You also have the right to request restriction of the processing of your personal data if:
    • you contest the accuracy of the personal data. The restriction of processing will apply for a period enabling HOTREC to verify the accuracy of the personal data.
    • the processing is unlawful and you object to the deletion of the personal data and request instead the restriction of the use of the personal data.
    • HOTREC no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of processing as set out above, but you need it for the assertion, exercise, or defence of legal claims; or
    • you have objected to the processing if it is not yet clear whether the legitimate grounds of HOTREC override your interests.

If processing of personal data has been restricted on your request, we will only store your personal data, unless you have consented to the processing of your personal data, processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest.

  • Right to object: You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your specific situation, to the processing of your personal data by HOTREC if such processing is based on the legitimate interests pursued by HOTREC. We will then no longer process your personal data, unless we have compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights, and freedoms or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. Note that you always have the right to object to processing for direct marketing purposes.
  • Right to data portability: Unless this would adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others, if the processing of your personal data is carried out by automated means and based on your consent or on a contract, you have the right to receive the personal data concerning you in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and you also have the right to transmit such data to another controller.
  • Automated individual decision-making, including profiling: Lastly, you also have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects or similarly affects you, unless, the decision is necessary for entering into, or performance of, a contract between HOTREC and you, is authorised by applicable law, which also lays down suitable measures to safeguard your rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, or the decision is based on your explicit consent.
  • Right to withdraw consent: If the processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. We will then no longer process your personal data, but this does not affect the legality of the processing prior to such request.

Right to lodge

a complaint

We do our utmost best to protect the personal data under our control. However, you are always entitled to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority about the processing of personal data by us. You can find a list with the relevant data protection authorities and their contact details through the following link: www.ec.europa.eu/justice/article-29/structure/data-protection-authorities/index_en.htm.