REWIRE CODE OF CONDUCT

1. WHO THIS APPLIES TO

This Code applies to everyone taking part in a REWIRE event or using a REWIRE platform, including:

• attendees and ticket holders
• speakers, moderators and panellists
• sponsors, exhibitors, partners and their staff, guests and agents
• investors, judges, mentors and programme participants
• accredited media, photographers and film crews
• volunteers, contractors, suppliers and production teams
• REWIRE staff

No one is exempt. Seniority, sponsorship level, speaking status, media accreditation and reputation make no difference to how this Code is applied.

2. WHERE THIS APPLIES

This Code applies:

• in all event venues, including stages, session rooms, exhibition floors, lounges, workspaces, registration areas, corridors, washrooms and queues
• at REWIRE-organized receptions, dinners, tours, side events and after-parties
• in transport arranged by REWIRE
• on REWIRE event platforms, apps, networking tools, chat channels and direct messaging
• in REWIRE-operated online spaces and virtual sessions
• in interactions between participants that arise out of the event and affect a participant's ability to take part safely, including conduct in official event hotels and on public event channels and hashtags

3. WHAT WE EXPECT

Treat other participants as colleagues you will see again.

• Be respectful in your language, tone and conduct, including when you disagree.
• Use the name and pronouns a person gives you.
• Ask before touching anyone, including handshakes, hugs and moving someone's mobility aid.
• Accept a "no" the first time, whether it concerns a conversation, a pitch, a photograph, a drink or a follow-up.
• Keep aisles, ramps, seating spaces and accessible routes clear.
• Follow instructions from REWIRE staff, security and venue personnel.
• Speak up or seek help if you see something wrong.

4. WHAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE

REWIRE does not tolerate harassment or discrimination in any form.

Harassment includes conduct that a reasonable person would find unwelcome, intimidating, hostile or offensive, including conduct related to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed or religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, physical appearance, body size, language, nationality, socioeconomic background or record of offences.

Specifically, the following are prohibited:

• verbal abuse, slurs, insults, demeaning jokes or derogatory comments
• deliberate misgendering or repeated use of a name a person has asked you not to use
• unwelcome sexual attention, comments, propositions or advances
• displaying or sharing sexual or violent imagery outside a session where it is clearly relevant and signposted
• unwanted physical contact of any kind
• following, stalking, loitering near, or repeatedly approaching a person who has disengaged
• photographing, filming or recording a person who has asked you not to, or who is wearing a no-photography identifier
• intimidation, threats, aggression or incitement of violence
• sustained disruption of sessions, presentations or conversations
• threatening a person's professional standing, funding, employment or reputation in response to a disagreement or a refusal
• publishing another participant's private information, including contact details, location or images, without their consent
• encouraging or advocating any of the above
• retaliation against anyone who reports a concern or takes part in a review

If a person tells you your behaviour is unwelcome, stop.

5. ALCOHOL AND RECEPTIONS

Alcohol is served at some REWIRE receptions and social programming. Intoxication does not excuse a breach of this Code and will not be treated as a mitigating factor.

Do not pressure anyone to drink. Do not tamper with anyone's food or drink under any circumstances.

Age verification requirements are set out in Section 6 of the Terms and Conditions.

6. PHOTOGRAPHY, RECORDING AND PRIVACY

REWIRE photographs and records its events. How REWIRE uses that material, and how to opt out or request removal, is set out in Section 16 of the Terms and Conditions.

Between participants, the rule is simpler: ask first.

• Get consent before photographing, filming or recording an individual, and before posting an image of them.
• Respect the opt-out identifier available at the registration desk. Do not photograph anyone wearing one.
• Do not record private conversations, one-to-one meetings or closed sessions.
• Do not record or photograph in any area or session where recording is marked as prohibited.
• Do not share screenshots of private messages sent to you through REWIRE platforms without the sender's consent.

Session content shared publicly should be attributed accurately and not edited to misrepresent what a speaker said.

7. NETWORKING, PITCHING AND SOLICITATION

Pitching, hiring conversations and business development are why many people attend. They are welcome, within limits.

• One approach is networking. Repeated approaches after someone has declined are harassment.
• Do not pitch a person who is eating alone, wearing an opt-out identifier, in a quiet or accessible space, or visibly trying to disengage.
• Do not use another participant's contact details, obtained through a badge scan or the event platform, for unrelated bulk marketing.
• Do not pressure anyone into a meeting, investment conversation or introduction as a condition of goodwill or access.
• Investors, judges and mentors must not use their position to solicit personal favours, relationships or unpaid work from founders or programme participants.

Restrictions on unauthorized commercial activity in event venues are set out in Section 15 of the Terms and Conditions.

8. SPONSORS, EXHIBITORS AND BOOTH CONDUCT

Sponsors, exhibitors and partners are responsible for the conduct of their staff, guests, contractors and agents at REWIRE events.

• Booth staff must follow this Code and must be briefed on it before the event.
• Booth staff must be dressed appropriately for a professional venue. Do not use sexualized imagery, clothing, activities or messaging to draw attention to a stand.
• Do not obstruct aisles, block accessible routes or extend activity beyond your allocated space.
• Do not collect contact details from a participant who has not consented to a badge scan.

Section 21 of the Terms and Conditions sets out what badge scanning shares and confirms it is voluntary for the attendee.

9. SPEAKERS AND STAGE CONTENT

Speakers and moderators are held to the same standard, and are visible while doing it.

• Presentations, slides, demonstrations and remarks must not contain material that demeans a group or an individual.
• Signpost material that is graphic, distressing or otherwise sensitive before showing it.
• Moderators should manage Q&A so that questions remain questions and do not become platforms for abuse.
• Do not use stage time to attack an identifiable individual.

Views expressed by speakers are their own, as set out in Section 18 of the Terms and Conditions. That does not exempt speakers from this Code.

10. ONLINE AND VIRTUAL SPACES

The standards in this Code apply identically in REWIRE apps, chat channels, networking tools, direct messages, virtual sessions and livestream chat.

• Do not send unsolicited sexual, abusive or threatening messages.
• Do not continue messaging a person who has stopped replying or has declined to connect.
• Do not create accounts or profiles that impersonate another person or organization.
• Do not use the platform to distribute spam, malware or fraudulent solicitations.

REWIRE may remove content and suspend platform access under Sections 24, 26 and 28 of the Terms and Conditions.

11. ACCESSIBILITY AND RESPECT

• Do not touch, lean on or move a person's wheelchair, cane, scooter or other mobility aid.
• Do not touch, feed or distract a service animal that is working.
• Keep accessible seating, ramps, viewing areas and routes free.
• Do not question whether a person needs an accommodation.
• If you use an accessible facility you do not need, vacate it promptly.

Accessibility accommodations and how to request them are set out in Section 13 of the Terms and Conditions.

12. HOW TO REPORT

If you experience or witness a breach of this Code, tell us. You do not need to be certain, and you do not need to have been the person affected.

On site

• Speak to any REWIRE staff member. Staff wear [INSERT COLOUR] shirts and lanyards marked STAFF.
• Go to the registration desk or the [INSERT NAME] information point and ask for the duty conduct lead.
• Text or call the confidential incident line: [INSERT PHONE NUMBER], monitored during event hours.

Any time

• Email [INSERT DEDICATED ADDRESS, e.g. conduct@rewiresummit.co], monitored by a named member of the REWIRE team.
• Use the report function in the REWIRE event app.
• Submit an anonymous report through the form at [INSERT URL].

In an emergency, or if anyone is in immediate danger, call 911 first, then notify REWIRE staff or venue security so we can assist.

You may report through more than one channel. You may report on someone else's behalf. You may report after the event has ended.

13. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU REPORT

We will:

• take the report seriously and treat you with respect
• offer immediate practical support, which may include moving you within the venue, arranging an escort, arranging safe transport, contacting venue security, or contacting police or medical services if you want that
• acknowledge a written report within [INSERT PERIOD, e.g. two business days]
• review the report and gather relevant information
• decide on and take appropriate action
• tell you the outcome so far as we reasonably can

We will not:

• require you to confront the person you are reporting
• require you to repeat the account to multiple people unnecessarily
• ask you to prove the incident to a legal standard
• take action against you for reporting

Urgent safety concerns are acted on immediately. Where circumstances require it, REWIRE may take interim measures, including separating individuals or suspending access, while a review is underway.

14. CONFIDENTIALITY

Reports are handled discreetly and shared only with those who need to know in order to respond.

We will not publish a reporter's name or share it with the person reported without the reporter's consent, except where disclosure is necessary to respond to a serious safety risk or is required by law.

REWIRE may be required to disclose information to police, regulators or a court. If that happens and we are permitted to tell you, we will.

Records of reports and outcomes are retained in accordance with the REWIRE Privacy Policy.

15. CONSEQUENCES

REWIRE will decide on a response proportionate to the conduct, the circumstances and any prior history. Possible responses include:

• a private conversation and a request to change behaviour
• a formal warning
• a requirement to avoid a particular person, area or activity
• removal from a session, area or the event
• revocation of a badge, pass or credential
• removal of content and suspension of platform access
• removal of a speaking slot, exhibition space or sponsorship presence
• a ban from future REWIRE events
• notification of the individual's employer, sponsoring organization or investor where the person was attending in a professional capacity
• referral to police or other authorities

Where a person is removed or has credentials revoked for a breach of this Code, no refund is provided except where required by applicable law. This is set out in Sections 5 and 10 of the Terms and Conditions.

Sponsors, exhibitors and partners whose personnel breach this Code may have their presence curtailed without refund, subject to the terms of their agreement with REWIRE.

16. GOOD-FAITH REPORTS AND RETALIATION

Retaliation against a person who reports a concern, supports a report, or takes part in a review is itself a serious breach of this Code.

A report made in good faith is never a breach of this Code, even where the review finds the concern unsubstantiated. You will not be penalized for raising something that turns out to be a misunderstanding.

Knowingly making a false report in order to harm someone is a breach and will be handled under Section 15.

17. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING

You do not have to intervene directly. Useful things you can do:

• interrupt with something ordinary, such as asking the person for directions or telling them a session is starting
• stay nearby so the person is not alone
• ask the person afterwards whether they are alright and whether they want help reporting
• report it yourself, with or without naming the person affected

18. QUESTIONS

Questions about this Code, requests for a copy in another format, and requests for a briefing for sponsor or exhibitor teams may be directed to:

REWIRE Produced by Offsight Inc. [INSERT FULL STREET ADDRESS] Toronto, Ontario, Canada [INSERT POSTAL CODE] Conduct reports: [INSERT DEDICATED ADDRESS] General: hello@rewiresummit.co Website: rewiresummit.co/code-of-conduct

REWIRE may update this Code from time to time. The current version and its effective date will be published at the address above.

Acknowledgement

By registering for, attending or participating in a REWIRE event, or by using a REWIRE platform, you agree to follow this Code of Conduct.