Privacy Policy

Diversified Business Communications UK Ltd

Last revised: March 2026

Diversified Business Communications UK Ltd (“DBC UK” or “we” or “us”) connects, educates and strengthens business communities through market-leading events, digital products and publications. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes our privacy policy and practices in relation to DBC UK’s websites, events and services (collectively, the “Services”).

DBC UK is committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (“UK GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (“DPA 2018”). This Policy sets out how we collect, use, store and share personal data, and explains your rights as a data subject.

1. Applicability and Your Data Protection Rights

This Policy applies to all individuals who provide personal data by visiting DBC UK’s websites (“Visitors”), registering to use the Services (“Customers”), and registering to attend DBC UK’s events (“Attendees”).

A. Who We Are

For the purposes of UK GDPR and the DPA 2018, DBC UK is the Data Controller of your personal data. DBC UK is a subsidiary of Diversified Communications, headquartered in Portland, Maine, USA.

Diversified Business Communications UK Ltd

Ground Floor, The Brinell Building

30 Station Street

Brighton, BN1 4RB

Data Protection contact: data@divcom.co.uk

B. Legal Bases for Processing

Our legal basis for collecting and using your personal data, as described in this Policy, depends on the information we collect and the specific context in which we collect it. We may process your personal data because:

• We need to perform a contract with you, such as when you use our Services or register for an event;
• You have given us your consent to do so;
• The processing is in our legitimate interests and is not overridden by your rights and interests;
• We need to process it for payment or billing purposes; or
• We are required to do so in order to comply with the law.

C. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

As a data subject under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• The right to access, update or delete the personal data we hold about you;
• The right of rectification – to have inaccurate personal data corrected;
• The right to object to our processing of your personal data;
• The right to restriction of processing; The right to data portability;
• The right to withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent.

Please note that we may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests. We will aim to respond within one month of receipt.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection:

https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ 

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

D. How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your data protection rights, please contact us at data@divcom.co.uk. You may also submit a formal data subject access request (DSAR) or deletion request via the same email address.

2. Information We Collect

How we collect and store information depends on the websites you visit, the activities in which you participate, and the Services you use. You can use some of the Services without providing any personal data, although certain information is automatically collected when you use the Services.

A. Information You Provide

When registering an interest in the Services or registering to use them, DBC UK may ask you to provide personal data such as your name, company name, address, telephone number and email address (“Required Contact Information”). When purchasing Services, we may also require financial and billing information such as billing name and address, credit or debit card details, and the number of employees within your organisation (“Billing Information”).

We may also ask for optional additional information (“Optional Information”). Required Contact Information, Billing Information and Optional Information are referred to collectively as “Data About Customers”, “Data About Visitors” or “Data About Attendees”, as appropriate.

B. Automatically-Collected Information

DBC UK may automatically collect certain information about the computers or devices used to access the Services – including mobile devices – through commonly-used information-gathering tools such as cookies and web beacons (“Website Navigational Information”). This includes standard browser or device information (such as browser type and language), your Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, and actions you take on our websites such as pages viewed and links clicked.

We may also collect: (i) location information, unique device identifiers and details about your mobile device, operating system and browser language; and (ii) information about how you interact with the Services, including referring and exit pages, the number of clicks, time spent on pages, dates and times of use, error logs and similar data.

C. Location Information

We may use information about your location to customise the Services with location-based content, features or advertising, and to determine regulatory applicability. If you access the Services via a mobile device and wish to prevent location tracking, you may disable the GPS or other location functions on your device.

D. Information From Third Parties

We may obtain information about you from third parties such as marketers, partners and researchers. If you access the Services through a third-party connection or log-in, you authorise DBC UK to collect, store and use, in accordance with this Policy, any information made available through that third-party interface. Should you voluntarily disclose information through the Services (for example, on message boards), third parties may view and collect that information without our knowledge.

E. Aggregate or De-Identified Data

We may aggregate and/or de-identify information collected through the Services so that it cannot reasonably be used to identify you. This Policy does not restrict our use or disclosure of such aggregated or de-identified information.

3. Cookies

By using our Services with your browser set to accept cookies, you are consenting to our use of cookies as described in this section.

We may collect data about your use of the Services through cookies, internet server logs, tracking pixels (also called web beacons) and similar technologies. A cookie is a small text file placed on your computer or device when you visit a website; it enables us to recognise your device, store your preferences, enhance your experience, perform searches and analytics, and assist with security functions.

We use third parties to assist with advertising, tracking aggregated site usage statistics, and providing content-sharing services. These third parties may also use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your use of the Services. We do not control these third-party technologies; their use is governed by those parties’ own privacy policies.

For more information about targeting and advertising cookies and how to opt out, please visit www.youronlinechoices.eu or www.allaboutcookies.org.

Please note that even if you opt out of tailored advertising, you may still receive advertisements – they will simply not be tailored to your interests.

4. How We Use Your Information

DBC UK uses Data About Visitors, Data About Attendees and Data About Customers – which may include personal data – for the following purposes:

• Service delivery: To fulfil the services you have requested. For example, if you complete a web form to access a Service, we will use the information provided to respond to your enquiry.
• Event management: To plan and operate events, create and offer professional education, host online forums and in-person networks, and populate online attendee profiles.
• Marketing communications: To contact you about your interest in the Services and to send information about DBC UK, its affiliates and partners, such as details of promotions or events. We will always provide you with a clear means to opt out of such communications.
• Billing and payments: To check financial qualifications and collect payment from prospective Customers and Attendees.
• Website improvement and security: To operate and improve our websites, protect DBC UK and third parties, and prevent fraud and violations of our applicable agreements.
• Personalisation: To provide personalised information about DBC UK and its Services, alone or in combination with other data we hold.

Where DBC UK processes your personal data for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object to such processing at any time.

5. Sharing and Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose or share your information with third parties in the following circumstances:

• With your consent: Where you have consented to the disclosure.
• Sponsoring or paying organisations: If an organisation pays for your registration or membership, information about your account activity may be shared with representatives of that organisation during the term of your engagement.
• Service providers: For business purposes, we may provide access to your information to selected third parties who perform services on our behalf, including billing, sales, marketing, advertising, market research, data storage and analysis, and legal services. These parties are required to keep your information confidential and to use it only for the purposes for which it was disclosed. If you wish to opt out of sharing for non-essential purposes such as marketing or market research, please email data@divcom.co.uk.
• Joint promotions and partnerships: From time to time, DBC UK may partner with other companies to jointly offer products or services. If you express interest in or purchase a jointly offered product, DBC UK may share your data with the relevant partner. That partner’s use of your data will be governed by their own privacy policy. To opt out, email data@divcom.co.uk.
• Event badge scanning: DBC UK does not share Data About Attendees with business partners unless (i) you specifically opt in via an event registration form, or (ii) you have your attendee badge scanned by a business partner at a DBC UK event. If you wish to stop sharing, email data@divcom.co.uk (please note if your attendee badge is scanned at an exhibition or conference you have provided consent directly).
• Legal and regulatory requirements: We may disclose your information to comply with a legal obligation; to enforce agreements you have entered into with us; to respond to claims that content violates third-party rights; to respond to customer service requests; or where necessary to pursue legitimate interests that are not overridden by your rights.
• Business transfers: We reserve the right to transfer your information to a successor company in connection with a merger, acquisition, sale of all or part of our business, or due diligence associated with any such transaction.

6. International Transfers of Personal Data

As part of the global Diversified Communications group, your personal data may be transferred to, stored in or processed in countries outside the UK, including the United States. Such countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in the UK.

Where we transfer personal data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements – for example, by using the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or by relying on an adequacy decision made by the UK Secretary of State. You may request a copy of the relevant transfer safeguards by contacting us at data@divcom.co.uk.

7. Online Analytics

We may use third-party web analytics services such as Google Analytics to help us analyse how users use the Services, including the third-party website from which you arrived. The information collected (including your IP address) will be disclosed to or collected directly by these service providers, who use it to evaluate your use of the Services.

To prevent Google Analytics from using your information for analytics, you may install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

8. Tailored Advertising

Third parties whose products or services are accessible or advertised via the Services may place cookies or other tracking technologies on your device to collect information about your use of the Services in order to serve ads based on past visits to our websites and other sites.

We also allow third parties (such as ad networks and ad servers) to serve tailored advertisements to you on the Services. We do not control these third-party technologies; those parties may offer you a way to opt out of ad targeting.

You may opt out of tailored browser advertising by visiting the following:

• Network Advertising Initiative
• Digital Advertising Alliance
• Your Online Choices (UK/Europe)
• Google Ads Settings

We are not responsible for the availability or accuracy of these opt-out mechanisms.

9. Security

DBC UK has appropriate physical, electronic and managerial procedures in place to safeguard and help prevent unauthorised access, maintain data security and ensure the correct use of information we collect. These safeguards vary based on the sensitivity of the information held.

Although we take appropriate measures to safeguard against unauthorised disclosures, we cannot guarantee that personal data we collect will never be disclosed in a manner inconsistent with this Policy. In the event of a personal data breach, we will notify the ICO and affected individuals as required by UK GDPR.

10. Communications Preferences

DBC UK offers Visitors, Customers and Attendees who provide contact information a means to manage how we communicate with them. You may manage your marketing communication preferences by:

• Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any DBC UK marketing email;
• Emailing us at data@divcom.co.uk; or
• Writing to us at our registered office address above.

Please allow up to 10 working days for changes to take effect. Please note that even after unsubscribing from marketing communications, we may still contact you with transactional or service messages where necessary.

11. Public Forums and Testimonials

DBC UK may provide bulletin boards, blogs or chat rooms through the Services. Any personal data you choose to submit in such forums may be read, collected or used by others, and may be used to send you unsolicited messages. DBC UK is not responsible for the personal data you choose to submit in these public forums.

DBC UK may post a list of Customers and testimonials on its websites containing information such as customer names and titles. We obtain the consent of each customer prior to posting such information.

12. Linked Sites and Advertisements

The Services may contain links to third-party websites. DBC UK is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. Any information you provide via those sites is subject to the applicable third-party privacy policies and is not covered by this Policy.

13. Retention of Personal Data

DBC UK will retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy, and to comply with our legal obligations. When determining the appropriate retention period, we consider the nature and sensitivity of the data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, and the applicable legal requirements.

When your personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.

14. Children

As a business-to-business company, our Services do not target and are not intended for children under the age of 16. DBC UK does not knowingly solicit personal data from individuals under the age of 16. Should we learn or be notified that we have collected information from a user under the age of 16, we will promptly delete that personal data.

15. How to Access and Update Your Information

You may review and update certain profile information by contacting us at data@divcom.co.uk.

16. Changes to This Policy

DBC UK reserves the right to change this Policy from time to time. Please check this page periodically for updates. If we make any material changes, we will provide notification through the DBC UK website at least 30 days prior to the change taking effect. Your continued use of the Services following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.

17. How to Contact Us

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this Policy or DBC UK’s data protection practices, please contact us:

By email: data@divcom.co.uk

By post: Data Protection Officer, Diversified Business Communications UK Ltd, Ground Floor, The Brinell Building, 30 Station Street, Brighton, BN1 4RB