THE EU GDPR
AND EVENTS
The relevance of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679) for Event Communication and Guest / Participant Management
The EU-wide Data Protection Regulation (GDPR. In German: DSGVO) is currently a hot topic. Many reporting publications paint the nightmare scenario of possible sky-high penalties when breaking the complicated rules. The web is full of GDPR seminar and webinar offers, and lawyers are in full attack mode. And for a good reason: not many companies have detailed knowledge of the 99 articles and know how to implement them in daily practice.
However it’s an important regulation as it covers all communication / marketing channels that deal with customer data. Especially the event industry, whose main business is to organize and manage visitors and guests to a multitude of events. From congresses to incentive trips, product launches and press events. And these generate large amounts of personal data.
It’s no wonder that our clients are uncertain how to handle a regulation with the grandiose title of „Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, the free movement of persons and the repeal of Directive 95/46 / EC”.
GDPR HAS BEEN AN EU TOPIC FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS
Have you noticed? The regulation has been in place since April 2016, yet only gathered attention last January. Agencies with the foresight about the importance of this regulation have been studying and implementing the rules before they became official and are now in the perfect position to service their clients the right way when the regulations comes into play on 25 May 2018.
Forward thinking agency VOK DAMS has met the requirements of the new regulation for years. Which is a great advantage over agencies just waking up to the new regulation. The implementation of the requirements arising from the GDPR requires a lot of work and associated costs. Anyone who is just starting to deal with the concrete implementation will have a challenge at hand. Or to quote a well-known politician: „He who comes too late is punished by life.“ Michail Gorbatschow 1989