TEXAS PAYROLL CONFERENCE POLICY PAGE

ATTENDEE CANCELLATION POLICY

Purpose

This policy outlines the cancellation terms, credit eligibility, and substitution options for registered paid attendees who are unable to participate in the conference, including full conference and one-day registrants.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing and must be received or postmarked no later than August 15th.

Submit requests via mail to:

Texas Payroll Conference
Attn: Registration Chair
1732 Milestone Ridge
Lewisville, TX 75067

Submit requests via email to: [email protected]

If you register for the Conference and cannot attend, we encourage you to send a substitute. If you cannot send a substitute, a 50% credit of your registration fee will be applied towards registration at the following year’s conference.

After the August 15th deadline, no credit will be issued, and a substitution fee may be applied.

EXHIBITOR CANCELLATION POLICY

Purpose

This policy outlines the cancellation terms, credit eligibility, and substitution options for exhibitors who are unable to participate in the conference.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing. Submit requests via mail to:

Texas Payroll Conference
Attn: Exhibitor Chair
1732 Milestone Ridge
Lewisville, TX 75067

Submit requests via email to:  [email protected]

Refunds

Refunds will be provided as follows:

Booth Policy

The Conference reserves the right to deny exhibit space to companies that have overdue account balances.

VOLUNTEER POLICY

Purpose

Volunteers are essential to the success of the Texas Payroll Conference. By staying organized, proactive, and engaged, you help create a smooth and professional experience for all attendees. This policy is designed to provide all conference volunteers with a set of principles and expectations for appropriate conduct and behavior. 

Adherence to Policies

The Conference develops policies, procedures, and guidelines with input from both staff and volunteers and with consultation from legal, finance, and risk management experts; our policies, procedures, and guidelines are updated regularly as new situations emerge.  Volunteers, attendees, exhibitors, and board members are expected to comply with the Conference policies including those described in this document. Failure to comply may be grounds for disqualification and/or removal.

Attendance

The Conference requests volunteers to be reliable and punctual in reporting for scheduled volunteer activities. While the Conference will attempt to be flexible in all cases, volunteers are expected to notify the Volunteer Chair (or a board member if the chair is unavailable) if they will be absent or late, so arrangements can be made for handling their responsibilities. You can email [email protected].

Good Stewardship

Serving in a volunteer position requires good judgment and reasonable risk management. All volunteers will be given an orientation and specific training to understand and manage the risks in carrying out their specific jobs. Volunteers will be required to comply with the volunteer policy and to conduct conference business in the direction of the Conference and within the scope of their duties as a volunteer. This will help minimize the risk of liability to the Conference and reduce the risk of injury (physical or economic) to the volunteer and the people the volunteer associates with or tries to help.

Conference activities with inherent risks would include the transportation of decorations, attendees, interacting with attendees, organizing, assisting board in carrying out duties, or serving in a governance role, on a committee or in a leadership role. There are specific procedures and manuals that guide the volunteer in conducting these activities in a safe manner.

The Conference indemnifies its volunteers against liability incurred while performing their volunteer duties conducted at the request of the Conference. The Conference purchases and maintains insurance policies, wherein volunteers are additional insureds, to provide the financial ability to fully indemnify, defend and settle any claims of liability.

Code of Conduct

To ensure a positive and productive volunteer experience, consider these expectations and responsibilities:

To ensure that the Conference is safe, productive, educational and enjoyable for all its attendees, we ask all volunteers to agree to this Code of Conduct.

1.      Respect and Inclusion

2.      Safety First

3.      Professionalism at the Conference

4.      Environmental Stewardship

5.      Raising Concerns

6.      All volunteers shall abide by and conform to these professional standards:

If an attendee or volunteer has any questions or concerns about the code of conduct or wishes to file a formal complaint, they may contact [email protected].

NOTE: The conference does not engage volunteers who have committed crimes of theft, violence, or dishonesty, or who have financial or sex-related offenses. Volunteers with a criminal record that includes these offenses are not eligible to serve. 

CONFERENCE POLICY

Purpose

This policy establishes expectations, requirements, and guidelines for individuals participating in conference events. It applies to all attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, vendors, volunteers, and guests. Texas Payroll Conference is committed to a safe, respectful, and compliant event environment. 

Restrictions

Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate removal from the event, whether in person or virtual, without refund:

 

Alcohol Policy 

The Conference is committed to the responsible service and consumption of alcoholic beverages to responsible consumers.  The goal is to ensure the prudent and safe use of alcoholic beverages in compliance with Texas law and Conference policies.  Alcohol policies for conference-sponsored events are as follows:

Media and Intellectual Property 

By attending a conference event, Participants acknowledge and consent to the possibility that their image, likeness, voice, or statements may be captured in photographs, video recordings, or audio recordings taken on behalf of the Conference. Participants grant the Conference a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free right to use such media for promotional, educational, archival, and marketing purposes without additional compensation or approval.

TPC-owned media may not be copied, altered, sold, or distributed without prior written consent. Such media remains the exclusive property of the Conference and may be published on the Conference website, social media platforms, or promotional materials.

Disruptions caused by unauthorized photography or recording equipment, including drones or professional-grade equipment, are prohibited and may result in removal from the event.

Participants may photograph or record portions of the event for personal, non-commercial use only, unless otherwise prohibited. Live musical performances may not be recorded. By posting event-related content on social media, Participants grant the Conference permission to repost or share such content in connection with the Conference’s promotional activities.

Materials shared by presenters are for personal use only and may not be distributed without express written permission from the presenter, unless the materials explicitly authorize redistribution. Proper attribution to the original creator is required in all cases.

Use or reproduction of the Conference name, logo, or branding to promote non-conference sanctioned products or services is strictly prohibited without prior written authorization.

Privacy

Participant contact information shared during registration may be disclosed to sponsors in accordance with platform settings and Participant preferences. Shared information may include name, title, company, address, company size, department size, and job function.

Phone numbers and email addresses are not shared unless voluntarily provided by the Participant through direct engagement with sponsors or exhibitors.

Virtual engagement activities, including exhibitor booth visits, sponsored sessions, and raffle entries, may result in disclosure of Participant-provided information to exhibitors or sponsors.

Solicitation 

Solicitation is prohibited in aisles or areas of the venue not leased to exhibitors. Sidewalks, parking areas, and surrounding venue property are not under the control of the Conference, and solicitation in these areas is not permitted. Exhibitor personnel or representatives may not engage in promotional activities outside their contracted exhibit space. Solicitation through the official event app or virtual platform is permitted unless otherwise restricted by platform rules.

Accessibility 

The conference is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its events. Standard accommodation will be provided where feasible. Additional reasonable accommodation requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Participants requiring accommodation should submit requests in advance via email to: [email protected]. Reserved accessible seating may be provided. For sold-out events, unclaimed reserved seating may be released five (5) minutes prior to the session start time.

Health & Safety 

The Conference follows applicable guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as state, local, and venue requirements, regarding communicable diseases and public health considerations. Participants who are not feeling well prior to or during the event are encouraged to contact the Registration Chair at: [email protected].

Liability & Risk 

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Participants release, waive, discharge, and covenant not to sue the Conference, its directors, officers, agents, employees, affiliates, successors, and assigns (collectively, “Released Parties”) from any and all claims, liabilities, damages, or causes of action arising out of or related to participation in the event, including claims related to communicable diseases. Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from their participation in the event.

Code of Conduct 

The Conference is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and productive environment that fosters an open exchange of ideas and ensures equal opportunity and treatment for all participants. Open discussion and respectful debate are essential elements of professional and scholarly engagement. While such interaction is encouraged, all participants—including presenters, discussants, attendees, and staff—are expected to:

All participants are also expected to uphold the highest standards of payroll integrity and professional ethics.

Prohibition of Discrimination and Harassment 

The conference has zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment in any form, whether occurring in person or virtually.

 Discrimination refers to prejudicial treatment of individuals based on characteristics including, but not limited to:

 

Harassment includes any conduct—verbal, nonverbal, or physical—that creates an intimidating, hostile, offensive, harmful, or threatening environment. Examples include, but are not limited to:

Participants should be mindful that behavior acceptable to one individual may not be acceptable to another. Harassment, even when intended as a joke, is not permitted.

Reporting Concerns

Any individual who experiences or witnesses’ discrimination or harassment is strongly encouraged to report the incident promptly to a Board Member supporting the conference.

 If the matter is urgent and a Board Member cannot be reached, participants should contact venue security immediately.

 The conference will make every effort to maintain confidentiality, consistent with the need to conduct a thorough investigation and protect the rights of all parties involved.

Enforcement

The Conference reserves the right to interpret and enforce this policy in its sole discretion. Violation of this policy may result in removal from the event, revocation of credentials, denial of future participation, and other actions deemed appropriate by the Conference.

Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, including but not limited to:

Retaliation against individuals who report concerns in good faith or participate in an investigation is strictly prohibited and will be treated as a separate violation of this policy.

Certificate of Attendance 

Certificates of attendance will be provided to eligible Participants upon completion of conference requirements.