Events Terms and Conditions 

For free and paid events

General conditions of participating in DQS events

1. Scope 

These terms and conditions of participation apply to all bookings of events of DQS GmbH, DQS CFS GmbH, DQS BIT GmbH and DQS Medizinprodukte GmbH (hereinafter referred to as "DQS") between DQS and the customer. The term 'events' includes digital formats as well as attened forums, customer days, congresses, conferences, workshops, courses, seminars, and webinars.

The contact details of the specific provider within the DQS Group can be found in the respective event announcement.  

2. Registration or Conclusion of Contract

2.1 The promotion of the event and other associated services on the homepages of DQS does not constitute an offer in the legal sense. Registration for our events can be made online via the registration form or by e-mail. The customer can submit an offer via the registration form integrated into DQS' online presences. After completing the electronic ordering process, the customer submits a legally binding contract offer regarding the selected events by clicking on the button that concludes the booking process. Before sending the registration form, the customer can continuously correct his entries using the usual keyboard and mouse functions. In addition, all entries are displayed again in a confirmation window before the binding submission of the order and can also be corrected there using the usual keyboard and mouse functions. Furthermore, the customer can also submit the offer by e-mail stating the mandatory information required for the event.

2.2 DQS is entitled to accept the contract offer made by the customer in whole or in part. DQS is under no obligation to accept under any circumstances.  Registration shall be deemed accepted if the participant has received a confirmation of registration from DQS in text form, for example by e-mail.

2.3 If the number of registrations exceeds the maximum number of participants, a waiting list will be set up and the persons concerned will be informed if places become available again. 

3. Services, Dates, Right of Modification

3.1 Contractual performance is the right to participate in the event. Content, speakers, or lecturers as well as the course of an event depend on the pre-published event program.

[For the implementation of a face-to-face event on site, the hygiene concept published under link [---] at the time of the event applies.] 

3.2 The event does not constitute a fixed transaction. 

The date of the event can be postponed up to 7 days before the originally communicated date by DQS if there is an objective reason. Customers must be informed of the changes. DQS however is entitled to change individual program items of an event program at short notice, without prior notice and without the consent of the participant, if this does not affect the content objective of the event.

DQS is entitled to replace the announced speaker with another speaker at short notice if there is an objective reason. Such program changes do not entitle the customer to withdraw from or cancel the concluded contract, unless this changes the nature of the event, so that the contractual balance between the parties is not significantly disturbed.  

3.3 At the DQS may, at its discretion and if there is an objective reason, change a presence event up to 7 days prior to the event date into  

  • a hybrid conference, i.e. an event held both on-site and online, or
  • an online event. 

3.4 A n objective reason exists in the event of temporary circumstances preventing DQS from providing its services for which DQS is not responsible, in the event of force majeure, in the event of measures to protect event participants, employees and speakers of DQS, in the event of an insufficient number of participants and in the event of the illness of a speaker. DQS's right to cancel the event pursuant to Section 5.4 shall remain unaffected.  "Force Majeure" shall be deemed to exist in particular in cases of (i) war (declared or undeclared), hostilities, attack, acts of foreign enemies, extensive military mobilization; (ii) civil war, riot, rebellion and revolution, military or other seizure of power, insurrection, acts of terrorism, sabotage or piracy; (iii) currency and trade restrictions, embargo, sanctions; (iv) lawful or unlawful official acts, compliance with laws or governmental orders, expropriation, seizure of works, requisition, nationalization; (v) plague, pandemic, epidemic, natural disaster or extreme natural event; (vi) explosion, fire, destruction of equipment, prolonged failure of transportation, telecommunications, information systems or power; (vii) general labor unrest such as boycotts, strikes and lockouts, slowdowns, occupation of factories and buildings. 

4. Revocation 

Customers who are consumers (whose registration is not related to a commercial or professional activity) have the right to revoke their registration within 14 days of receipt of the registration confirmation without justification in text form (e.g., letter or fax). No cancellation fees will be charged in this case. The right of revocation can no longer be exercised once the event has taken place. To meet the revocation timely requirements, it is sufficient to send the cancellation within the 14 day time period. The revocation can be sent to the contact address stated at the end of the General Terms and Conditions of Participation, stating the event title, the event location and the event date.

5. Cancellation and Costs

5.1 Cancellation by the customer up to two weeks before the event date will incur 50% of the booking costs, thereafter 100% as cancellation costs if the event takes place. In case of no-show, 100 % of the booking costs will be charged as cancellation costs. Cancellation must be made in text form (letter, fax, e-mail); relevant is the date of receipt of the declaration. 

5.2 Free events, that are offered in attendance including catering, can be cancelled by the participant free of charge up to 10 days prior to the start of the event. After that, if the customer fails to attend the event without informing us in due time, regardless of the reasons, he/she shall pay a fee in the amount of the catering costs incurred (min. 50 EUR).   

5.3 Representation / Substitute Participant
The participant is entitled to send a representative (substitute participant) in the event of being prevented from participating. This requires prior coordination with DQS.

5.4 DQS reserves the right to cancel the event if a minimum number of participants is not reached or if speakers/lecturers are absent at short notice. In the case of fee-based events, the full refund of any participation fees already paid unless the date can be postponed in accordance with para. 3.2 or changed into a hybrid or online event according to para. 3.3 or other objective reasons within the meaning of para. 3.4, exist. Further claims of the participant are excluded. 

5.5 Refund claims of the customer due to temporary interruptions of an event (especially in the case of digital events) are excluded. Program changes do not entitle the customer to withdraw from or cancel the concluded contract, insofar as this does not change the nature of the event as a whole, so that the contractual balance between the parties is also not significantly disturbed. 

5.6 Any claims due to grossly negligent conduct on the part of DQS or a person commissioned by it shall remain unaffected.

6. Terms of Payment 

6.1 For events subject to a fee, the participation fees specified in the announcement of the event and confirmed upon registration plus applicable value-added tax shall apply.

6.2 The participation fees are due for payment without deduction within 14 days after invoicing. Payment shall be deemed to have been received as soon as the equivalent amount has been credited to the DQS account. If invoices are overdue, incoming payments shall first be calculated on any costs and interest, followed by the payment of the outstanding amount.

7. Copyrights Event Documents

All documents that are handed out or made accessible either in paper form, on data carriers or electronically via links are subject to copyright. They are made available exclusively to participants to complement or enhance the event topics and may not be reproduced or published or made publicly available - not even in part - without the consent of DQS or the speakers and lecturers appointed by DQS. 

8.  Image and Sound Recordings 

During the events, image and sound recordings can be made for public relations marketing purposes, which are used on dqsglobal.com, DQS social media channels and DQS advertising materials for public relations. By participating in the event, the customer agrees to the use of this material, on which he may be depicted. 

9. Liability

9.1 DQS shall only be liable for damages – regardless of the legal grounds – in the event of intent and gross negligence. In the event of simple negligence, DQS shall only be liable for damages resulting from injury to life, limb or health, or for damages resulting from the breach of an essential contractual obligation (obligation the fulfilment of which makes the proper execution of the contract possible in the first place and on the observance of which the contractual partner regularly relies and may rely); in this case, however, the liability is limited to the compensation of the foreseeable, typically occurring damage.  

9.2. The limitations of liability resulting from Clause 9.1 shall not apply if DQS has fraudulently withheld a material defect or has assumed a guarantee. The provision of sentence 1 shall apply mutatis mutandis to claims of the Customer under the Product Liability Act, should this apply.

9.3 This clause 9 also applies to breaches of duty by DQS’s agents and legal representatives.  

10.  Applicable Law and Jurisdiction

All legal relationships between the parties shall be governed by the law of the Federal Republic of Germany to the exclusion of the laws on the international purchase of movable goods. In the case of consumers, this choice of law shall only apply to the extent that the protection granted is not withdrawn by mandatory provisions of the law of the state in which the consumer has his habitual residence.

If the customer acts as a merchant, a legal entity with its registered office in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, the exclusive place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from this contract is the registered office of DQS. If the customer has its registered office outside the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, the place of business of DQS is the exclusive place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from this contract, if the contract or claims from the contract can be attributed to the professional or commercial activity of the customer. In the above cases, however, DQS is entitled in any case to appeal to the court at the customer's registered office. 

11. Other

Verbal agreements require written confirmation to be binding.
 
Status: 17.03.2022