1. Order Binding; No Refunds, Resales, or Credit for Non-Attendance. By completing the order process and submitting payment, the Attendee enters into a binding contract with CICLOPE Festival for the pass(es) purchased. All orders are final once accepted. CICLOPE Festival does not offer refunds or exchanges, does not permit resale of passes, and shall not issue credit for an Attendee’s failure to attend the Festival, in whole or in part, for any reason. This clause applies regardless of the reason for non-attendance, save as expressly set out elsewhere in these Terms, including Clause 4 (Force Majeure).

2. Right to Alter Format, Date, or Location. CICLOPE Festival reserves the right, at its sole and reasonable discretion, to change the date, format, content, programme, or location of the Festival at any time, including by moving all or part of the Festival online or to a hybrid format. Any such change shall not entitle an Attendee to a refund, credit, or compensation of any kind, and the Attendee’s pass shall remain valid for the Festival as changed. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes the amendment, substitution, or cancellation of any individual session, speaker, or element of the programme, whether announced in advance or not. This clause applies independently of, and in addition to, the Force Majeure provisions set out below.

3. Sanctions and Restricted Parties. CICLOPE Festival will not knowingly enter into or continue a business relationship with any individual or organisation that (a) is named on a sanctions, denied-party, or restricted-party list maintained by the the European Union, or the United States, or (b) is organised, based, resident, or otherwise connected in a manner that would cause CICLOPE Festival to violate applicable sanctions laws by dealing with a country or territory subject to comprehensive sanctions under UK, EU, or US law. By registering as an Attendee, the Attendee represents and warrants that neither the Attendee, nor, where applicable, their employer, falls within either category. CICLOPE Festival reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to refuse, suspend, or cancel any registration or order, without refund, where it reasonably believes this clause applies. Equivalent provisions apply to entrants and sponsors.

4. Force Majeure. (a) Standard Force Majeure. CICLOPE Festival shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms to the extent that such failure or delay arises from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, war, terrorism, civil unrest, epidemic or pandemic, government action or restriction, denial or non-issuance of visas, travel restrictions, strikes, natural disaster, fire, or failure of public utilities or telecommunications networks (a “Force Majeure Event”). If a Force Majeure Event prevents CICLOPE Festival from holding the Festival as planned, CICLOPE Festival may, at its discretion, postpone, reschedule, relocate, or convert the Festival to a virtual or hybrid format. In any such case, the Attendee’s pass shall remain valid for the rescheduled or reformatted Festival, and the Attendee shall not be entitled to a refund.
(b) Commercial Impracticability. Independently of whether a Force Majeure Event under Clause 4(a) has occurred, if CICLOPE Festival determines, in its reasonable commercial judgement, that holding the Festival in its planned form has become commercially impractical or unfeasible, CICLOPE Festival may cancel or substantially alter the Festival. In such circumstances, the Attendee’s sole remedy shall be to have their pass transferred, at no additional cost, to the next scheduled edition of the Festival. CICLOPE Festival shall have no further liability of any kind, including for any indirect, incidental, or consequential losses (such as travel, accommodation, or other costs) incurred by the Attendee as a result.

5. Limitation of Liability. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, CICLOPE Festival’s total aggregate liability to an Attendee arising out of or in connection with these Terms, the Festival, or the Attendee’s attendance — whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise — shall not exceed the amount paid by that Attendee for their pass. CICLOPE Festival shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss, including loss of profit, loss of business opportunity, or travel, accommodation, or other costs incurred by the Attendee in connection with the Festival. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits CICLOPE Festival’s liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, for gross negligence or wilful misconduct, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

6. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Restrictions. Except as expressly permitted in writing by CICLOPE Festival, no person may upload, input, or otherwise submit any Content — including recordings, transcripts, images, or materials from the Festival’s talks, panels, or awards presentations — to, or allow access to such Content by, any artificial intelligence system, machine learning model, or Large Language Model (“LLM”), whether for the purpose of training, fine-tuning, or generating outputs from that Content. This restriction applies regardless of whether the Content has been made publicly available by CICLOPE Festival, and is in addition to, and does not limit, any other restriction on the use of Content set out in these Terms. Separate provisions addressing the use of artificial intelligence in submitted creative work, and the eligibility of AI-generated work as an entry, are set out in the applicable Entrant Terms.

7. Filming, Photography, and Media Licence. By attending the Festival, the Attendee grants to CICLOPE Festival an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, and sub-licensable licence to record, photograph, film, and otherwise capture the Attendee’s name, image, likeness, and voice, and any statement, presentation, or other contribution made by the Attendee at or in connection with the Festival (together, the “Contribution”), and to use, reproduce, edit, adapt, publish, broadcast, and distribute the Contribution, in whole or in part, in any media now known or later developed, for any purpose connected with CICLOPE Festival’s business, including marketing, promotion, archival, and editorial purposes, without further consent, notice, or compensation to the Attendee. The Attendee waives, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any moral rights in the Contribution to the extent necessary to give effect to this licence. A parallel, broader licence covering submitted creative work itself is set out in the applicable Entrant Terms.

8. Conflicting Activities and Ambush Marketing. An Attendee shall not, during the Festival or within the five (5) days immediately before or after the Festival dates, organise, promote, sponsor, or knowingly participate in any event, gathering, or promotional activity held in the same city as, or in proximity to, the Festival that is directed at, or is likely to be perceived by attendees, speakers, sponsors, or the media as being associated with, competing with, or seeking to benefit from the goodwill of, the Festival (a “Competing Event”), without CICLOPE Festival’s prior written consent. An Attendee shall not use the CICLOPE name, marks, logos, or Festival branding, whether directly or by implication, in connection with any Competing Event or in any other unauthorised manner. An Attendee shall not directly or indirectly solicit, approach, or encourage any confirmed speaker, jury member, or sponsor of the Festival to participate in a Competing Event, or otherwise seek to divert such person’s or entity’s engagement with the Festival. Breach of this clause shall entitle CICLOPE Festival to remove the Attendee from the Festival and revoke their credentials without refund, in addition to any other remedies available to CICLOPE Festival at law.

9. Authorised Users; No Sharing of Access or Credentials. (a) Digital Access. Access to CICLOPE Festival’s platforms, including The Library subscription service, is granted to the named, registered individual only. An Attendee or subscriber shall not share, distribute, sell, or otherwise make available their login credentials, access codes, or account access to any other person, whether within or outside their organisation. Use of an account by anyone other than the registered individual constitutes a material breach of these Terms, entitling CICLOPE Festival to suspend or terminate the account immediately, without refund, and without prejudice to any other remedy available to CICLOPE Festival.

(b) Physical Credentials. An Attendee’s Festival badge or other physical credential is personal to the registered individual and non-transferable. Use of an Attendee’s credential by any person other than the registered individual will result in immediate revocation of that credential without refund, and may result in removal of the Attendee from the Festival in accordance with Clause 11 (Code of Conduct).

10. Sharing of Attendee Information with Other Attendees and Sponsors. As part of the Festival experience, CICLOPE Festival may share certain Attendee information — namely name, job title, company, and country — (a) with other Attendees, via Attendee listings or networking tools made available at or around the Festival, and (b) with Festival sponsors and partners, for the purpose of facilitating networking and enabling sponsors to engage with Attendees in connection with their sponsorship of the Festival. Such sharing is carried out in accordance with, and subject to, CICLOPE Festival’s Privacy Policy, which sets out the applicable legal basis for this processing.

11. Code of conduct. All Attendees are required to comply with the CICLOPE Festival code of conduct, incorporated into these Terms. The code of conduct sets out CICLOPE Festival’s expectations regarding respectful behaviour, harassment, and safety at the Festival and any associated events. CICLOPE Festival reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to remove an Attendee from the Festival, revoke their credentials, and/or ban them from attending future CICLOPE Festival events — in each case without refund or compensation of any kind — where CICLOPE Festival reasonably believes that the Attendee has breached the code of conduct or otherwise engaged in conduct that is unlawful, threatening, harassing, or that poses a risk to the safety or wellbeing of other attendees, staff, or third parties. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, CICLOPE Festival shall not be liable for the conduct of Attendees, speakers, sponsors, or other third parties at the Festival, save where such liability arises from CICLOPE Festival’s own negligence, gross negligence, or wilful misconduct.

12. Visa and Travel Disruption. It is the Attendee’s sole responsibility to obtain any visa, permit, or other travel documentation required to attend the Festival, and to apply for the same in sufficient time before the Festival. The refusal, delay, or non-issuance of a visa, or any other travel disruption (including flight cancellation, border restriction, or public health measure), shall not entitle the Attendee to a refund, credit, or compensation, and shall be treated in the same manner as any other non-attendance under these Terms. Where CICLOPE Festival offers a re-routing option, an alternative attendance date, or virtual or hybrid attendance in place of in-person attendance, the provision of that alternative by CICLOPE Festival shall fully satisfy its obligations to the Attendee under these Terms.

13. Unused Passes; Discount Coupons. A pass that is not used, in whole or in part, for the Festival to which it relates has no monetary value and shall not be credited, carried over, or otherwise applied toward any future year or edition of the Festival, or toward any other CICLOPE Festival product or event. Where an Attendee fails to redeem any discount, promotional, or coupon code available during registration, CICLOPE Festival shall not issue any refund, credit, or price adjustment in respect of that failure, whether before or after the Festival.

14. Lost or Stolen Badges. CICLOPE Festival will not replace lost or stolen badges. An Attendee who requires a replacement must purchase a new pass at the then-current full price. CICLOPE Festival shall have no liability for any loss, cost, or inconvenience arising from an Attendee’s inability to access the Festival as a result of a lost or stolen credential.

15. Pass Non-Transferability; Name Changes. A pass is personal to the Attendee named on the registration and is non-transferable, save by way of an official name change request submitted to CICLOPE Festival in accordance with this clause.

16. Entire Agreement; Conflicting Terms. These Terms, together with the documents expressly incorporated by reference (including the Privacy Policy), constitute the entire agreement between the Attendee and CICLOPE Festival in relation to the Attendee’s registration and attendance. Any deviating, conflicting, or supplementary terms and conditions proposed by the Attendee shall not become part of the contract, even if CICLOPE Festival does not expressly object to them, unless CICLOPE Festival has expressly agreed to their validity in writing.

17. No Statutory Right of Withdrawal. Pursuant to Section 312g(2) no. 9 of the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB), or the corresponding provisions of applicable European consumer law, the Attendee does not have a statutory right of withdrawal in respect of their pass purchase, even where the Attendee purchases as a consumer rather than as a business, because the contract concerns a leisure-related service to be performed on a specific date.

18. Admission to the Festival. On arrival, an Attendee must present a valid ticket or accreditation without being asked to do so, and, as passes are personal, may also be required to identify themselves using a valid official form of identification. Once admitted, an Attendee will receive a non-transferable badge or wristband, which must be worn visibly throughout the Festival, including for re-admission after leaving a venue. In order to maintain a safe environment for all attendees, CICLOPE Festival reserves the right to refuse admission to any person who appears aggressive, abusive, or under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances. Weapons and other dangerous objects may not be brought onto Festival premises, and CICLOPE Festival reserves the right to carry out reasonable bag checks. Minors may only be admitted to age-restricted sessions in accordance with applicable youth protection laws.

19. House Rules and On-Site Marketing. CICLOPE Festival exercises the rights of a householder (Hausrecht) at all Festival venues. An Attendee must comply with the reasonable instructions of CICLOPE Festival and its security personnel, and with the house rules of the relevant venue. CICLOPE Festival may exclude an Attendee from further participation and require them to leave a venue in the event of a breach of house rules, repeated disruption of a session or programme item, or unauthorised ambush or guerrilla marketing activity, without prejudice to any other remedy available to CICLOPE Festival. No commercial or promotional activity — including sampling, distribution of flyers, or brand activations — may be carried out on Festival premises, or in connection with or reference to the Festival, without CICLOPE Festival’s prior written consent.

20. Restriction on Recording by Attendees; Revocation of Consent. Except where expressly permitted by CICLOPE Festival in an individual case, an Attendee may not make audio or audiovisual recordings, take photographs, or livestream any session, panel, masterclass, ceremony, or other part of the Festival programme. A breach of this clause may result in the Attendee’s immediate exclusion from the Festival and the confiscation or deletion of any unauthorised recording. An Attendee acknowledges that CICLOPE Festival and its accredited media partners may make photographic, audio, and audiovisual recordings at the Festival in which the Attendee may incidentally appear or be heard, and consents to the use of such recordings for reporting on the Festival and for CICLOPE Festival’s promotional purposes in all media, without charge and without time or territorial limitation, in addition to the licence granted under Clause 7. An Attendee may revoke this consent for the future by sending written notice to the contact address designated by CICLOPE Festival; recordings already made or used before that notice is received are not affected by the revocation.

21. Cloakroom. Where CICLOPE Festival offers a free-of-charge cloakroom facility at an event, an Attendee must not deposit valuables (including laptops, smartphones, jewellery, or cameras), data carriers containing confidential or business information, means of payment or payment cards, or travel documents at the cloakroom.

22. Attendee-Submitted Content. Where an Attendee submits text, images, audio, or audiovisual material to CICLOPE Festival in connection with their attendance — including through voting, Q&A, community features, or similar contributions (“Attendee Content”) — the Attendee grants CICLOPE Festival a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, transferable, and sub-licensable right to reproduce, store, publish, and otherwise use the Attendee Content, including for promotional purposes, across all media, including the Festival website, social media, mobile applications, and platforms of CICLOPE Festival’s cooperation partners. CICLOPE Festival does not review Attendee Content for legality or appropriateness before it is made available, and the Attendee remains solely responsible for it. An Attendee warrants that they hold all rights necessary to submit their Attendee Content, and shall indemnify CICLOPE Festival in full against any third-party claim, including reasonable legal costs, arising from a breach of this warranty.

23. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Severability; Amendments. These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, excluding the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Where the Attendee is a merchant (Kaufmann) or a legal entity under public law, the exclusive place of jurisdiction for any dispute arising directly or indirectly from these Terms shall be the registered seat of CICLOPE Festival’s operating entity, Ciclope Media GmbH, Berlin, Germany. Should any provision of these Terms be or become invalid, in whole or in part, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected, and the invalid provision shall be replaced by a valid provision that most closely reflects the economic intent of the parties. Any amendment or supplement to these Terms must be made in text form; this requirement may itself only be waived in text form.