Code of Conduct

Ampersand is a friendly and welcoming conference. Our code of conduct is here to demonstrate our commitment to keeping it that way.

All Ampersand attendees, speakers, volunteers and staff are required to agree with the code of conduct. The organisers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to ensure a safe environment for everybody.

Behaviour Expectations

Ampersand is an inclusive event where all individuals should be treated respectfully, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof). So please don’t be nasty or mean. Be nice. Be considerate. Be civil. It’s easy.

We take harassment seriously. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. This includes in the conference venue, after-party and social media channels such as Twitter.

Who to contact

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff, or have someone contact them on your behalf. Ampersand staff will be clearly visible, wearing “Volunteer” T-shirts. Or if you spot me, Richard Rutter, please don’t hesitate to grab me. If you can’t immediately spot me or an Ampersand volunteer, please speak to a member of the Duke of York’s staff and they’ll be able to get hold of me quickly.

You can phone or text me on +44 787 969 6620 but if I’m not responding (I might be on stage introducing speakers), Alis Cox will be at the front desk for most of the day, so if you can’t get hold of me, please speak to her.

What will happen

First we will listen. Then we will help you to determine the options that we have, based on the situation. We will also document the details. Lastly we will follow the situation to a resolution where you feel safe and you can remain anonymous if you wish to be. This will probably involve us approaching the participant(s) directly to – at the very least – ask them to stop.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour must immediately comply. If a participant engages in any of the aforementioned behaviour, we may take any action we deem appropriate, from warning the offender to immediately expelling the offender from Ampersand with no refund and banning them from future Clearleft events.

If you feel you have been unfairly accused of violating this code of conduct, you should contact the conference team with a concise description of your grievance; any grievances filed will be considered by the entire Clearleft team.