Privacy Notice

General information

Controller

The controller within the meaning of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), other data protection laws applicable in the Member States of the European Union (EU) and other provisions relating to data protection is:

Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken e.V. (VDW)
Lyoner Straße 18
60528 Frankfurt am Main
Tel.: +49 69 756081-0
Email: datenschutz@vdw.de
Website: https://vdw.de/ (opens in a new tab)

Data Protection Officer

You can contact our Data Protection Officer as follows:

Scheja & Partners GmbH & Co. KG
Adenauerallee 136
53113 Bonn
Tel.: +49 228 227 226-0
Contact form: https://scheja-partners.de/en/contact/ (opens in a new tab)

Your rights as a data subject

Provided the legal requirements are met, you are entitled to the rights set out below. To exercise your rights, please contact datenschutz@vdw.de .

Right of access

You have the right to obtain information about the personal data we process about you.

Rectification

You may request the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you. Furthermore, you may request that incomplete personal data be completed.

Erasure

In certain cases, you may request the erasure of your personal data.

Restriction of processing

In certain cases, you may request that we restrict the processing of your data.

Data portability

If you have provided us with data on the basis of a contract or consent, you may request to receive the data you have provided in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or that we transfer it to another data controller.

Withdrawal of consent

If you have given us your consent to the processing of your data, you may withdraw this consent at any time with effect for the future. The lawfulness of the processing of your data up to the point of withdrawal remains unaffected.

Right to object on a case-by-case basis

You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of your personal data carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. We will then no longer process this personal data for these purposes, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Right to object to direct marketing

In certain cases, we process your data for the purposes of direct marketing. You have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for the purposes of such marketing. This also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing. If you object to processing for the purposes of direct marketing, your personal data will no longer be processed for these purposes.

Complaints to the supervisory authority

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of your personal data is unlawful.

Recipients / Transfers to third countries

We will only disclose your personal data to external recipients if this is necessary to process or handle your enquiry, if there is another legal authorisation or obligation, or if we have your consent to do so.

External recipients may include:

Processors External service providers whom we engage to provide services, for example in the areas of technical infrastructure and maintenance or the provision of content relevant to agreements and contracts. We carefully select and regularly review these processors to ensure that the protection of your personal data is maintained. The service providers may only use the data for the purposes specified by us.
Public authorities Authorities and government bodies, such as public prosecutors’ offices, courts or tax authorities, to which we are required by law to transfer personal data.
Other bodies Cooperation partners to whom data is transferred on the basis of consent or a legal basis, for example trade fair organisers.

In some cases, your data may be transferred to another organisation whose registered office or place of data processing is not located in a Member State of the European Union or in another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Where no adequacy decision has been issued by the European Commission for the third country in question, we ensure an adequate level of data protection when transferring personal data outside the EEA by entering into appropriate agreements with the recipients prior to the transfer; these agreements are generally based on the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.

Further details on this can be found, where applicable, below in the information on the respective data processing activities.

Deletion and blocking of personal data

We process and store the data subject’s personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose of storage. Data may be stored for a longer period where this is provided for by European or national legislation in EU regulations, laws or other provisions to which the data controller is subject.

As soon as the purpose of storage no longer applies or a retention period prescribed by the aforementioned regulations expires, the personal data is routinely blocked or deleted. Further details can be found below in the information on the respective data processing activities, where applicable.

Information regarding the website

Provision of the website

We process your personal data to the extent necessary for the technical provision of the website. The legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR and Section 25(2)(2) of the TDDDG. In doing so, we pursue the legitimate interest of providing our website. Your personal data is deleted immediately after being delivered by the web server. Independent of this, accesses are logged in server log files; see the following section for further details.

Log files

When you access our website, information of a general nature is automatically collected. This information (server log files) includes your IP address, the date and time of access, the page requested along with the access method, the HTTP status code, the amount of data transferred, the referrer, and the user agent, from which the browser type, browser version and operating system can be determined. This data is processed to ensure the technical operation of the website and to guarantee the security and stability of our systems. The log file data is also used to analyse technical errors and to detect unauthorised access attempts and attacks on our systems.

The server log files are stored for a period of seven days and then deleted, unless longer retention is necessary to investigate security incidents. The legal basis for data processing is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the secure and trouble-free provision of our website and in maintaining IT security.

Contact enquiries

You have the option of contacting us via the email addresses or telephone numbers provided on our website. In this case, the personal data transmitted via the email or telephone call will be stored. The data will be used exclusively for the purpose of conducting the communication.

The processing of personal data serves solely to handle the contact request. The legal basis for processing the data transmitted to us in the course of the contact request is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interests lie in receiving and processing enquiries, complaints or other feedback. If the purpose of the contact is to conclude a contract, the legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected. This is the case once the relevant conversation has ended. The conversation is deemed to have ended when it is clear from the circumstances that the matter in question has been conclusively resolved. Where the processing of the data is also necessary for other purposes, in particular where the contact is aimed at concluding a contract or leads to a contractual relationship, the data will be stored in accordance with the statutory retention periods and for the duration of any limitation periods.

You have the option of subscribing to a free newsletter via the website. When you subscribe to the newsletter, the data requested in the input form (email address, first name and surname optional) is transmitted to us. In addition, the following data is collected upon registration:

IP address of the accessing computer
Date and time of registration
Technical log entry for the opt-in status

The collection of the user’s email address is for the purpose of delivering the newsletter. The collection of other personal data as part of the registration process is intended to prevent misuse of the services or of the email address provided.

The legal basis for processing your personal data for the purpose of providing the newsletter is your consent in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. The VDW uses the so-called double opt-in procedure for newsletter registration. This means that you will receive a confirmation email at the email address you have provided. If you do not confirm your registration within 24 hours, your details will be blocked and deleted after 4 weeks. Otherwise, your data will be used exclusively for sending the newsletter

Processing carried out to pursue our legitimate interests – namely to verify your subscription and, where necessary, to investigate any potential misuse of your personal data – is based on Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.

We use the service Brevo to send out the newsletter. The data processor in this regard is Brevo GmbH, Köpenicker Str. 126, 10179 Berlin.

You may withdraw your consent to receive the newsletter at any time with future effect and unsubscribe from the newsletter. You can do this by clicking on the link provided in every newsletter or by sending a message to the contact details given in the legal notice. Once you have withdrawn your consent, your data will no longer be processed for the purpose of sending the newsletter.

Newsletter Analysis

We carry out a statistical analysis of usage data relating to our newsletter. To this end, we record both when the email is opened and any internal clicks, as well as additional information regarding the time of opening and the IP address. This information serves the purpose of measuring and optimising the success of our newsletter campaigns by making the content of the newsletters more relevant to our target audience and by optimising the newsletter technically in terms of display. This information may be attributed to individual newsletter recipients. We do not use this information to monitor or analyse the usage behaviour of individual users. We are solely interested in an aggregated statistical analysis.

The legal basis for this analysis is your consent in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. You may withdraw your consent at any time and unsubscribe from the newsletter. You can do this by clicking on the link provided in every newsletter or by sending a message to the contact details given in the legal notice. Once you have withdrawn your consent, your data will no longer be processed for the purpose of newsletter analysis.

Links to other websites

Our website contains links to other websites. Websites and services provided by other providers to which our website links are designed and provided by third parties. We have no influence over the design, content or functionality of these third-party services. This also applies to the integration of and redirection to our social media profiles. Should you visit our profiles, please refer to our separate privacy notices for our social media presence.

Information on data processing can be found here:

Please note that third-party services linked from our website may install their own cookies on your device outside our control or collect personal data. We have no influence over this. Please check directly with the providers of these linked third-party services, particularly with regard to the nature, scope, legal basis and retention period of such processing.

Embedding videos via YouTube

At present, no YouTube videos are embedded on this website. Should we embed videos in future, we will add the relevant information to this section before they go live.

Cookies and other technologies

Our website does not use cookies or any similar technologies to store or retrieve information on your device.

Range Measurement

On our website, we use the web analytics service Plausible Analytics, provided by Plausible Insights OÜ, Västriku tn 2, 50403 Tartu, Estonia, to analyse the reach of our website and continuously improve it. To compile anonymised usage statistics, information is processed including details of pages accessed, the date and time of access, duration of visit, visitors’ origin (referrer), browser types used, operating systems and device types, as well as approximate geographical information. IP addresses are converted only temporarily into a newly anonymised check value each day and are not stored.

No cookies are set, no user profiles are created, and users are not tracked across different websites.

This processing is carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the needs-based design, optimisation and secure provision of our website.

Information for exhibitors

Exhibitor registration

We process the personal data you provide when registering your company as an exhibitor to the extent necessary for the initiation and performance of the contract, in particular to enable participation in the trade fair. The legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

In individual cases, it may be necessary for the performance of the contract for us to pass on your data to our service providers (e.g. IT, trade fair organisation, marketing, printing). Where necessary, we enter into appropriate data protection agreements (such as those governing data processing on behalf of a controller in accordance with Article 28 of the GDPR) with our service providers before we pass on your personal data for these purposes. Furthermore, data will only be disclosed (for example, to public authorities) where we are subject to corresponding legal obligations. Where your data is transferred to recipients outside the EU/EEA, this is carried out in compliance with the provisions of Article 44 et seq. of the GDPR.

Exhibitor Shop

Account

Booking trade fair participation and other services via the Exhibitor Shop requires you to create your own account, which will then be available to you for making further additions or updates, or for booking participation in future trade fairs. You can deactivate this account at any time following a trade fair. We process your personal data in this context to the extent necessary for the creation and provision of accounts. The legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

Contract performance

We process the personal data collected in connection with the booking of trade fair participations for the purpose of contract performance, including invoicing and customer management. The data from the booking of trade fair participations is also used for the handling of any warranty claims or other complaints that may arise. Furthermore, this data may also be passed on to external auditors or tax authorities for their audit purposes. The legal basis for the processing of your personal data for the purposes of contract performance, including the handling of complaints and warranty claims, is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

Retention obligations

The data is stored in accordance with the statutory retention obligations set out in Sections 146 et seq. of the German Fiscal Code (AO) and Section 257 of the German Commercial Code (HGB), and is deleted once the retention periods have expired. The legal basis for the retention of data in accordance with the AO/HGB, as well as for any audits by the tax authorities or auditors, is Article 6(1)(c) of the GDPR in conjunction with the aforementioned provisions of the AO and the HGB.

List of exhibitors

Every event must be registered with the regulatory authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung). To this end, the organiser must submit a provisional list of exhibitors to the regulatory authorities in the run-up to the event. This means that personal data derived from the company name (sole trader) may also be transmitted to the regulatory authorities. The legal basis for this transfer of data is Article 6(1)(c) of the GDPR in conjunction with the Trade Regulation Act.

Communication regarding further offers (direct marketing)

In order to be able to keep you informed in future about further trade fairs, events or other offers, we reserve the right to use the contact details you provided when registering as an exhibitor to send you relevant information by post or telephone, provided you have not objected to such use. The legal basis for the processing of your personal data in this regard is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in informing you about our other offers.

If you have provided an email address, we reserve the right to use it to send you information on similar trade fairs, events or other offers by email, provided you have not objected to this use. We process your email address on the legal basis of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR in conjunction with Section 7(3) of the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG). Our legitimate interest lies in informing you about our other offers and thereby pursuing a privileged interest under Section 7(3) of the UWG.

Furthermore, we use your personal data for direct marketing purposes, provided you give us your consent to do so. The legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. You may withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future (see I. General Information, 3. Your Rights as a Data Subject).

Statistical evaluation / analysis

We process the personal data collected in connection with your participation as an exhibitor in order to carry out statistical evaluations and analyses for the planning, implementation, optimisation and performance monitoring of our trade fair. This includes, in particular, the analysis of the composition of the exhibitor base, sector affiliations, company sizes, participation in events, use of trade fair services, and the preparation of internal reports and key performance indicators. The legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the analysis and further development of our trade fair offerings, the improvement of our services, and the enhancement of the economic and organisational management of our trade fair.

Where possible and appropriate, statistical analyses are carried out in aggregated or anonymised form. Furthermore, we process your data only for as long as is necessary for the purpose described and delete it thereafter.

Information for visitors

Registration, customer account, ticket purchase and visiting the trade fair

To purchase event tickets, register for trade visitor tickets and make use of other trade fair services, you must register a customer account. Registration for the trade fair, the creation of a customer account, the purchase of tickets, and the organisation and handling of your visit to the trade fair are carried out by the trade fair organiser Deutsche Messe AG, which is the independent controller in this respect.

For the processing of your personal data in connection with registration, your customer account, the purchase of tickets, access control, the issue of visitor passes, the provision of trade fair services, and the organisation and running of the trade fair, please refer to their privacy policy.

Transfer of visitor data to the organiser

Once the trade fair has ended, we receive information from the trade fair organiser regarding the tickets you have purchased or registered for, as well as certain registration data, insofar as this is necessary for carrying out statistical analyses, analysing our events, and for our own marketing and communication activities.

In particular, the following categories of data may be processed:

Title, first name and surname
Company and role
Contact details (e.g. email address, postal address, telephone number)
Ticket type and ticket registration details
Details of the event attended
Further professional details provided during registration

Communication regarding further offers (direct marketing)

We use the contact details provided by the trade fair organiser to inform you in future about further trade fairs, events or other offers, and to send you relevant information by post or telephone, provided you have not objected to this use. The legal basis for the processing of your personal data in this regard is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in informing you about our other offers.

If you have provided an email address, we reserve the right to use it to send you information on similar trade fairs, events or other offers by email, provided you have not objected to this use. We process your email address on the legal basis of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR in conjunction with Section 7(3) of the Unfair Competition Act (UWG). Our legitimate interest lies in informing you about our other offers and thereby pursuing a privileged interest under Section 7(3) of the UWG.

Statistical evaluation / analysis

We process the information provided by the trade fair organiser regarding your ticket purchases, your registration details and your visit to the trade fair in order to carry out statistical evaluations and analyses for the planning, organisation, optimisation and performance review of our trade fair. This includes, in particular, the analysis of visitor demographics, industry affiliations, professional roles, regions of origin, areas of interest, attendance rates, and the use of trade fair offerings and digital services. Where possible, the results of these analyses are used in aggregated or anonymised form to further develop our trade fairs and service offerings and to tailor them to the needs of visitors.

The legal basis for the processing is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the analysis and further development of our trade fair offerings, the improvement of our services, and the enhancement of the economic and organisational management of our trade fair.

We process your data only for as long as is necessary for the purpose described and delete it thereafter.