The Southeastern Rheumatology Fellows Symposium ("SERFS," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and disclose personal information through goserfs.com and in connection with our event registrations, educational activities, communications, and related services. 1 Information We Collect The information we collect depends on how you interact with SERFS. It may include: • Contact and professional information. Your name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, professional title, institution, training program, or company. • Event information. Registration details, attendance, hotel and travel arrangements, sponsorship selections, and dietary or accessibility requests you choose to provide. • Payment and reimbursement information. Billing and payment details, expense receipts, signatures, and tax information, including information on a W-9 when requested for reimbursement or reporting. • Communications and submissions. Messages, newsletter preferences, feedback, speaker materials, abstracts, posters, clinical images, and other materials you submit. • Website information. IP address, browser and device information, pages viewed, referral sources, and interaction data collected through server logs, cookies, or similar technologies, where used. We receive information directly from you and may receive registration or logistical information from someone arranging participation on your behalf, such as a program coordinator, employer, or event service provider. Please provide only information needed for the relevant request.
2 How We Use Information We use personal information to respond to inquiries; process registrations and sponsorships; coordinate accommodations and event logistics; administer payments, scholarships, and reimbursements; review educational submissions; and communicate about participation. We also use relevant information to send newsletters and event announcements, including sponsor-supported communications, consistent with your choices and applicable law. Website and feedback information helps us maintain security, troubleshoot problems, and improve our website and programs. We may also use records to meet accounting, tax, and other legal obligations. Dietary, accessibility, payment, and tax details are used for the associated administrative purpose and applicable legal requirements, rather than marketing.
3 How We Disclose Information We may disclose information to service providers that assist with website hosting, registration, communications, payment processing, accounting, and event administration. We may share relevant details with hotels, event staff, and other providers to arrange services you request. These disclosures are limited to information relevant to the service. We may also disclose information when required by law or legal process, to protect rights and safety, or to investigate suspected fraud or misuse. We may disclose information for other purposes when you direct or authorize us to do so.
4 Sponsors and Attendee Lists SERFS offers attendee lists as a benefit of certain sponsorship packages. We may disclose attendee identifying and professional contact information supplied during registration to participating sponsors for professional networking and communications about their products, services, or educational activities. We do not include tax documents, payment card details, or dietary or accessibility information in sponsor attendee lists. To ask about the information included in these lists or request exclusion from future distributions, contact info@goserfs.com. Please contact us before the event because lists may be distributed in advance. Applicable privacy rights are described below. Sponsors that receive information or collect it directly from you are responsible for their own privacy practices; contact them directly to manage their communications.
5 Cookies and Website Technologies Our website and its service providers may use cookies and similar technologies to operate site features, remember preferences, protect forms, and understand website usage. Embedded content or linked services may collect information under their own privacy policies. The information collected depends on the technologies enabled and your settings. You can manage cookies through your browser settings and any privacy controls provided on the website. Blocking cookies may affect certain functions. Deleting cookies does not delete information already collected, and browser cookie settings may not control every type of tracking technology.
6 Email and Communication Preferences You can unsubscribe from marketing emails using the unsubscribe link in the message or by contacting info@goserfs.com. Even after opting out of marketing, you may receive essential messages about an existing registration, payment, reimbursement, schedule change, or request. Providing contact information for event administration does not by itself authorize every form of marketing communication.
7 Educational Submissions and Patient Privacy Images, posters, case reports, and presentation materials submitted for educational activities may be reviewed by organizers and judges and displayed to attendees in accordance with the applicable submission terms. Author names and professional affiliations may accompany accepted materials. Additional publication or promotional use will be governed by the permissions and notices associated with the submission. Submitters must remove patient identifiers and obtain any permissions or authorizations required for the intended use. Do not submit identifiable patient information through a general contact form. If a clinical image may identify a patient, contact SERFS before submitting it to confirm the appropriate process. This policy does not replace patient authorization or institutional requirements.
8 Information Security and Retention We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information. No website, transmission method, or storage system is completely secure. Please contact us for submission instructions before sending sensitive payment, tax, or health information through a general inquiry channel. We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Retention depends on the type of information, event administration needs, accounting and tax obligations, dispute resolution, and applicable legal requirements. When information is no longer needed, we delete it or de-identify it, subject to lawful retention and backup procedures.
9 Your Privacy Choices and Rights You may contact us to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information. Depending on your location and applicable law, you may also have rights to obtain a copy, withdraw consent, object to or restrict processing, opt out of certain sales or sharing of information or targeted advertising, or appeal a decision about a privacy request. Rights and exceptions vary, and not every right applies to every person or organization. Send requests to info@goserfs.com with enough information for us to identify the relevant records. We may need to verify your identity or an authorized representative's authority. We will respond as required by applicable law. Some records may need to be retained for legal, accounting, or event administration purposes.
10 Children and International Visitors Our website and programs are intended for healthcare professionals, trainees, and industry participants and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided information, contact us so we can investigate and address it. SERFS is based in the United States. Information provided from outside the United States may be processed in the United States or where our service providers operate, subject to applicable privacy requirements.
11 External Websites Our website may link to hotels, sponsors, educational resources, or other external services. Their collection and use of information is governed by their own privacy policies. Please review those policies before providing information.
12 Changes to This Policy We may update this policy as our activities or legal requirements change. We will post the revised policy with an updated effective date and provide additional notice or obtain consent when required by applicable law.
13 Contact Us For privacy questions or requests, contact: Southeastern Rheumatology Fellows Symposium (SERFS) 106 State Street East Oldsmar, FL 34677 Email: info@goserfs.com Phone: 727-263-0800 Website: https://goserfs.com/