Code of conduct
A safe place to build
Build It Summit brings together Builders, companies, institutions and investors from across Europe. We want everyone to arrive and leave with the same thing: the certainty of having been treated with respect.
This code sets out what we expect, what we do not accept, and what happens when a line is crossed. It forms part of the ticket terms and conditions.
Who it applies to
Everyone present at Build It Summit, without exception: attendees, Builders, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, partners, journalists, contractors, volunteers and the organising team.
It applies on site at CNIT Forest for the whole Event, at evening events, dinners and gatherings organised as part of the Event, on site and off site, and on the online channels of the Event: registration and matchmaking platform, app, attendee messaging and official community spaces.
Expected behaviour
- Treat others with respect, including in technical, commercial or political disagreement.
- Listen before judging, and let the conversation circulate.
- Ask first: before photographing or filming someone, before taking them aside, before introducing them to a third party.
- Accept a no immediately, whether it concerns a conversation, an invitation, a contact or a sales approach.
- Respect spaces and formats: do not disrupt a session, leave discreetly if you need to.
- Respect confidentiality in closed-door formats. What is said in a Circle or an Enterprise Lab is not republished without agreement.
- Report problematic behaviour, whether it affects you or someone else.
- Follow instructions from the organising team and from venue security.
Prohibited behaviour
These behaviours are prohibited, on site and online.
Harassment and intimidation
- Harassing words or behaviour, repeated or not, directed at a person.
- Intimidation, threats, public humiliation, online harassment, stalking or persistently following someone around the Event.
- Mass or repeated unsolicited messages sent through Event channels.
Discriminatory speech
- Demeaning comments, writing or visuals relating to gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, origin, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, physical appearance or age.
- Content inciting hatred, violence or discrimination, or glorifying crimes.
- Jokes and remarks framed as humour but aimed at a person or a group.
Unsolicited contact and inappropriate sexual behaviour
- Unsolicited physical contact, inappropriate gestures, invasion of personal space.
- Unwanted sexual advances, propositions or attention, including by message.
- Sharing sexual imagery or remarks in Event spaces.
Recording without consent
- Photographing, filming or recording a person without their agreement.
- Publishing an image, audio or video of a person without their agreement.
- Recording or streaming a closed-door session.
Disruption
- Disrupting a session, workshop, demo or conversation.
- Occupying a stage, stand or space without authorisation.
- Distributing leaflets or displaying banners of a political, ideological or religious nature.
Safety and legality
- Bringing in a weapon or a dangerous object.
- Possessing or using illegal substances.
- Being in a state that endangers your own safety or that of others.
- Any behaviour amounting to a criminal offence.
Sponsors, exhibitors and speakers
Sponsors and exhibitors are welcome to do business. They do it within the same boundaries as everyone else.
- No aggressive canvassing. No intercepting attendees in the aisles, no blocking their path, no pushing after a refusal.
- A no ends the conversation. An attendee who says no, hides their badge or walks away is not chased.
- No badge scanning without explicit agreement. Scanning is a voluntary act by the attendee, who knows what it triggers.
- No sexualised content on stands: no visuals, no outfits, no activations, no giveaways. Hiring people solely for their physical appearance is prohibited.
- No activity outside the allocated space, unless agreed in writing beforehand.
- Speakers are responsible for the content of their materials: no demeaning visuals, no discriminatory statements, no personal attacks on third parties.
- Sponsors and exhibitors are responsible for the behaviour of their teams and of the people they accredit.
Reporting an incident
If you are in immediate danger
Speak to the nearest security officer, or call 112.
In every other case
On site, speak to any member of the Build It Summit team. We wear a Staff badge and are present at the registration desk and near the stages throughout the Event.
By email, at any time, write to conduct@builditsummit.com. This address goes to the organising team and is read by a named person.
You can also use the contact form if you prefer.
You can report something you witnessed rather than experienced. That is useful.
What we guarantee
Confidentiality
Your report is shared only with the people strictly necessary to handle it.
We take it seriously
No report is played down, and nobody is told to sort it out between adults.
No retaliation
Reporting in good faith carries no negative consequence.
You stay in control
We ask what you want to happen, and we do not take public action against your wishes unless the safety of others requires it.
Support
We can help you leave a situation, move to a quiet space, contact emergency services or file a complaint.
Handling and sanctions
We review every report without delay, listen to the people involved and decide on a measure proportionate to the seriousness of the facts. Possible measures, alone or combined:
- A reminder of the rules and a verbal warning.
- A written warning, sent where appropriate to the employer or to the sponsor who accredited the person.
- Restricted access to an area, a session, a stand or an online channel.
- Badge withdrawal and removal from the site, with no ticket refund or compensation.
- Suspension or deletion of the account on the Event online channels.
- A ban from future editions of Build It Summit.
- For sponsors and exhibitors: closure of the stand and withdrawal of visibility benefits, with no refund.
- A report to the competent authorities where the facts may amount to a criminal offence.
The decision rests with Build It Summit and is explained to the person sanctioned. No sanction gives rise to a refund or compensation.
Photos, video and recording
The Event is filmed and photographed by Build It Summit and by accredited contractors and media. The conditions are set out in the terms and conditions of sale and in the privacy policy.
Between attendees, the rule is simple: ask first. If you do not wish to appear in the official coverage, tell the team on site. If you recognise yourself in a published image and want it removed, write to privacy@builditsummit.com.
The French version is the reference text. This English version is a translation.
Version 1 · September 2026