Code of Ethics & CONDUCT

INTRODUCTION

The Code of Conduct applies to everyone working for Keynotion, regardless of role or level of seniority. This includes all employees, managers, non-executive board members and company directors.
We also expect freelance, temporary and contract employees, and any other third party who acts in our name to follow the principles of the Code.
We actively look to work with business partners who reflect our Code and our procurement process with preferred suppliers ensures that there is a good cultural fit before any agreements are made.

STATEMENT OF VALUES

We have a set of internal principals that guide all we do.

OUR MOTTO
Our internal Motto is simply, “Innovation; Commitment; Expertise”. This simple statement encompasses why we exist as a company. We are commited to our events! The slightly chaotic nature of our work, the hours pouring over plans, the late nights, early mornings and weekends … It all leads to one amazing moment, when the show goes live. Every individual who works for us plays a vital role in ensuring that we deliver the fabulous events we are known for. It’s all for the love of the show and it always will be.

OUR CORE FOCUS
Our Core Focus is our way of defining what it is we do, in order that we not lose sight of what we are best at. We have a diverse and multi-skilled workforce that we are immensely proud of. The people who work tirelessly to produce extraordinary experiences for our clients and their guests. We deliver all of this by doing what we do best: Producing events with creativity at the heart, always looking to push the boundaries of what is possible.

OUR VALUES
Our Values guide us. We encourage all our employees and freelancers to use them in day-to-day decision making.
Do more with less

• We live in a throwaway society; what can you do with things we already have?
• Make it go further … the time, the budget, the resources
• Think bigger. Challenge the brief, excite clients into thinking bigger

Creative ingenuity

• There is always a solution, be solutions focused. Don’t come armed with problems, think about how to solve them.
• Think laterally and try new things
• Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries

Always excellent

• Strive for excellence, you won’t hit it every time. That’s ok if you’re learning.
• Set an example, be on time, look smart, be someone people aspire to
• Attention to detail is everything

Passionately proud

• Passion for our work makes it interesting, find yours and keep it close
• Share your passion with others, it’s infectious
• Be confident in your ability – we are, that’s why we hired you

Talk

• Honest and respectful communication in all you do
• Be humble, don’t be afraid to give or receive open and honest feedback

What’s next?

• An eye on the future keeps us one step ahead, change is good!
• Challenge the status quo
• What’s next for you? strive to be more than you were yesterday and less than you’ll be tomorrow

WHAT IS EXPECTED

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF EVERYONE?
We are all faced with decisions in our day to day work no matter what your role. Our Code of Conduct should help guide your decision-making process. If you are faced with a decision to make, ask yourself :

• Is this legal?
• Will this comply with our Code of Conduct?
• Does this sit well with our Core Values?
• Does this respect the rights of others?
• Will this reflect well on me and on the Company?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then don’t do it.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF MANAGERS?
Promote a culture of integrity
Managers should lead by example and act as a role model for others. As a manager you should:

• Help the people you supervise to understand their responsibilities under the Code and other Company policies.
• Take the opportunity to talk to your people about the Code and reinforce the importance of ethics and compliance.
• Create an environment where employees feel comfortable raising concerns.
• Consider conduct in relation to the Code and other Company policies when evaluating employees.
• Never encourage or direct employees to achieve business results at the expense of ethical conduct or compliance with the Code or the law.
• Always act to stop violations of the Code or the law by those you supervise.

If you are faced with a decision and you are not sure, ask for help.

SPEAK UP

We actively encourage all employees to ask questions and raise issues without the fear of retaliation and we are committed to treating any reports seriously and investigating them thoroughly and fairly.
If you have a concern, speak up. There are various people you can reach out to:

• Talk to your team manager
• Contact the Keynotion’s management team [email protected]

NO RETALIATION

We value the help of employees who identify potential problems that we need to address. Any retaliation against an employee who raises an issue honestly is a violation of the Code. That an employee has raised a concern honestly, or participated in an investigation, cannot be the basis for any adverse employment action, including separation, demotion, suspension, loss of benefits, threats, harassment or discrimination.
If you work with someone who has raised a concern or provided information in an investigation, you should continue to treat the person with courtesy and respect. If you believe someone has retaliated against you, report the matter to the management team.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are committed to providing and promoting equal opportunities in employment. We aim to treat you and job applicants equally regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation (“Protected Characteristics”).
We aim to provide equal opportunities and avoid discrimination in all aspects of employment and to ensure that the talent and skills of all individuals are maximised. Our approach applies to recruitment, terms and conditions of employment (including pay), appraisals, promotion, disciplinary and grievance procedures and training.

HARASSMENT & BULLYING

We are committed to creating and maintaining a positive working environment that is free from harassment and bullying. All individuals should be treated with dignity and respect and they should treat others with dignity and respect.
Harassment is any unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. A single incident can amount to harassment.
Examples of harassment may include:

• unwanted physical conduct
• invading personal space
• unwelcome sexual advances or suggestive behaviour
• sending or displaying material that some may find offensive
• offensive e-mails, text messages or social media content
• jokes or remarks that some may find offensive
• demeaning or belittling a person

Bullying is regarded as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour involving misuse of power that can make a person feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined or threatened.
Examples of bullying may include:

• physical or psychological threats
• overbearing and intimidating levels of supervision
• inappropriate and/or derogatory remarks about a person’s performance
• ignoring or shunning someone

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Act in the best interest of Keynotion while performing your job. A conflict of interest arises when your personal activities or relationships interfere, or appear to interfere, with your ability to act in the best interest of Keynotion.
Never use your position within Keynotion for personal benefit or to benefit a family member. Avoid personal financial transactions with customers and business partners that may influence your ability to perform your job.

RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
Many employees have relatives and friends who are employed by Keynotion or have financial or commercial relationships with customers or business partners of Keynotion.

These financial interests do not create a conflict under the Code unless:

• You have discretionary authority in dealing with any of these companies as part of your job with Keynotion; or
• Your relative deals with Keynotion on behalf of the other company.

In either of these situations, you must notify the management team in writing.
You may have friends who are employed by, or have ownership interests in, customers or business partners of Keynotion. If you deal with such a customer or business partner, take care to ensure that your friendship does not affect, or appear to affect, your ability to act in the best interest of the Keynotion. If you are uncertain whether your friendship may create an issue, consult your manager or the management team. In addition, personal relationships at work must not influence your ability to act in the best interest of Keynotion and must not affect any employment relationship. Employment-related decisions should be based on qualifications, performance, skills and experience.
In any potential conflict of interest situation, ask yourself:

• Could my personal interests interfere with those of Keynotion?
• Might it appear that way to others, either inside or outside of Keynotion?
• When unsure, seek guidance

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY

Any statements to reporters from newspapers, radio, television, etc, in relation to Keynotion’s business will only be given by a Director of the Company.

PRIVACY & DATA

Keynotion takes the privacy of natural living individuals (data subjects) seriously.
In line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679, Keynotion has implemented policies and procedures that are designed to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals described as data subjects for the benefit of the applicable regulations and laws in place on or after the 23rd May 2019.
It is your responsibility to adhere to Keynotion’s Privacy Policy and supporting procedures at all times and to acquaint yourself of your obligations towards safeguarding any personal information whether or not, the information assets are processed by the company or its clients.
It is also your responsibility to ensure the security of personal information at all times whether electronic or paper records. Likewise, it is your responsibility to ensure proper destruction of any personal information which is deemed out of date or no longer required.
Any loss of any personal information whether electronic or paper records must be reported without undue delay to Keynotion by emailing: [email protected]
It is also your responsibility to complete compliance training when directed by the company. The training will be provided at regular intervals throughout the year and such compliance training is mandatory.

BRIBERY

You must never engage in bribery.
A Bribe or Bribery is giving or offering anything of value or any advantage, whether directly or indirectly, to any person, in order to induce that person or any other person to perform a function or activity improperly. Bribery is also requesting or receiving anything of value or any advantage, whether directly or indirectly, from any person, intending that, consequently, a relevant function or activity should be performed improperly, whether by you or another person.
A bribe can be financial or otherwise, and can include giving or receiving money, loans, contributions or donations, travel, offers of employment, refunds, rebates, goods, services or anything else that could be considered to have value. Gifts or entertainment may be construed as forms of bribery in certain circumstances. A bribe can also take the form of a “reward” and be paid after the improper performance of the relevant duty or obligation has taken place.

HOSPITALITY & GIFTS

HOSPITALITY
Corporate hospitality means hospitality of any kind provided by Keynotion or its staff to non-Company employees in connection with the lawful business of Keynotion. All corporate hospitality expenses which are likely to be above the sum of 2500czk (inclusive of VAT) must be approved in advance by a Director of the Company. In addition, your manager must agree in advance to the level of any corporate hospitality expenses, before the commitments are made, considering what is reasonable and proportionate in all the circumstances.

GIFTS
Occasionally, satisfied customers, clients or other third parties may seek to reward you with a gift. Whilst Keynotion has no desire to stop you receiving a small token of gratitude or appreciation from a customer or client, we do recognise that there is the potential for abuse. In addition, some suppliers or contractors may offer ‘reward schemes’ which allow you to obtain free gifts or discount vouchers in return for ordering services or products on behalf of Keynotion from that business partner. Keynotion needs to be sure that our business partners are competitive and that you are acting in the best interests of Keynotion when using a business partner.

POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Keynotion does not make any contributions to any Political party.

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

Keynotion seeks to contribute to the communities in which we live and work. In addition to providing employment opportunities and minimising our environmental impact, we support local community initiatives.
In addition to this, we have a limited company budget for charitable donations that make a positive impact in the community in and around the area near to its head office in Prague or play an important role in the lives of our staff or their immediate family.

FINANCIAL REPORTING & RECORD KEEPING

Ensure the accuracy of all Keynotion business and financial records. These include not only Financial Records but other records such as business plans, budgets, management reports, timesheets, expense reports and submissions such as benefits claims, forms and CVs.
Ensuring accurate and complete business and financial records is everyone’s responsibility, not just a role for the Finance team. Accurate recordkeeping and reporting reflect on Keynotion’s reputation and credibility and ensures that Keynotion meets its legal and regulatory obligations. It also ensures that performance is judged, and rewards are awarded fairly among employees.

PROTECTION AND PROPER USE OF COMPANY ASSETS

ASSETS
Company assets should only be used for legitimate business purposes and are meant for company, not personal, use. Do not use Keynotion’s assets for your personal benefit or the benefit of anyone, other than Keynotion.
We encourage a commonsense approach to company assets. There may be times when use of company assets such as mobile phones for the occasional personal call will be necessary, however extensive use could represent misuse.
If you are unsure at any time, you should speak to your manager for clarity.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Keynotion’s intellectual property is as valuable to us as our physical equipment. We therefore must protect Keynotion’s intellectual property rights. Intellectual property refers to anything we create on at Keynotion’s expense or within the scope of our job duties. Keynotion owns the rights to anything we create through our work with Keynotion to the full extent permitted by law, regardless of whether this property is patentable or able to be protected by copyright, trade secret or trademark. Examples of intellectual property include copyrights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, design rights, logos, software programs, business processes and delivery or production methods.

MONEY LAUNDERING

Keynotion complies with anti-money laundering laws. Money laundering is the process of concealing illicit funds by moving them through legitimate businesses to hide their criminal origin.
Employees must never knowingly facilitate money laundering or terrorist financing and must take steps to prevent inadvertent use of the company’s business activities for these purposes. Employees are required to immediately report any unusual or suspicious activities or transactions such as:

• attempted payments in cash or from an unusual financing source
• arrangements that involve the transfer of funds to or from countries or entities not related to the transaction or customer
• unusually complex deals that don’t reflect a real business purpose
• attempts to evade record-keeping or reporting requirements

INSIDER TRADING

You may not buy or sell stocks or securities of Keynotion or another company based on nonpublic information. Trading in stocks or securities based on material nonpublic information or providing material nonpublic information to others so that they may trade, is illegal and may result in prosecution.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Health and Safety in our workplace is of paramount importance to us. We recognise that the work we do in our office and on-site during event hosting can carry an element of risk.
We take the safety of our employees, business partners, delegates and suppliers very seriously.
Should you ever need to contact Keynotion in an emergency situation, we actively encourage the reporting to [email protected] and our management team will support you.

ENVIRONMENT

The Company recognises the importance of environmental protection and we are committed to operating our business responsibly and in fulfilment of its compliance obligations relating to event management services.
It is our aim to meet, exceed or develop all necessary or desirable requirements, to protect the environment and to continually improve environmental performance through the implementation of the following:

• Assess and regularly re-assess the environmental effects of Keynotion’s activities
• Training of employees in environmental issues
• Minimise the production of waste
• Minimise material wastage
• Minimise energy wastage
• Promote the use of recyclable and renewable materials
• Prevent pollution in all its forms
• Control noise emissions from operations
• Minimise the risk to the general public and employees from operations and activities undertaken by the Keynotion.

If you have concerns or ideas you would like to share to help us on our journey, please contact our management team at [email protected].

IT, INTERNET & EMAIL

Our email facility is intended to provide effective communication within the organisation, and externally with clients and customers, on business matters. It should, therefore, be used for business purposes. While there are many advantages to be gained from the correct use of internal and external mail, there are also certain dangers.
Internet access, including Internet email, is provided to employees for the purpose of conducting business-related activity for the benefit of Keynotion and our clients.

USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

We are lucky enough to produce some very insta-worthy events and there is a temptation to snap and share. We ask you not to share or post inflammatory, derogatory or anything which could be deemed as offensive on our social channels or any of our competitors.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Keynotion understands that corporate social responsibility extends to our entire business chain. This encompasses not only the products and services supplied but also the human rights, ethics and social practices of our company and our business partners.
We seek to build partnerships with like-minded organisations by actively seeking out business partners who are the most environmentally and workforce friendly.

MODERN SLAVERY
Keynotion strictly prohibits the use of modern slavery and human trafficking in our operations and events. We have been and will continue to be committed to implementing systems and controls aimed at ensuring that modern slavery is not taking place anywhere within Keynotion or any of our buisness partners’ way of work. We expect that our business partners will hold their own suppliers to the same high standards.
Employees are all given training on how to identify warning signs and we expect the same from our business partners.