Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 26, 2026

Last Updated: September 28, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Unplugged Collective, LLC ("Unplugged Collective," "we," "our," or "us") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you:

Visit or interact with unpluggedcollective.com;
Visit or use ucsocialstudio.com ("UC Social Studio");
Register for, attend, or engage with any Unplugged Collective event, experience, or programming (including Strangers No More, CTRL+ALT+Culture, ConvHERgence, The Supper Club, Cannesversations, The Unplugged Studio, The Pavilion, and The Contextual Clipper);
Subscribe to our communications, download our content, or otherwise connect with us.

We refer to these collectively as our "Services."

This policy applies to both of our primary websites and all of our events, properties, and products. Where a specific Service collects information in a distinct way (for example, UC Social Studio or event registration), we call that out specifically.

If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use our Services.

1. Who We Are

Data Controller: Unplugged Collective, LLC
State of Formation: Delaware
Principal Place of Business: New York, New York
Mailing Address: 2810 N Church St, PMB 247936, Wilmington, Delaware 19802-4447, United States
Privacy Contact: James Altschuler, Chief Operating Officer (designated Privacy Officer). Note: This is not a formal Data Protection Officer appointment under Article 37 of the GDPR. Unplugged Collective is not required to appoint a DPO under applicable law. James Altschuler serves as our designated point of contact for all privacy-related matters.
Privacy Contact Email: privacy@unpluggedcollective.com
General Contact: info@unpluggedcollective.com

Questions, requests, or concerns about privacy and data protection at Unplugged Collective should be directed to our Privacy Officer at privacy@unpluggedcollective.com.

2. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy covers:

unpluggedcollective.com: our primary marketing website, which includes event information, our partner program, The Contextual Clipper, Cannesversations, and related content.
ucsocialstudio.com: a web-based tool that helps event guests, speakers, and partners generate personalized social-share graphics and copy (primarily for LinkedIn) tied to Unplugged Collective events.
Event registration, ticketing, and attendance: including registrations and check-ins collected via Luma and other ticketing and RSVP tools we operate.
Partner and sponsor workflows: including our Partner Portal and sponsor onboarding materials.
Our communications: including email newsletters, transactional email, and, in limited cases, SMS/text messaging.

This policy does not apply to third-party websites, venues, sponsors, or services that link to or are linked from our Services. Those third parties operate under their own privacy practices, and we encourage you to review them.

3. Information We Collect

We only collect information we actually need to operate our Services, run our events, communicate with you, and improve what we do. The categories below describe what we collect and why.

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect the following when you provide it to us, for example when you register for an event, subscribe to our newsletter, fill out a contact form, use UC Social Studio, or communicate with our team:

Identity and contact data: first and last name, email address, phone number, mailing location (typically city/state or country), LinkedIn profile URL, photograph or profile image (when you upload one).
Professional data: company name, job title, company type or industry, area of focus, job level.
Event and RSVP data: the events or experiences you register for or attend, your answers to registration questions (for example, dietary restrictions, accessibility needs, interest in sponsorship, whether you are already registered for a related tentpole event such as POSSIBLE), invite codes, and any comments or questions you submit.
Communications preferences: whether you have opted in to receive our email newsletter or other communications.
Content you create or upload: including images, captions, and social copy generated in UC Social Studio, and any messages or attachments you send us.
Account data (Partner Portal): for authorized partner and sponsor users, this includes authentication information managed through our identity provider (Clerk), sponsor and activation records, brand assets, approvals, and related workflow data.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you interact with our Services, we automatically collect certain technical information:

Device and usage data: IP address, device type, operating system, browser type, referring/exit pages, pages viewed, time on page, and approximate location derived from IP address.
Cookies and similar technologies: see Section 8 (Cookies and Tracking Technologies) below.
Email engagement data: opens, clicks, and delivery status of emails we send you, collected through our email platforms.

3.3 Information From Third Parties

In limited circumstances, we receive information about you from third parties:

LinkedIn (UC Social Studio): if you sign in to UC Social Studio with LinkedIn, we receive basic profile information from LinkedIn (your name, the email address on your LinkedIn account, your profile photo, and the identifiers needed to post on your behalf if you choose to do so). We store a copy of your LinkedIn profile photo so we can place it on the graphics you create, and we replace it each time you sign in. Your LinkedIn account is how we recognize you in UC Social Studio. We do not receive or store your LinkedIn password.
Luma (UC Social Studio ticket lookup): to show your tickets, UC Social Studio checks Luma for registrations under the email addresses you have verified on your account, and saves the result (for example, whether your registration is approved) so it appears in your Ticket Wallet. We only search with email addresses you have confirmed you own.
Event co-hosts and partners: if you are invited to an event by a sponsor, partner, or co-host, we may receive your contact information from them for the purpose of confirming your invitation and managing the guest list.
Photographers and content creators: photography and video captured at our events (see Section 6).

3.4 UC Social Studio Accounts

Email addresses on your account. Your account can hold more than one email address, for example your LinkedIn email and the work email you register for events with. To add an email address, you confirm it with a six-digit code or a link we send to that address. One address is your preferred email. We use verified addresses to find your event tickets and registrations.
Graphics and posts. When you create an attendee graphic or a post, we save your draft, the photo you choose or upload, and the name, title, and company you enter, so you can come back to it. We only publish to LinkedIn when you choose to, and you can download your graphic instead.
How you arrived. When you open UC Social Studio from a link in an event email, we record which link you used (for example, the email campaign it came from) alongside any draft you start, so we can count posts per invitation. This is not used for advertising.
Speakers. If you speak at one of our events, the name, title, company, biography, and photo you provided for the event appear on that event's pages in UC Social Studio.
No analytics or session recording in UC Social Studio. UC Social Studio does not use analytics tools, advertising trackers, or session recording.

3.5 Information We Do Not Intentionally Collect

We do not knowingly collect sensitive categories of personal data (such as government ID numbers, financial account numbers, health information, or precise geolocation) except where strictly necessary, such as accessibility accommodations you choose to share with us. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 16, and our Services are not directed to children.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Running our events and experiences: managing registrations, check-ins, seating, accommodations, communications before and after an event, and on-site production.
Operating our Services: providing, maintaining, and improving unpluggedcollective.com, ucsocialstudio.com, the Partner Portal, and related tools.
Communicating with you: sending you transactional messages (for example, event confirmations, reminders, updates, and changes), responding to inquiries, and, where you have opted in, sending newsletters, event invitations, and other marketing communications.
Partner and sponsor coordination: enabling authorized partner and sponsor users to manage their activations, review deliverables, approve assets, and coordinate with our team through the Partner Portal.
UC Social Studio functionality: generating personalized share graphics and copy, powering LinkedIn post previews, and, at your explicit direction, publishing posts on your behalf to LinkedIn.
Analytics and improvement: understanding how people use our Services so we can improve them, measure event engagement, and evaluate the performance of our content and communications.
Security and fraud prevention: protecting our Services, our attendees, and our team from abuse, fraud, and unlawful activity.
Legal and compliance: complying with applicable law, responding to lawful requests from public authorities, enforcing our Terms of Service, and defending our legal rights.

4.1 Legal Bases for Processing (EEA / UK / Swiss residents)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases under the GDPR / UK GDPR to process your personal data:

Contract: to register you for an event or provide a Service you have requested.
Consent: for marketing emails, non-essential cookies, SMS where required, sharing of your attendee information with event sponsors (see Section 7.2), and any processing that requires consent under applicable law. You can withdraw consent at any time.
Legitimate interests: to operate and improve our Services, secure them against fraud and abuse, communicate with registered attendees about their events, and pursue our commercial interests in a way that is balanced with your rights.
Legal obligation: where we must process your data to comply with law.

5. Email and SMS Communications

5.1 Email

We send two types of email:

Transactional email: such as event confirmations, reminders, changes, check-in instructions, post-event follow-ups, and partner or sponsor workflow notifications. These emails are sent because you registered for an event, were invited as a partner/sponsor user, or otherwise took an action that requires us to contact you. They are considered necessary to provide the Service.
Marketing email: such as our newsletter, upcoming event announcements, and editorial content (including The Contextual Clipper). You will only receive marketing email if you opt in, and every marketing email includes a one-click unsubscribe link.

Email is delivered through third-party providers, including MailerLite (marketing email) and Resend (transactional email across our Services, including UC Social Studio sign-in and email verification codes). These providers process your email address and engagement data on our behalf.

5.2 SMS / Text Messaging

In some cases, we use your phone number to send text messages. We only send text messages where you have provided prior express consent, including through opt-in mechanisms provided during the event registration process (such as on Luma). The types of SMS we may send include:

Event-related SMS. When you register for an Unplugged Collective event, you may provide a phone number and consent to receive text messages as part of the ticketing process. These messages are related to that event, such as check-in details, venue changes, day-of updates, and logistical reminders. We do not send marketing text messages based on event registration alone.
UC Social Studio. If you provide a phone number in UC Social Studio, we may send you a one-time verification code, a direct link to your generated content, or operational notifications tied to your use of the tool. We do not use Social Studio phone numbers for third-party marketing.

Message and data rates. Standard message and data rates from your mobile carrier may apply to any text messages you receive from us. We are not responsible for any such charges.

Opting out. You can opt out of SMS at any time by replying STOP to any text message you receive from us. You may also contact privacy@unpluggedcollective.com to remove your phone number from our records. Opting out of SMS does not opt you out of email communications.

Help. Reply HELP to any message, or email privacy@unpluggedcollective.com, for assistance.

No sharing for third-party marketing. We do not share your phone number with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

6. Photography, Video, and Recording at Events

Unplugged Collective events are typically photographed, filmed, and/or recorded. By attending an event, you acknowledge that your image, likeness, and voice may be captured and used by us and our partners for purposes including event recaps, marketing, editorial content (such as The Contextual Clipper), social media, and related promotional uses. If you do not wish to be photographed or filmed, please notify our on-site team and, where reasonably possible, we will accommodate your request. Some sessions (such as Cannesversations or studio interviews) are explicitly recorded, and participation in those sessions is voluntary.

7. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only in the ways described below.

7.1 Service Providers and Sub-Processors

We share personal information with service providers and sub-processors who help us operate our Services, under appropriate contractual protections. These include:

Website hosting and infrastructure: Wix (unpluggedcollective.com) and Vercel (UC Social Studio and the Partner Portal). Vercel processes data on servers located in the United States.
Event registration and RSVPs: Luma (luma.com).
Forms and surveys: Youform.
Email providers: MailerLite (marketing email) and Resend (transactional email).
Text messaging: Twilio, when we send you a text message you have agreed to receive.
Analytics: Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
Customer and operational data storage: Airtable, where we store attendee, sponsor, and event records for operational use.
Automation and workflow: n8n (workflow automation) and Google Workspace (internal documents, email routing, and collaboration).
Authentication (Partner Portal and UC Social Studio): sign-in with LinkedIn, handled by our own application on Vercel. Session information is kept in a secure cookie on your device.
Application database and storage (Partner Portal and UC Social Studio): Supabase. Supabase processes data on servers located in the United States (hosted on AWS).
Social posting (UC Social Studio): LinkedIn, when you choose to publish a post through the tool.

These service providers process personal information on our behalf and are contractually restricted from using it for their own purposes except as necessary to provide their services to us.

7.2 Event Sponsors and Partners

Important: Our events are funded by sponsors and partners in exchange for access to the Unplugged Collective audience. As a condition of attendance, you acknowledge and agree that, after an Unplugged Collective event, we may share the post-event attendee list (including your name, email address, company, job title, and location) with the sponsors and partners of that specific event. This sharing is a core element of our business model and of how we fund Unplugged Collective events, and is what allows many of our events to be offered at no cost to individual attendees.

For attendees located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland: We will request your explicit consent to share your attendee information with event sponsors at the point of event registration. If you do not consent, you may still register for and attend the event, but your information will not be included in the post-event attendee list shared with sponsors. You may withdraw this consent at any time by contacting privacy@unpluggedcollective.com.

Once a sponsor or partner receives this information, they become an independent controller of it. They may use that information to contact you for marketing, relationship-building, or other business purposes, subject to their own privacy practices and applicable law. Any subsequent communications you receive from a sponsor are their responsibility, not ours.

We only share attendee information with sponsors and partners of events you actually registered for or attended. We do not sell your personal information to parties unrelated to the event you signed up for. You always have the right to:

Unsubscribe from any sponsor communications directly with that sponsor;
Ask us which sponsors received your information for a given event, by emailing privacy@unpluggedcollective.com;
Exercise your rights under applicable privacy law (see Section 9), including objecting to this sharing or asking us to stop sharing your information with future event sponsors.

Where a sponsor directly collects information from you at an event (for example, by scanning your badge, running their own activation form, or collecting a business card), that sponsor is an independent controller of that data, and their own privacy practices govern that collection, in addition to any sharing described above.

7.3 Joint Controllers and Co-Hosted Programs

Some of our programs are produced jointly with partner organizations. In those cases, we and the partner are "joint controllers" of the personal information collected for that program under applicable privacy law (including Article 26 of the GDPR). Current joint-controller arrangements include:

Cannesversations: our on-site interview series at Cannes Lions, produced jointly with Marketeer Group. Information you provide to participate in or be interviewed for Cannesversations (such as your name, company, job title, contact information, headshot or profile image, and on-camera appearance) is controlled jointly by Unplugged Collective and Marketeer Group. Each party processes that information for the purpose of producing, distributing, and promoting the Cannesversations program. Unplugged Collective and Marketeer Group have entered into a joint controller arrangement that allocates responsibility for responding to your privacy requests.

Under joint-controller arrangements, you may exercise your privacy rights with either party. You can contact us at privacy@unpluggedcollective.com for any privacy request related to a joint-controller program, and we will coordinate with our partner as needed.

7.4 Legal, Safety, and Business Transfers

We may share personal information (a) to comply with applicable laws, lawful requests, court orders, or legal process; (b) to protect the rights, property, or safety of Unplugged Collective, our attendees, our team, or others; (c) to enforce our Terms of Service or investigate suspected violations; and (d) in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our business, in which case personal information may be transferred as a business asset, subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

This section explains what cookies and similar tracking technologies we use, and how you can control them. It replaces our previously separate cookie policy; for continuity, the /cookie-policy URL on our site redirects here.

8.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They allow the site to remember your actions and preferences, measure usage, and, in some cases, deliver more relevant content. We also use similar technologies such as pixels, web beacons, local storage, and session storage. We refer to all of these collectively as "cookies" in this section.

8.2 Categories of Cookies We Use

Strictly necessary cookies. Required for our Services to function, including sign-in, session management, email verification, and security. These cannot be disabled without breaking core functionality.
Performance and analytics cookies. Help us understand how people use our Services so we can improve them. This includes Google Analytics 4. We configure GA4 with IP anonymization where available.
Functional cookies. Remember your preferences (for example, to avoid re-asking for cookie consent) and improve usability.
Third-party cookies. Set by third parties when their content is embedded in our Services, such as LinkedIn (when you sign in to UC Social Studio), Wix (site platform), and Google (analytics).

8.3 Your Cookie Choices

Both unpluggedcollective.com and ucsocialstudio.com provide cookie consent mechanisms for visitors. Where required by applicable law (including for visitors from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland), we display a cookie banner that allows you to accept or reject non-essential cookies before they are set. You can manage cookies in several ways:

Cookie banner / consent tool. You can change your preferences at any time through the cookie settings link in our footer on either site.
Browser controls. Most browsers let you view, manage, and delete cookies, and block cookies from specific sites.
Opt-out tools. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Global Privacy Control (GPC). We honor Global Privacy Control signals as required by applicable law, including under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), the Colorado Privacy Act, and the Connecticut Data Privacy Act. If your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as a valid opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information under those laws.
Do Not Track. Our Services currently do not respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals, which lack a uniform standard.

Please note that disabling cookies may affect how our Services function.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have specific rights with respect to your personal information.

9.1 EEA / UK / Swiss Residents (GDPR / UK GDPR)

You have the following rights, subject to certain legal limitations:

Access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification: to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure: to request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten").
Restriction: to restrict how we process your data in certain circumstances.
Portability: to receive a machine-readable copy of your data and transfer it to another controller.
Objection: to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including direct marketing.
Withdrawal of consent: where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
Complaint: to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

9.2 California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

Know what personal information we have collected, used, disclosed, or (hypothetically) sold about you.
Access or request a copy of that information.
Request deletion of your information, subject to certain exceptions.
Correct inaccurate personal information.
Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of your personal information. We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA. The post-event attendee list sharing described in Section 7.2 is disclosed to you in advance and is not cross-context behavioral advertising as defined by the CPRA; it is a direct business relationship between us and our event sponsors.
Limit the use of sensitive personal information. We do not use sensitive personal information for purposes that trigger the right to limit under the CPRA.
Not be discriminated against for exercising your rights.

9.3 Other U.S. States

If you are a resident of a U.S. state with a comprehensive privacy law (for example, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Montana, Delaware, New Jersey, and others as enacted), you may have similar rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of your personal information, and to opt out of targeted advertising, sale, or certain profiling. We honor valid consumer requests under those laws.

Right to appeal. If we decline to take action on a privacy request, you have the right to appeal that decision. To submit an appeal, email privacy@unpluggedcollective.com with the subject line "Privacy Rights Appeal." We will respond to your appeal within the timeframe required by applicable law (generally 45 to 60 days). If your appeal is denied, you may contact your state's attorney general to submit a complaint.

9.4 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@unpluggedcollective.com from the email address associated with your interactions with us, or write to us at our mailing address in Section 1. We will verify your identity before responding and will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law (generally 30 to 45 days). You may authorize an agent to make a request on your behalf; we may require proof of authorization.

10. Data Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, and then we either delete it, aggregate it, or anonymize it. Specific retention periods are as follows:

Event registration data: retained for the duration of our ongoing relationship with you and for up to 36 months after your last event registration or attendance, for record-keeping, repeat-attendee recognition, and operational purposes.
Marketing contacts: retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion, whichever comes first.
Partner and sponsor records: retained for the duration of the engagement and for up to 36 months afterward for business continuity, reporting, and legal purposes.
UC Social Studio uploads: retained while your account or share session is active; deleted on request, or periodically as part of our routine maintenance (no longer than 36 months after last activity).
UC Social Studio account data: your LinkedIn profile information, the copy of your LinkedIn profile photo, and the email addresses on your account are kept while your account is active and deleted when you ask us to delete your account.
Analytics and log data: retained in aggregated or de-identified form for up to 26 months (GA4 default).

11. International Data Transfers

We are based in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where our servers and core operations are located. Where required by law (for example, for transfers from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland), we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or the UK IDTA.

12. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information, including encryption in transit (TLS), access controls, authenticated admin interfaces (Clerk), and vetted infrastructure providers. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

13. Children's Privacy

Our Services are intended for adults in professional contexts. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 16. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child, we will promptly delete it. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact privacy@unpluggedcollective.com.

14. Third-Party Links

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites, venues, partners, or services that we do not control. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document and, for material changes, take reasonable steps to notify you (for example, through a notice on our site or by email if you have subscribed). Your continued use of our Services after an update means you accept the revised Privacy Policy.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, contact us at:

Unplugged Collective, LLC Attn: James Altschuler, Privacy Officer 2810 N Church St, PMB 247936 Wilmington, Delaware 19802-4447 United States privacy@unpluggedcollective.com

End of Privacy Policy