217 Tastings - Privacy Policy

Introduction

217 Tastings Events ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, use our services, or interact with our platform as a brand partner, brand ambassador, or event attendee.

We provide professional brand ambassador staffing services for food and beverage tasting events, product sampling activations, and promotional marketing experiences. This policy applies to all information collected through our website, mobile applications, SMS communications, and any related services.

By using our services, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when registering for an account, applying as a brand ambassador, or using our services. This includes:

Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
Account Credentials: Username and password (passwords are encrypted and never stored in plain text)
Date of Birth: Used for age verification and demographic reporting purposes
Employment Information: Work history, availability, hourly rate preferences, and professional qualifications
Payment Information: Bank account details for payroll processing (for brand ambassadors)
Profile Photos: Professional headshots for ambassador profiles

Event and Reporting Data

When brand ambassadors complete events, we collect:

Event Metrics: Number of consumers engaged, samples distributed, and attendance estimates
Demographic Data: Aggregated, anonymized demographic information about event attendees (age ranges, gender distribution) for marketing analytics
Event Photos: Photos documenting event execution, product displays, and consumer engagement
Feedback and Notes: Ambassador observations, customer feedback, and event recommendations

Automatically Collected Information

When you access our platform, we automatically collect:

Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address
Cookies and Tracking: Session cookies for authentication and preferences

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Service Delivery

Creating and managing user accounts
Matching brand ambassadors with appropriate events
Scheduling and coordinating tasting events
Processing payroll for brand ambassadors
Generating invoices for brand partners
Creating event reports and analytics

Communications

Sending event assignments, confirmations, and reminders
Providing updates about schedule changes or cancellations
Delivering payroll and invoice notifications
Responding to inquiries and support requests
Sending service-related announcements

Business Operations

Analyzing event performance and marketing effectiveness
Improving our services and user experience
Ensuring compliance with legal obligations
Protecting against fraud and unauthorized access

SMS Communications and Consent

Important: We use SMS text messaging to communicate time-sensitive information about events, schedules, and assignments. By providing your phone number and opting in to SMS notifications, you consent to receive text messages from 217 Tastings Events.

We do not sell, broker, or provide consumer leads to third parties for marketing purposes. Phone numbers and other contact information are shared with service providers and brand partners only to fulfill event assignments and transactional purposes, and only for users who have opted in to receive communications.

Types of SMS Messages

You may receive the following types of text messages:

Event assignment notifications and confirmations
Schedule reminders (typically 1 week and 24 hours before events)
Event cancellation or change notifications
Approval/rejection notifications for event sign-ups
Event report submission reminders
Payroll and payment notifications

Message Frequency

Message frequency varies based on your activity level and event schedule. Active brand ambassadors may receive multiple messages per week during busy seasons. You will not receive more than 10 messages per day.

Opting Out of SMS

You can opt out of SMS communications at any time by:

Replying STOP to any text message you receive from us
Updating your notification preferences in your account settings
Contacting us at [email protected] or calling +1 (855) 646-1781

After opting out, you will receive a confirmation message. You may still receive transactional messages related to your account security. To resume SMS communications, reply START or update your preferences.

Standard Messaging Rates

Standard message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier and plan. 217 Tastings Events does not charge for SMS messages, but your carrier may charge you for receiving texts.

Third-Party Service Providers

We share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our platform and delivering services:

Twilio: We use Twilio to send SMS notifications. When you opt in to SMS communications, your phone number is shared with Twilio for message delivery. Twilio's privacy policy can be found at twilio.com/legal/privacy
Email Service Providers: We use email services to send notifications, confirmations, and reports
Cloud Hosting: Our platform is hosted on secure cloud infrastructure
Payment Processors: For payroll and invoice processing
Analytics Tools: To understand platform usage and improve services

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify. We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We also do not sell or broker consumer leads; information is shared only as necessary to provide the services described in this policy and to fulfill event assignments.

Information Sharing

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

With Brand Partners

When you are assigned to an event, relevant information (name, photo, contact information) may be shared with the brand partner to facilitate event coordination. Event reports and performance metrics are shared with brand partners for marketing analysis.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government regulation, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of any such change and your choices regarding your information.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

Encryption of sensitive data in transit and at rest
Secure password hashing using industry-standard algorithms
Regular security assessments and updates
Access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel
Secure hosting infrastructure with regular backups

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify you promptly in the event of a data breach affecting your personal information.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Specifically:

Account Information: Retained while your account is active and for 3 years after account closure
Event Reports: Retained for 5 years for business and legal compliance purposes
Financial Records: Retained for 7 years as required by tax regulations
SMS Consent Records: Retained for 5 years to demonstrate compliance

Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
Opt-Out: Opt out of marketing communications and SMS notifications
Data Portability: Request your data in a portable format
Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where consent is the legal basis

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
Right to delete personal information (with certain exceptions)
Right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To submit a request, contact us at [email protected] or call +1 (855) 646-1781.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under the age of 21. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 21 years of age. Given the nature of our business (alcoholic beverage promotions), all brand ambassadors must be at least 21 years old. If we learn that we have collected information from someone under 21, we will delete that information immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. For significant changes, we will provide additional notice via email or SMS. Your continued use of our services after such modifications constitutes your acknowledgment of the modified policy.

Privacy Policy