American Gem Society Event Code of Conduct

The American Gem Society (“AGS”) Code of Conduct outlines the Society’s expectations regarding conduct while participating in American Gem Society events to ensure a respectful and safe environment for everyone. In order to participate in the American Gem Society events, all participants must agree to abide by this Code of Conduct. AGS reserves the exclusive and sole right to enforce its Code of Conduct.

The AGS is dedicated to ensuring that events are an inclusive, respectful, productive, and harassment-free environment for all event participants. Event participants include, but are not limited to, member and non-member attendees, speakers, sponsors, guests, press, AGS staff members, and service providers (“participants” or “attendees”).

AGS has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants. If you witness or are subjected to harassment, discrimination, or any other unacceptable or threatening behavior, AGS asks that you contact any member of the AGS staff immediately. AGS attendees must obey all applicable laws and venue or platform policies.

Expected Behavior

We expect all participants to behave professionally and to help create a safe and welcoming environment for all attendees in all event venues:

• Exercise consideration and respect in your speech and actions
• Be mindful of cultural differences in engagement—attendees come from all over the world and may have a different level of comfort with respect to language and personal space
• Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech
• Discuss and critique ideas, not people

Unacceptable Behavior includes: abusive or degrading language, sustained disruption of a talk or other activity, discrimination, deliberate intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, inappropriate physical contact, sexual imagery, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Harassment includes: comments, writings, or actions including jokes that discriminate or denigrate an individual on the bases of race, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, religion, national origin, disability, pregnancy, medical conditions, veteran status, or any other status protected by laws in which the conference is being held.

Sexual Harassment includes: unwelcome advances or propositions; inappropriate touching of an individual’s body; degrading or humiliating comments about an individual’s appearance; displaying or distributing sexually explicit images or messages.

AGS reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the event without warning or refund, in response to failure to abide by this Code of Conduct. AGS reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future AGS event and to notify participant’s employer.

The American Gem Society is committed to creating a nurturing, welcoming, respectful, and collaborative environment for the community, and we thank our event participants for sharing our commitment.