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Exhibitors Terms and Conditions | Science and Engineering Day 

 
Summary

 

Registration

Registration forms (Stage 1, 2 and 3) must be completed and submitted within the deadlines reported on the Exhibitor Area at www.sotsef.co.uk, by using the online form (Stage 1) and customised links received by email (Stage 2 and 3). Deadline dates can be saved on your calendar by clicking on the calendar icons.

Failure in respecting the deadlines might compromise your attendance at Science and Engineering Day.

Once Stage 1 has been submitted, the contact details provided in the form will be automatically added to the Science and Engineering Day exhibitors mailing list for the management of the event to receive key communications, official documentation, and essential calendar invites. 

 

Activity area and event signage

Location

After Stage 1 acceptance, you will be allocated a specific space. Please ensure that your stand does not extend beyond the boundaries of your allocated space and is in line with your submitted risk assessment.

If you require additional space or require side access to the stand or back entrance to a stage, please let the UoS Festival team know by the Stage 2 deadline. 

All event areas at Science and Engineering Day will have a Zone Leader, who manages and supports exhibitors, activities and visitors on the day. All exhibitors must coordinate and collaborate with the Zone Leader and the Student Ambassadors working alongside them during the day.

It is the activity lead and their team’s responsibility to make sure the activity stand or event room area is left clean, with waste disposed and removed at the end of the event. Any damage, including accidental staining, must be reported to the Zone Leader. 

The activity lead and their team cannot change the assigned location of their activities without previous agreement with the UoS Festival team and/or their Zone Leader. If changes take place without informing the team, this will be treated as an incident, and the UoS Festival team might cancel the activity and restrict access to the area.

Signage

Directional signage will be in place during the event. This is planned and coordinated centrally by the UoS Festival team and reviewed throughout the day by the Zone Leader.

Activity leads and their team must not produce and place additional signage to direct the public to their activities, unless agreed beforehand with the UoS Festival team. Any additional signage that was not agreed beforehand with the team will be removed.

 

Compulsory briefings and documentation

Briefings

All activity leads must take part in two compulsory pre-event briefings (Working Group Meetings), led by the UoS Festival team. These include general information about the festival, what to expect, health and safety, safeguarding and will be followed by a Q&A session. If the activity lead cannot attend, they can delegate another team member to represent and report back on their behalf.

Documentation

All activity leads will also receive a copy of the General Event Risk Assessment, slides from the Working Groups Meetings and access to a comprehensive Exhibitors SharePoint site with all key documentation and information. It is responsibility of the activity lead to share these documents with their team and make sure all team members are appropriately trained and briefed for the event.  

 

Code of conduct

All contributors to Science and Engineering Day, including the UoS Festival team, Zone Leaders, Student Ambassadors, and exhibitors, are expected to work together promoting the values of respect, support and inclusiveness. Harassment and discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated, as well as bullying, insulting, degrading abusive, hateful, intimidatory and threatening behaviours.

Visitors, exhibitors and the operation team are required to comply with the Code of Conduct available on the Southampton Science and Engineering Festival website.

In the unlikely case behaviour deemed inappropriate will be reported, we will work together with UoS Human Resources and Security to resolve the situation.   

 

Campaigning, recruitment and goods selling

Active campaigning and campaign recruitment is not part of what Science and Engineering Day is about, therefore we kindly ask everyone to keep the event just informative and educational for everyone.

If you are planning on advocating for a cause, details must be disclaimed on dedicated section in the Stage 1 registration.   

Goods cannot be sold at Science and Engineering Day and all activities should be free at point of interaction, i.e. visitors should not have to pay for any activity/part of activity. This includes e.g. the selling of books, CDs and memberships. 

 

Health and safety

A dated and signed Risk Assessment must be submitted for each activity and event taking place at Science and Engineering Day. The document is reviewed by the Health and Safety team at the University of Southampton.

All activities, stands and event rooms must be maintained clean, tidy and hazard-free throughout the event. Regular monitoring must be carried out by the exhibitors to ensure no hazards arise.

Activities should avoid use of any allergens, e.g. nuts, latex gloves and ballons, and in case this is not possible, a clear and accessible WARNING sign must be in place and exhibitors must verbally inform each visitor before they take part in the activity.

Food and drinks

Distribution of sweets - including cookies, as a reward is forbidden in line with the promotion of healthy living and healthy lifestyle choices by several groups across University of Southampton, including the Faculty of Medicine and the Institute for Life Sciences. Please also avoid use of sugary drinks and sweets as part of your activity.  

Please keep exhibitor food/drink out of public site and away from areas accessible to visitors. We strongly recommend that if you are having a break/lunch that you have this away from your stand, so visitors are not put off from interacting.

 

Electrical equipment

All electrical equipment must be in good working condition, PAT tested and within pass period. Testing is to be arranged locally by the activity leads. All electrical equipment used in close proximity to conducting fluids must have RCD protection. Contact with water and ‘daisy chaining’ must be avoided. Extension leads coiled up must be uncoiled for use. Trail cables must be securely taped to the floor or covered. 

 

Fire prevention

All fire escape routes, fire extinguisher equipment and safety signage to be kept clear of obstructions.

Hosts of live shows must make the audience aware of emergency procedures in case of emergency evacuation before the beginning of each repeated show. Supporting material will be provided for this.

No generators, petrol or other flammable substances are to be brought to the Science and Engineering Day without a direct written request to the UoS Festival team, who will work alongside the University’s Health and Safety team.  

All potential fire hazard must be clearly stated on the Risk Assessment to be submitted in Stage 3 registration.

 

Animals

Contact the organisers well in advance if you wish to bring animals, including birds, fish, reptiles or insects to the festival. All care must be taken to ensure the health and wellbeing of living creatures during Science and Engineering Day. 

 

Insurance

Internal exhibitors, students and staff are covered by the University Public Liability Insurance (link access restricted to UoS users).

All external exhibitors must adequately insure to cover all their liabilities and equipment. External exhibitors can upload a copy of the Public Liability Insurance in the dedicated space on Stage 3 of the registration process.

 

Setting up and packing down of activities

Activity leads are responsible for organising their own team and the transport, set-up and pack-down of their equipment.

Buildings in Highfield and Boldrewood Innovation Campus will be open from 8:00. Vehicle access for unloading will stop at 9:00. All activities and stands should be set up by 10:00, with Zone Leaders deciding whether make a soft launch before 10:30.

Doors close at 16:30. Pack down can start at 16:30 or when the last visitor has vacated the activity area, however no material is to be moved off-site before the doors close to the public. Vehicles may be brought to building loading areas from 17:00. 

Some buildings will be open for set up on Friday evening 18:00 – 20:00. All Buildings will be closed from 20:00 until 8:00 on Saturday morning. Exhibitors are recommended to avoid leaving valuables on site overnight.

 

Waste and consumables

All exhibitors should minimise the waste produced in association with their activity. All consumables associated with the activity should be recyclable and/or compostable where possible. Recycling bins (and additional large bins) are located across Highfield Campus and Boldrewood Innovation Campus.

Alternatives for plastic consumables should be considered to avoid single plastic usage.

 

Event cancellation

If unforeseen circumstances cause the UoS Festival team to cancel Science and Engineering Day, all exhibitors will be informed as soon as possible.

 

Activity cancellation

Cancellation of activities must be received in writing to festival@soton.ac.uk in advance of the event, as soon as the issue arises.

 

Non-compliance

The UoS Festival team reserve the right to reject or cancel registrations for Science and Engineering Day and other events from any exhibitor failing to comply with any of the aforementioned conditions or with any reasonable request made by the organisers or their staff, either verbally or in writing.