WiDS Regional Event Rules 
​We invite organizers around the world who share similar values and missions to plan events
that coincide with the Women in Data Science (WiDS) Worldwide conference.
​Here you’ll find the set of rules for organizing a WiDS regional event. These WiDS regional event rules provide the structure and guidance that you’ll need to create a WiDS regional event that is consistent with other WiDS regional events worldwide. ​

To get started, read the rules, download the license agreement, sign it, and submit with the completed application.  The application can be found at the end of these rules.
Table of Contents

Download, read, and sign the WiDS License.

wids_license_2023.pdf
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​Use of WiDS Marks
● The WiDS License grants you permission to use the WiDS Marks (including your Event Name and  WiDS regional event logos, only as provided), and does not authorize use of “Stanford University” or any other Stanford brands, logos, names, or marks. See Stanford University branding policies. Stanford’s name, emblems, campus images, and other branding may not be used by non-Stanford entities. Neither the WiDS Marks, nor any of the Stanford brands, logos, names, or marks, may be co-branded.
● The WiDS regional event logo and Event Name must be used on your website and/or registration page, and may be included in your marketing materials, and social media ads.
Event Format 
● Event timing -- WiDS regional events and pre-events and post-events must be organized and held between January 1 - June 30, 2023. 
● WiDS regional event focus -- WiDS is an interdisciplinary conference focused on inspiring and educating participants, regardless of gender, about the cutting-edge research and applications of data science across a wide spectrum of domains. 
● Agenda review -- All WiDS regional event agendas, registration links, and websites (if applicable) need to be sent to the WiDS Worldwide team at widsconference@stanford.edu according to the deadlines in the WiDS Ambassador Guide. Agendas will be reviewed to ensure that the spirit and intent of the regional event focus is maintained. WiDS regional event logos will be provided by the WiDS Worldwide team after review and approval of the WiDS regional event agenda, registration, and/or website. 
● WiDS regional event programming -- may include a combination of: 
  • Brief opening talk (less than 15 minutes) from event host(s) 
  • Livestream or video session(s) of the WiDS Worldwide conference hosted by Stanford University
  • Livestream or video session(s) from other WiDS regional events 
  • Speakers who identify as women talking about their data science research or applications in their respective domains.
  • Poster sessions presented by data science researchers who identify as women.
  • Panel discussions featuring women in data science talking about their careers, technology trends, challenges and successes, entrepreneurship, or a particular domain or industry. 
  • Pre-event workshops to provide instruction and mentorship to assist participating WiDS Datathon teams.  
  • Workshops to provide instruction aimed at improving a specific data science skill or skills. 
  • Breakout, birds-of-a-feather, or networking sessions to facilitate communication and collaboration among participants. 
  • Pre-events, held between January 1, 2023 and your regional event date, in the form of meet ups in order to build momentum for your WiDS regional event 
  • Post-events held between your regional event and June 30, 2023 to follow up on your WiDS regional event 
  • Series of online events, including webinars, that follow the WiDS regional event content guidelines ​
● Event length--WiDS regional events should last for a minimum of one hour, and a maximum of two consecutive days. Most WiDS regional events last from a half-day to a full day. 
● WiDS regional event  content -- Each WiDS Ambassador is responsible for developing and producing (including obtaining all required third party licenses, consents and permissions) all of the WiDS regional event content that it desires to make available to attendees and participants of its WiDS regional event. ​
Speakers 
● The WiDS Worldwide conference and the WiDS regional events feature outstanding women doing outstanding work  in the data science field.  Speakers must talk about their data science research or applications in their respective domains. 
● Securing speakers -- WiDS Ambassadors are responsible for securing and vetting speakers for their WiDS regional events. WiDS regional event speakers should be consistent with the caliber of speakers at the WiDS Worldwide conference. Speakers may include: 
  • Professors, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, Lecturers, Instructors, Researchers or PostDocs from accredited colleges and universities, related to data science OR 
  • Practitioners in industry, non-profits, or government, OR 
  • Researchers or PostDocs from National Labs or Science Institutes, OR 
  • Other speakers (categories or individuals), as approved by the WiDS Worldwide team 
● Speakers may be paid an honorarium in exchange for speaking at WiDS regional events, although honorariums are not required. Speakers at WiDS regional events may be reimbursed for travel expenses associated with speaking at the conference, as determined and approved by the WiDS Ambassadors.
● No commercial content -- speakers and other WiDS regional event content may not promote any companies, or their services or products, in or in association with their WiDS regional event. The only exception is where they have specifically been invited to give a product demonstration, or to describe the ideas in a book or other published work, and here the primary focus should still be on the technology and/or the ideas and not on the commercial or promotional opportunity. ​
Event Funding 
● WiDS regional events are not-for-profit. WiDS Ambassadors may not use their WiDS regional events or WiDS regional event content to make money for the WiDS regional event or its WiDS Ambassador or the sponsors, nor should event funding be used for any other purpose than hosting the WiDS regional events. Misuse of funds is grounds for revoking your status as WiDS Ambassador and your WiDS License. Any suspected misuse of funds can be reported via email to widsconference@stanford.edu.
● Registration fees and sponsorships -- registration fees may be charged, and sponsorships may be obtained, solely for the purpose of defraying production, promotion and hosting costs of the WiDS regional event and its WiDS regional event content. 
● Crowdfunding is not allowed.
​Sponsors
● WiDS Ambassadors are responsible for securing Sponsors and their sponsorship, if and as needed.
● WiDS Ambassadors, not Sponsors, have editorial control over the WiDS regional event and the WiDS regional event content and speaker curation. Representatives from Sponsor organizations may be invited to speak at the WiDS regional events if their participation is consistent with the event programming. However, sponsorship agreements may not include a promise for a Sponsor or member of the Sponsor organization to speak at the WiDS regional event.
WiDS Regional Event Websites 
You may create a website or webpage for your WiDS regional event, but you may not register a trademark, service mark or domain name that includes any WiDS Mark or any other licensed mark in its name. If you do create such a website or webpage, here are the requirements and guidelines to follow: 
● WiDS regional event logo and Event Name --you must include the WiDS regional event logo and Event Name without modifications at the top of your website home page or webpage.   
● Home page or 'About' section--must include information about the collaboration between the WiDS regional event, and the WiDS Worldwide conference as follows: 
"WiDS (Event Name) is an independent event that is organized by [name of WiDS Ambassador(s) or WiDS Ambassador organization] as part of the annual WiDS Worldwide conference, the WiDS Datathon, and an estimated 200 WiDS Regional Events worldwide.  Everyone is invited to attend all WiDS conference and WiDS Datathon Workshop events  which feature outstanding women doing outstanding work.”
● Sponsor and collaborator logos -- may be included on the website, at the bottom of the home page, with the title “Sponsor(s)”, “Co-Sponsors”, or “Collaborators” as appropriate. WiDS Ambassador photos may be included on the home page with the title “WiDS Ambassador” or “WiDS Co-Ambassadors”, as appropriate. 
​● Website content-- Your WiDS regional event webpage or website needs to include information about your event speakers, the date and time of your event, and any other relevant information about your WiDS regional event and the WiDS Worldwide conference. 
● Unacceptable content -- You may not display any content that is illegal, dangerous, derogatory, harassing, salacious, offensive or otherwise determined by the WiDS Worldwide team to be unacceptable or inappropriate. Examples of unacceptable or inappropriate content include any content or subject matter associated with or referencing any of the following: weapons manufacturers, ammunition companies, cigarette companies, online gambling organizations, and sex-related businesses.
● You may archive your livestream or webcast sessions and other WiDS regional event content as provided in your WiDS License.
​● Obtaining releases -- notices and releases required by local laws and regulations are the responsibility of the WiDS Ambassador, including the following:​
  • WiDS Ambassadors are responsible for ensuring that all their WiDS regional event content (including videos, photos, music and other third party trademark or content) are properly cleared or licensed for use, that associated releases are obtained, and that any trademark, service mark or copyright attribution is properly noted. 
  • Photographer credit must be attributed when photographs are published.
Social Media 
● Use of WiDS regional event social media accounts is permitted for current WiDS Ambassador licensees during the term of the WiDS License. 
● Account name -- must be consistent with the Event Name of your WiDS regional event 
● Profile image -- must be your WiDS regional event logo and Event Name. 
● Cover image -- must reflect the location, venue, region associated with your WiDS regional event and its Event Name. 
● Facebook -- account should be set up as a Facebook page for your WiDS regional event, not a Facebook group or profile. 
● LinkedIn -- account should be set up as a LinkedIn page for your WiDS regional event, not a LinkedIn group or profile.
● LinkedIn -- WiDS Ambassadors and WiDS Co-Ambassadors may include their role as WiDS Ambassador/Co-Ambassador of their WiDS regional event on their personal LinkedIn profiles as follows: 
  • Include in the “Volunteer Experience” section
  • “Organization” must link to either or both of your WiDS regional event web page or website and the “Women in Data Science (WiDS) at Stanford University” home page (widsconference.org)    
  • “Role” should be “WiDS Ambassador,  [Event Name]”    
  • “Cause” should be “Science & Technology”
  • “Dates” should reflect the timing of your regional event ​
Public Relations (PR) 
● WiDS regional event logo -- you may provide your WiDS regional event logo and Event Name to journalists for use in articles that promote or increase awareness of the WiDS Worldwide conference or your WiDS regional event and their intents and purposes. 
● WiDS Worldwide inquiries -- inquiries and/or interview requests for the WiDS Worldwide conference should be referred to the WiDS Worldwide team via email to widsconference@stanford.edu. 
● Press releases -- All WiDS Ambassador press releases about the WiDS Worldwide conference or a WiDS regional event must be submitted for prior approval to the WiDS Worldwide team via email to widsconference@stanford.edu. ​
Video 
● YouTube channel -- you may post your WiDS regional event content video sessions to a YouTube playlist, with a name that is consistent with your WiDS regional event Event Name. 
● WiDS regional event logo -- must be used at the introduction and/or the conclusion of the uploaded WiDS regional event content videos. ​
Livestream and Webcasts 
● Live broadcasting -- you may broadcast your WiDS regional event via livestream or other webcasting service. 
● Free of charge -- your livestream or webcast must be offered free of charge. 

Glossary


Here is the Glossary of Terms used in these rules, the WiDS Branding Guidelines, the WiDS Ambassador Guide, and the WiDS License.
  • “Event Name”: WiDS regional event name as assigned by the WiDS Worldwide team.
  • “Women”: based on consistent self-identification.
  • “Sponsor”: an organization that is providing funding to cover the costs of a WiDS regional event, including in-kind donations.
  • “Stanford IP”: WiDS Marks and other tools, content and materials that the WiDS Worldwide team may make available or provide to WiDS Ambassadors.
  • “WiDS Ambassador”: The primary WiDS regional event volunteer organizer and licensee, who has accepted the terms of the WiDS branding license and is accepted by Stanford as the host for the WiDS regional event(s) described in the application.
  • “WiDS Co-Ambassador”: additional organizers that are co-organizing the WiDS regional event with the WiDS Ambassador.
  • “WiDS License”: license agreement agreed to and signed by you as part of your application to host a regional event
  • “WiDS Marks”: names, logos, trademarks, and service marks used by Stanford to identify or brand WiDS and the WiDS Worldwide conference: the name/phrase “Women in Data Science” in words, in any language; the WiDS logo shown at https://www.widsconference.org; the acronym “WiDS” and your Event Name and WiDS regional event logo (any other name, logo, trademark or service mark that the WiDS Worldwide team provides or otherwise approves) as provided for your use in connection with your WiDS regional event.
  • “WiDS regional event content”: all video footage and audio tapes of your WiDS regional event (including any individual performance contained therein) and all talks, podcasts, materials, works, writings, commercials, ideas, dialog sequences or other tangible expressions created, developed, or produced by or for you, independently or jointly with the WiDS Worldwide team, for or in connection with your WiDS regional event.
  • “WiDS regional event”: an event independently organized and produced by a third party host at the local/regional level pursuant to and in accordance with these rules, the WiDS Branding Guidelines, the WiDS Ambassador Guide, and the WiDS License.
  • “WiDS regional event logo”: a set of marks or logos for your WiDS regional event that the WiDS Worldwide team will provide as described below and in the WiDS Ambassador Guidelines.
  • “WiDS Worldwide conference”: The Women in Data Science (WiDS) Worldwide conference, an annual conference produced by Stanford University.
  • “WiDS Worldwide team”--team at Stanford organizing the WiDS Stanford and WiDS Worldwide conferences, other WiDS programs, and supporting WiDS regional events worldwide.
​If you have any questions, please send an email to the WiDS Worldwide team at widsconference@stanford.edu.

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