Data protection always plays a role when personal data is collected. And this is almost always the case with online activities. Data protection regulations must also be observed at a trade fair. For this reason, the topic of data protection should be taken into account from the very beginning of the planning process so that the livestream is legally compliant and there are no nasty surprises at the end.
Probably the most important article of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is No. 5: Principles for the processing of personal data. This paragraph sets out the basic principles of data processing. One point is particularly important: data minimization. This means that only data that is really needed may be collected. In relation to the topic of live streaming at a trade fair, for example, a contact form on the landing page is crucial here. When creating the form, you should think about which data is really relevant for registration. All you really need is the email address and possibly the company name; name and place of residence are actually irrelevant.
Furthermore, Article 5 of the GDPR also stipulates that data must be encrypted. In addition, only persons entrusted with the organization of the event should have access to the registration form.
Data protection also applies to the transmission tool
A live stream from a trade fair stand requires a suitable transmission tool. There are several possibilities and options: free tools such as YouTube or a landing page created for the event. In addition to the question of budget, the issue of data protection plays an important role in the decision. If you want to be on the safe side, use your own landing page that is GDPR-compliant. This is because the servers of YouTube and other free tools are usually located in the USA. How exactly the data is processed and what it may be used for is sometimes not transparent enough here.
Another advantage of having your own landing page: the privacy policy can be easily integrated. This is because anyone who collects and processes personal data must publish a privacy policy. This specifies which data is collected for what purpose, how long it is stored and which tools are used. If the collected data is subsequently used for marketing purposes, this must be mentioned in the declaration.
These four points are key points to consider when planning any event. This also applies to a live stream from an exhibition stand. A data protection officer should always be involved in the pre-planning stage to ensure security. Either from your own company or from a livestream agency that has already gained plenty of experience in these cases.
