PRIVACY
POLICY

Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly when you interact with the 229 Festival website, submit a vendor or sponsor application, sign up for our email list, or contact us. This may include:

• Identity data: Full name, company or brand name.
• Contact data: Email address, phone number, mailing address.
• Application data: Vendor category, booth preferences, business description, sponsorship tier selection.
• Payment data: Deposit and payment information processed through our third-party payment processors. We do not store raw card numbers.
• Communications: Messages, inquiries, and feedback you send us.

We also collect certain technical data automatically when you visit our site:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, version, and operating system
• Pages visited, time on site, and referring URL
• Device identifiers and screen resolution

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To process and manage vendor and sponsor applications, including assigning booth locations and communicating logistics.
• To send you transactional emails such as application confirmations, payment receipts, and festival updates.
• To send marketing communications about the 229 Festival, Area Code Gear events, and related opportunities — only if you have opted in or have an existing relationship with us.
• To improve our website, identify technical issues, and understand how visitors navigate our content.
• To enforce our agreements, terms of service, and any applicable policies.
• To comply with legal obligations, including tax reporting and fraud prevention.

We process your data on the legal bases of contractual necessity (to fulfill your application), legitimate interest (to improve our services and communicate with you), and consent (for marketing emails where applicable).

Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share it in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: Third-party vendors who help us operate the festival (email platforms, payment processors, form builders, CRM tools like GoHighLevel). These parties are contractually bound to use your data only as directed by us.
• Event co-organizers: Where the festival is co-produced with partner organizations (e.g., 444 2 Cause, 229 Entertainment), relevant application data may be shared to coordinate logistics.
• Legal compliance: If required by law, court order, or governmental authority, we may disclose your information to comply with legal obligations.
• Business transfer: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will notify you before this occurs.

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze site traffic. The types of cookies we use include:

• Essential cookies: Required for the site to function (e.g., session management, form security tokens). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the site — which pages are popular, where users drop off, and how they found us. We use tools such as Google Analytics for this purpose.
• Marketing cookies: Used to track the effectiveness of our ad campaigns on platforms like Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and Google. These are only placed if you have given consent.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. You may also opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Data Security

We implement commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These include:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
• Access controls limiting who within our organization can access personal data.
• Use of PCI-compliant third-party processors for all payment transactions.
• Regular review of our data handling practices and vendor security posture.

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by applicable law. Application data is typically retained for up to 3 years after a festival event.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These may include:

• Access: The right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: The right to request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: The right to request that we delete your personal data, subject to certain legal obligations.
• Opt-out of marketing: You may unsubscribe from our marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or contacting us directly.
• Data portability: The right to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection: The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

Children's Privacy

The 229 Festival is a community event that welcomes attendees of all ages; however, our website and online services — including vendor and sponsor applications — are directed exclusively to adults aged 18 and older.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has submitted personal information through our website, please contact us immediately at [email protected] and we will promptly delete such information.

If you are between 13 and 17, please have a parent or guardian review and consent to this policy before submitting any personal information on our site.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, and services — including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, GoHighLevel forms, and payment gateways. These third parties have their own privacy policies which are independent of ours.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of any third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit through a link on our website.

Social media "share" and "follow" buttons on our site may allow those platforms to collect your IP address, the page you are visiting, and to set a cookie on your browser. Your interactions with these features are governed by the privacy policy of the relevant social media company.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
• Post a notice on our website or send an email notification to registered users where required by law.

Your continued use of the 229 Festival website after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If we make significant changes that affect how we use your personal data, we will seek fresh consent where required.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please reach out to us:

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.