Festival of Economics c/o University of Bristol

Last updated: 3 June 2026

Who we are

The Festival of Economics is administered by the University of Bristol (“we”, “us”, “our”) who are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data responsibly. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Data controller

Contact information for the University of Bristol’s data controller is available here: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/secretary/data-protection/

The data we collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Legal name
• Email address
• Photos or images

We collect this information when you:

• Contact us via our website, email, phone or in person
• Purchase tickets for a Festival of Economics event
• Opt-in to receive our newsletter or marketing communications
• Attend a Festival of Economics event

Additionally, our third-party ticketing platform Eventbrite may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Contact address
• Payment information

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service also apply.

How we use your data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide our products and services to you
• To respond to your enquiries and requests
• To process transactions and send related information
• To communicate with you about products, services, offers and events (where you have consented or we have a legitimate interest)
• To monitor and analyse trends, usage and activities
• To detect, prevent and address fraud and security issues
• To comply with legal obligations

Lawful basis for processing your data

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Contract: Processing necessary for the performance of a contract with you, or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract
• Legal obligation: Processing necessary to comply with legal requirements
• Legitimate interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these do not override your rights
• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent, particularly for marketing communications

Who we share your data with

If you have opted in to receive our mailing list, we will share your personal data with:

• Email marketing services (EmailOctopus).

We will only share your data where necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy and in compliance with data protection law.

If you have purchased tickets for one of our events, we may share your personal data (name, e-mail address, ticket information) with specific individuals from the following organisations. This is necessary to the operation of our events, as the festival is jointly organised by individuals across multiple organisations.

• Bank of England
• Bristol Cultural Development Partnership
• Economic History Society
• London School of Economics (LSE)
• University of Bath (including ‘Brunel Centre’ and ‘Institute for Policy Research’)
• University of the West of England (UWE)

We require all third parties to maintain appropriate security measures and to process your data only in accordance with our instructions.

We do not sell your personal data to any third party.

How long we retain your data for

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

The retention period depends on the context:

• Transaction records: 6 years for tax and accounting purposes
• Marketing preferences: Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
• Customer enquiries: 2 years after last contact

After the retention period, your data will be securely deleted or anonymised.

Data security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS) for data transmission
• Password protection and access controls
• Regular security updates and monitoring
• Staff training on data protection

Your rights

Under data protection law, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing: Request limitation of how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details included below. We will respond to your request within one month.

How we use cookies

Our website uses only essential cookies necessary for the site to function correctly. These cookies do not track your browsing activity or collect personal information for marketing purposes.

Embedded content from other websites

Content on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.) from external websites that are not operated by us. This embedded content behaves in the exact same way as if you have visited the external website.

External websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Marketing

We will only send you marketing communications if you have given your explicit consent. You can withdraw this consent at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in our emails.

International transfers

We primarily process your data within the UK and European Economic Area. Where we transfer data outside these areas, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses approved by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice on our website or contacting you directly.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House, Water Lane Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF Website: https://ico.org.uk Telephone: 0303 123 1113

We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you contact the ICO. Please contact us in the first instance using the contact details provided below.

How to contact us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us: Festival of Economics, Priory Road Complex, Bristol BS8 1TU Email: info@economicsfestival.co.uk