Community Code of Conduct

Last review: November 2023

We have developed this community code of conduct to actively set expectations for the LAST community and to promote safety and inclusiveness for all participants. This general Code of Conduct is designed to apply to all the LAST Conference events. Some local organisers may have additions to the CoC, and these may be found on each city’s website

Everyone participating in the LAST Conferences community—including, but not limited to LAST Conference Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide events and LAST Conference online channels—is required to agree to the following code of conduct. This includes all contributors/participants, session leaders/speakers, supporters/sponsors, and volunteers.

LAST Conference organisers will apply this code during its events and throughout the year. We expect cooperation from everyone to promote and sustain a safe, diverse, and welcoming environment.

The short version

LAST Conference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion (or lack thereof). We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form.

Sexist, racist, discriminatory, or harassing language and imagery is not appropriate in the LAST Conference community, in person or online. Participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from LAST Conferences, online channels (e.g Slack), and all future events without a refund at the discretion of LAST Conference organizers.

The longer version

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour are required to comply immediately.

If a participant engages in any of the aforementioned behaviour, LAST Conference may take any action they deem appropriate, from warning the offender to immediately expelling the offender with no refund.

Photography policy

LAST Conference organisers will actively ask for permission to take photographs. If you don’t want a photo taken or don’t want a photo made public, please advise the photographer.

We understand that not everyone is comfortable with their photo being published, for a variety of reasons. You have every right not to have photographs published in LAST Conference material. If you do not wish photos that you appear in to be available publicly, we will take all reasonable measures to not publish any photos taken at the event that are close up or where you are easily identifiable. If you are inadvertently included in a group photo or a wide shot, or we publish a photo that you are identifiable in, please contact us so we can obscure you, or remove the photo or photos.

Some local organisers may give you a way of distinguishing whether you are OK to be photographed, or would not like to be photographed at the event. Please see the individual Event’s website for details.

Reporting and Enforcement

If you feel you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an organizer or volunteer. If you can’t or don’t wish to speak in person, or prefer to talk privately or electronically, contact us [email protected] or by direct message in Slack or Twitter.

All reports will be handled in the strictest confidence.

At a LAST Conference event—contact LAST Conference local organisers, or a LAST Conference volunteer (identified by an event staff t-shirt or other identifier) immediately. These people will be happy to help assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event.

Thanks

This document was based on the Code of Conduct from XOXO Conference, which was in turn inspired by the work of JSConf, Geek Feminism, confcodeofconduct.com, and inspired by resources provided by Ashe Dryden.

Health and Safety

We are thankful to be in a position where we are able to come together in-person. We want to do what we can to proactively help protect the health of participants.

• For the wellbeing of your fellow LAST Community colleagues, please stay at home if you have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or if you are feeling unwell. There is scope to transfer your registration or to defer yours to a future event.
• The use of masks is not required by health authorities, however, please do not feel any hesitation to wear a mask if you would like to. You may indeed see organisers and helpers at LAST wearing masks in certain situations. Please be kind to people who are protecting their health.
• We have limited the number of registrations available for LAST Conference so that our total number is less than the overall venue capacity.
• Available doors and windows will be opened to maximise the amount of fresh air. We would ask you not to close doors and to open doors and windows, if needed. Please keep your voice down in halls and entrances to rooms when sessions are in progress.
• Please dress for the weather conditions. There will be times when you will be outside when walking to sessions. As doors and windows will be opened, this will affect the temperatures in rooms.
• There is access to outdoor areas and entrance ways that could be used for group discussions etc. depending on the nature of the session. Please be mindful of tenants of the Convent, if you do this.
• Some of the sessions will be recorded. Therefore, it may be possible for you to catch up on some sessions.
• As it is difficult for us to predict demand, it is difficult for us to restrict numbers in each room. In Melbourne 2023, if you need to find a session that has more room, Spaces 1, 2, 4 and 5 in the East End and Spaces 8 & 9 in the West are the ones to look for.

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