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Privacy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 15 June 2026

Note: This is a non-binding English translation provided for convenience. The legally binding version of this privacy policy is the German original.
As of 15 June 2026. This privacy policy reflects the processing operations and services actually in use. The formal documentation of the data-processing agreements is maintained on an ongoing basis; in the event of material changes we update the date stated above.

This statement describes how personal data is processed when you visit this website, register for an event, apply for one of our formats, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us. The applicable laws are the GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and, in Austria, the DSG (Austrian Data Protection Act).

The controller under data-protection law for the website and magazine aheadx.at as well as the events in the DACH region is M&K Event GmbH (Salzburg, EU), which runs the platform as operator and media owner. SHINK BIG LLC (Florida) is solely the trademark, format and domain owner (licensor) and is not a controller within the meaning of the GDPR for this website. Company details: Imprint.

1. Controller

Controller
M&K Event GmbH
Address
Europastraße 10, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Commercial register
FN 638216 d, Regional Court of Salzburg
VAT number
ATU81242656
Management
Sebastian Klein · Christoph Martin
Email
hello@aheadx.at
Phone
+43 662 285000

M&K Event GmbH is the controller for the processing in connection with the website and magazine aheadx.at as well as the events in the DACH region. A representative under Art. 27 GDPR is not required, as the controller is established in the EU (Austria). SHINK BIG LLC (Florida) is the licensor / trademark owner and is not a data-protection controller for this website.

Data protection officer: not appointed (no statutory obligation under Art. 37 GDPR).

2. Which data we process

2.1 When you visit the website

  • Server logs: IP address (anonymised), date, time, requested URL, referrer, user agent. Stored for a maximum of 14 days for security and error analysis.
  • Local storage: This website currently sets no consent-requiring cookies. Only technically necessary browser storage entries are used (localStorage/sessionStorage, see §7). No third-party tracking, no Google Analytics, no Meta pixels.
  • Images & avatars: All hero, city and magazine images as well as placeholder avatars are served from our own server. No third-party image or avatar CDNs are called at runtime; in particular, no IP address is sent to US services in the process.
  • Map embeds: Individual city detail pages embed an OpenStreetMap map. When the map loads, connection data (including the IP address) is transmitted to the OpenStreetMap Foundation. More at OSM Privacy Policy. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in displaying the location).
  • Video embeds: Some pages embed videos in privacy-enhanced mode via youtube-nocookie.com (Google Ireland Ltd. / Google LLC, USA). When such a page is opened, a connection to Google is established and the IP address is transmitted; in nocookie mode YouTube only sets cookies upon active playback. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

2.2 For ticket bookings

Tickets are sold via the external platform Eventbrite. Their privacy policies apply in addition. ahead receives registration lists from these platforms containing name, email and, where applicable, industry, for the purpose of running the event.

2.3 For applications (speaker, partner) and enquiries (workshop, future)

When you contact us via one of our application or enquiry forms, we process the data you enter in order to review and respond to it, typically name, email, phone, company, role, region and a free-text field. Legal basis: pre-contractual relationship (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR). The technical delivery of these forms to our mailboxes is handled server-side via Brevo (see §3).

We store application data for 24 months after the last communication, after which it is deleted. If a contract is concluded, the retention periods under commercial and tax law apply.

2.4 For reminder sign-ups

When you sign up for "Let me know when sales start", we store only your email and the event you are interested in. We send a single message when sales start; afterwards the entry is deleted. Legal basis: your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), revocable at any time.

2.5 For newsletter sign-up

When you subscribe to our newsletter, we process your email address (and optionally your name/interests) for dispatch. Sign-up uses the double opt-in procedure: you first receive a confirmation email and are only added to the list after you confirm. Dispatch and management run via Brevo (see §3). Legal basis: your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), revocable at any time via the unsubscribe link or by email.

2.6 For email correspondence

When you send us an email (to hello@aheadx.at), we process the contents to respond to your enquiry. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in responding).

3. Recipients of the data

  • Hosting: Hostinger International Ltd. (Lithuania, EU). The website is delivered as a static site; the data referred to in §2.1 is recorded in the server logs. Processor under Art. 28 GDPR on the basis of the provider's terms.
  • Newsletter, form & waitlist delivery: Brevo (Sendinblue SAS, 106 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France, EU). Brevo processes, server-side, (a) newsletter sign-ups via double opt-in, (b) the delivery of application, enquiry and contact forms to our mailboxes, and (c) event waitlist sign-ups. No client-side Brevo key and no Brevo tracking pixel are used. Processor under Art. 28 GDPR.
  • Ticket platform: Eventbrite (Eventbrite, Inc., USA). Ticket purchases take place directly at Eventbrite; in this respect Eventbrite is a separate controller whose privacy policy applies in addition.
  • Map provider: OpenStreetMap Foundation (United Kingdom), only on pages with an embedded map.
  • Video: Google Ireland Ltd. / Google LLC (USA) via youtube-nocookie.com, only on pages with an embedded video.
  • Images & avatars: served exclusively from our own server (Hostinger). City and magazine photos are partly licensed under the Unsplash License but are downloaded when the website is built and hosted locally; placeholder avatars are generated locally as graphics. No runtime calls to external image/avatar services.

4. Transfer to third countries

Our core processors are located in the EU: Hostinger (Lithuania) and Brevo (France). A transfer to the USA takes place with: Eventbrite (only on ticket purchase; separate controller) and Google/YouTube (only when pages with an embedded video are opened). These transfers rely on EU standard contractual clauses (SCC) or the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

The controller of the platform is M&K Event GmbH (Salzburg, EU, §1); a representative under Art. 27 GDPR is not required. The third-country transfers mentioned relate solely to the independent services listed above (Eventbrite, Google/YouTube).

5. Your rights

You have the right at any time to:

  • Access (Art. 15 GDPR), to what we have stored about you
  • Rectification (Art. 16 GDPR), to have incorrect data corrected
  • Erasure (Art. 17 GDPR), insofar as no statutory retention obligations exist
  • Restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR)
  • Data portability (Art. 20 GDPR)
  • Objection (Art. 21 GDPR), to processing based on legitimate interests
  • Withdrawal of consent (Art. 7(3) GDPR), e.g. for the reminder list

You can address data protection requests with the subject line "Datenschutz" to hello@aheadx.at. We will respond within the statutory period of one month.

6. Right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority. Competent in Austria: Austrian Data Protection Authority, Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna. For DE: BfDI. For CH: EDÖB.

7. Cookies & banner

This website currently operates cookie-free in terms of the consent requirement: no tracking cookies and no third-party pixels are set, so no cookie banner is shown either. Only technically necessary browser storage entries are used:

  • ahead-sticky-tickets-dismissed: remembers whether you dismissed the tickets bar. sessionStorage, deleted when the tab is closed.
  • ahead-cookie-consent: only set if consent-requiring tools are enabled in future and a consent banner appears; it then stores your banner choice (accepted / rejected) in localStorage, with no external transmission.

As soon as consent-requiring tools (e.g. newsletter or statistics tracking) are enabled, a consent banner with a reject option will appear, and this statement will be supplemented accordingly. In any case the site also functions fully without consent.

8. Images & video

Photos and video clips are produced at events (by commissioned photographers such as ©NussbaumerPhotography). They are used only with the documented consent of the persons depicted. Notice signs at the entrance draw attention to this.

9. Changes to this statement

We update this statement when processing purposes or providers change. The date stated above indicates the last change. In the event of material changes, we notify existing applicants and newsletter subscribers separately by email.