AHDB events privacy notice

This notice explains how the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) collects and uses personal information during our events.

Last updated: 27 March 2026

AHDB is the UK’s statutory levy board for agriculture and horticulture. We are a non‑departmental public body set up under the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Order 2008 (as amended).

AHDB is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy.

This privacy notice explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you:

• Register for an AHDB event
• Attend an AHDB event
• Speak at, exhibit at, or take part in an AHDB event
• Ask us to contact you after an event

Personal data is information that identifies you or can be used to identify you.

Depending on the event and how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Your name
• Job title
• Organisation or employer
• Contact details (such as email address, phone number or postal address)
• Dietary or accessibility requirements (if you choose to provide them)
• Event registration and attendance details
• Communications with you about the event
• Your participation in the event (such as workshop choices or questions asked)
• Feedback or survey responses
• Photographs or video recordings taken at the event
• Any other information you choose to share with us in connection with the event

We use your personal data to:

• Process your event registration and manage your attendance
• Send you event information, including joining instructions, updates and changes
• Respond to questions, requests or follow-up actions after the event (for example, sending presentation slides if requested)
• Deliver events, including managing venues, catering and accessibility support
• Review and improve future events using feedback and attendance information
• Keep records of our engagement with stakeholders
• Produce event-related content, including photography and video
• Meet legal, regulatory and governance requirements
• Send you information you specifically ask us to send in relation to an event or topic discussed

If you choose to sign up for wider marketing communications, we will process your personal data in line with the information provided to you at the time and relevant data protection and electronic marketing laws.

We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so. 

We rely on your consent when:

• You provide dietary or accessibility information
• We ask for consent for a specific use of your data

If this information includes health details or other special category data, we rely on your explicit consent.

You can withdraw your consent at any time. This will not affect any processing already carried out.

We may process your personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests as an organisation, such as delivering and improving our events.

We always balance our interests against your rights and freedoms and will not use your data where the impact on you overrides our interests, unless required by law or covered by your consent.

We do not sell your personal data.

We may share your data with trusted third parties where necessary, including:

• Venues, caterers and other event suppliers
• Joint event partners or co-hosts
• Event registration, survey and IT service providers
• Professional advisers, auditors and insurers
• Regulatory authorities, law enforcement or courts, where required by law
• Other organisations where you have asked us to share your data or where we have told you in advance

All third parties are required to keep your data secure and confidential.

For jointly delivered events, we may share your data with partner organisations where this is necessary to run the event. If a partner wants to use your data for their own purposes, we will explain this and ask for your consent where required.

We take appropriate steps to protect your personal data, including:

• Using secure systems and controlled access
• Encrypting data where appropriate
• Storing data within AHDB’s secure network and cloud environment

Our systems are independently audited. Access to personal data is limited to those who need it for their role.

When we use external suppliers to process data on our behalf, we put contracts in place to ensure they meet UK data protection requirements.

AHDB stores data within the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA). Where data is processed outside these areas, we ensure appropriate legal safeguards are in place, such as international data transfer agreements.

We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes it was collected, unless the law requires us to keep it for longer.

We may retain data for longer if:

• A complaint is made
• There is a reasonable prospect of legal action

In some cases, we anonymise personal data so it can no longer identify you. Anonymised data may be used indefinitely for research or statistical purposes.

For more information about retention, contact our Data Protection Officer

Under UK data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal data. These include:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (known as a Subject Access Request). Responses are usually provided within 30 days
• Rectification: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Objection: Object to how we are processing your data based on your circumstances
• Erasure: Request deletion of certain personal data, where applicable
• Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
• Make a complaint: Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Some rights may be limited depending on the lawful basis for processing. We may also need to keep limited information to ensure we do not contact you again or to meet legal obligations.

To exercise your rights, email our Data Protection Officer

Write to us: (For the attention of the Data Protection Officer), Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Middlemarch Business Park, Siskin Parkway East, Coventry, CV3 4PE.

You may be asked to confirm your identity before we act on your request.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any concerns.

We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last reviewed.

If we make significant changes that affect how we use your personal data, we will take steps to inform you.