Privacy Policy
Effective Date: May 29, 2026
1. Introduction and Data Controller
The International Conference on Business Management (ICOBM) and its organizing body, the Center for Research in Business and Strategy (CRIBS) ("we," "us," or "our"), are committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our conference participants, authors, reviewers, committee members, and website visitors.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website (https://www.icobm.net/) and participate in our virtual or in-person conferences and workshops. For the purposes of global data protection laws (including the General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR), the Data Controller is the Center for Research in Business and Strategy (CRIBS), Wyoming, USA.
2. Information We Collect
We collect several types of information from and about users of our website, including:
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Personal Identification Information: Name, academic/professional affiliation, job title, email address, mailing address, telephone number, and biographical details.
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Academic and Research Data: Submitted abstracts, full papers, presentation materials, co-author details, review notes, and publication preferences.
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Financial and Billing Information: Credit card details, billing address, and transaction histories processed securely via our third-party payment gateways. (We do not store raw credit card information on our servers).
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Technical and Usage Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and interactions with our website collected via cookies and tracking technologies.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the collected data for the following legitimate business and academic purposes:
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To manage paper submissions, peer-review processing, and conference scheduling.
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To process your conference registration, add-on training workshops (such as SEM), and financial transactions.
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To issue official certificates of attendance, presentation, and proficiency.
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To coordinate with publication partners, including official ICOBM proceedings indexers such as Clarivate's CPCI and affiliate ESCI/Scopus-indexed journals.
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To send crucial administrative updates, conference programs, and promotional communications regarding future CRIBS events (you may opt-out of promotional emails at any time).
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To maintain, secure, and optimize our website performance.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Compliance)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), our legal basis for collecting and using your personal data depends on the context:
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Performance of a Contract: Processing is necessary to fulfill our obligations regarding your paper submission, registration, or workshop attendance.
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Legitimate Interests: To effectively manage an international academic conference, ensure academic integrity, and facilitate publication avenues.
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Consent: Where you have explicitly agreed to receive marketing materials or specific cookies.
5. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information with trusted third parties under strict confidentiality agreements:
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Academic Committees and Reviewers: For evaluation and selection of scientific content.
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Publishing Partners: Affiliate journals (ESCI/Scopus) and proceedings indexing services (Clarivate's CPCI) to facilitate the publication of accepted papers.
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Service Providers: Secure payment processors, virtual conference platform providers, and website hosting services.
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Legal Obligations: When required by law, subpoena, or to protect the safety and rights of the organization and participants.
6. International Data Transfers
As the Center for Research in Business Strategy (CRIBS) is based in the United States and serves a global audience, your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries outside your home jurisdiction. We implement appropriate safeguards to ensure your data remains protected according to international compliance standards.
7. Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, comply with academic indexing verification timelines, or meet financial, accounting, and legal reporting obligations.
8. Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your data:
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The right to access, update, or delete the personal information we hold about you.
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The right to restrict or object to the processing of your data.
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The right to data portability.
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The right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at programcoordinator@icobm.net.
9. Security of Personal Data
We employ industry-standard technical and organizational security measures to protect your data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no internet transmission or electronic storage method can be guaranteed 100% secure.
10. Changes to This Policy
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.
11. Contact Information
For any inquiries regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: ICOBM at the Center for Research in Business and Strategy Email: programcoordinator@icobm.net