Privacy Policy

HotTopics values your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. Our Privacy Policy outlines the measures we take to safeguard your data and how we use it. 

Company information:

Hot Topics Ltd, registered in England and Wales under registration number 08943709. Registered office address is First Floor, National House, 60-66 Wardour Street, London, England, W1F 0TA, United Kingdom.  We are registered as a data controller with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. Our Data Protection Registration Number is ZA390305.

Privacy Policy:

Effective date of this Privacy Policy: October 22, 2026

We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy. By using Hot Topics Ltd’s website, you are agreeing to all the terms herein and that they shall be legally binding between Hot Topics Ltd and you. The provision herein as well as our Terms of Use shall govern your access to and use of our services.  We regularly review our compliance with our Privacy Policy.

AT A GLANCE:

Who we are: Hot Topics Limited, a UK company running a professional community. Privacy contact: dpo@hottopics.ht (Section 2).

Sponsor-supported model: some Services are sponsored. Your information is shared with a sponsor only if you register for a Service they support — and the sponsor is always identified before you register (Sections 6 and 8).

Joining alone shares nothing, and not participating in sponsored Services doesn't affect your membership.

Record enrichment: we use HubSpot to keep professional records up to date, which involves a two-way data flow. You can opt out of both directions and remain a member (Section 10).

We don't sell your personal information.

Marketing: only where you've chosen it, managed by channel, opt out any time (Section 9).

Your rights: access, correct, delete, object and more — via our preference centre or dpo@hottopics.ht (Section 14).

Complaints: to us first if you like, and to the ICO at any time (Section 14).

1. Introduction

Hot Topics Limited (company number 08943709, registered in England and Wales) ("Hot Topics", “HotTopics.HT”, “HT”, "we", "us" or "our") runs a professional community. Through it we bring people together around shared professional interests, supported by a range of services — such as events, research, content and networking. We refer to everything we offer, now or in the future, as our "Services". This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have. Section 3 sets out who it covers.

Hot Topics is a sponsor-supported professional community. Some Services are sponsored, and if you choose to participate in them, certain information may be shared with the identified sponsor. Section 6 explains how this works.

Hot Topics is established in the United Kingdom, and our processing is principally governed by UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. Because our community is international, other data protection laws — including the EU GDPR — may also apply to particular processing. Where applicable law gives you additional rights, we will respect those rights as required.

If anything in this policy is unclear, you can contact us using the details in Section 2.

2. Who We Are

Hot Topics Limited is the data controller for the personal information covered by this policy.

Hot Topics Limited
Registered in England and Wales, company number 08943709
Registered office: First Floor, National House, 60–66 Wardour Street, London, W1F 0TA
Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), registration reference ZC075040
General enquiries: contact@hottopics.ht

Our Data Protection Officer (DPO) oversees data protection at Hot Topics and can be contacted at dpo@hottopics.ht for privacy questions, complaints, or requests to exercise your rights. You can also write to the DPO by post at our registered office address above.

3. Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to the people we interact with in running Hot Topics, including community members, Service participants, speakers and contributors, sponsors and partners, prospective members and customers, subscribers, suppliers, and website visitors.

People we haven't dealt with directly. In some cases we hold information about you that you didn’t give us yourself — for example, because a colleague registered you for an event, someone referred you to us, or a record about you was created or completed through the data enrichment described in Section 4. This policy is how we tell you about that. Where we have your contact details, we’ll point you to this policy the first time we communicate with you, and in any event within a month of receiving your information. Where applicable law permits us not to provide an individual notice because doing so would involve disproportionate effort, we take appropriate measures to protect your rights — including making this policy publicly available and providing an easy route to ask what we hold about you or request deletion (dpo@hottopics.ht). All the rights in Section 14 apply to you in exactly the same way.

Other notices. Some activities have their own additional notices, including cookies, recruitment, our TechGirl programme, and particular events or Services. Where relevant, we provide those notices when we collect the information.

4. The Information We Collect

We collect personal information in three ways: information you give us, information collected automatically, and information from other sources. We also generate some information ourselves.

Information you give us. When you join the community, register for a Service, or interact with us, you may give us:

• Your name
•  Your employer or company
• Your job title
• Your business email address, and any additional email address you give us
• Your telephone number
• Your country or location
• Your gender, if you choose to tell us
• A link to your professional profile, such as LinkedIn
• Dietary or accessibility requirements (for example, when you attend an event)
• The content of messages, enquiries and other communications you send us
• Your responses to surveys, research and feedback requests

Some information is required to provide membership or a Service; other information is optional.

Survey and research responses. We collect responses to surveys, research and feedback. Section 8 explains when research findings or participation-specific responses may be shared with sponsors.

Images and recordings. We may photograph or record some Services and events. We tell you when this is happening and explain your choices at the event — Section 7 sets out the legal basis, and you can ask not to be featured at any time.

Messaging services. If you communicate with us through messaging services such as WhatsApp, we may process your telephone number, messages, delivery and read information, and — if you join a group or community we host — your participation in it. In a group, other members can see your telephone number and messages — we make this clear before you join, and joining is your choice. Messages already delivered to other members' devices can't be recalled.

Information collected automatically. When you visit our website or use our online Services, we and our providers may collect information about your device, browser and operating system; your IP address and online identifiers; approximate location; pages viewed and website interactions; referral source and campaign information; session information; whether you open our emails and click links; and cookie data. Some website signals may also be used to identify the organisation visiting our website — see Section 10. Cookies are explained in our Cookie Policy.

Information from other sources. We may receive information about you from professional networks and public professional profiles such as LinkedIn; event partners and sponsors you interact with; publicly available business sources; colleagues or others who provide your details (for example, registering you for an event); and data enrichment providers.

Business correspondence. Our CRM platform (HubSpot) may also automatically create records for professional contacts whose details appear in email correspondence with our team — for example, colleagues copied on a thread or contacts named in an email signature. We use these records for internal business contact management and, where relevant, 1-to-1 professional correspondence. We do not use them for marketing unless the person separately opts in, and they are never included in information shared with sponsors. If you'd like to know what we hold about you, or ask us to delete your record, contact dpo@hottopics.ht.

Data enrichment. We use HubSpot as our customer relationship management and marketing platform. HubSpot may automatically add or update professional and business information in our records using its commercial dataset — including your job title, role and seniority; your employer and information about it (industry, size, location, description, website, professional profile); your business location; and a link to your professional profile. This means we may hold professional information about you that you didn't give us directly. Section 10 explains how this works, including the two-way data flow with HubSpot and how to opt out of enrichment. Separately from HubSpot's enrichment, we may also update your record from information you give us or that appears in communications you send us — for example, a new employer or job title in your email signature. This is part of ordinary record-keeping and continues even if you opt out of enrichment.

Information we generate. We also create some information ourselves: a role category (the kind of professional role you hold — sometimes you tell us, sometimes we work it out from your job title and background); summaries and insights about the organisations in our community; and internal engagement indicators. Section 10 explains this.

Sensitive information. We may process dietary or accessibility information you choose to provide for a Service. Because this can reveal health or religious information, we obtain your explicit consent and use it only to make the necessary arrangements. Section 7 explains exactly how this is protected.

Payment information. Our payment provider collects and securely stores your card details and processes your payment. We receive only confirmation details, such as payment status and a transaction reference — we do not store your full card details ourselves.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the purposes below. Section 7 explains the legal grounds for each.

We use your information only for these purposes or purposes compatible with them. If we ever need it for something genuinely different, we'll tell you and, where the law requires, ask for your agreement first.

6. Our Sponsor-Supported Community

Hot Topics is a sponsor-supported professional community. Sponsors are organisations that fund or support our Services, and in return they take part in the community. This is what allows us to offer much of what we do.

Here's how it works, and how it affects your information:

When you join, we explain the sponsor-supported model, the categories of information that may be shared if you later choose to participate in a sponsored Service, and the purposes for which sponsors may use that information. Joining Hot Topics does not itself cause your information to be shared with any sponsor.

When a Service is sponsored, we identify the sponsor before you register. You decide whether to participate — and registering is your affirmative choice to take part under the arrangements explained when you joined. Only then may information falling within those categories be shared with that sponsor.

If you don't register for a sponsored Service, nothing is shared with sponsors. Choosing not to participate in sponsored Services doesn't affect your membership.

Two things are always true: nothing is shared with a sponsor unless you register for a Service they support, and you always know who the sponsor is before you register.

Section 8 sets out exactly what may be shared, when, and the controls available to you — including how to withdraw from sponsor sharing altogether.

7. Our Lawful Bases for Processing

Data protection law requires a valid legal reason — a "lawful basis" — for using your personal information. These are the bases we rely on, and what each covers. The purposes are those in Section 5.

Contract. Membership administration; providing the Services you sign up for; necessary Service communications; requested networking and introductions; and processing payments.

Consent. Sponsor sharing when you choose to register for an identified sponsored Service (Sections 6 and 8); marketing where consent is required (Section 9); joining messaging groups where other members can see your details; and special-category information, where explicit consent is required (below). Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time, as easily as you gave it. Withdrawal doesn't affect what's already been done, but stops the processing going forward.

Special-category information: dietary and accessibility requirements. Some information you give us — such as dietary or accessibility requirements — can reveal health or religious information, which the law protects more strongly. We rely on your explicit consent, which we ask for at the point you provide it.

We use this information only to make the arrangements you've asked for. Where you tell us about a standing requirement, we keep it on your record while you're an active member so we can look after you at future events — you can update or remove it at any time. For each event, we share only what's necessary with the people organising the catering or facilities, and the event-specific information is deleted once the event has taken place.

Sometimes the organisation sponsoring a Service also provides the venue or catering. Where that happens, it receives this information in that operational capacity only — acting on our instructions, to look after you at that event. It may not use it for any other purpose, and it never forms part of the information sponsors receive under Section 8.

If you withdraw this consent, we may not be able to make the arrangements you've asked for.

Legitimate interests. Operating and improving the community; research and aggregated insights; keeping records accurate, including through HubSpot's enrichment services (Section 10); understanding engagement and professional roles; identifying organisations visiting our website; security and fraud prevention; and managing sponsor, partner and supplier relationships. We've assessed these interests against your rights, interests and reasonable expectations, and you can object at any time (Section 14). Contact our DPO if you'd like more information about those assessments.

Photography and recordings at events. We rely on legitimate interests to take and use photographs, video and audio at our events, to record the event and promote the community. We tell you when filming or photography is taking place, and you can ask not to be featured — at the event or at any time afterwards (Section 14).

Legal obligation. Complying with the law — for example, keeping financial records or responding to lawful requests from authorities.

Legal claims. Establishing, exercising or defending legal claims, or protecting our rights, our community or others.

If we ever need to use your information for a new purpose, we'll make sure we have a valid basis and tell you — asking for your consent where the law requires.

8. Sharing Information with Sponsors and Event Partners

Section 6 explains the model. This section sets out the detail.

What may be shared. When you choose to participate in a sponsored Service, we may share information falling within the following categories with that Service's sponsor. We share only the information that is relevant to that Service.

About you

• Your full name
• Your job title
• Your role category — the kind of professional role you hold (see Section 4)
• Your employer or company
• The email addresses you've given us
• Your telephone number
• A link to your professional profile, such as LinkedIn
• Your country
• Your gender, if you've chosen to tell us — shared so the sponsor can address you correctly

About your participation

• The Service you registered for, and the date
• Whether you attended

About your organisation

• Industry
• Approximate number of employees
• The organisation's professional profile, such as its LinkedIn page

If we ever want to share a different category of information, we will tell you separately before doing so and obtain your agreement where required.

Survey and research responses. Research and survey findings are normally shared with sponsors only in aggregated form and are not attributed to individual members. Some questions relate specifically to your participation in a Service — such as whether you'd like an introduction, how you'd like the sponsor to follow up, or what you'd like to discuss. Where an individual response needs to be shared to act on your request, we make this clear when we ask the question.

What we don't share. We never share with sponsors:

• Your individual survey and research responses, attributed to you, other than the participation-specific responses described above
• Dietary, accessibility or other sensitive information — handled separately under Section 7
• Information you've given us in confidence, or the content of your private communications with us
• Information about Services you haven't registered for
• Your payment details

When, why, and on what basis. We share your information only after you register for a Service the sponsor supports, and only with that Service's sponsor. The sharing enables the sponsor to take part in the Service, understand who they're meeting, and follow up with you in connection with it. Our legal basis is your consent: the arrangements are explained when you join, the sponsor is identified before you register, and your registration is your affirmative choice to participate under those arrangements (Section 6). We don't sell your information, and sharing is never a condition of membership.

Your choice and control. You control sponsor sharing in two ways: choose whether to participate in each sponsored Service — the sponsor is always identified first, and not participating means nothing is shared — and withdraw from sponsor sharing altogether at any time, in our preference centre or by contacting our DPO. Withdrawing stops future sharing; it doesn't undo sharing that has already happened, and you remain a member either way.

What sponsors do with your information. Once shared, the sponsor is responsible for your information in its own right. It may use it to follow up in connection with the Service, including about relevant products and services. The sponsor is responsible for determining its own lawful basis for any further processing and for complying with applicable data protection and electronic marketing law, including any requirements that apply before using your information for direct marketing. You can opt out of communications directly with the sponsor, or tell us and we’ll pass it on. Section 9 explains more.

Groups and messaging. Where a sponsor takes part in a group we host, that group only ever relates to a Service the sponsor supports, and only people who registered for that Service are in it. Group participation doesn't change what a sponsor receives.

Event partners. Some Services involve partners — for example, a co-host. Where a partner receives your information, the same rules, categories and controls apply, and we identify them before you register.

9. Marketing Communications

We send different kinds of messages, and different rules apply to each.

Service messages. Operational messages necessary to administer your membership or a Service — confirmations, joining details, changes — are not marketing and can't be opted out of while we're providing that membership or Service.

Our marketing. We send marketing where you've chosen to receive it, and you can opt out at any time — every message includes an unsubscribe link, and you can change your preferences in our preference centre. One limited exception: if you've previously purchased a Service from us, we may tell you about similar Services unless you object, with an easy opt-out at collection and in every message.

Marketing permissions are managed by channel. Giving us a telephone number does not by itself mean we'll use WhatsApp or another messaging service — we use each channel in accordance with the choices you make for it.

Sponsor communications. Where your information has been shared with a sponsor (Section 8), the sponsor is responsible for determining how it may lawfully use your information and for its own communications with you, including complying with applicable data protection and electronic marketing law. You can ask the sponsor to stop contacting you at any time.

Your controls. These are separate — changing one doesn't change the others:

Withdrawing our marketing consent doesn't affect information already shared with a sponsor. We keep a suppression record of people who've asked not to be contacted — the minimum needed to make sure we don't contact you again.

10. Profiling and Automated Tools

We use automated tools to help keep our records accurate, understand our community, and decide where to focus our activity. This is sometimes called "profiling". Here's what we do and what it means for you.

What the tools do. They may add or update professional information on our records; detect changes — such as a new employer or job title — from communications you send us; group members by professional role or interests; identify the organisations visiting our website; produce organisational insights; use internal engagement indicators; and help us decide which Services or content may be relevant to you, including pre-filling forms with information we already hold.

HubSpot and the two-way data flow. Much of this runs on HubSpot, our CRM platform. HubSpot enriches our records using its commercial dataset, third-party sources and publicly available information. HubSpot also maintains that commercial dataset for its own purposes — including providing enrichment services to its other customers — and may act as an independent controller for information it holds in that dataset. This means information from our records can contribute to HubSpot's dataset as well as being drawn from it.

Opting out. You can ask us to stop enriching your record. Opting out stops both what we receive and what we contribute — we stop updating your record through HubSpot’s enriching tool, and your information stops being added to HubSpot's dataset — and you remain a full member of the community. For information HubSpot holds in its own dataset, you can also exercise your rights directly with HubSpot under its privacy policy. 

What we don't do. We don't use solely automated processing to make decisions about you that have legal or similarly significant effects. In particular, automated tools don't determine whether you can join the community or participate in a Service.

Legal basis and your rights. We rely on legitimate interests for this processing (Section 7). You can object, ask us to correct information that's wrong — automated tools aren't perfect, and information worked out from other sources can be out of date — or ask us to stop enriching your record. Section 14 explains how.

11. Sharing Information with Other Third Parties

Beyond sponsors and event partners (Section 8), we share information with other organisations in order to run the community.

Service providers. We use providers who handle personal information on our behalf, under written agreements requiring them to use it only on our instructions and keep it secure. They include providers of: CRM and marketing systems; email, storage and collaboration tools; website hosting, forms and analytics; event registration and management; video conferencing and webinars; messaging and telephony; email validation; payment processing; project management; and design and content platforms.

HubSpot. As well as providing our CRM, HubSpot maintains its own commercial dataset that our records contribute to and draw from. Section 10 explains this fully, including how to opt out of both directions.

Messaging services. Messaging providers process information under their own terms and privacy policies. We identify the service before you choose to use it.

Venues, caterers and event suppliers. Where you register for an event, we share what's necessary with the venue, caterer or other suppliers to run it — including dietary and accessibility arrangements, which are protected as described in Section 7.

Advertising, analytics and social media platforms. These providers may process information about your use of our website and communications, for their own purposes as well as ours. Where this depends on cookies or similar technologies, your choices are managed through our cookie controls (Section 15).

Professional advisers. Our lawyers, accountants, auditors, insurers and other advisers, bound by their own duties of confidentiality.

Authorities. Regulators and law enforcement, where legally required or necessary to comply with the law or protect our rights, our community or others.

If our business changes. If Hot Topics is sold, restructured or merged, personal information may be shared with the organisation involved and its advisers, and remains protected by this policy or one offering equivalent protection. We'll tell you if it materially affects how your information is handled.

What we don't do. We don't sell your personal information, and we don't share it with organisations for their own marketing except as set out in Section 8.

Many of these providers are based outside the UK, most commonly in the United States — Section 12 explains how transfers are protected.

12. International Transfers

Hot Topics is based in the United Kingdom, and our community, sponsors, partners and service providers operate internationally. Your information may therefore be transferred to, stored in or accessed from countries outside the UK — most commonly the United States — and, where the EU GDPR applies, outside the EEA.

Where data protection law requires safeguards for an international transfer, we use an approved mechanism — such as an adequacy decision or appropriate contractual safeguards — and take any additional measures required by law. This applies equally to our providers and to sponsors and partners based abroad; and you always know who a sponsor is before you register.

Contact our DPO at dpo@hottopics.ht if you'd like more information about a particular transfer.

13. Data Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy. How long that is depends on the type of information, why we hold it, whether you remain an active member, our legal and contractual obligations, and whether it's needed to demonstrate permissions, preferences or previous disclosures — or to deal with a query, complaint or legal claim. When we no longer need information, we delete it or anonymise it so it can no longer identify you.

A few things are worth stating specifically:

• Dietary and accessibility information. Standing requirements you've told us about are kept on your record while you're an active member, and you can update or remove them at any time. Event-specific information shared with a venue, caterer or organiser is deleted once the event has taken place.
• Suppression records. Where you've asked not to be contacted, we keep the minimum needed — indefinitely — because it's the only way to reliably make sure we don't contact you again.
• Legal and statutory retention. Some records must be kept for periods set by law — for example, financial records for six years — and information relevant to a legal claim is kept until the matter is resolved.

If you leave the community, we delete or anonymise your information in line with this approach, keeping only what's needed to respect your preferences and meet our obligations. You can ask us to delete your information sooner at any time — Section 14 explains how, and what we may need to keep even then.

14. Your Rights

You have rights over the information we hold about you. They're free to exercise, and this section explains how.

Making a request. Contact our DPO at dpo@hottopics.ht — or use our preference centre for communication preferences and sponsor sharing, which is quicker. No particular form of words is needed. We'll respond within one month; if your request is complex or you've made several, we may need up to two further months, and we'll tell you within the first month if so. We may need to verify your identity first.

Access. Ask for a copy of the information we hold about you and an explanation of how we use it — including information from other sources and information we've generated, such as your role category.

Correction. If something is wrong or incomplete, tell us and we'll put it right. This applies equally to information we've worked out about you.

Deletion. Ask us to delete your information. We'll do so unless we have a legal reason to keep it — such as financial records or your suppression record. Because we can't run a membership without holding your details, deleting everything means leaving the community. We'll always tell you what we've kept and why.

Restriction. Ask us to pause using your information while we look into a concern — for example, while we check something you've told us is inaccurate.

Objection. Object to any processing based on legitimate interests (Section 7), and we'll stop unless we have compelling grounds to continue. You can also ask us to stop enriching your record (Section 10). For direct marketing, your objection is absolute — we'll always stop, no reason needed.

Portability. Where we hold information electronically on the basis of your consent or our contract with you, ask for a copy in a common format, or for it to be sent to another organisation where technically possible.

Withdrawing consent. Where we rely on consent — sponsor sharing, marketing, dietary and accessibility information, joining a group — withdraw it at any time, as easily as you gave it. Withdrawal stops the processing going forward; it doesn't undo what's already been done. If you withdraw consent for dietary or accessibility information, we may not be able to make the arrangements you've asked for.

Complaints. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information or a request, you have the right to complain to us — contact our DPO. We aim to investigate and respond to privacy complaints within 30 days; if the matter is complex and we need longer, we'll let you know and keep you updated.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at any time — you don't need to come to us first:

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113
• Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

If you're outside the UK, your local data protection regulator may also be able to help, and where local laws give you additional rights we'll respect them as required.

15. Cookies and Website Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our website, remember preferences, understand how the website is used and, where permitted, support advertising and marketing. This includes the tools that recognise returning visitors and identify the organisations visiting our website (Section 10).

Non-essential cookies are used only in accordance with your choices, which you can change at any time through our cookie settings.

Our Cookie Policy explains the technologies we use, their purposes, providers and retention periods. Where cookie information is combined with your member record, this policy applies to it.

16. Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure. These include access controls, authentication, encryption where appropriate, staff training, supplier controls and procedures for managing access to our systems. We regularly review these measures and restrict access to personal information to the people who need it for their role.

Much of the information we hold sits in systems run by established providers (Section 11), who are required by written agreement to protect it.

If a security incident affects your personal information, we investigate and make any notifications required by law.

17. Children’s Privacy

Our Services are intended for business professionals and not for people under 18. We don’t knowingly collect children’s personal information. If you believe we hold information about a child, contact our DPO at dpo@hottopics.ht and we’ll delete it.

18. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We update this policy when our practices or legal obligations change. If a material change affects how we use your information or the choices available to you, we'll provide appropriate notice before it takes effect and obtain your agreement where required.

19. Contact Us

Privacy, rights and complaints: dpo@hottopics.ht — or use our preference centre for communication preferences and sponsor sharing.

General enquiries: contact@hottopics.ht

Hot Topics Limited, company number 08943709. Full details in Section 2.