Guidelines and Licence Agreement

Contents

About ICOY Regionals
Licence Agreement
Rules: event basics
Rules: naming and branding
Rules: content
Speaker policy and release
Sponsorship policy
Media, web and social
Photos and recordings
Privacy and attendee data
After your event
Enforcement
Contact and reporting

1. About ICOY Regionals

The International Conference on Youth (ICOY) is an initiative of the Ahmedabad Centre for Research and Innovation (ACRI). Alongside its annual conference, ICOY runs events throughout the year in four programmes:

ICOY Circles: a roundtable discussion on one question.
ICOY Sparks: short talks by speakers, followed by questions.
ICOY Labs: a hands-on workshop that builds a skill.
ICOY Forum: a half or full day with several sessions around one theme.

ICOY Central events are hosted by the ICOY team. ICOY Regionals events are organised independently by licensed hosts, under a name made of the programme and their community, such as ICOY Sparks@JGIS or ICOY Circles@Thaltej.

A licensed ICOY Regionals event is independently organised. It is not run by ICOY, and its host is not an employee or representative of ICOY.

Licence types

Community licence: for a neighbourhood, area or community group. Held by an individual aged 18 or over who lives in, or is genuinely connected to, the community.
School licence: for a school. Held by a teacher or staff member, with a letter of authorisation from the principal or head of school on official letterhead. Students may form the organising team. See section 3A.
University licence: for a university or college. Held by a recognised student club or society, with a named faculty or staff sponsor and a letter of authorisation from the university.

2. Licence Agreement

By ticking "I agree to the terms of the ICOY Regionals Licence Agreement" on the application form, you accept these terms with ACRI Education and Research Foundation ("ICOY"), which owns and operates ICOY.

2.1 What you are licensed to use

If your application is approved, ICOY grants you a limited, non-exclusive, revocable and non-transferable licence to use the ICOY name, your licence name (for example ICOY Sparks@JGIS), the two logos issued to you (your programme logo and your licence logo), and your event page on icoy.org, for one event only. Each further event needs a new application.

2.2 Term

The licence begins when it is approved and ends at the earliest of:

ICOY ending the licence, at any time, for a breach of these guidelines or for any other reason;
30 days after your event date; or
12 months after approval, if your event has not taken place.

2.3 Licence names

Your licence name is the programme followed by the community your event serves: ICOY Circles, ICOY Sparks, ICOY Labs or ICOY Forum, then @ and the name of your school, campus, neighbourhood or community group. Only one active licence may use a community name at a time, whatever the programme.

Country, state and region names (for example @India, @Gujarat or @Europe) are reserved for ICOY and are never licensed.
City names (for example @Ahmedabad, @Mumbai or @London) are available only to hosts who have completed three local ICOY events: each held, with its feedback sent and its summary submitted, and none ended by suspension or revocation.
Names must be the real name of the place or community, not a theme, slogan, person or brand.

ICOY owns every licence name. You may use yours only during the licence term. In the final week of the term you may apply to renew it through a new application; if you do not, the name is released and may be issued to someone else. ICOY may issue a licence under a different name from the one requested, and may withdraw a name at any time.

2.4 How you may use the licence

Only to promote and run your licensed event.
Never to sell books, courses, services, merchandise or other products under the ICOY name, unless ICOY agrees in writing.
Never to suggest that ICOY endorses, sponsors or is affiliated with any third party, including your sponsors.
You may not transfer, sublicense or assign the licence. If you can no longer host, tell us; a new host must apply in their own name.

2.5 Your responsibilities

You are responsible for everything your event needs: venue or platform, equipment, staff, food, and all costs. ICOY provides the licence, your event page, these guidelines and online resources only. For in-person events, you must use a venue with a formal booking and appropriate insurance or safety arrangements. You accept full responsibility for any injury, loss or damage connected with your event, and agree to indemnify ICOY, ACRI and their officers, volunteers and partners against any claim arising from it.

2.6 Fees and revenue

Licences are free. ICOY charges no licence fee and takes no share of ticket or sponsorship income. If this ever changes, ICOY will give licensed hosts written notice before any fee applies to them, and it will never apply to a licence already issued.

Any money your event receives, from tickets or sponsors, must be spent on the event. ICOY events are not run for profit.

2.7 Changes, law and disputes

ICOY may update this agreement and the rules at any time; the current version is always on this page. This agreement is governed by the laws of India. Any dispute will be settled by arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, seated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. This agreement, together with the rules and policies on this page, is the entire agreement between you and ICOY about your licence.

3. Rules: event basics

Format. Your event follows the programme on your licence: a moderated discussion (Circles), short talks with questions (Sparks), a hands-on workshop (Labs), or a half or full day with several sessions (Forum).
Online or offline. Either is allowed, as stated in your application. There is no limit on audience size.
Duration. One day at most.
Opening. Every event opens by explaining what ICOY Regionals is, and that this event is independently organised under licence.
Livestreams. If you livestream your event, the stream must be free to watch.
Location. Offline events take place in the community named in your licence. The licence holder must live in, or be genuinely connected to, that community, and must be the event's main organiser.
Tickets. Events may be free or charge for tickets, including school events. A ticket may cost at most US$1,000 or the equivalent in your currency. Show the price on your event page. Ticket income must be spent on the event.
Registration. Choose one: your own registration email, your own registration link, or registration on icoy.org. Registration on icoy.org is only for events that are free to attend. If your event charges anything, you must use your own email or link.

3A. Rules for school and university events

An adult is responsible. A school licence is held by a teacher or staff member, who is responsible for the event and must be present throughout. A university licence names a faculty or staff sponsor.
Authorisation. The letter from the school or university must be on official letterhead and signed by someone with authority (for example the principal, or the Dean of Students' office). ICOY may contact the institution to confirm it.
Students under 18. Follow your school's own safeguarding policy. Speakers under 18 need a parent or guardian's consent (the speaker release handles this), and under-18s are never alone with adults who are not staff.
Attendee data. For school events, keep registration with the school rather than on icoy.org, so that ICOY does not hold students' personal data.
The institution's rules apply too. Where the school's or university's rules are stricter than these guidelines, follow them.

4. Rules: naming and branding

Always use your full licence name, written exactly as issued: ICOY Sparks@JGIS. No abbreviations or variations.
Use only the two logos from your dashboard: the programme logo (the official ICOY logo with your event name beside it, for banners, slides and certificates) and the licence logo (the compact lockup, for profile pictures and square spaces). Do not redraw, recolour or combine them with other logos.
Always describe your event as an independently organised ICOY Regionals event. Never say or imply "ICOY is coming to" your city, or that your event is run by ICOY.
Present yourself as the organiser of your ICOY event, not as a member of ICOY staff.
Use only the logo issued in your dashboard. Never use the main ICOY logo, and do not alter your logo or combine it with any other organisation's logo.
Your event may not be co-branded, or presented as organised by or part of another organisation, conference or programme.
Any social media accounts for your event must use your exact licence name and your official logo as the profile image. When your licence ends, these accounts must be handed back to ICOY or to the next licensed host on request.

5. Rules: content

Evidence, not pseudoscience. Factual and scientific claims must be honest and supportable.
Thoughtful, not divisive. Politics and religion can be discussed as topics, but no political campaigning, religious preaching or inflammatory "us versus them" agendas.
No commercial agenda. Speakers may not promote their own products, books, courses or businesses, or those of their employer.
Respect. No hate speech, harassment or personal attacks.
Copyright. Speakers must have permission for any third-party images, video, music or data they show.

6. Speaker policy and release

Youth voice. Every event includes at least one speaker or session lead aged 30 or under.
No fees. Speakers are neither paid nor charged. You may cover reasonable travel and stay.
Independence. Sponsors cannot place, pay for or nominate speakers, and sponsors cannot speak.
The host. The licence holder may moderate or introduce sessions but may not be one of the speakers.
Conflicts of interest. Speakers must disclose any interest connected with their topic.
Moderation. The moderator stays neutral and keeps speaking time fair.
Under-18 speakers need a parent or guardian's consent, and adult supervision at the event.

Speaker release

Every speaker signs the ICOY speaker release online before they appear on your event page. By signing, the speaker:

agrees to be photographed, filmed and recorded at the event;
allows ICOY and the host to use, edit and publish those recordings and photos, and their name, image and biography, worldwide and without payment, for ICOY's non-commercial and promotional purposes;
keeps the copyright in their own ideas and material;
confirms that what they present is their own or used with permission, and is not defamatory;
agrees to follow this speaker policy; and
understands they may ask ICOY to remove a recording, which ICOY will consider in good faith.

7. Sponsorship policy

Core principle: sponsors support ICOY events; they never shape them. No sponsor may choose, review, approve or influence speakers, topics or discussion.

Prohibited sponsors

The following may not sponsor any ICOY event:

tobacco, vaping and nicotine products;
alcohol;
gambling, betting and real-money gaming;
weapons and defence manufacturers;
adult or sexual content;
political parties, candidates, and political campaigns or advocacy groups;
religious organisations;
multi-level marketing schemes;
organisations known for, or under investigation for, fraud or exploitation.

What sponsors may receive

Their name, logo, website and description in the sponsors section of your event page, with the sponsorship title you choose.
Thanks at the opening and closing of your event.
A logo on a sponsor slide or board, separate from your event logo and smaller than it.
For in-person events, a table outside the discussion space.

What sponsors may not do

Speak, moderate, or place a speaker.
Appear in your licence name or logo. "ICOY Sparks@JGIS presented by…" is not allowed.
Display branding behind or beside speakers during the discussion.
Receive attendees' contact details.
Hand out sales material during sessions.
Describe themselves as sponsors of ICOY. They sponsor your event only.

All sponsors must be listed on your event page, and you confirm for each one that it is not in a prohibited category. You record each sponsor's contribution, cash or in kind, privately with ICOY.

8. Media, web and social

Your event page on icoy.org is your event's official page. Changes you make there go live immediately, and ICOY may unpublish any page or content at any time.
Press releases about your event must be approved by ICOY before release, and must include the standard "About ICOY" text.
Only the ICOY team speaks on behalf of ICOY as a whole. In interviews, describe your event as independently organised.
Use your event's email list only for communication about your event.

9. Photos and recordings

Every event is recorded on video where possible, with each speaker's talk or contribution submitted separately. Workshops may instead share photos.
After your event, submit a Google Drive or Dropbox link for each speaker's recording from your dashboard. Link the video file itself, shared so that anyone with the link can view it, and keep it shared until it is published. ICOY uploads it to YouTube directly from your link and does not keep a copy.
The ICOY team reviews each recording. Approved recordings are published on the ICOY Regionals YouTube channel and linked on your event page. If a recording is not approved, the reason appears in your dashboard; fixable problems such as poor audio can be corrected and resubmitted.
Intro and outro graphics, including any sponsor slide, may not exceed 10 seconds each. No logos, watermarks or text over the discussion itself.
Share the ICOY Regionals YouTube link rather than uploading recordings to other channels.
Upload event photos to your event's Google Drive folder. Credit the photographer, and do not add watermarks or logos to photos.

10. Privacy and attendee data

Never sell personal information about your speakers, team or attendees, and never share it with third parties without their consent.
Follow the privacy laws that apply where you are, and keep personal information secure.
When people register with you, tell them clearly what information you collect and why, including that you will email them a short ICOY feedback form after the event. Record their consent where your local law requires it. Attendee details stay with you; do not pass them to ICOY or anyone else.
If attendees register on icoy.org, ICOY keeps their name and email until 7 days after your event and then deletes them automatically. You can see their names and emails in your dashboard, and you may use the emails only to send updates about your event (such as a change of time or the joining link) and, afterwards, its feedback link. You must not use them for anything else: no newsletters, promotions, other events, or sharing with sponsors or anyone else. Delete any copy once the feedback email is sent. Every download is recorded, and misuse is a serious breach of these rules.
Tell speakers and attendees that their information may be used to publish the event on icoy.org and the ICOY Regionals channel, to maintain speaker records, and to administer your licence.

11. After your event

Within 30 days of your event, from your dashboard:

submit the recording link for each speaker;
upload photos to your event's Drive folder; and
send your attendees your event's ICOY feedback link (the email is ready in your dashboard) and mark it as sent; and
write your event's summary in the ICOY format: an overview, the key points, the conclusions, where views differed, and the questions you did not get to.

Summaries are public. Your summary is published on icoy.org with its own page and a PDF carrying your event's logo, and it is included in ICOY's monthly and annual reports. Do not name attendees, and do not repeat anything said in confidence without permission. ICOY may take a summary offline if it breaks these rules.

Certificates. From your dashboard you can download certificates for yourself (signed by ICOY's Director-General), your speakers (signed by you and the Director-General), your team and your attendees (signed by you). They are made in your browser: your signature and the names are not uploaded or stored. Issue certificates only to people who actually took part, and do not alter them. The Director-General's signature may be used only on these certificates.

The feedback form asks attendees how likely they are to recommend your event, on a scale of 0 to 10, with an optional comment. Responses are anonymous. Your Net Promoter Score and comments are shown in your dashboard, and ICOY considers your score when you apply to renew. Hosts who do not complete these steps may be refused future licences.

Feedback closes 7 days after your event. At that point ICOY deletes the individual responses and comments, and any registrations taken on icoy.org. Only your event's score (the number of responses, the 0–10 breakdown and the Net Promoter Score) is kept. Send the feedback link soon after the event, and read the comments before they are deleted.

12. Enforcement

ICOY may remove any content, speaker or sponsor from an event page, unpublish an event page, or suspend or end a licence at any time if these guidelines are not followed. Serious or repeated breaches can lead to a host being refused any future licence.

13. Contact and reporting

For applications and licensing, write to regional-application@icoy.org.

For any other question, or to report a concern about an ICOY event, host, speaker or sponsor, including in confidence, write to regional@icoy.org. Reports are read by the ICOY team and handled confidentially.

ICOY Regionals Guidelines