Professional Development Policies

In order to receive event communications from us, you need to add info@publicgardens.org to your contact list and work with your IT to ensure communications coming from the following IP addresses are allowed.

198.207.147.224/27
204.239.0.224/27
216.230.14.224/27

The American Public Gardens Association (APGA) is committed to providing a secure, confidential, and professional environment for all attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and staff at our events. As such, the use of personal Artificial Intelligence (AI) notetaking tools, recording devices, or automatic transcription services by attendees during any APGA event is strictly prohibited.

Policy & Purpose

This policy applies to all events produced or run by APGA, including but not limited to in-person and virtual conferences, workshops, webinars, committee meetings, board meetings, and informal networking sessions. To protect the intellectual property of our speakers, the proprietary nature of discussions, and the personal privacy of all participants, this prohibition covers all methods of unauthorized recording or transcription, including:

• AI notetakers or transcription bots (e.g., Fireflies, Otter.ai, etc.)
• Audio or video recording applications on personal devices
• AI-driven screen-capture of presentation slides, exhibits, or proprietary materials

APGA may update this policy to include additional AI features as this technology advances or changes.

Attendees found using unauthorized personal AI notetakers or recording devices will be asked to immediately disable or remove the device and delete any unauthorized recordings or transcripts. APGA staff may also take direct action to remove AI notetaker applications or devices from meetings or sessions to protect participant privacy and ensure compliance with this policy.

Attendees who do not comply with staff instructions regarding this policy may be removed from the event without refund. Repeated or serious violations may result in suspension or denial of participation in future APGA events and activities, at the discretion of APGA leadership.

Suspected violations of this policy should be reported promptly to an APGA staff member or the event organizer.

Read the full policy here, including exceptions for accessibility needs.

All registration fees can be found on the event’s Fees page.

In order to receive Member pricing, you must have an active APGA Member Account either through your organization or your own individual membership. You must use the email address associated with your APGA Member Account for the Member discount to be automatically applied during registration.

Please note, the amount charged to your card is without any conversion fees, etc. dependent on your bank/credit card. All registration fees are charged in United States Dollars (USD). The American Public Gardens Association is registered in the state of Delaware, USA; therefore, all operations are conducted in USD.

If you need to cancel your registration:

Prior to Early Bird, you will receive a full refund.

After Early Bird, you will receive a 50% refund in order to cover the necessary fees and materials for the event.

Should unforeseen circumstances lead to the cancellation of the event, the Association will contact registrants to offer transferrable registrations, refunds, or donation options.

Regarding the Annual Conference, if you are no longer able to attend, you may transfer your registration to another person at your organization for no additional fee.

Please direct all questions regarding refunds and transfers to info@publicgardens.org.

By submitting a presentation proposal, you to agree to the following on behalf of yourself and all those listed as co-presenters in your presentation:

1. Compensation: Any expenses incurred to participate in this conference event are the presenters’ responsibility and will not be reimbursed by the Association. This also applies to printed materials as Association Staff will not have the ability to print materials for attendees and presenters while onsite.
2. Event Registration: All presenters must register for the event (min. 1-day for Annual Conference or full symposium registration) or may choose to present and attend only their session.
3. Communications: All presenters will add info@publicgardens.org to their contact list and work with the organization’s IT department to ensure communications coming from the following IP addresses are allowed.
198.207.147.224/27
204.239.0.224/27
216.230.14.224/27
4. Promotion: All presenters authorize the Association to use their names, biographies, and photos on its website and within its e-newsletters and email marketing for the purpose of promoting the Event and presentation.
5. Content: All presenters
a.) affirm copyright ownership of the content within their presentation and affirm that all necessary permissions have been obtained from any individuals or organizations whose material is included in the presentation. Examples include but are not limited to: plagiarism, memes, trademarks, slides, documents, copied and pasted images from Google, Bing, other search engines, and websites, video clips, commercials, gifs, etc.
b.) affirm that their presentation is factually accurate and will not contain any offensive, defamatory, or unlawful materials or assertions, and agree to abide by the Association’s Core Values and IDEA principles as detailed on the Association’s website at www.publicgardens.org.
c.) will refrain from displaying any images or text contradicting the mission of the Association and the professional interests of the Association members and affiliates. Presenters shall refrain from any libel, slander, or disparagement of the Association, its officers, directors, employees, affiliates, or members.
d.) will not engage in any type of promotional marketing or selling of any product or service.
e.) understand that the Association reserves the right to stop any presentation that violates the conditions set forth in this agreement.
6. Content & Presenter Changes: No substantive changes in content or presenters are made without prior written approval from Association Staff, Program Selection Committee, or Planning Committee.
7. Photography & Video Recording: Presenters consent to be photographed and video recorded and grants to the Association a royalty-free license to distribute the presentation (including video, accompanying documents, and presentation slides) to its members with appropriate attribution to the Presenter.
8. Transcription: Presenters authorize the Association to use an AI transcription service to create a real-time transcript of our presentation for any lawful purpose in connection with member education, accessibility, the Event and/or derivative materials. The Association affirms that the live transcription service does not record voices.
9. Cancellation: The Association will be notified immediately in writing if an emergency would prevent this session from being presented. In the event an originally listed presenter is unable to attend, the session coordinator will provide a substitute presenter of equal expertise for approval by the Association.
10. Release: Presenters shall indemnify, release, defend, and hold harmless the Association, its directors, officers, members and employees from and against any and all claims, demands, causes of action, losses, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses, including without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, arising out of a third party claim, action, or proceeding, based directly or indirectly on any breach of Speaker’s warranties contained herein, relating to intellectual property rights, or in any other way arising from or relating to Presenters’ performance under this Agreement.

All of the content and materials in the American Public Gardens Association (the Association) Library and Media Center are the property of the Association. Organizations and entities independent of the Association that have made contents and material publicly accessible and available, or members that have granted the Association permission to publish materials on this website are protected by all applicable copyright laws, trademark laws, and international conventions and treaties. All rights reserved by the Association or by the original owner.

Content will remain on the Association’s website until no longer relevant. The Association reserves the right to edit content, including video, as it sees fit.

Symposia/Webinars/Workshops: Registrants will have access to the event website, as well as the Attendee Hub and mobile app if applicable, for 6 months following the final day of the event if there is relevant post-event content that needs to be housed and shared (i.e. presentations/video recordings), and 1 month if no relevant post-event content exists. 

The health and safety of event attendees is of utmost importance to the Association. The Association will follow the recommended guidelines set by the CDC and the host state, county, and city of any Association event. All attendees are encouraged to maintain good health practices including appropriate hand washing.

Large gatherings of individuals, especially from disparate regions or countries, come with an increased risk of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, flu, measles, etc. Attending large gatherings, such as this event, increases your chance of being exposed to respiratory viruses. If you have concerns, please discuss your attendance and any necessary precautions with a healthcare provider

The Association reserves the right to increase or lessen restrictions at any point for any event to protect attendees and to comply with federal, state, or local requirements. By registering for an Association event, you agree to honor and abide by any policy changes. Any health and safety policy changes will be communicated as promptly as possible.

The American Public Gardens Association (the Association) is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience at Association events. We seek to provide an environment in which diverse attendees learn, network, and enjoy the company of other attendees in a professional setting. The Association does not tolerate harassment in any form. Discriminatory language, behavior, or imagery that renders discomfort in others is not appropriate. Additionally, all attendees agree to adhere to the Association Code of Professional Ethics Policy.

The Association will also not tolerate any actual or attempted reprisals or retaliation against individuals who raise, in good faith, a concern that this Anti-Harassment Policy has been violated, or who participate in the investigation of such a concern.

Those who violate these standards risk being immediately barred from further event participation, all future event participation, and/or referred to appropriate authorities.

Reporting Procedure:

If any attendee believes they or another attendee has been subject to conduct that violates the Anti-Harassment Policy, or witnesses such conduct, they should report the violation to a member of the Association Staff, as soon as possible. All reported concerns will be treated seriously and investigated promptly. All attendees are expected to cooperate fully and honestly with any investigation.

That said, please call 911 if at any time you feel that you are in immediate danger. After calling 911, you may also alert Association Staff.

The Association is committed to making professional development content accessible for all. All presentations and materials made should be in line with accessibility and inclusive practices.

The American Public Gardens Association is committed to creating an accessible, equitable, diverse and inclusive culture where the contributions of all community members are valued, respected and appreciated. The Association also seeks to encourage and support its members in creating this same culture within their own institutions.

Just as the gardens and landscapes we present are biologically diverse and engaging, we seek to consistently re-examine our professional values, modify our existing practices and remove barriers to being diverse and inclusive.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Surveys of APGA members can be a valuable tool to gain insight into members’ views and preferences and can provide significant impact to APGA and the public garden field. To maximize survey benefit and minimize member burden, decisions to deploy member surveys require the following considerations.

APGA categorizes surveys in the following way:

Internal Surveys: Developed by APGA through the board, communities, committees, or staff

1. Total Member Surveys: Target the entire active membership base. Random samples of the active membership are also considered Total Surveys. (e.g. Benchmarking)
2. Partial Member Surveys: Target specific member segments, such as individual communities or committees. Surveying multiple segments is considered a Total Survey. (e.g. Community interest survey)
3. Comprehensive Member Surveys: A type of Total Member Survey conducted roughly every 3-5 years. Committees and communities can submit proposals for inclusion of relevant survey questions. (e.g. Membership survey)

External Surveys: Developed by third parties or individual members for their own research

Read the full policy here.

By registering for and attending the American Public Gardens Association’s events, you grant the American Public Gardens Association (“the Association”) and its authorized affiliates permission to photograph, film, or otherwise record your participation in the event. You further agree that such images and recordings may be used by the Association without your prior approval in any form and for any lawful purpose including, without limitation, promoting the Association. Such use will not entitle you to any credit or compensation. You release the Association, its officers, and employees from any liability connected with the use of any image, photograph, or recording taken during the event.