Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Venue Connect ("we," "us," or "our") operates a marketplace platform that connects event organizers with restaurant and venue hosts offering event spaces for rent. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use our website, mobile applications, and related services (collectively, the "Platform"). By using the Platform, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect information such as your name, email address, phone number, profile photo, and password. If you register as a venue host, we may also collect your business name, tax identification number, and bank account details for payment processing.

2.2 Booking Data

When you make or receive a booking, we collect details about the reservation including event type, date, time, number of guests, special requests, and any communications between guests and hosts.

2.3 Payment Information

We collect payment-related information necessary to process transactions. Credit card numbers and bank details are handled directly by our payment processor, Stripe, and are not stored on our servers.

2.4 Usage Data

We automatically collect information about how you interact with the Platform, including pages visited, search queries, venues viewed, booking history, and features used.

2.5 Device and Technical Information

We collect device-specific information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, and general location data derived from your IP address.

2.6 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to recognize your browser, remember your preferences, and understand how you use our Platform. See Section 8 for our full Cookie Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• a.Provide and maintain the Platform — to operate the marketplace, facilitate venue searches, and enable bookings between guests and hosts.
• b.Process bookings and payments — to handle reservations, process transactions, issue receipts, and manage refunds or disputes.
• c.Communicate with you — to send booking confirmations, reminders, updates, support responses, and promotional messages (with your consent).
• d.Improve the Platform — to analyze usage patterns, troubleshoot issues, conduct research, and develop new features and services.
• e.Power AI Concierge features — to provide personalized venue recommendations, assist with event planning, and offer intelligent search results through our AI-powered concierge system.
• f.Ensure safety and prevent fraud — to verify identities, detect suspicious activity, enforce our terms of service, and protect the security of our users.
• g.Comply with legal obligations — to meet applicable legal requirements, respond to lawful requests, and protect our rights.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

4.1 With Venue Hosts and Guests

When you make a booking, we share relevant information with the venue host (such as your name, contact details, event type, and guest count) so they can fulfill your reservation. Hosts' venue details and availability are shared with potential guests.

4.2 Payment Processors

We share payment information with Stripe, our payment processing partner, to process transactions securely. Stripe handles your financial data according to its own privacy policy and PCI DSS compliance standards.

4.3 Email Communications

We use Resend as our email service provider to deliver transactional and marketing emails. Your email address and related communication data are shared with Resend solely for the purpose of delivering these communications.

4.4 Analytics Providers

We use analytics services to understand Platform usage. These providers may collect and process aggregated, anonymized data about your interactions with the Platform.

4.5 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities, such as a court order or government agency.

5. Data Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS 1.3 and at rest using AES-256 encryption.
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Access controls that limit employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis.
• Secure authentication mechanisms, including support for multi-factor authentication.
• Monitoring systems to detect and respond to potential security incidents.
• Regular backups stored in encrypted, geographically distributed locations.

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to promptly addressing any breach in accordance with applicable laws.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• a.Access — You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• b.Correction — You can request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• c.Deletion — You can request that we delete your personal data, subject to certain legal exceptions (such as records required for tax or legal compliance).
• d.Data Portability — You can request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• e.Opt-Out — You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or updating your notification preferences in your account settings.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@hostprivateevent.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. After account deletion, we may retain certain data for the following periods:

• Transaction records: retained for 7 years to comply with tax and financial reporting obligations.
• Communication records: retained for 3 years for dispute resolution purposes.
• Usage and analytics data: retained in anonymized form indefinitely for statistical analysis.
• Security logs: retained for 1 year for fraud prevention and security purposes.

8. Cookie Policy

We use the following types of cookies on our Platform:

8.1 Essential Cookies

Required for the Platform to function properly. These handle authentication, session management, and security features. They cannot be disabled.

8.2 Functional Cookies

Remember your preferences, such as language settings, search filters, and display options, to provide a more personalized experience.

8.3 Analytics Cookies

Help us understand how visitors interact with the Platform by collecting anonymized usage data. This information is used to improve performance and user experience.

8.4 Marketing Cookies

Used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. You can opt out of these cookies through your browser settings or our cookie preference center.

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Platform.

9. Third-Party Services

Our Platform integrates with the following third-party services that may process your data:

10. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, make a booking, or list a venue on Venue Connect. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we become aware that we have collected data from a person under 18, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@hostprivateevent.com.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• a.Right to Know — You may request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal data we have collected about you, the sources of that data, our purposes for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• b.Right to Delete — You may request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain exceptions.
• c.Right to Correct — You may request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• d.Right to Opt-Out of Sale — We do not sell your personal information. If this changes in the future, we will provide a clear opt-out mechanism.
• e.Non-Discrimination — We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

To exercise your California privacy rights, contact us at hello@hostprivateevent.com or call us at (800) 555-0199. We will verify your identity before processing your request.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on the Platform, sending you an email, or through other appropriate communication channels at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of the updated policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes. We encourage you to review this page periodically for the latest information.

13. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: