Global Membership Terms & Conditions

These membership terms and conditions (the “Terms”) apply to the membership known as “the membership” and the organization (the “organization”). The term “member” is used throughout to refer to members. 

The Global Membership is owned and operated by Vegan Fashion Week, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in California, United States.

These Terms were last updated in April 2023, and apply to all members of the Global Membership.

Once a member applies for the Global Membership, member agrees to abide by these Terms. 

1. Object 

The object of the Global Membership is to inspire industry professionals, through creating a community of like-minded individuals.

2. Membership 

1. All members will be subject to these Terms which are available on request to the Committee by any member or applicant for the Global Membership

2. By applying for the Global Membership, a person accepts that, once member is accepted, the Terms will apply to member and will form a binding agreement between member and all other members.

3. Applications for membership must be made on the organization’s website and, the organization will decide in its absolute discretion whether to accept each individuals as a member. The membership is exclusive and only members that are a good fit for the organization will be accepted. The organization takes the application process seriously, but cannot in any circumstances be held responsible for the actions of any other members. The organization does not warrant to any other member the appropriateness of any individual as a member of the organization.

4. Once membership is approved, members are required to pay a membership fee in accordance with clause 3

5. If the organization concludes that any member is in breach of any of the Terms or has behaved in a manner it considers unsociable or detrimental to the enjoyment and safety of other members, or likely to bring the organization into disrepute or cause substantial prejudice to it, the organization may resolve to suspend or withdraw her membership. It will give member at least 7 days’ prior notice of its intent, of the complaints against her, and the date and time of the meeting at which he/she may explain her conduct or speak in her own defense, before it makes its decision about suspension or withdrawal of membership. It will not consider any appeal against its decision.

6. Any member who has not paid the membership fees within one calendar month of them becoming due shall forfeit the membership.

7. Members must not do any of the following things:

a). Harass any other member;

b). bully any other member; or

c). act in any way that may be detrimental to the organization or any member

If any member acts in breach of this clause, the organization shall be entitled to terminate the membership with immediate effect, and that member shall not be entitled to a refund. Members are responsible for their own actions and behaviors while participating in the membership, and must comply with the organization’s strict policies against poor behavior.

2.8 Where members are unable to take full advantage of their membership as a result of a force majeure event (including but not limited to an act of God, a natural disaster or a disease or viral outbreak), the organization shall not be required to refund the member’s membership fees or pause a member’s membership, and shall not be liable for any impact of the force majeure event.

2.9 The organization may suspend a member’s use of the app or access to certain aspects of membership where there have been complaints from other members, and those complaints would constitute a breach of these Terms. 

2.10 As a member of the organization, each member agrees to conduct herself/himself in a professional manner, and treat others with respect at all times, and be a positive brand ambassador for the organization.

2.11 It is the responsibility of each individual member to attend events and be actively engaged in the network, in order to ensure she/he gets the most out of the membership. The organization will not be liable for any member’s non-attendance or non-participation. 

3. Membership fees 

1. Membership is currently $950.00 per year or $88.00 per month (the “Membership Fee”), and may be payable in one of two ways:

3.1.1 annually in advance (an “Annual Payment”); or

3.1.2 monthly in advance, over a 12-month period (a “Monthly Payment”). 

All payments are made to the organization using the method specified by the organization from time to time.

The Membership Fee may be offered at a discount at the discretion of the management team of the organization. Other members may have been offered different Membership Fees if they were founding members. Founding Members have exclusive access to the membership pre launch, and are bound to the same terms and conditions as other members. 

Any discounted pricing or special offers are offered at the discretion of the management team and the founder members of the membership.

Each member agrees that the Membership Fee applicable to her/him shall be fixed for the term of her/his membership.

3.2 Members who have paid an Annual Payment shall not be entitled to a refund if they choose to cancel their membership throughout the year.

3.3 Members who pay using Monthly Payments may not cancel during the year, and must continue making payments for the full year, even if she chooses to cancel their membership during the year. All twelve Monthly Payments must be made within the relevant membership year. Where a Monthly Payment is two or more months late, the full Annual Payment (minus the Monthly Payments already made) will become due and payable, and the member will be required to make this payment to the organization immediately upon request.

3.4 Members will be automatically subscribed for a following year’s membership on a yearly basis. If members wish to cancel their membership at the end of any given year, they must cancel their subscription through the subscription outlet given AND give at least 1 month written notice to the organization. If a member fails to cancel their subscription and enters another financial year of membership even if written notice was given, that member will not be entitled to a refund.

It is each member’s responsibility to manage the subscription payments and cancel in time on the relevant platform ie Paypal or GoCardless, or direct debit. The organization is not liable for failure to cancel such payments.

3.5 The organization has a strict policy against multi-level marketing (“MLM”), which includes but is not limited to representatives from Arbonne and Herbalife. In the event that any member is discovered to be selling for or on behalf of any MLM company, or is using the Membership for financial gain, she/he may have her/his membership terminated immediately.

3.6 No member will be entitled to a refund under applicable consumer legislation, on the basis that each member has full access to the organization’s community from the first day of membership. 

4. Benefits of Membership

4.1 The primary function of membership is to provide an exclusive community to members. The Membership Fee payable covers entry into the community, and any other perk provided to the members shall be seen as a bonus, and not as a vital component of membership. This value is reflected in the price of membership, as well as the application process for membership. The organization is not an events company; scheduled events are run by the organization as a community, and no element of these events is reflected in the Membership Fee. 

4.4 The Membership operates a mobile application (the “app”) which members are given access to as a bonus of their membership. While the organization uses its best efforts to make sure the app is functioning at all times, the members understand that this cannot be guaranteed, and is often outside the control of the organization (including but not limited to technical difficulties). Where the app is not functioning for any reason or for any period of time, no disputes may be raised by a member against the organization. The organization will not be required to pay any refund to the member. The members acknowledge that use of the app is a ‘bonus’ of membership, and does not reflect the value of the membership.

4.5 Members are encouraged to report any issues with the app to the organization so that they can be rectified as quickly as possible.

4.6 Each member is responsible for downloading the app, opening emails from the organization and following instructions provided by the organization, to ensure that she/he is kept up to date with all news and information.

4.7 Each member agrees that she/he will not defame the organization or share negative views or comments about the organization, or its members or founders, publicly (including but not limited to through use of social media platforms, other online platforms or in person).

5. General

5.1 The organization’s liability under these Terms is limited to the annual membership fee amount.

5.2 Nothing in these Terms excludes any liability under the law that cannot be excluded.

5.3 These Terms, and any non-contractual obligations arising hereunder, shall be governed by the laws of California, and the courts of California shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

5.4 The organization will be required to gather personal information about the members when they join the membership, and throughout their membership. Such personal information will include, but is not limited to, name, email address, age, gender and other personal details. The organization will gather and process the personal data in accordance with its privacy policy, which is available on request.

5.5 The organization may terminate a member’s membership at any time, without refund, where a member has materially breached these Terms. 

5.6 Each member agrees that she/he will not resort to legal action regarding any dispute arising out of these terms without completing a dispute resolution form, which can be found on the organization’s website. The dispute resolution form is to be sent to the organization’s membership committee, and the organization will have 28 days to reply to the member. The organization will inform the member at this stage, whether it will escalate or settle the issue. The member will have a further period of 28 days to revert to the organization to confirm whether she/he would like to take the matter further.

5.7 Following this, a meeting with a mediator may be called, and the member, the founder and the founding committee shall use all best endeavors to resolve the dispute without resolving to formal legal action.

5.8 If mediation does not resolve the issue, the member shall be entitled to recourse to legal action.

5.9 Nothing in clause 5.7 shall serve to subvert any limitation periods under law, nor will it restrict the organization’s legal remedies in any way whatsoever. 

5.10 Each member understands that any material, branding or any other documentation or materials of the membership is the property and ownership of the organization, and nothing within these terms provides any intellectual property right in any of the organization’s property to any member. Each member warrants and represents that she will not attempt to copy, replicate or otherwise infringe any of the organization’s intellectual property rights in any way whatsoever.