TMT

The English translation of the terms and conditions is offered as a service only. The German version shall be legally binding.

The Tonmeistertagung (“Event”) is a congress exhibition, i.e., a congress with technical presentations as well as an accompanying (product) exhibition. The following participation criteria apply to those companies wishing to occupy an exhibition space as exhibitors with their products. Separate conditions apply to participation and admission to the congress area with technical presentations, which are listed separately (call for contribution).

Registration deadline

The registration deadline for participation in the Tonmeistertagung 2025 (TMT33) is set for June 30, 2025. Of course, registration is still possible and welcome after this date. First, however, the registrations received in time will be officially confirmed and only after that the further registrations will be considered according to the available possibilities.

Legal organizer and organizer

The Tonmeistertagung is organized by Bildungswerk des Verbandes Deutscher Tonmeister GmbH (BiW/vdt-GmbH), represented by:

Mr. Harald Prieß, Managing Director,
Umweger Straße 11,
76534 Baden-Baden.

BiW/vdt-GmbH is both the legal and economic sponsor of the event and is entitled to assert all claims arising therefrom.

The exhibitor profile

At the Tonmeistertagung (TMT) event, only equipment and products from the professional audio / video industry will be presented, as well as all media, service providers, institutions and organizations related to the topic. Authorized to exhibit at the Tonmeistertagung are the manufacturers of the exhibited products and brands, as well as the owners of corresponding distribution rights of the exhibited brands for the Federal Republic of Germany. It is not permitted to present products at the event that are not manufactured by the exhibitor or distributed in the Federal Republic of Germany, or to make available information material, proof of supply or price lists for them.

Registration

An invitation to participate in the event does not constitute any entitlement to subsequent admission. The exhibitor makes a binding registration for participation in the Tonmeistertagung using the registration facilities provided by the organizer. Registration is always in the exhibitor's own name. Registration on behalf of third parties is not permitted. The registration must be made within the registration deadline and must be complete. Registrations that are not properly completed will be disregarded. All registrations received after the registration deadline can only be considered according to the exhibition space/rooms still available at that time. The costs indicated refer only to the use of the exhibition areas/rooms for the times indicated. All other costs incurred directly or indirectly by the exhibitor are to be paid directly by the exhibitor. Upon receipt of the application, the conditions of participation regulated herein, and all explanations and descriptions are fully accepted as binding.

Approval as an exhibitor

The registration of a designated exhibitor constitutes a binding offer to book an exhibition space or booth. After registration, the exhibitor will receive a confirmation of receipt of the registration. This does not initially constitute a contractual acceptance of the offer to conclude the rental. After receipt of the binding registration, the organizer rather checks the fulfillment of the exhibitor criteria. The organizer decides on the admission of exhibitors and their product portfolio at its own discretion. There is no entitlement to admission. Admission may therefore be refused without stating reasons and without any claims for compensation being possible. The contract is concluded with the written confirmation of admission by the organizer. The exhibitor's claims arising from this event contract are not transferable. The allocation of stand space or exhibition rooms shall be made by the organizer according to the available possibilities, whereby special wishes of the exhibitor shall be considered as far as possible. However, the exhibitor has no fundamental claim to the allocation of a specific space, stand, or exhibition room. The confirmation of admission is always valid only for the exhibitor named therein, his brands and products registered by the exhibitor (assuming existing distribution rights). These will be published online and made public. Trademarks that have not been named will not be published and may not be exhibited or offered. Non-approved brands and goods may be removed by the organizer at the exhibitor's expense. Subsequent registration of brands or product groups is possible up to four weeks before the start of the trade fair at the latest, provided that the other criteria for admission are met. The organizer is entitled to revoke an admission granted if it was granted based on false prerequisites or information. If an exhibitor is excluded from the exhibition due to a culpable violation of the admission requirements, an immediate contractual penalty in the amount of 2,000.00 Euro will be due, payable within 10 days after receipt of the invoice. There will be no refund of participation fees. Forfeiture of the contractual penalty shall not preclude the assertion of further claims for damages. The exhibitor's data will be passed on exclusively for the performance of the services required for the implementation of the event for the purpose of contract processing by the organizer and for the use of future marketing measures. These include, among others, the commissioned stand builders, the operators of the CCD, the VDT e. V. Association, relevant security companies and the trade fair forwarding agent.

Co-exhibitor of a registered (main) exhibitor

The main exhibitor must notify the organizer of the admission of a commercially active co-exhibitor to the booked exhibition space on the application form. There is no entitlement to the admission of a co-exhibitor. Co-exhibitors are subject to the same admission conditions as the main exhibitor. Co-exhibitors have the same rights and obligations as the main exhibitor and can make use of the same services. Nevertheless, the main exhibitor is always the main person responsible for all matters in relation to the organizer. The main exhibitor will be charged a co-exhibitor fee of €440.00 for each co-exhibitor, plus the applicable statutory VAT. The main exhibitor always remains the debtor of the co-exhibitor fee. If an exhibitor uses products other than those from his own product portfolio for his trade fair presence (e.g. demonstration), this does not result in any obligation to register on the part of a possible co-exhibitor if no economic activity emanates from them at the trade fair stand, and they do not appear in advertising or through employees. If services are made available to an exhibitor or services are provided even in part, the cancellation of participation is no longer possible. Acceptance of a co-exhibitor without the organizer's consent entitles the organizer to terminate the contract with the main exhibitor without notice and to have the trade fair stand/exhibition space vacated at the exhibitor's expense.

Confirmation of participation and terms of payment

After registration has been made, receipt of this registration will be confirmed. After the closing date for registration, the exhibitor will receive written confirmation of admission. The exhibitor will be sent an invoice for the room/booth rental to be paid at the same time as the admission. The method of payment of the amounts will be specified on the invoice.

Modalities:

• 50% of the amount within 8 days after written confirmation of participation.
• 50% of the sum by October 1, 2025. Invoices for other supplies and services ordered separately are due from the respective invoice date. Upon the occurrence of a delay in payment, interest will be charged at a rate of 7.5 percentage points above the respective base interest rate. If an exhibitor is more than 14 days late with payment, the organizer is entitled to terminate the contractual relationship without notice and to dispose of the rented space elsewhere at its discretion.

Exhibitor passes

Confirmed exhibitors at the Tonmeistertagung will receive exhibitor passes free of charge depending on the exhibition space booked, which must, of course, be attended to by company staff in accordance with customer requirements. For exhibition spaces of up to 12 square meters, two (2) passes are provided free of charge. For each additional full 6 square meters of exhibition space, one (1) additional pass is provided free of charge. For each confirmed co-exhibitor, two (2) passes are provided free of charge. Additional exhibitor passes can be purchased for a fee. The exhibitor pass is valid for all days, but is only valid for the person named on it. The exhibitor pass does not entitle you to free access to the lecture conference rooms. Access to these requires the separate purchase of a congress ticket at a special price per exhibitor. The exhibitor passes are generated in our online ticket shop using a code that is sent to the exhibitors.

Retractions, exclusions

After receipt of the registration by the organizer, withdrawal from the registration or reduction of the rented stand space by the exhibitor is no longer possible. If the exhibitor does not participate in the exhibition, the entire rental fee must be paid in full. Even if a co-exhibitor does not participate, the co-exhibitor fee must be paid in full.
All costs already incurred at the instigation of the Exhibitor shall be reimbursed in full to the Organizer. The organizer is authorized to exclude exhibitors from the exhibition without notice who exhibit goods other than those listed in the range of goods. The claim to the full participation fee shall remain valid. The organizer may at any time demand from the exhibitor the removal of goods which were not part of the admission and which are incompatible with the purpose of the event or which prove to be a nuisance or a hazard. If this request is not complied with, removal shall be carried out by the organizer at the exhibitor's expense.

Eventual reservations

After receipt of the registration by the organizer, withdrawal from the registration or reduction of the rented stand space by the exhibitor is no longer possible. If the exhibitor does not participate in the exhibition, the entire rental fee must be paid in full. Even if a co-exhibitor does not participate, the co-exhibitor fee must be paid in full. All costs already incurred at the instigation of the Exhibitor shall be reimbursed in full to the Organizer. The organizer is authorized to exclude exhibitors from the exhibition without notice who exhibit goods apart from those listed in the range of goods. The claim to the full participation fee shall remain valid. The organizer may at any time demand from the exhibitor the removal of goods which were not part of the admission and which are incompatible with the purpose of the event or which prove to be a nuisance or a hazard. If this request is not complied with, removal shall be carried out by the organizer at the exhibitor's expense.

Constructional requirements

To ensure an overall impression that meets the requirements of the exhibition, the organizer will offer ready-made but open exhibition stands. When booking as well as building on undeveloped areas, specifications for the design of the exhibition stand are established, which include binding conditions. These conditions are specified (construction height, fire protection) and are available on request. Advertising panels may only be placed within the rented stands, areas, or rooms. It is not permitted to place advertising and sales items of any kind outside the rented exhibition rooms/areas. This also includes aisles, the foyer, and all other areas inside and outside the event location. If costs are incurred for the removal of illegally placed items, the costs will be charged to the exhibitor. The volume of demonstrations during the exhibition must be such that other exhibitors or visitors are not disturbed. The maximum volume of 65 dbA at the booth boundaries must not be exceeded. On principle, musical performances are not permitted on “open” stands without closed walls. During the opening hours of the exhibition, an employee of the exhibitor must be present at the stand / in the exhibition room at all times. The exhibits must be visibly displayed during the opening hours of the exhibition. Exhibition stands and other exhibition rooms must be fully functional and accessible to visitors by the specified end of the exhibition. Dismantling before the specified end of the trade fair is not permitted. In the case of culpable violation of these regulations, the organizer is entitled to impose a contractual penalty of 2,000.00 euros, payable within 8 working days from receipt of invoice.

Sales and advertising

Only exhibition-related advertising measures that do not violate legal regulations or offend common decency are permitted. The carrying out of advertising for other companies or other events is not permitted. Attaching and distributing advertising material or samples outside the rented stand/room and writing on walls is prohibited. Unlawfully attached advertising will be removed by the organizer at the exhibitor's expense. In all cases, the decision of the organizer is binding and final. Sales to end consumers are strictly prohibited during the exhibition.

Commercial legal protection

The exhibitor warrants that his presentation and the exhibited items do not violate any regulations under competition law or other statutory provisions and do not infringe any industrial property rights of third parties. The protection and defense of such rights shall be the sole responsibility of the infringed exhibitor. Should a claim be made against the organizer based on the exhibitor's presentation and/or exhibited items, the exhibitor shall indemnify the organizer against all claims, including any reasonable costs of legal defense, at the organizer's first request.

Performances requiring registration

The public reproduction of copyrighted content via sound recordings or videos, as well as live music performances, requires registration with GEMA. Each exhibitor is responsible for proper registration.

Publications and plans

The organizer will publish an overview plan for the event and a list of exhibitors and brands for the Tonmeistertagung on the Internet (homepage, app and social media) and in print (vdt magazine). The exhibitors will be informed about the entries and advertising opportunities. The respective exhibitor is responsible for the content of entries and any damage that may arise from them. If the organizer, as the publisher of all publications, is held liable for alleged infringements of rights or infringements of third-party property rights due to the content of the entries and the related advertising, the exhibitor will indemnify the organizer on first request for all claims resulting from this, including the reasonable costs of the legal dispute.

Cleaning and disposal

The exhibitor is responsible for cleaning the rented booths during the exhibition. Waste disposal during the duration of the exhibition and during the construction and dismantling periods is at the exhibitor's expense. The exhibitor is not entitled to leave garbage or other materials at his stand/room after the end of the trade fair, which must be disposed of.

Household rights

During the exhibition, the exhibitor is subject to the organizer's domiciliary rights and the domiciliary rights of the exhibition location. The instructions of the authorized individuals of the organizer and the exhibition location must be obeyed. Outside stands / rooms may not be entered outside the official opening hours of the exhibition without permission of the respective stand owner. The holding of special events at the stands / in the rooms outside the official opening hours of the exhibition is not permitted in the first instance, but can be approved individually on request and by arrangement. Photography, filming (video) and drawing for commercial purposes or for publication in other communication channels is only permitted with the permission of the organizer. Press photographers with appropriate identification do not require special permission from the organizer for press photography. However, the organizer is entitled to have photographs, film recordings and drawings made of exhibition stands and of exhibited items and to use them for its own publications. The exhibitor hereby gives his consent to the use of photographs, film recordings and drawings showing him or his exhibition stand. He undertakes to employ only individuals at his stand who have also given their consent to the use of photographs, film footage and drawings. Should claims be asserted against the organizer in this regard by the personnel, the exhibitor undertakes, at the first request of the organizer, to indemnify the latter against all claims in this regard, including the reasonable costs of legal defense.

Liability and insurance

Liability for damage to exhibition goods and stand equipment and their loss shall be limited to intentional or grossly negligent breaches of duty on the part of the organizer, his employees, or other vicarious agents. This does not apply to the violation of essential contractual obligations (cardinal obligations) or injury to life, body or health. The same applies to claims under the Product Liability Act and the Data Protection Act. In the event of operational disruptions of any kind or other events affecting the event, the organizer shall only be liable if these events can be proven to have been caused by him or his vicarious agents intentionally or through gross negligence. The organizer shall only be liable for damage to individuals or property caused by the exhibits if the damage is demonstrably the result of intent or gross negligence on the part of the organizer, its employees or other vicarious agents.

Closing provisions

All agreements, individual permits and special regulations relating to the exhibition must be confirmed in writing by the organizer. The period of limitation shall commence at the end of the exhibition. The place of performance and exclusive place of jurisdiction for all mutual obligations of the parties arising from this contract as well as disputes arising from and in the context of the contract is Baden-Baden. The contractual relationship shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. The German text shall be exclusively authoritative for the content of the contract. Should individually provision of these Conditions of Participation be invalid, this shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.

Bildungswerk des Verbandes Deutscher Tonmeister GmbH (Training Center of the Association of German Sound Engineers)
Harald Prieß
Baden-Baden, October 2, 2024
© Bildungswerk des Verbandes Deutscher Tonmeister GmbH