By joining Marketing Liverpool (ML) in Partnership of VisitLiverpool and/or Liverpool Convention Bureau (VL/ LCB), you are agreeing to the following conditions, commissions and code of conduct.

Partners are expected to work with Marketing Liverpool to implement our vision for the Liverpool City Region. All Partners agree to abide by the following conditions:

• Maintain the highest standards of courtesy, cleanliness, service and best value for money at all times, which will enhance the reputation of the Liverpool City Region as a major tourist and conference destination.
• Deal promptly and courteously with all enquiries, reservations, correspondence and complaints from visitors or delegates.
• Provide accurate details of facilities and amenities available to visitors or delegates, whether by advertisement, word of mouth, brochure, website or any other means, maintaining a regular update of this information where necessary.
• Display prices correctly, whether at the premises or within any form of communication and maintain a continual update of any changes and honour those prices quoted to the visitor or delegate by whatever means.
• Respond to event enquiries and accommodation allocation requests within 24hrs.

Training & Skills

• Invest time in staff training and development to aid retention. Ensure that staff are given the correct training for their job and that when promoted are given access to higher level of training to assist them in their new role.
• Ensure that employees feel valued and are encouraged to develop themselves and your business.
• Consider offering industry placements to students to raise their awareness of the tourism industry.
• Ensure visitors receive a knowledgeable and friendly ‘Liverpool Welcome’ and staff are aware of the wider tourism offering in the City Region.
• Engage with skills and training programmes supported by the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LCRLEP).

Accessibility

• Give due consideration to access for people with limited mobility and others with special needs, as far as practical considerations relating to the business allow.
• Welcome all customers without discrimination, meeting the minimum standard requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act, ensuring Liverpool City Region is accessible to all.

Care of the Environment

• Take steps to minimise negative environmental impacts of your business and to encourage your visitors to do the same.

Performance Information

• Participate in surveys endorsed by ML to help us to measure the performance of the visitor economy sector across Liverpool City Region e.g. hotel occupancy surveys, attendances at attractions, conferences held.
• All businesses with food offerings are required, to ensure that food handlers receive appropriate supervision and instruction/training in food hygiene in line with their work activity and should enable them to handle food safely. To prove this, operators within the food industry or with food offerings must achieve and maintain a food hygiene rating (from the Food Standards Agency) of 3 or higher.

Bars, Restaurants & Cafes

• Bars, Restaurants & Cafes can become, or continue to be, a partner of Marketing Liverpool if they meet one of the following criteria:
  - The property is ranked in the Top 100 Restaurants in Merseyside on Trip Advisor
  - Achieved a minimum of 4.5star rating on Trip Advisor, based on a minimum of 500 customer reviews

Accommodation Providers

• Accommodation Providers can become, or continue to be, a partner of ML if they meet at least one of the following criteria:
  - The Accommodation is graded by an official body - We highly recommend that accommodation is graded by either VisitEngland or The AA as going through this process provides the accommodation with a good marketing and business planning tool. This is particularly the case for newly opened accommodation providers in the City Region.
  - The property is ranked in the Top 50 Hotels, or Top 20 for B&Bs, Speciality Lodging and Holiday Rentals, in Liverpool City Region on Trip Advisor.
  - Achieved a minimum of a 4-star rating on Trip Advisor, based on a minimum of 50 customer reviews
  - Be a part of a national brand which has its own self certification/inspection scheme - evidence to be provided.
  * New partners must adhere to meeting one of the above criteria.
• VisitLiverpool acts as a referral booking portal only and is therefore not responsible for no-shows, deposits or cancellations.

Tour Guides, Tour Operators, Chauffeur Services and Service Providers

• All tour guides in partnership of ML need to have completed a recognised training programme or assessment by ML/LCRLEP. Tour Operators need to be assessed by Visit England. Further details available on request. All other service providers, including chauffeur services, must be correctly licensed and comply with their relevant industry related standards or be recognised by a national body.

Complaints

• Any individual or organisation may lodge with ML a complaint concerning the activities of a Partner. Where ML feels it is necessary to intervene, ML will endeavour to resolve such complaints by mutual agreement. If in the opinion of ML this does not result in a satisfactory solution, ML will submit a report in due course to the Visitor Economy Board who shall at their absolute discretion, be at liberty to suspend a Partner from Partnership. Where ML receives more than three written complaints about a Partner within a 12-month period, we reserve the right to suspend or terminate partnership of that Partner without a refund.

Additional Conditions

• Partners are required to comply with and/or have…
  - A current fire certificate (if required by the statute)
  - Current planning regulations
  - All other statutory regulations
  - Venues, attractions, accommodation provider or services must conform to descriptions provided
  - ML reserves the right to carry out an inspection as and when considered necessary, whilst also reserves the right to refuse any application or renewal.

Cancellation of Partnership

• Partnership will continue on an on-going auto-renewal basis unless otherwise instructed
• Cancellation of Partnership must be made in writing within 28 days of receipt of invoice to Marketing Liverpool
• In the event of a cancellation a full refund of Partnership subscription cannot be guaranteed
• Any commissions due, once Partnership has been cancelled, will still be levied. This incorporates bookings that were originally made whilst in Partnership, whose arrival date is after the point of cancellation.

Finance

• Payment terms for invoices are due on receipt
• Invoices will be addressed from Liverpool City Council
• Partnership is an annual, one-off payment

By joining or renewing partnership you agree, and are subject to, all Terms and Conditions
Partnership will continue on an on-going auto-renewal basis unless otherwise instructed.

Commission Agreement

As a condition of both VisitLiverpool (hereafter known as “VL”) and Liverpool Convention Bureau (hereafter known as “LCB”) Partnerships, also referred to as Marketing Liverpool (hereafter known as “ML”) Partnership, all Partners must agree to the following terms and conditions, including where applicable ML’s Commission terms of a minimum 10% commission, payable on the total value of booking (including VAT applicable).

For Accommodation Providers Only

Accommodation providers in Partnership are subject to a minimum 10% commission payable on the total value of all bookings (including VAT applicable).

• Commission is payable when a client chooses to utilise ML’s accommodation booking services. When a request for accommodation arrives by e-mail or telephone and staff have made an enquiry on behalf of the client, any subsequent booking made is subject to payable commission.
• For all bookings made via the LCB team through their accommodation channel, a minimum 10% commission is applicable. For all bookings made through the LCB system an invoice for commission will be sent to the accommodation provider after the event. The online post-event report should be completed within 7 days to ensure the accuracy of the final invoice.
• Where a dispute occurs between the client and the accommodation provider and a compensatory reduction is given to the client, the commission claimed will remain on the original sum agreed and not the reduced price.
• It is the responsibility of the accommodation provider to keep information up to date and accurate and to ensure that all reservations are processed immediately.
• The accommodation provider’s policy in respect of room cancellations should be clearly shown.
• Allocations added to the LCB system must be held until the ‘Cut-Off date’ unless released by the Liverpool Convention Bureau team.

Commission is not payable when:

• A client books accommodation directly after using the Liverpool City Region Seasonal Guide or www.visitliverpool.com
• The client chooses to approach the accommodation provider directly after recommendation by ML, or who directly works with the provider for subsequent visits (repeat business).

Partners with Meetings and Event facilities

Any ML Partner receiving enquiries through the ML team including Venues, Suppliers and Accommodation Providers are subject to the following terms and conditions. A minimum 10% commission is payable on the total value of all bookings excluding VAT applicable.

Commission is payable under the following circumstances:

• If a quote is given either verbally or in writing to ML and passed on to a client who has chosen to use ML to help them place the conference or event. This commission is payable whether the client chooses to use our booking service or book directly.
• If the venue or accommodation is booked through ML.
• If ML’s assistance (a minimum of 2 hours) is sought to win a bid for a conference or event, either from the client or the venue and the conference is subsequently confirmed. Details of these arrangements to be agreed in advance.
• If the client chooses to use ML to obtain a quote even if they may have previously visited the venue to look around their facilities.
• If specific detailed client information is given to a partner to enable them to pursue business directly with them (applies to conference services rather than venues).
• If an event is booked with a venue after a show round organised by ML, at which a client would have been personally introduced to the venue via ML. This applies whether on either a group familiarisation trip or individual show round.
• The minimum commission rate for ML is 10% and under no circumstances must this commission be added on to the partner’s advertised rates.

Commission is not payable when:

• A client books a venue directly after using the Venue Directory publication, or after having the partner’s brochure or information sent directly.
• The client chooses to approach the venue directly after personal recommendation by ML and ML has not had contact with the venue directly either to check availability or prices.
• A client who originally booked via ML chooses to approach the venue directly for a subsequent event (repeat business).

Commission is payable on every element of the booking, e.g. day delegate rate, 24-hour rate, bed & breakfast, catering etc. Any exceptions to this must be clarified and agreed to in writing. Where appropriate the client’s final invoice will be sought in order to eliminate any misunderstanding. Where numbers or facilities required by the client increase, it is expected that the commission element would increase proportionately. Where numbers/facilities decrease, the commission element would only be payable on the final invoice. If however a venue has protected itself against a drop in numbers, the commission element is also similarly protected. ML will require a copy of the venue’s final invoice for the event, on which it will intend to issue a commission invoice one month after the date of the event. Where a dispute occurs between the client and the venue and a compensatory reduction is given to the client the commission will be claimed on the original sum agreed and not the reduced price.

By joining or renewing partnership you agree, and are subject to, all Terms and Conditions
Partnership will continue on an on-going auto-renewal basis unless otherwise instructed.

DATA POLICY

We hold your personal data, safe and secure for a variety of business purposes. This section sets out how we seek to protect your data.

Business Purposes

Business purposes include the following:

• Communication purposes to keep you informed about the updates happening in the Liverpool City Region regarding visitor economy sector/meetings, hospitality, leisure, travel trade, MICE (meetings, conference, incentive and events), Press & PR
• Marketing purposes; as a benefit of your partnership, to keep you aware of any marketing opportunities available, including events, trade shows, sales missions, publications and digital marketing

Sensitive personal data

We do not hold any personal data about you relating to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or similar beliefs, trade union partnership (or non-partnership), physical or mental health or condition, criminal offences, or related proceedings

Our procedures

Fair and lawful processing

We process personal data fairly and lawfully in accordance with your rights. This generally means that we should not process personal data, unless the individual whose details we are processing has consented to this happening.

Data is Stored

Your information is stored on our secure password protected DMS (destination management system).

Our marketing responsibilities

• Approving data protection statements attached to emails and other marketing copy
• Addressing data protection queries from partners, target audiences or media outlets

The processing of all data is:

• Necessary to deliver our services
• In our legitimate interests and not unduly prejudice of your privacy

Privacy Notice - transparency of data protection

Being transparent and providing accessible information to individuals we have on our marketing and communications databases about how we will use personal data is important for our organisation. The following are details on how we collect data and what we will do with it.

1. What information is being collected:

• Name(s)
• Location
• Job title(s)
• Contact information (including: Email Address(es), Telephone number(s)

2. Who is collecting it

• Marketing Liverpool (of Liverpool City Council) brands include VisitLiverpool and Liverpool Convention Bureau

3. How is it collected

• Upon direct request or upon request from a colleague within your business, via email and telephone
• Through application forms and update web submission forms

4. Why is it being collected

• So that we can deliver all benefits of partnership including (but not limited to): updates from Marketing Liverpool & Liverpool City Region Visitor Economy related subjects, invitations to city regions Visitor Economy sector events and communications outlining marketing opportunities, giving you an equal opportunity to engage as all partners

5. How will it be used

• For newsletter communications, operational communications including invitations to Visitor Economy sector meetings & communications outlining marketing opportunities

6. Who will it be shared with

• Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership

7. Retention period

• No later than 1 year after partnership expiry, when not renewed

Personal data - other

Personal data may be held on computer and passed on to third parties, on occasions when ML believes this to be in the partner’s interest. If you would like to be removed from this, then please advise.

Consent

The data that we collect is subject to active consent by the data subject (yourself). This consent can be revoked at any time by you.

Right to be forgotten

You may request that any information held be deleted or removed, and any third parties who process or use that data must also comply with the request. An erasure request can only be refused if an exemption applies.

By joining or renewing partnership you agree, and are subject to, all Terms and Conditions
Partnership will continue on an on-going auto-renewal basis unless otherwise instructed.

** This page was last updated on 22/01/2020**