Effective Date: [August 27th, 2026] · Last Updated: [August 27th, 2026]
⚠ NOTICE — PLEASE READ
These Terms contain an ARBITRATION AGREEMENT and a CLASS ACTION WAIVER in Section 19. They affect how disputes between you and Hampton Events are resolved: most disputes go to individual, binding arbitration rather than to a court or a jury, and you give up the right to participate in a class action.
You may opt out of the arbitration agreement within 30 days, without affecting any other part of these Terms or your relationship with us. Section 19.9 tells you exactly how.
Section 17 limits our liability to you. Please read these Terms in full.
1. Agreement to these Terms
1.1 Who these Terms are between
These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) are a binding agreement between you and Hampton Events ([Hampton Events LLC]) (“Hampton Events,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) governing your use of [https://www.hamptonevents.com] and any subdomain, form, client portal, or payment page we operate (together, the “Site”).
1.2 How you accept them
You accept these Terms when you do any of the following:
If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Site.
1.3 The Privacy Policy is part of this agreement
Our Privacy Policy at [https://www.hamptonevents.com/privacy-policy] is incorporated into these Terms by reference. It explains what information we collect and how we handle it.
1.4 If you have a signed services agreement with us
These Terms govern your use of the Site. They do not describe the event planning services we provide.
If you have signed a services agreement with Hampton Events, that agreement controls the services, the fees, the scope, the cancellation terms, and the allocation of risk between us. Where these Terms conflict with a signed services agreement, the services agreement controls — except that Section 19 (Arbitration) and Section 20 (Governing Law and Venue) of these Terms apply only to disputes arising from your use of the Site, and the corresponding provisions of the services agreement apply to disputes arising from the services.
2. Who may use the Site
You may use the Site only if you are at least 18 years old and legally able to enter a binding contract. If you use the Site on behalf of a company or other organization, you represent that you are authorized to bind it, and “you” includes that organization.
The Site is offered from the United States and is intended for users in the United States.
3. Information on the Site is not an offer
Descriptions of our services, packages, sample deliverables, portfolio galleries, timelines, and any pricing or fee ranges shown on the Site are for general information only. They are not an offer, a quote, a guarantee of availability, or a binding commitment, and they may change without notice.
No engagement exists, and we owe you no obligation to perform, until (a) we and you sign a services agreement and (b) we receive the retainer that agreement requires. Submitting a form, exchanging emails, discussing a date, or receiving a proposal does not reserve a date or create a contract.
Fee ranges shown on the Site exclude third-party costs — venue, catering, production, labor, rentals, staffing, talent, transportation, permits, and taxes — which are the client’s responsibility under our services agreements.
4. Client portal accounts
4.1 Your account
Where we give you access to a client portal, you must provide accurate registration information and keep it current. You are responsible for everything that happens under your account.
4.2 Credentials
Keep your password confidential, use a password you do not use elsewhere, and enable multi-factor authentication if offered. Notify us immediately at [[email protected]] if you suspect unauthorized access. We are not liable for loss arising from your failure to safeguard your credentials, though we will act promptly once you tell us.
4.3 Sharing access
Do not share your credentials. If colleagues or family members need access, ask us to create separate accounts. If you invite or authorize another person to use your account, you are responsible for their conduct.
4.4 Suspension
We may suspend or terminate an account, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe it has been compromised, is being misused, or is being used in violation of these Terms, or where required to protect the Site or other users.
5. Content you upload or send us
5.1 Your content stays yours
You keep ownership of everything you upload or send us — documents, spreadsheets, images, brand assets, presentation files, guest and attendee lists, and messages (“Your Content”).
5.2 The permission you give us
You grant Hampton Events a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to host, store, reproduce, adapt, and transmit Your Content solely to provide the Site and perform our services for you, and to share it with the vendors, venues, and service providers who need it for your event. This license ends when we delete Your Content under our retention schedule, except for reasonable backup copies and records we must keep.
This license does not permit us to publish Your Content or to use it in marketing. Publishing images or identifying information requires the separate written consent described in Section 11.
5.3 What you promise about Your Content
You represent and warrant that you have all rights necessary to give us Your Content and the license above, and that Your Content does not infringe or misappropriate anyone’s intellectual property, violate anyone’s privacy or publicity rights, or violate any law.
5.4 Guest and attendee lists
If you upload information about other people — guests, attendees, employees, speakers, or sponsors — you are responsible for having the right to give it to us and for any notice or consent those people are owed. We will handle it as described in the Privacy Policy and, where applicable, in your services agreement.
5.5 Do not upload
Do not upload Social Security or other government identification numbers, full payment card or bank account numbers, medical records beyond an accommodation request, credentials to your own systems, biometric data, or anything you are contractually or legally barred from disclosing. If you do, we may delete it without notice.
5.6 We do not guarantee storage
The portal is a working tool, not a backup service or a system of record. Keep your own copies. We are not liable for loss or corruption of Your Content, though we maintain reasonable backups.
6. Prohibited conduct
You agree not to:
7. Payments made through the Site
7.1 Third-party processor
Payments are processed by [INSERT PROCESSOR — e.g., Stripe, Square, QuickBooks Payments], not by us. Your use of that service is subject to its own terms and privacy policy. We do not receive or store your full card number or bank credentials.
7.2 What you authorize
By submitting a payment you authorize us and our processor to charge the payment method you provide for the amount shown, plus any applicable taxes and any card surcharge disclosed to you before the charge is made.
7.3 Your services agreement governs the money
The amounts due, the schedule, the retainer, late charges, refunds, and cancellation consequences are governed by your signed services agreement, not by these Terms. Making a payment through the Site does not modify that agreement. In particular, under our services agreements the retainer is non-refundable and earned on receipt, and cancellation fees apply on a sliding scale — read your agreement.
7.4 Errors and duplicates
Tell us within [30] days if you believe a charge is wrong. We will investigate and refund any amount we agree was charged in error.
7.5 Chargebacks
If you dispute a charge with your card issuer instead of contacting us first, we may suspend services until it is resolved, and you remain responsible for amounts properly owed under your services agreement plus any reasonable costs we incur responding to the dispute.
8. Email and text messages
By giving us your email address you agree we may send you email about your inquiry, your event, and your account. Marketing email is sent only where you have subscribed or where otherwise permitted by law, and every marketing message contains a working unsubscribe link.
If you give us a mobile number and opt in to text messages, message and data rates may apply and message frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. Consent to marketing texts is not a condition of purchasing any service. Details are in the Privacy Policy.
9. Feedback
If you send us ideas, suggestions, or feedback about the Site or our services, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use them for any purpose without obligation or compensation to you. Please do not send us anything you consider confidential or proprietary as unsolicited feedback.
10. Our intellectual property
10.1 What we own
The Site and its contents — text, layout, design, graphics, logos, photographs, video, galleries, sample deliverables, checklists, templates, and the selection and arrangement of all of it — are owned by Hampton Events or our licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws.
“Hampton Events” and our logos are our trademarks. You may not use them without our prior written permission.
10.2 What you may do
You may view, download, and print pages from the Site for your own personal or internal business use in connection with considering or receiving our services. You must keep all copyright and trademark notices intact.
10.3 What you may not do
Everything else requires our written permission — including republishing, redistributing, selling, licensing, framing, or creating derivative works from Site content, and using our portfolio images, checklists, templates, vendor lists, or pricing for any commercial purpose or to train an AI model.
10.4 Planning materials
Deliverables we create in the course of an engagement — strategy decks, run-of-show and production schedules, floor plans, budget models, checklists, timelines, and vendor directories — remain our property and are licensed to you on the terms of your services agreement, not these Terms.
11. Photography, likeness, and takedown requests
We publish event photography and video only with written consent, as our Privacy Policy explains in detail. Under the Illinois Right of Publicity Act, 765 ILCS 1075/1 et seq., we must have previous written consent before using a person’s identity for a commercial purpose such as a portfolio, and consent for a person under 18 must come from a parent or legal guardian.
If an image or video of you appears on the Site or our social media and you want it removed, email [[email protected]] with enough detail to identify it. We will remove it from the Site and our own accounts within thirty (30) days and stop using it in new materials. We cannot recall printed materials already distributed or content republished by a third party.
12. Vendors, venues, and third-party links
The Site links to and displays information about venues, vendors, and partners. We do not control them, we do not warrant their services, and a link, mention, or photograph is not an endorsement or a guarantee.
Under our services agreements, clients contract with and pay vendors and venues directly, and Hampton Events is not responsible for a vendor’s or venue’s acts, omissions, pricing, insurance, licensing, or performance. Nothing on the Site changes that.
13. Portfolio, testimonials, and results
Portfolio images and case studies show work we have done for specific clients with specific budgets, venues, vendors, and constraints. They are illustrations, not a promise of what your event will look like or cost. Testimonials reflect individual experiences and are not a guarantee of any outcome, attendance figure, business result, or return on investment.
14. Copyright complaints (DMCA)
We respect copyright. If you believe content on the Site infringes your copyright, send a written notice with the elements required by 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3) to our designated agent:
DMCA Agent: [INSERT NAME OR ROLE] Hampton Events, [INSERT ADDRESS] [[email protected]] · [INSERT PHONE]
Your notice must include: your physical or electronic signature; identification of the copyrighted work; identification of the material you claim is infringing and enough information for us to locate it; your contact information; a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized; and a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and that you are the owner or authorized to act for the owner.
We will remove or disable access to material as required, notify the person who posted it, and honor a counter-notification that meets 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3). Misrepresentation in a notice or counter-notice may make you liable for damages under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f). We terminate the accounts of repeat infringers.
Decision note — this section is worthless without one more step. The DMCA safe harbor is conditional: you must designate your agent and register that agent electronically with the U.S. Copyright Office (37 C.F.R. § 201.38 — currently a $6 fee, renewable every three years), publish the agent’s contact information on the Site, and actually implement a repeat-infringer policy. Register at dmca.copyright.gov, then delete this note. If you never register, delete Section 14 rather than publish a promise you cannot rely on.
15. Accessibility
We want the site to be usable by everyone. We are working toward conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA and treat accessibility as an ongoing effort rather than a finished state. We do not claim that the Site is fully conformant or fully compliant with any standard.
Some third-party content we embed — photo galleries, maps, payment pages, social feeds, and scheduling or chat tools — may not fully conform, and we do not control it.
If you have difficulty using any part of the Site, or need information from it in an alternative format, contact us and we will help and will provide the information another way.
Accessibility contact: [[email protected]] · [224-795-0960] We aim to respond within [5] business days. Last accessibility review: [August 27th, 2026]
Decision note. Two cautions. First, never state that the Site “is ADA compliant” or “is WCAG 2.1 AA compliant” — an overclaim is used as an admission and as a separate Consumer Fraud Act hook. The language above is deliberately a commitment to effort plus a human contact. Second, accessibility overlay widgets are not a defense and have themselves become a litigation target; fix the underlying code instead.
16. Disclaimers
THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ON IT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express, implied, and statutory, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement, and any warranty arising from course of dealing or usage of trade.
We do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free; that defects will be corrected; that the Site or its servers are free of harmful components; or that information on the Site is accurate, complete, or current.
Nothing on the Site is legal, tax, accounting, insurance, or financial advice. Information about permits, taxes, insurance, union labor rules, marriage licenses, accessibility requirements, or privacy law is general information that changes frequently. Consult your own qualified professional.
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of the above may not apply to you.
17. Limitation of liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:
(a) NEITHER HAMPTON EVENTS NOR ITS PRINCIPALS, OWNERS, EMPLOYEES, OR CONTRACTORS WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF THE SITE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
(b) OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SITE OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (i) [$500.00] OR (ii) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US THROUGH THE SITE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.
This Section limits liability arising from the Site only. Liability arising from event planning services is governed by your signed services agreement.
This Section does not limit liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or fraud; for bodily injury or death caused by our own negligence; or for any liability that may not be limited under Illinois law — including any non-waivable right you may have under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, 815 ILCS 505/1 et seq.
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so parts of this Section may not apply to you.
18. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Hampton Events and its principals (including Nicole L. Hampton), owners, officers, employees, and contractors from any third-party claim, demand, loss, liability, or expense, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of or relating to: your use of the Site; your breach of these Terms; Your Content, including guest or attendee information you supplied and any notice or consent you failed to obtain; your violation of any law or of anyone’s intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights; or any activity under your portal account. We may assume the exclusive defense of any such matter at your expense, and you will cooperate with us.
19. ARBITRATION AGREEMENT AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY — IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS. IT REQUIRES INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION OF MOST DISPUTES AND WAIVES YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION. YOU MAY OPT OUT WITHIN 30 DAYS — SEE SECTION 19.9.
19.1 Talk to us first
Before starting arbitration or any proceeding, please email [[email protected]] describing the problem and what you would like us to do. We will respond within thirty (30) days, and most issues are resolved here. If we have a claim against you, we will do the same. This informal step is a condition precedent to arbitration for both of us, and the time it takes does not count against any limitations period.
19.2 Agreement to arbitrate
If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, you and Hampton Events agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to the Site, these Terms, or our marketing — whether in contract, tort, statute, or otherwise — will be resolved by binding individual arbitration and not in court, except as Sections 19.6, 19.7, and 19.8 provide.
19.3 Rules, administrator, and place
Arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules (or its Commercial Arbitration Rules where you are contracting as a business), before one arbitrator, and is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq., and, to the extent applicable, the Uniform Arbitration Act, 710 ILCS 5/1 et seq.
The arbitration will be held remotely, or in the county where you live, or in Cook County, Illinois — your choice. The arbitrator will apply Illinois law, may award any individual remedy a court could award, and will issue a written decision explaining the essential findings. Judgment may be entered on the award in any court of competent jurisdiction, including the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
19.4 Who pays
We will pay all AAA filing, administrative, and arbitrator fees that exceed what it would cost you to file the same claim in court, unless the arbitrator finds your claim was frivolous or brought in bad faith. Each of us otherwise bears our own attorneys’ fees, except where a statute or the arbitrator’s award provides otherwise.
19.5 Class action waiver
ARBITRATION WILL BE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY. NEITHER YOU NOR HAMPTON EVENTS MAY BRING OR PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, AND THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE THE CLAIMS OF MORE THAN ONE PERSON OR PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.
This waiver is not severable. If it is found unenforceable as to any claim, then Section 19.2 does not apply to that claim, and that claim alone must proceed in the courts identified in Section 20 — but the rest of Section 19 remains in force for all other claims.
19.6 Small claims
Either of us may bring an individual claim in small claims court instead of arbitration, so long as it stays there and stays individual. In Illinois, a small claim is currently a claim for money not exceeding $10,000 (Illinois Supreme Court Rule 281).
19.7 Injunctive relief for intellectual property
Either of us may ask a court for temporary or preliminary injunctive relief to stop infringement or misuse of intellectual property or confidential information, without first arbitrating and without waiving arbitration of the merits.
19.8 Claims this Section does not cover
This Section does not apply to, and nothing in it waives your right to bring in court: a claim alleging sexual assault or sexual harassment, which you may bring in court notwithstanding this Section pursuant to 9 U.S.C. § 402; or any other claim that may not lawfully be subjected to a pre-dispute arbitration agreement. You also retain the right to file a complaint with any government agency.
19.9 Your 30-day right to opt out
You may reject this arbitration agreement. Send us written notice within thirty (30) days after you first accept these Terms, stating your name, the email address associated with your use of the Site, and that you opt out of arbitration:
Email: [[email protected]] with subject line “Arbitration Opt-Out” Or mail: Hampton Events, Attn: Legal, [2553 W Hirsch St, Chicago, IL 60622]
Opting out costs you nothing. It does not affect any other part of these Terms, and we will not treat you differently for doing it. If you opt out, disputes go to the courts identified in Section 20.
19.10 Changes and survival
If we materially change this Section 19, the change will not apply to a dispute we already knew about, and you will have a fresh thirty (30) days to opt out. This Section survives termination of these Terms and the closing of your account. The arbitrator, not a court, decides questions about the interpretation and scope of this Section — except that a court decides the enforceability of Section 19.5.
20. Governing law and venue
These Terms and any dispute arising out of them are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. For any matter not subject to arbitration — including a small claims action, a request for injunctive relief, a proceeding to compel arbitration, or a proceeding to confirm, vacate, or enforce an award — you and Hampton Events consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois, and waive any objection based on venue or forum non conveniens. Each of us waives any right to a trial by jury in any such proceeding, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
21. Time limit for claims
Except for a claim to collect amounts owed, and except where a longer period may not lawfully be shortened, any claim arising out of or relating to the Site or these Terms must be commenced within two (2) years after the claim arises, or it is permanently barred. Illinois would otherwise apply a ten-year period to a written contract (735 ILCS 5/13-206); we agree two years is reasonable given the nature of website use.
22. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms. We will change the Last Updated date and, for a material change:
if you have a portal account, we will email you at least fourteen (14) days before the change takes effect; and
otherwise, we will post a notice on the Site for at least thirty (30) days.
Changes apply prospectively only. Continued use of the Site after a change takes effect means you accept it. If you do not accept a change, stop using the Site and close your account. We keep dated copies of prior versions and will provide one on request.
23. Suspension and termination
You may stop using the Site at any time and may ask us to close your portal account. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Site or the portal, with or without notice, if you breach these Terms, if we reasonably believe your use creates risk or legal exposure, or if we discontinue the Site or a feature. Sections 5.2, 5.3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 survive termination.
24. Electronic communications and signatures
You consent to receive communications from us electronically — by email, through the portal, or by notice posted on the Site — and you agree that electronic communications satisfy any legal requirement that a communication be in writing. You agree that clicking a button, ticking a box, or typing your name constitutes your signature, having the same force and effect as a handwritten signature, under the Illinois Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, 815 ILCS 333/1 et seq. (including 815 ILCS 333/7), and the federal E-SIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq. (including the consumer-consent provisions of § 7001(c)).
You may withdraw consent to electronic communications by emailing [[email protected]], though doing so may mean we cannot provide the portal or online payment features. To access electronic records you need a current web browser, an active email account, and the ability to view and save PDF files.
25. General
Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and Hampton Events regarding the Site, and supersede any prior understanding about the Site. They do not supersede a signed services agreement as to the services (Section 1.4).
Severability. If a provision is held invalid or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if that is not possible, severed, and the rest remains in effect — except that Section 19.5 is governed by its own non-severability rule.
No waiver. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it.
Assignment. You may not assign these Terms without our written consent. We may assign them to a successor in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
No third-party beneficiaries. These Terms are for the benefit of you and us only.
Force majeure. We are not liable for any delay or failure to make the Site available caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including hosting or network failure, cyberattack, power loss, severe weather, civil unrest, labor dispute, or government order.
Headings and construction. Headings are for convenience only. “Including” means “including without limitation.” These Terms will be construed as if drafted jointly, with no presumption against the drafter.
Relationship. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship between you and us.
Contact. Questions about these Terms:
Hampton Events — Attn: Legal [2553 W Hirsch St, Chicago, IL 60622] [[email protected]] · [224-795-0960]
⚠ NOTICE — PLEASE READ
These Terms contain an ARBITRATION AGREEMENT and a CLASS ACTION WAIVER in Section 19. They affect how disputes between you and Hampton Events are resolved: most disputes go to individual, binding arbitration rather than to a court or a jury, and you give up the right to participate in a class action.
You may opt out of the arbitration agreement within 30 days, without affecting any other part of these Terms or your relationship with us. Section 19.9 tells you exactly how.
Section 17 limits our liability to you. Please read these Terms in full.
1. Agreement to these Terms
1.1 Who these Terms are between
These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) are a binding agreement between you and Hampton Events ([Hampton Events LLC]) (“Hampton Events,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) governing your use of [https://www.hamptonevents.com] and any subdomain, form, client portal, or payment page we operate (together, the “Site”).
1.2 How you accept them
You accept these Terms when you do any of the following:
- tick the box confirming you have read and agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy when you create a client portal account or complete a payment;
- submit a form on the Site where the button is accompanied by a statement that submitting constitutes agreement to these Terms; or
- use the client portal after we have given you access.
1.3 The Privacy Policy is part of this agreement
Our Privacy Policy at [https://www.hamptonevents.com/privacy-policy] is incorporated into these Terms by reference. It explains what information we collect and how we handle it.
1.4 If you have a signed services agreement with us
These Terms govern your use of the Site. They do not describe the event planning services we provide.
If you have signed a services agreement with Hampton Events, that agreement controls the services, the fees, the scope, the cancellation terms, and the allocation of risk between us. Where these Terms conflict with a signed services agreement, the services agreement controls — except that Section 19 (Arbitration) and Section 20 (Governing Law and Venue) of these Terms apply only to disputes arising from your use of the Site, and the corresponding provisions of the services agreement apply to disputes arising from the services.
2. Who may use the Site
You may use the Site only if you are at least 18 years old and legally able to enter a binding contract. If you use the Site on behalf of a company or other organization, you represent that you are authorized to bind it, and “you” includes that organization.
The Site is offered from the United States and is intended for users in the United States.
3. Information on the Site is not an offer
Descriptions of our services, packages, sample deliverables, portfolio galleries, timelines, and any pricing or fee ranges shown on the Site are for general information only. They are not an offer, a quote, a guarantee of availability, or a binding commitment, and they may change without notice.
No engagement exists, and we owe you no obligation to perform, until (a) we and you sign a services agreement and (b) we receive the retainer that agreement requires. Submitting a form, exchanging emails, discussing a date, or receiving a proposal does not reserve a date or create a contract.
Fee ranges shown on the Site exclude third-party costs — venue, catering, production, labor, rentals, staffing, talent, transportation, permits, and taxes — which are the client’s responsibility under our services agreements.
4. Client portal accounts
4.1 Your account
Where we give you access to a client portal, you must provide accurate registration information and keep it current. You are responsible for everything that happens under your account.
4.2 Credentials
Keep your password confidential, use a password you do not use elsewhere, and enable multi-factor authentication if offered. Notify us immediately at [[email protected]] if you suspect unauthorized access. We are not liable for loss arising from your failure to safeguard your credentials, though we will act promptly once you tell us.
4.3 Sharing access
Do not share your credentials. If colleagues or family members need access, ask us to create separate accounts. If you invite or authorize another person to use your account, you are responsible for their conduct.
4.4 Suspension
We may suspend or terminate an account, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe it has been compromised, is being misused, or is being used in violation of these Terms, or where required to protect the Site or other users.
5. Content you upload or send us
5.1 Your content stays yours
You keep ownership of everything you upload or send us — documents, spreadsheets, images, brand assets, presentation files, guest and attendee lists, and messages (“Your Content”).
5.2 The permission you give us
You grant Hampton Events a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to host, store, reproduce, adapt, and transmit Your Content solely to provide the Site and perform our services for you, and to share it with the vendors, venues, and service providers who need it for your event. This license ends when we delete Your Content under our retention schedule, except for reasonable backup copies and records we must keep.
This license does not permit us to publish Your Content or to use it in marketing. Publishing images or identifying information requires the separate written consent described in Section 11.
5.3 What you promise about Your Content
You represent and warrant that you have all rights necessary to give us Your Content and the license above, and that Your Content does not infringe or misappropriate anyone’s intellectual property, violate anyone’s privacy or publicity rights, or violate any law.
5.4 Guest and attendee lists
If you upload information about other people — guests, attendees, employees, speakers, or sponsors — you are responsible for having the right to give it to us and for any notice or consent those people are owed. We will handle it as described in the Privacy Policy and, where applicable, in your services agreement.
5.5 Do not upload
Do not upload Social Security or other government identification numbers, full payment card or bank account numbers, medical records beyond an accommodation request, credentials to your own systems, biometric data, or anything you are contractually or legally barred from disclosing. If you do, we may delete it without notice.
5.6 We do not guarantee storage
The portal is a working tool, not a backup service or a system of record. Keep your own copies. We are not liable for loss or corruption of Your Content, though we maintain reasonable backups.
6. Prohibited conduct
You agree not to:
- use the site for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms;
- access, tamper with, or use non-public areas of the site, our systems, or our providers’ systems;
- probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the site, or breach or circumvent any security or authentication measure;
- scrape, crawl, harvest, or use any automated means to access or extract data from the Site, or use the site’s content to train a machine learning or artificial intelligence model, without our prior written permission;
- collect or store other users’ personal information from the site;
- upload malware or anything designed to interfere with the site’s operation;
- impersonate anyone, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or organization;
- send unsolicited commercial messages through any Site feature;
- copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from Site content except as Section 10 allows;
- use our portfolio images, vendor lists, pricing, or planning templates to compete with us or to supply another event planner or agency; or
- interfere with any other person’s use of the site.
7.1 Third-party processor
Payments are processed by [INSERT PROCESSOR — e.g., Stripe, Square, QuickBooks Payments], not by us. Your use of that service is subject to its own terms and privacy policy. We do not receive or store your full card number or bank credentials.
7.2 What you authorize
By submitting a payment you authorize us and our processor to charge the payment method you provide for the amount shown, plus any applicable taxes and any card surcharge disclosed to you before the charge is made.
7.3 Your services agreement governs the money
The amounts due, the schedule, the retainer, late charges, refunds, and cancellation consequences are governed by your signed services agreement, not by these Terms. Making a payment through the Site does not modify that agreement. In particular, under our services agreements the retainer is non-refundable and earned on receipt, and cancellation fees apply on a sliding scale — read your agreement.
7.4 Errors and duplicates
Tell us within [30] days if you believe a charge is wrong. We will investigate and refund any amount we agree was charged in error.
7.5 Chargebacks
If you dispute a charge with your card issuer instead of contacting us first, we may suspend services until it is resolved, and you remain responsible for amounts properly owed under your services agreement plus any reasonable costs we incur responding to the dispute.
8. Email and text messages
By giving us your email address you agree we may send you email about your inquiry, your event, and your account. Marketing email is sent only where you have subscribed or where otherwise permitted by law, and every marketing message contains a working unsubscribe link.
If you give us a mobile number and opt in to text messages, message and data rates may apply and message frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. Consent to marketing texts is not a condition of purchasing any service. Details are in the Privacy Policy.
9. Feedback
If you send us ideas, suggestions, or feedback about the Site or our services, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use them for any purpose without obligation or compensation to you. Please do not send us anything you consider confidential or proprietary as unsolicited feedback.
10. Our intellectual property
10.1 What we own
The Site and its contents — text, layout, design, graphics, logos, photographs, video, galleries, sample deliverables, checklists, templates, and the selection and arrangement of all of it — are owned by Hampton Events or our licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws.
“Hampton Events” and our logos are our trademarks. You may not use them without our prior written permission.
10.2 What you may do
You may view, download, and print pages from the Site for your own personal or internal business use in connection with considering or receiving our services. You must keep all copyright and trademark notices intact.
10.3 What you may not do
Everything else requires our written permission — including republishing, redistributing, selling, licensing, framing, or creating derivative works from Site content, and using our portfolio images, checklists, templates, vendor lists, or pricing for any commercial purpose or to train an AI model.
10.4 Planning materials
Deliverables we create in the course of an engagement — strategy decks, run-of-show and production schedules, floor plans, budget models, checklists, timelines, and vendor directories — remain our property and are licensed to you on the terms of your services agreement, not these Terms.
11. Photography, likeness, and takedown requests
We publish event photography and video only with written consent, as our Privacy Policy explains in detail. Under the Illinois Right of Publicity Act, 765 ILCS 1075/1 et seq., we must have previous written consent before using a person’s identity for a commercial purpose such as a portfolio, and consent for a person under 18 must come from a parent or legal guardian.
If an image or video of you appears on the Site or our social media and you want it removed, email [[email protected]] with enough detail to identify it. We will remove it from the Site and our own accounts within thirty (30) days and stop using it in new materials. We cannot recall printed materials already distributed or content republished by a third party.
12. Vendors, venues, and third-party links
The Site links to and displays information about venues, vendors, and partners. We do not control them, we do not warrant their services, and a link, mention, or photograph is not an endorsement or a guarantee.
Under our services agreements, clients contract with and pay vendors and venues directly, and Hampton Events is not responsible for a vendor’s or venue’s acts, omissions, pricing, insurance, licensing, or performance. Nothing on the Site changes that.
13. Portfolio, testimonials, and results
Portfolio images and case studies show work we have done for specific clients with specific budgets, venues, vendors, and constraints. They are illustrations, not a promise of what your event will look like or cost. Testimonials reflect individual experiences and are not a guarantee of any outcome, attendance figure, business result, or return on investment.
14. Copyright complaints (DMCA)
We respect copyright. If you believe content on the Site infringes your copyright, send a written notice with the elements required by 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3) to our designated agent:
DMCA Agent: [INSERT NAME OR ROLE] Hampton Events, [INSERT ADDRESS] [[email protected]] · [INSERT PHONE]
Your notice must include: your physical or electronic signature; identification of the copyrighted work; identification of the material you claim is infringing and enough information for us to locate it; your contact information; a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized; and a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and that you are the owner or authorized to act for the owner.
We will remove or disable access to material as required, notify the person who posted it, and honor a counter-notification that meets 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3). Misrepresentation in a notice or counter-notice may make you liable for damages under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f). We terminate the accounts of repeat infringers.
Decision note — this section is worthless without one more step. The DMCA safe harbor is conditional: you must designate your agent and register that agent electronically with the U.S. Copyright Office (37 C.F.R. § 201.38 — currently a $6 fee, renewable every three years), publish the agent’s contact information on the Site, and actually implement a repeat-infringer policy. Register at dmca.copyright.gov, then delete this note. If you never register, delete Section 14 rather than publish a promise you cannot rely on.
15. Accessibility
We want the site to be usable by everyone. We are working toward conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA and treat accessibility as an ongoing effort rather than a finished state. We do not claim that the Site is fully conformant or fully compliant with any standard.
Some third-party content we embed — photo galleries, maps, payment pages, social feeds, and scheduling or chat tools — may not fully conform, and we do not control it.
If you have difficulty using any part of the Site, or need information from it in an alternative format, contact us and we will help and will provide the information another way.
Accessibility contact: [[email protected]] · [224-795-0960] We aim to respond within [5] business days. Last accessibility review: [August 27th, 2026]
Decision note. Two cautions. First, never state that the Site “is ADA compliant” or “is WCAG 2.1 AA compliant” — an overclaim is used as an admission and as a separate Consumer Fraud Act hook. The language above is deliberately a commitment to effort plus a human contact. Second, accessibility overlay widgets are not a defense and have themselves become a litigation target; fix the underlying code instead.
16. Disclaimers
THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ON IT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express, implied, and statutory, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement, and any warranty arising from course of dealing or usage of trade.
We do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free; that defects will be corrected; that the Site or its servers are free of harmful components; or that information on the Site is accurate, complete, or current.
Nothing on the Site is legal, tax, accounting, insurance, or financial advice. Information about permits, taxes, insurance, union labor rules, marriage licenses, accessibility requirements, or privacy law is general information that changes frequently. Consult your own qualified professional.
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of the above may not apply to you.
17. Limitation of liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:
(a) NEITHER HAMPTON EVENTS NOR ITS PRINCIPALS, OWNERS, EMPLOYEES, OR CONTRACTORS WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF THE SITE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
(b) OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SITE OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (i) [$500.00] OR (ii) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US THROUGH THE SITE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.
This Section limits liability arising from the Site only. Liability arising from event planning services is governed by your signed services agreement.
This Section does not limit liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or fraud; for bodily injury or death caused by our own negligence; or for any liability that may not be limited under Illinois law — including any non-waivable right you may have under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, 815 ILCS 505/1 et seq.
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so parts of this Section may not apply to you.
18. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Hampton Events and its principals (including Nicole L. Hampton), owners, officers, employees, and contractors from any third-party claim, demand, loss, liability, or expense, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of or relating to: your use of the Site; your breach of these Terms; Your Content, including guest or attendee information you supplied and any notice or consent you failed to obtain; your violation of any law or of anyone’s intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights; or any activity under your portal account. We may assume the exclusive defense of any such matter at your expense, and you will cooperate with us.
19. ARBITRATION AGREEMENT AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY — IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS. IT REQUIRES INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION OF MOST DISPUTES AND WAIVES YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION. YOU MAY OPT OUT WITHIN 30 DAYS — SEE SECTION 19.9.
19.1 Talk to us first
Before starting arbitration or any proceeding, please email [[email protected]] describing the problem and what you would like us to do. We will respond within thirty (30) days, and most issues are resolved here. If we have a claim against you, we will do the same. This informal step is a condition precedent to arbitration for both of us, and the time it takes does not count against any limitations period.
19.2 Agreement to arbitrate
If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, you and Hampton Events agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to the Site, these Terms, or our marketing — whether in contract, tort, statute, or otherwise — will be resolved by binding individual arbitration and not in court, except as Sections 19.6, 19.7, and 19.8 provide.
19.3 Rules, administrator, and place
Arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules (or its Commercial Arbitration Rules where you are contracting as a business), before one arbitrator, and is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq., and, to the extent applicable, the Uniform Arbitration Act, 710 ILCS 5/1 et seq.
The arbitration will be held remotely, or in the county where you live, or in Cook County, Illinois — your choice. The arbitrator will apply Illinois law, may award any individual remedy a court could award, and will issue a written decision explaining the essential findings. Judgment may be entered on the award in any court of competent jurisdiction, including the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
19.4 Who pays
We will pay all AAA filing, administrative, and arbitrator fees that exceed what it would cost you to file the same claim in court, unless the arbitrator finds your claim was frivolous or brought in bad faith. Each of us otherwise bears our own attorneys’ fees, except where a statute or the arbitrator’s award provides otherwise.
19.5 Class action waiver
ARBITRATION WILL BE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY. NEITHER YOU NOR HAMPTON EVENTS MAY BRING OR PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, AND THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE THE CLAIMS OF MORE THAN ONE PERSON OR PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.
This waiver is not severable. If it is found unenforceable as to any claim, then Section 19.2 does not apply to that claim, and that claim alone must proceed in the courts identified in Section 20 — but the rest of Section 19 remains in force for all other claims.
19.6 Small claims
Either of us may bring an individual claim in small claims court instead of arbitration, so long as it stays there and stays individual. In Illinois, a small claim is currently a claim for money not exceeding $10,000 (Illinois Supreme Court Rule 281).
19.7 Injunctive relief for intellectual property
Either of us may ask a court for temporary or preliminary injunctive relief to stop infringement or misuse of intellectual property or confidential information, without first arbitrating and without waiving arbitration of the merits.
19.8 Claims this Section does not cover
This Section does not apply to, and nothing in it waives your right to bring in court: a claim alleging sexual assault or sexual harassment, which you may bring in court notwithstanding this Section pursuant to 9 U.S.C. § 402; or any other claim that may not lawfully be subjected to a pre-dispute arbitration agreement. You also retain the right to file a complaint with any government agency.
19.9 Your 30-day right to opt out
You may reject this arbitration agreement. Send us written notice within thirty (30) days after you first accept these Terms, stating your name, the email address associated with your use of the Site, and that you opt out of arbitration:
Email: [[email protected]] with subject line “Arbitration Opt-Out” Or mail: Hampton Events, Attn: Legal, [2553 W Hirsch St, Chicago, IL 60622]
Opting out costs you nothing. It does not affect any other part of these Terms, and we will not treat you differently for doing it. If you opt out, disputes go to the courts identified in Section 20.
19.10 Changes and survival
If we materially change this Section 19, the change will not apply to a dispute we already knew about, and you will have a fresh thirty (30) days to opt out. This Section survives termination of these Terms and the closing of your account. The arbitrator, not a court, decides questions about the interpretation and scope of this Section — except that a court decides the enforceability of Section 19.5.
20. Governing law and venue
These Terms and any dispute arising out of them are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. For any matter not subject to arbitration — including a small claims action, a request for injunctive relief, a proceeding to compel arbitration, or a proceeding to confirm, vacate, or enforce an award — you and Hampton Events consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois, and waive any objection based on venue or forum non conveniens. Each of us waives any right to a trial by jury in any such proceeding, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
21. Time limit for claims
Except for a claim to collect amounts owed, and except where a longer period may not lawfully be shortened, any claim arising out of or relating to the Site or these Terms must be commenced within two (2) years after the claim arises, or it is permanently barred. Illinois would otherwise apply a ten-year period to a written contract (735 ILCS 5/13-206); we agree two years is reasonable given the nature of website use.
22. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms. We will change the Last Updated date and, for a material change:
if you have a portal account, we will email you at least fourteen (14) days before the change takes effect; and
otherwise, we will post a notice on the Site for at least thirty (30) days.
Changes apply prospectively only. Continued use of the Site after a change takes effect means you accept it. If you do not accept a change, stop using the Site and close your account. We keep dated copies of prior versions and will provide one on request.
23. Suspension and termination
You may stop using the Site at any time and may ask us to close your portal account. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Site or the portal, with or without notice, if you breach these Terms, if we reasonably believe your use creates risk or legal exposure, or if we discontinue the Site or a feature. Sections 5.2, 5.3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 survive termination.
24. Electronic communications and signatures
You consent to receive communications from us electronically — by email, through the portal, or by notice posted on the Site — and you agree that electronic communications satisfy any legal requirement that a communication be in writing. You agree that clicking a button, ticking a box, or typing your name constitutes your signature, having the same force and effect as a handwritten signature, under the Illinois Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, 815 ILCS 333/1 et seq. (including 815 ILCS 333/7), and the federal E-SIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001 et seq. (including the consumer-consent provisions of § 7001(c)).
You may withdraw consent to electronic communications by emailing [[email protected]], though doing so may mean we cannot provide the portal or online payment features. To access electronic records you need a current web browser, an active email account, and the ability to view and save PDF files.
25. General
Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and Hampton Events regarding the Site, and supersede any prior understanding about the Site. They do not supersede a signed services agreement as to the services (Section 1.4).
Severability. If a provision is held invalid or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if that is not possible, severed, and the rest remains in effect — except that Section 19.5 is governed by its own non-severability rule.
No waiver. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it.
Assignment. You may not assign these Terms without our written consent. We may assign them to a successor in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
No third-party beneficiaries. These Terms are for the benefit of you and us only.
Force majeure. We are not liable for any delay or failure to make the Site available caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including hosting or network failure, cyberattack, power loss, severe weather, civil unrest, labor dispute, or government order.
Headings and construction. Headings are for convenience only. “Including” means “including without limitation.” These Terms will be construed as if drafted jointly, with no presumption against the drafter.
Relationship. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship between you and us.
Contact. Questions about these Terms:
Hampton Events — Attn: Legal [2553 W Hirsch St, Chicago, IL 60622] [[email protected]] · [224-795-0960]
