Terms & Conditions

TERMS & CONDITIONS

IGCA 2027 Tokyo, Japan
17–22 October 2027

Official Version

These Terms and Conditions apply to all registrations and participation in the International Garden Centre Association Congress 2027, Tokyo, Japan.

Congress Fees

The Congress registration fee shall be the amount displayed on the official IGCA 2027 Tokyo Japan registration page at the time of booking.

Full payment is required at the time of registration.

The registration fee includes only the services specifically stated on the official registration page and in the Congress program. These may include accommodation during the official Congress period, Congress transportation, scheduled meals, garden centre visits, technical visits, official events, Congress materials, and other services expressly stated as included.

The registration fee does not include airfare, passport or visa costs, travel insurance, medical insurance, personal expenses, optional tours, additional accommodation outside the official Congress period, or any services not specifically stated as included.

All payments must be made in Japanese Yen (JPY), unless otherwise stated by the Organising Committee.

Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions:

“Congress” means the IGCA 2027 Tokyo Japan Congress, held from 17 to 22 October 2027.

“Organising Committee” means the IGCA2027 Tokyo Japan Organising Committee.

“JGCA” means the Japan Garden Centre Association.

“IGCA” means the International Garden Centre Association.

“Participant” means any delegate, accompanying person, sponsor, exhibitor, guest, speaker, organiser, or other approved person attending the Congress.

“Official Congress Period” means the period and dates specified by the Organising Committee as part of the official Congress program.

General

The Congress is organised by JGCA and the IGCA2027 Tokyo Japan Organising Committee.

By completing registration, each Participant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

These Terms and Conditions form part of the registration agreement between the Participant and the Organising Committee.

The Organising Committee reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions when necessary. The latest version published on the official Congress website shall apply.

Eligibility

Participation is intended primarily for IGCA members through their respective national associations, Friends of IGCA, invited industry professionals, approved sponsors, exhibitors, and guests accepted by the Organising Committee.

The Congress is not intended for the general public.

The Organising Committee reserves the right to approve, refuse, or cancel any registration at its discretion.

The minimum age for participation is 18 years.

Registration and Confirmation

Registration is completed only when the online registration form has been submitted, full payment has been received, and the Organising Committee has issued an official registration confirmation.

A confirmation email and official invoice or receipt will be sent after payment has been processed.

The contract is not confirmed until the official registration confirmation has been issued.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that all information submitted during registration is accurate and complete.

Payment and Taxes

All prices are shown in Japanese Yen (JPY), unless otherwise stated.

Japanese Consumption Tax, if applicable, is included unless otherwise stated.

If any applicable tax, government levy, regulation, or public charge changes before the Congress, the Organising Committee reserves the right to adjust the amount payable.

Any bank charges, credit card fees, payment processing fees, currency exchange fees, or other transaction costs shall be borne by the Participant.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing.

The following cancellation charges apply:

Before 31 December 2026: Full refund
1 January – 28 February 2027: 75% refund
1 March – 31 May 2027: 50% refund
1 June – 31 July 2027: 10% refund
From 1 August 2027: No refund

Bank charges, credit card fees, payment processing fees, and exchange rate differences may be deducted from any refund.

Refunds will be made using the method determined by the Organising Committee.

Delegate Substitution

Changing the registered delegate name is free of charge until 31 August 2027.

After this date, substitutions may be accepted at the discretion of the Organising Committee, and an administration fee may apply.

Any substituted Participant must meet the eligibility requirements of the Congress and agree to these Terms and Conditions.

Program Changes

The Organising Committee reserves the right to modify the Congress program when necessary.

Such changes may include changes to schedules, speakers, venues, garden centre visits, technical visits, cultural visits, meals, transportation, accommodation arrangements, or other program elements.

Changes may be made due to traffic conditions, weather, safety concerns, operational requirements, venue circumstances, host company circumstances, government instructions, or other unforeseen events.

No refund will be made solely due to program changes.

Garden Centre Visits and Technical Visits

The Congress program may include visits to garden centres, horticultural businesses, production facilities, cultural sites, educational institutions, exhibitions, and related facilities.

The Organising Committee will make every reasonable effort to deliver a high-quality program. However, visit locations may be changed, replaced, shortened, or cancelled due to circumstances beyond the Organising Committee’s control.

Participants must follow all safety instructions, site rules, and guidance provided by the Organising Committee, guides, host companies, venue staff, and transport providers.

Participants may be required to refrain from photography, video recording, live streaming, or posting on social media at certain locations when requested by the host organisation.

Green EXPO 2027 and Related Programs

If the Congress program includes cooperation with Green EXPO 2027 or related events, the content, timing, access, and visit details may be subject to change depending on the policies, schedules, and operational requirements of the relevant organisers.

The Organising Committee is not responsible for changes, restrictions, cancellations, or operational decisions made by external event organisers, venues, or authorities.

Accommodation

Accommodation is arranged only for the official Congress period and according to the room type selected at registration.

Any additional nights, room upgrades, special requests, or independent accommodation arrangements are the responsibility of the Participant.

Participants are responsible for any personal hotel charges, including minibar, laundry, telephone, room service, parking, damage, or other incidental expenses.

The Organising Committee cannot guarantee special room requests, including bed type, room location, early check-in, or late check-out.

Transportation

Official Congress transportation will be provided according to the program.

Participants are responsible for arriving at designated departure points on time.

The Organising Committee is not responsible for missed transportation due to late arrival by the Participant.

If a Participant misses official transportation, any alternative transport arrangements and related costs shall be the responsibility of the Participant.

Schedules may be affected by traffic, weather, road conditions, police instructions, or other circumstances.

Passport, Visa, and Entry Requirements

Participants are responsible for ensuring that they have a valid passport and any required visa or entry permission for Japan.

Participants must check Japanese immigration requirements before travel and must comply with all entry conditions.

Failure to obtain a visa, entry permission, or other necessary travel document does not exempt the Participant from the cancellation policy.

The Organising Committee may provide invitation letters where appropriate but cannot guarantee visa approval or entry into Japan.

Travel, Medical, and Personal Insurance

Participants are strongly advised to obtain comprehensive insurance covering travel cancellation, medical expenses, accident, personal injury, baggage loss, personal liability, and other risks.

Medical expenses and personal losses are the responsibility of the Participant.

The Organising Committee, JGCA, IGCA, sponsors, host companies, and service providers accept no responsibility for medical costs, travel disruption, loss, damage, delay, or personal expenses.

Health, Accessibility, Allergies, and Dietary Requirements

Participants should ensure that they are physically able to participate in the Congress program.

The program may include walking, standing, boarding and leaving buses, outdoor activities, visits to large facilities, stairs, uneven surfaces, gardens, cultural sites, and crowded areas.

Medical conditions, allergies, mobility concerns, accessibility needs, and dietary requirements should be advised during registration.

The Organising Committee will make reasonable efforts to accommodate dietary and accessibility requests but cannot guarantee that all requirements can be met.

Participants with severe allergies or medical conditions are responsible for taking appropriate personal precautions.

Dress Code and Cultural Etiquette

Participants may be informed of recommended dress codes for official events such as the Welcome Reception, business sessions, garden centre visits, and Gala Dinner.

Participants are expected to dress appropriately for the program, venue, weather, and cultural context.

Participants are also expected to respect Japanese customs, cultural sites, religious sites, local rules, host organisations, and the hospitality extended by all hosts.

Code of Conduct

The Congress is guided by the spirit of “Touching Experience – The Spirit of Wa and Inspiration.”

Participants are expected to behave respectfully toward other delegates, organisers, staff, guides, host companies, venues, service providers, and members of the public.

Harassment, discrimination, abusive behaviour, unsafe conduct, excessive disruption, damage to property, or behaviour that harms the reputation of IGCA, JGCA, the Congress, host companies, or Japan may result in removal from the Congress without refund.

Participants must comply with Japanese laws, venue rules, safety instructions, and reasonable directions given by the Organising Committee.

Photography, Video, and Media Use

Photographs and videos may be taken during the Congress.

By registering, Participants agree that their image, voice, and likeness may be used by IGCA, JGCA, and the IGCA2027 Tokyo Japan Organising Committee for Congress documentation, websites, social media, printed materials, public relations, reports, and future Congress promotion.

Participants who do not wish to appear in promotional materials should notify the Organising Committee in writing before the Congress.

The Organising Committee will make reasonable efforts to respect such requests but cannot guarantee exclusion from all group images, background images, or public event recordings.

Social Media

Participants may share their Congress experience on social media, provided that such sharing is respectful and does not disclose confidential information, restricted business information, private conversations, or content prohibited by host organisations.

The Organising Committee may request Participants to refrain from posting certain photographs, videos, or information when required for privacy, safety, commercial, or operational reasons.

Personal Information and Privacy

Personal information will be collected and used for Congress registration, accommodation, transportation, catering, communication, safety management, payment processing, and Congress administration.

Personal information may be shared with hotels, transport providers, venues, catering providers, registration system providers, payment providers, host organisations, and other service providers where necessary for Congress operations.

Personal information will be handled in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information of Japan and other applicable privacy regulations where appropriate.

Sponsors and Exhibitors

Sponsors, exhibitors, and suppliers participating in the Congress must comply with these Terms and Conditions and any separate sponsorship, exhibition, or supplier agreements.

The Organising Committee reserves the right to determine sponsor visibility, logo placement, exhibition arrangements, presentation opportunities, and other benefits in accordance with the relevant agreement and operational requirements.

Force Majeure

The Organising Committee shall not be liable for any failure, delay, cancellation, loss, or damage caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control.

Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, natural disasters, earthquakes, typhoons, extreme weather, pandemics, epidemics, government restrictions, war, terrorism, civil unrest, strikes, labour disputes, transportation disruption, venue closure, supply disruption, power failure, or other emergencies.

If the Congress is cancelled, postponed, shortened, or modified due to force majeure, refunds will be made only to the extent that recoverable funds remain after unavoidable expenses and committed costs have been paid.

Cancellation, Postponement, or Modification of the Congress

The Organising Committee reserves the right to cancel, postpone, shorten, relocate, or modify the Congress if necessary due to safety, operational, financial, legal, public health, or force majeure reasons.

In such cases, the Organising Committee will inform Participants as soon as reasonably possible.

The Organising Committee is not responsible for any travel, accommodation, insurance, visa, loss of income, or other personal costs incurred by Participants.

Limitation of Liability

Participation in the Congress is at the Participant’s own risk.

The Organising Committee, JGCA, IGCA, sponsors, host companies, venues, and service providers shall not be liable for injury, illness, accident, loss, damage, delay, missed transportation, theft, personal expenses, or financial loss, except where liability cannot be excluded under applicable law.

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes liability where such exclusion is not permitted by law.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by the laws of Japan.

Any dispute arising in connection with these Terms and Conditions or participation in the Congress shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court, Japan.