Event contact data that starts with permission

Before a business contact hears from us regularly, they should know who we are, what we'd like to send and how to say no. This page explains how the VisitorsList opt-in process is designed to give every contact clear notice, a real choice and ongoing control.

  • A permission request explains how a business email address would be used, before any regular marketing begins.
  • Every message lets the contact keep only the topics they want, or leave altogether.
  • We keep checking in, so interests and job details stay current.
  • Anyone can ask what we hold about them, or ask us to remove it, at any time.
Explore the process Talk to our team
Permission-based communication

What permission-based communication means

Trade show and event outreach works best when the people you contact expect to hear from you. Permission-based communication means a contact has been told, in plain terms, how their business details will be used, and has had a clear chance to agree, choose or decline.

We don't treat silence as a yes. A business email address in our database is not the same as permission to market to it. The opt-in process exists to close that gap, one contact at a time.

01 · NOTICE

People know who we are

Contacts learn who VisitorsList is, why we hold their business details and what we'd like to send.

02 · CHOICE

People decide what arrives

They choose which topics they receive, if any, and can change those choices whenever they like.

03 · CONTINUITY

Permission is revisited

Consent isn't a one-off event. We revisit it so our records reflect what each contact wants today.

Why it matters

Why an opt-in process matters

Exhibitors, sponsors and event marketers have a short window before each show. What holds a campaign back is rarely the message. It's whether the person receiving it recognises and welcomes it.

Relevance is the whole job

Event attendees and exhibitors receive a wave of outreach before every major show. The messages that get read are the ones that match a person's role, industry and stated interests. Preferences captured at opt-in make that match possible.

Show calendars don't wait

A bounced email or an outdated job title costs days you can't win back before the doors open. Contacts who have recently confirmed their details are far more likely to reach the right person the first time.

Interest is not permission

A website visit, an ad impression or a like on a post can suggest interest, but none of them shows that the person agreed to be contacted. An opt-in step replaces the guesswork with a clear answer.

A record you can stand behind

When each contact carries a consent status, topic preferences and the date of their last response, alongside our 45-day revalidation cycle, your team can plan campaigns knowing who wants to hear from you, and who doesn't.

The process

How the VisitorsList opt-in process works

The process has four stages. It begins once a business contact's details are in the VisitorsList database and continues for as long as we hold the record. Select a stage to see what happens, what the contact sees and what we record.

Stage 1 of 4Before any marketing

Notify: tell contacts who we are and why we're writing

We start by telling the contact, in plain language, that their business email address is held in the VisitorsList B2B event database and how we'd like to use it.

What happens

  • We identify ourselves as VisitorsList, powered by Spokesly Inc.
  • We explain, in general terms, where business contact details come from.
  • We describe the messages we'd like to send: event updates, industry insights, VisitorsList news and optional partner offers.

What the contact sees

A clearly branded message showing the sender's real name, our postal address and a link to the privacy policy.

What we record

The date the notice was sent and the address it was sent to.

Outcome: the contact knows who we are before we ask them for anything.

At every stage, a contact can ask what we hold, correct it, object to its use or ask us to delete it.

See your data rights
Example emails

Inside the emails contacts receive

These are the two key messages in the process: the first permission request and the later re-confirmation. Both say who is writing, what the contact would receive and how to opt out.

Inbox

Want event and industry updates that fit your role?

From
VisitorsList <[email protected]>
To
[First Name] [Last Name] <[email protected]>
Date
Tue, 3 Nov 2026, 10:12

Hi [First Name],

We're VisitorsList, a provider of B2B event and trade show data. Your business contact details are part of our database of event professionals, and before we send you anything regularly, we'd like your permission.

Based on your industry and role, we think these topics could be useful to you:

  1. Upcoming trade shows and conferences in your sector
  2. VisitorsList Monthly Insights: a monthly report on event trends and market data
  3. Industry research, market insights and event trends
  4. Webinars, networking sessions and exhibitor opportunities
  5. News and product updates from VisitorsList
  6. Selected offers from our business partners (only if you choose this)

Would you like to hear from us?

Yes, keep me informedNo thanks, opt me out

Only interested in some of these? Choose your topics.

The buttons in this preview are inactive.

You can change your mind at any time using the links at the bottom of every email.

Thanks,
The VisitorsList Team

You're receiving this one-time permission request because your business email address is held in the VisitorsList B2B event database. If you don't reply, we won't add you to our marketing emails.

VisitorsList, powered by Spokesly Inc. · 3080 Olcott St D205, Santa Clara, CA 95054, United States

Sample messages in the inbox list are included for context only and aren't part of the opt-in process.

Subscriber choices

Choosing what you receive

Opting in isn't all or nothing. Contacts choose the topics that are useful to them, set how often they hear from us and can leave entirely in one step.

  • Choices apply to marketing messages. Replies to requests you make, such as a data access request, aren't affected.
  • Changes take effect promptly, and you can come back and change them at any time.
  • Partner offers are a separate, optional topic. If you don't choose it, you won't receive them.
  • "Unsubscribe from all" stops every marketing topic at once.

Email preferences

Example settings for [email protected]

Example only. To unsubscribe, use the unsubscribe page.
Opting out

Unsubscribing and opting out

Leaving should be as easy as joining. Any contact can stop our marketing messages in any of these ways.

  1. Use the link in any email

    Every marketing email has an "Unsubscribe from all" link in the footer.

  2. Use our unsubscribe page

    Enter your email address on the VisitorsList unsubscribe page to stop marketing emails.

    Go to the unsubscribe page

  3. Email the privacy team

    Write to us with the address you'd like removed from marketing, or to withdraw consent you've given.

    [email protected]

  4. Request removal of your data

    To have your record deleted rather than just unsubscribed, submit a removal request.

    Open the Privacy Center

What happens after you opt out

Opting out stops marketing. It doesn't end your other rights, and you can opt back in whenever you like.

  • Marketing emails stop, and your address goes on a suppression list so it isn't added back from another source.
  • We keep only the minimum needed to honour your request.
  • Copies may remain in backups for a limited time until they are overwritten.
Your data rights

How we protect subscriber data rights

Consent is an ongoing relationship. For as long as we hold a business contact's record, the rights below apply, and we explain them in plain language rather than burying them in small print.

Access and information

You can ask whether we hold data about you, what it is, where it came from and how we use it.

We also send periodic reminders of what you've signed up for, who is contacting you and why.

  • Request a copy of your data
  • Receive it in a portable format

Right to object

You can object to how we use your data at any time.

For direct marketing, the right is absolute: once you object, we stop, and your address is suppressed so it isn't contacted again.

Correction and erasure

If something we hold is wrong, tell us and we'll correct it. You can also ask us to delete your data or limit how we use it.

Some information may be kept where the law requires it, such as for legal or audit purposes.

Profiling and automated decisions

We use details such as industry, job role and event participation to suggest relevant topics. We don't make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects on you based solely on automated processing.

You can object to this kind of profiling at any time.

How to make a request

Email [email protected] or use the Spokesly Privacy Center.

We may need to confirm your identity before acting, and we respond within the timeframes set by applicable law.

Email the privacy team Open the Privacy Center
Transparency

What we explain before you opt in

Our permission request covers the essentials up front: what you'll receive, how your data is used, who may handle it and the protections that apply. The full detail is in our Privacy Policy.

A

What you'll receive

Messages that match the topics you chose: upcoming events in your industry, our Monthly Insights report, research and insights, webinars, VisitorsList updates and, only if you opt in to them, partner offers. Nothing outside the topics you chose.

B

How we use your business details

  • To send the communications you agreed to receive
  • To keep your record accurate and up to date
  • To measure whether our emails are delivered and useful
  • To meet our legal and regulatory obligations
C

Who may handle your data

Service providers who help us run our services, and business partners only where you've chosen partner offers. See the details below.

D

What happens if our business changes

If VisitorsList or Spokesly is involved in a merger or acquisition, your data may be transferred as a business asset. Read about business transfers.

Third-party processing

Service providers and third-party processing

Like most data and email businesses, we rely on specialist providers. Here's who may handle your business contact data and why.

Who may process your data
CategoryWhy they may handle data
Hosting and infrastructureStoring and securing our databases and systems
Email deliverySending the messages you've agreed to receive and processing unsubscribes
Verification servicesChecking that business email addresses and details are valid
Analytics and searchUnderstanding how our emails and website perform
Business partnersOffers you've chosen to receive, sent by us on their behalf
AuthoritiesOnly where we are legally required to disclose information

Safeguards we require

Organisations that process data on our behalf must protect it to defined standards.

  • A written agreement that limits use of the data to our instructions
  • Appropriate technical and organisational security measures
  • No use of the data for their own marketing
  • Return or deletion of the data when the service ends

Partners don't receive your contact details just because you chose partner offers. We send those offers to you ourselves.

Disclosures

Business transfers and other disclosures

If VisitorsList or Spokesly Inc. is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, business contact data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We'll give notice before your data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

We may also disclose information where the law requires it, for example in response to a valid request from a court or public authority, or to protect our rights, our users or the public.

Data protection

Privacy and data protection

The opt-in process sits inside a wider privacy and security programme. Here's a summary. Our legal documents have the full detail.

Security programme

VisitorsList is operated by Spokesly Inc., whose information security programme is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and covered by a SOC 2 Type II report. Details are available in the Trust Center.

Retention

We keep personal data only as long as we need it for the purposes described here, or as the law requires. When it's no longer needed, it's deleted or anonymised.

International transfers

Your data may be processed outside the country where you live. Where that happens, we use appropriate safeguards to protect it.

Laws we design around

Our opt-in process is designed with the requirements of these laws in mind:

GDPRCCPACAN-SPAMCASLPIPEDADPDPA

Any organisation that sends email is still responsible for its own compliance. Read our CASL guidance.

Privacy Policy Privacy Center Terms of Service Trust Center
See it on real records

Have you requested sample data yet?

Request a sample matched to your target event audience, along with a short walk-through of how opt-in status, preferences and verification dates appear on each record.

  • No commitment required
  • Matched to your target event or audience
  • Opt-in and verification fields explained
Request sample data Book a process walk-through
FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about permission, preferences and your data.

What is an opt-in process?

It's the set of steps we use to tell a business contact how we'd like to use their details, ask for a clear yes or no, record their choices and keep checking those choices over time.

Why does VisitorsList ask for permission when the data is business contact data?

In many countries, business contact details are still personal data. Asking first respects the person, keeps our records accurate and means the people who hear from us actually want to.

What does the permission email look like, and who sends it?

It comes from VisitorsList, lists the topics we'd like to send and offers clear yes and no buttons, plus an option to choose specific topics. You can see an example in the email section above.

What happens if I don't respond?

We don't treat silence as consent. If you don't respond to the permission request, you won't be added to our marketing emails. If you stop engaging later, we'll send a re-confirmation email and stop marketing to you if we don't hear back.

Can I choose only some topics?

Yes. The preference centre lets you choose any combination of topics and how often you hear from us. You can change these choices at any time.

How do I unsubscribe from everything?

Use the "Unsubscribe from all" link in any of our emails, enter your address on the VisitorsList unsubscribe page, or email [email protected].

How do I find out what data you hold about me?

Email [email protected] or use the Spokesly Privacy Center. We'll confirm your identity, then send you a copy of the data we hold, where it came from and how it's used.

Can I ask you to delete my data?

Yes. Submit a removal request through the Spokesly Privacy Center or by email. We'll delete your record, keeping only what's needed to make sure you aren't added back and anything the law requires us to keep.

Do you share my details with other companies?

We use service providers who help us run our services, under agreements that limit how they use your data. Partner offers are sent only if you choose that topic. Data may also be transferred as part of a merger or acquisition, as described on this page.

If I buy opt-in data from VisitorsList, are my own campaigns automatically compliant?

No. Opt-in status shows how a contact has responded to VisitorsList. Your organisation is still responsible for meeting the laws that apply to your own messages, such as CAN-SPAM, CASL or GDPR.

Get in touch

Questions about our opt-in process?

Talk to our team about how consent, preferences and verification work on the data you're planning to use. For questions about your own personal data, contact the privacy team.

Contact us Email our team