Join us at RightsCon Costa Rica: get your ticket today!
Access Now is thrilled to announce that registration is now open for the 12th edition of RightsCon, the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age! From Monday, June 5 to Thursday, June 8, 2023, we will welcome participants both in Costa Rica and online for our first hybrid summit.
This year, for the first time, participants can choose whether they are joining us in-person or online before selecting the ticket corresponding to their stakeholder group. Below, we’ll share our approach to the cost of a ticket and information about our inclusive ticket policy. Wherever you choose to join us, be sure to get your early bird ticket before March 13, 2023.
The best part of RightsCon is the vibrant network – made up of activists, business leaders, technologists, policymakers, journalists, philanthropists, researchers, and artists – we gather for our community-sourced program. Together over the course of four days, through hundreds of collaborative, strategic, and creative sessions, we will set the agenda for human rights in the digital age.
For over a decade, we have centered our efforts on making RightsCon an accessible space that fosters a diversity of voices and perspectives. One of the ways that we do so is by offering an inclusive ticket policy to ensure the price of registration is never a barrier to participation. In our virtual events, 93% of participants have benefited from free participation and in our last in-person event, 77% attended for free.
At the same time, we want to communicate transparently with our community about the significant cost that producing a hybrid event entails: the budget for a hybrid event is nearly double that of in-person or virtual convening. Ticket income significantly contributes to making RightsCon possible and we ask those with the means to cover the full or partial cost of their ticket – for example, private sector representatives or organizations that may have budgets for events – to consider doing so. Your contributions will ensure RightsCon’s longevity and allow us to direct our support to those who are often left out of convening spaces.
As always, free and discounted tickets will be available. For those who choose to join us virtually, a free ticket is available for selection at any time by those who need it, regardless of sector or location. Given the higher cost of hosting participants in-person, including for food, beverage, and venue space, we ask that those who require a free or discounted ticket apply through our website.
In January, we will launch our Community Support Fund, an initiative intended to provide connectivity or travel funding support to those from traditionally underrepresented groups who wish to participate in the summit in-person or online. However, as a non-profit with limited budget, we unfortunately can only support a small number of participants. If you would like to help us increase the accessibility of RightsCon by contributing to our fund or know about alternative resources to support the participation of a human rights defender or civil society representative, email us at [email protected].
As the host of the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age, RightsCon plays an essential role in how Access Now views our commitment to environmental rights – in programming and production. We believe it is our responsibility to take a strong, holistic approach to sustainability.
When curating our program, in continuing to build on the commitment we shared in 2019, special attention will be paid to session proposals that relate to sustainability and environmental justice, including product repair and maintenance, digital security for environmental defenders, content moderation for climate disinformation, transparency into government sustainability projects, and more.
The venue we will be hosting this year’s RightsCon in is a champion of sustainability, guaranteeing maximum sustainability in the development of each of its events through a commitment to bioclimatic, eco-friendly and sustainable design and architecture, however our efforts in sustainable production will not end there. We are also committed to minimizing waste (particularly single-use plastics) where possible, opting for compostable, recyclable and reusable materials instead. This approach includes reducing food waste and prioritizing local, sustainable, and plant-based menu options.
Finally, we know the scale of participants joining us in-person has an impact in and of itself and are committed to using a portion of ticket revenue – up to $15,000 USD – to offset travel emissions and support accredited and independently verified environmental projects in Latin America. Over the coming months, we’ll share more details about further steps we’re taking and the sustainability projects we’re funding.
If you’re planning to join us in-person, visit our attend page for our step-by-step guide to prepare for your participation including special hotel rates, visa support, information about our COVID-19 policy, and more.
Stay tuned as there is much more to come! Get your ticket today, and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date. We can’t wait to welcome you in June!