What better way to celebrate Data Privacy Day than with fellow privacy pros? In Amsterdam, São Paulo, Toronto and 37 other cities—a record for Privacy After Hours events—that’s just what IAPP members across the globe did, attending their local IAPP Privacy After Hours events. Yesterday saw more than 500 attendees—with all levels of experience and from every sector and industry—gathering for great conversation and even a chance to bemoan the issues with other privacy pros who truly understand.

In Chicago, for example, host Jonathan Salem Baskin welcomed guests with privacy-themed drinks “The Hacker’s Surprise” and “The Opt Out,” while those attending first-time location, Bogotá, Colombia, engaged in conversation over breakfast.

Check out a few of the scenes from around the globe:

Host: John Bryan, CIPP/E, Senior Threat Researcher (Data Privacy) at Sophos
Location: Reading, UK
Venue: Pitcher & Piano

“For those who privacy is part of a profession, it is a pleasure to talk about it to others without them running away at the mention of ‘Privacy Impact Assessments,’ ‘Data Leakage Protect’ or ‘European data directives.’ And one of the best pleasures is a chance to have a gripe and a moan amongst those who understand you,” Bryan said.

Host: Luz Helena Adarve Gómez, Cárdenas & Cárdenas Abogados
Location: Bogotá, Colombia 
Venue: Cárdenas & Cárdenas Abogados

“We have to say it was a magnificent experience,” Adarve Gomez said. “We had the opportunity to comment on specific topics of our local regulation in addition to the international trends, and some of our local needs and issues."

Host: Talya Parker, Cyber Risk Services, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Location: Atlanta, GA, U.S.
Venue:  Room at Twelve Centennial Park

“Last night’s event was a success,” Parker said. “We played Human Bingo with gift prizes for the top three winners and we played speed networking which everyone loved.”

Host: Allison Brody, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, Deputy Counsel, Privacy, Reed Elsevier
Location: Boston, MA, U.S.
Venue: Carrie Nation Restaurant & Cocktail Club

"As an IAPP member, I regularly offer to host a Privacy After Hours at a local brasserie in Ottawa. We typically get an excellent turnout and a great mix from the federal public service, the private sector, academia, advocacy groups, the OPC itself, sometimes even Parliamentarians and journalists who cover privacy issues come out,” Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada Communications Director General Anne-Marie Hayden. “Stakeholders often express how much they appreciate the chance to chat with colleagues face to face and in this kind of atmosphere. The people who come to Privacy After Hours may have different perspectives, but the one thing we all share is a keen interest in privacy.”

Host: Deborah Shinbein, CIPP/US, President, Data Law Group
Location: Denver, CO, U.S.
Venue: Lala’s  

At the Denver event, the lunchbox and the funny stickers were a hit.

Host: Mikko Viemeroe CIPM, CIPP/E, KPMG
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Venue: O'Malley's Helsinki

 
Host: Diane Duhaime CIPP/US, Carlton Fields Jorden Burt

Location: Miami, FL, U.S.
Venue: Conrad Miami Hotel

Cybersecurity Analyst Carol Stripsky CIPP/US, who hosted a Privacy After Hours at The Flying Saucerin Addison, TX, said, “Volunteering to coordinate the IAPP Privacy After Hours events in my area is a great way to introduce people with a passion for privacy to each other and build a network of experts and thought leaders we can all utilize when we need a little advice. The triumphs and struggles attendees share over a beer enriches our understanding of the privacy and data protection landscape and allows us to see common themes around data protection.”

Host: Daniel Maynard CIPP/US, Privacy Program Manager, Land O Lakes
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Venue: Brits Pub

Host: Leeza Garber, Attorney, Capsicum Group, LLC
Location: Philadelphia, PA, U.S.
Venue: JG Domestic

Host: Timothy Yim, CIPP/US, Research Director, Privacy & Technology Project at the Institute for Innovation Law, UC Hastings School of Law
Location: San Francisco, CA, U.S.
Venue: Press Club

Host: Tom Kelley, CIPP/US, McGrath North
Location: Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Venue: Fox and Hound (Pub & Grill)

Host: Nora Boukadid, CIPP/IT, Senior Manager—Data Privacy Services, EY
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Venue: EY—Amsterdam, Antonio Vivaldistraat 150, 1083 HP Amsterdam

Host: Justin B. Weiss, CIPP/US, Global Head of Data Privacy, NASPERS
Location: Hong Kong
Venue: Captain’s Bar at The Mandarin Oriental

A big thank-you to our volunteer hosts for setting up gatherings that were “extremely successful” and a “magnificent experience.”

Member Engagement Coordinator Marin Mathien contributed to this report.