OPTECH 2026 Media Policy
RETTC’s OPTECH is the premier event for innovation in rental housing operations, technology, marketing, and data. The OPTECH Media Policy is designed to protect the safety and security of all OPTECH attendees and staff, support our strategic goals for the event, and protect our brand investment.
RETTC OPTECH Media Application and Event Registration
All members of the media must complete a Media Application to attend OPTECH. Approved Media Attendees will be notified and receive complimentary registration.
Media Applications must be received no later than November 10 to be considered for OPTECH 2026.
Prior to the event, you’ll receive information about what to expect during OPTECH and how to make the most of your time.
Members of the media may not use our standard registration process.
Eligibility
Media Attendee eligibility is limited to qualified members of the media whose purpose is to produce media coverage as defined by this policy.
Qualified members of the media are:
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Journalists, reporters or editors from established media outlets, or
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Freelancers on assignment from an established media outlet, or
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Active freelancers bylined with established media outlets who are not on assignment.
Qualified media coverage is:
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Factual news and information, and
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Made available to the public, and
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Published by a professionally-run media outlet on a regular schedule using any format in any medium.
Those whose position or purpose is primarily public relations, marketing, or business development are ineligible for media registration but may be qualified to attend as a RETTC Influencer or RETTC member. This exclusion applies to representatives of established media outlets without a qualifying purpose and those attending for the purpose of producing content that is not qualified media coverage, including RETTC members producing content for house publications.
Event Credentials and Transparency
Media Attendees must wear a personalized name badge and media badge to enter any area of the official event space. In addition, media status must be expressly disclosed when engaging with any conference attendees.
All event attendees must check in on-site at OPTECH Registration to receive their name badge and event materials prior to entering the event space. After obtaining a name badge, Media Attendees must report to OPTECH HQ for a media badge.
RETTC reserves the right to cancel Media Attendee registration for failing to wear required credentials or not disclosing media status when engaging with attendees. Violators will be asked to surrender their credentials and leave the conference.
Media Attendee Access
Media Attendees may only access official conference events and gatherings that are not designated as Closed to Media, including the Exhibit Hall, general and concurrent sessions, presentations, roundtables, town halls, receptions, and socials. Events that are Closed to Media will be explicitly designated in the print conference agenda and on-site signage.
Media is strictly prohibited from attending any portion of the conference reserved exclusively for rental housing owner, manager, and development firm attendees, committee meetings, peer group meetups, and invitation-only gatherings.
In its sole discretion, RETTC reserves the right to restrict media from any area, room, session, or event.
The RETTC OPTECH Media Policy will be referenced at various points during OPTECH to inform attendees that Media Attendees are present at the conference, and when media is permitted during one session but not a subsequent session held in the same space.
Media Coverage and Attribution
Media Attendees may not attend or report on any statements made, discussions heard, and information presented during events, sessions, roundtables, town halls, committee meetings, or any other gathering designated as Closed to Media (see Media Attendee Access).
We appreciate media coverage of OPTECH in print and online. RETTC welcomes on-record and on-background coverage of any portion of the conference agenda that is not designated as Closed to Media, however, Media Attendees are prohibited from:
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Publishing video or audio recordings of sessions, panelists, or attendees without the explicit permission of RETTC or the presenter;
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Attributing to panelists, speakers, or presentations without the explicit permission of RETTC or the presenter; and
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Publishing photos without the explicit permission of RETTC or the presenter.
RETTC welcomes and encourages the use of social media before, during and after OPTECH. For the safety and security of attendees and staff, location-specific information such as the official event hotel name and location may not be posted to social media, blogs, and similar digital media platforms during or before the event. As a courtesy, please tag RETTC and use our event hashtag (#OPTECH2026) when posting to social media.
Logos
RETTC and its parent, affiliate and subsidiary organizations and brands expressly prohibit the unauthorized use and distribution of our logos in print and digital formats for any purpose whatsoever without prior written approval. This includes but is not limited to social media posts, marketing materials, slide decks, invitations and announcements, signage and displays, newsletters, and magazines. When authorized, use must comply with our Brand Guidelines. For questions, contact jhatfield@nmhc.org.
On-Site Media Publication Placement
RETTC is open to media publications made available to OPTECH attendees when placed in designated locations in the conference venue. Such distribution must be requested in advance and approved by RETTC. Media publications may not conflict with or devalue RETTC’s existing sponsorship or partnership agreements, misrepresent the relationship between RETTC and publishers, or violate any other RETTC policy, including the prohibition against the unauthorized use and distribution of our logos and brands. RETTC reserves the right to remove any media publication that violates this or any other RETTC policy.
Private Events and Promotional Events
Participating in OPTECH provides an opportunity for attendees to hold meetings and private business events. RETTC’s Policy on Suitcasing and Outboarding prohibits attendees from scheduling events during official programming and Exhibit Hall hours. Conflicting events unfairly diminish the value of our agenda and investments by our sponsors, exhibitors and partners. This policy applies equally to all attendees, including members of the media. Please contact RETTC directly if you are interested in holding an event at the OPTECH venue or purchasing a sponsorship to promote your company.
Speaker Interviews
We kindly ask that you let us know in advance of any requests for interviews with conference speakers to help us avoid potential conflicts which may prevent speakers from fulfilling contractual obligations. In addition, RETTC may be able to help facilitate these requests. In some cases, our contracts with speakers prohibit them from participating in interviews or accepting certain invitations. We will try our best to accommodate your request.
Questions?
For questions about the RETTC OPTECH Media Policy and general media inquiries, please email media@rettc.org.
Media Application
