Official Competition Rules: WTCAF "Peace Through Trade" Student Competition

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY

TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST.

A purchase will not improve chances of winning.

CONSUMER DISCLOSURE

You have not yet won.

OPEN ONLY TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AT BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18-29 YEARS OF AGE AS OF THE DATE OF ENTRY AND WHO ARE ENROLLED IN A COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY, TRADE SCHOOL OR THE EQUIVALENT.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW

By entering this Contest, Entrants accept and agree to be bound by these Official Contest Rules.

NAME OF CONTEST: 2021-2022 WTCAF Peace Through Trade Student Competition (Contest).

SPONSOR: This Contest is sponsored and produced by the World Trade Centers Association Foundation (WTCAF), 115 Broadway, Suite 1202, New York, NY, 10006 USA (Sponsor). Sponsor will be assisted in the administration of the Contest by the staff of the World Trade Centers Association, Inc., 115 Broadway, Suite 1202, New York, NY, 10006 USA (WTCA).

SUBMISSION PERIOD: The Contest begins on or about 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 22, 2021 and ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on June 30, 2022.

WHO MAY ENTER: The Contest is a global event and open to individuals, or teams of individuals made up of not more than four (4) members, that are all students in a college, university, trade school or the equivalent, and are between the ages of 18 and 29 years of age at the time of entry (individually and collectively referred to as Entrant). The contest is not open to officers, directors, members, and employees of the Sponsor, or any other party associated with the development or administration of this Promotion, and the immediate family (i.e., parents, children, siblings, spouse), and persons residing in the same household, as such individuals. This Contest is void where prohibited.

HOW TO ENTER: This Contest is completely free to enter or win and a purchase of any kind will not increase your odds of winning. Go to the Sponsor’s website https://wtca.swoogo.com/2021PeaceThroughTrade click on the “How to Enter” tab to create an application and follow the prompts to timely submit your proposal. Only one submission per individual/team of individuals will be accepted. Your entry constitutes your consent to participate in this Contest. Entries are the property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, or otherwise misdirected entries that are processed late or incorrectly or are lost due to computer or electronic malfunction or other error. Once transmitted, all entries become part of the Contest and may not be removed by the Entrant, even if Entrant withdraws from Contest consideration.

REQUIREMENTS:

No entry fee is required, and all rights in and to the entries shall be the property of the Sponsor.
The Contest is designed for individuals and teams to present original projects, products, or other innovative ideas that exemplify and promote social innovation and sustainability through collaboration, fair trade, and ethical international business practices. Projects must also address at least one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as no poverty, zero hunger, and sustainable cities and communities.
Entries must be in English.
The Contest is open only to those who have not previously published their entry.
All submissions must be able to present their project in PowerPoint or other similar format (no more than 20 slides) and the Entrants with the top five (5) submissions must be able to present their project via video conference to the WTCAF Board.
The finalist team must be able to virtually present their project to the global attendees of the 2022 World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) Member Forum, which brings together nearly 600 attendees across 117 World Trade Center businesses in more than 50 countries and 27 industries around the globe, alongside renowned experts. The WTCA Member Forum will be held in the Fall of 2022. The team will also have the opportunity to present their project virtually to the global attendees of the 2023 WTCA General Assembly consisting of WTCA members representing the 300+ World Trade Center-branded locations in nearly 100 countries, and their global business networks consisting of leaders from business, government, academia, media and international organizations. The 2023 WTCA GA will be held in the Spring of 2023. The Finalist team will also have the opportunity to virtually network with attendees using the WTCA’s AI-powered B2B matchmaking platform, and featured in a future episode of the WTCA Trade Wins Podcast, where they will be interviewed by Robin van Puyenbroeck, Executive Director – Business Development of the WTCA.
All entries are final, no revisions or modifications after submission are accepted.
Entries will be screened by WTCA staff for compliance with the Official Contest Rules and judged on merit. WTCA staff will submit to Sponsor’s Board of Directors only the top five (5) entries that will be judged during a virtual presentation. The decisions of the WTCA staff and Sponsor’s Board of Directors are entirely their own and are final, binding and non-appealable.
Entries must include only materials created by the Entrant and must not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any other person or entity. Sponsor does not permit the infringement of others’ rights and any use of materials not original to the participant is grounds for disqualification from the Contest. Entrant must not copy material or include materials, images, graphics, music or trademarks belonging to any third parties or incorporate the names, likeness or personas of any party other than yourself in your Entry. Except as stated herein, no entries may contain brand names, trademarks or company logos not owned by Entrant.
Entries must not include material that (a) is sexually explicit, indecent, obscene, unnecessarily violent, hateful, tortuous, defamatory, slanderous or libelous, (b) is derogatory, designed to harass or promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age, (c) invades the privacy or publicity rights of any person, living or deceased, (d) is unlawful and/or (e) is disparaging to Sponsor or is inconsistent with the positive images and/or goodwill to which Sponsor has worked hard to create and wish to associate with its company (at Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion).
The Entrants selected by the Sponsor, at its sole discretion, will be winner(s) subject to confirmation of eligibility and compliance with the Official Contest Rules.
Entries that do not meet the Contest Rules are subject to disqualification and/or removal, at Sponsor’s sole discretion.

JUDGING CRITERIA: Each of the top five (5) eligible entries will be reviewed, evaluated, judged and scored – out of a possible 100 points – based on the weighting of the following criteria:

Entrant effectively uses entrepreneurial action to empower people to improve their livelihoods in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way. (10 points)
Entrant is well-organized and demonstrates potential to scale their goods, services and/or knowledge across borders. (10 points)
Entrant is articulate in, and project demonstrates, social innovation. (10 points)
Entrant is articulate in, and project demonstrates potential for, sustainability and collaboration. (10 points)
Visual presentation – the slides/visual aids were accurately presented, easy to see, and complemented Entrant’s presentation. (10 points)
Oral presentation – the Entrant clearly and accurately conveyed the information utilizing personal knowledge of the subject and slides, and Entrant’s ability to clearly and appropriately respond to the Q&A portion of the presentation. (20 points)
Entrant’s approach and uniqueness of project. (10 points)
Ability of project to clearly address one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (20 points)

PRIZE: There will be one (1) Prize awarded following the conclusion of the Contest. The Prize Winner (individual or team of individuals collectively referred to as the Prize Winner), upon confirmation of eligibility, will be awarded with an opportunity to (i) participate in the 2022 WTCA Member Forum and 2023 WTCA General Assembly, to be held in the Fall of 2022 and Spring of 2023, respectively; (ii) present their project virtually to a global audience and be honored by attendees during the 2022 WTCA Member Forum and 2023 WTCA General Assembly; (iii) virtually network with attendees of the 2022 WTCA Member Forum and 2023 WTCA General Assembly via the WTCA’s AI-powered B2B matchmaking platform; (iv) be featured in a future episode of the WTCA Trade Wins Podcast, where they will be interviewed by Robin van Puyenbroeck, Executive Director – Business Development of the WTCA; and, (v) the Prize Winner will be awarded a cash prize of USD $3,000 — to be distributed evenly amongst team members — and the First Runner-Up will be awarded a cash prize of USD $1,500 — also to be distributed evenly amongst team members — and a certificate of recognition by the WTCAF Board.

Prizes are non-transferable, with no cash redemptions, equivalents or substitutions except at Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion. Participants acknowledge that some winning entries will be publicly displayed, performed, broadcasted, duplicated, etc., and participants agree that no additional agreement or consent of the participant will be necessary. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute the prize or prize components with another of comparable or greater value. Prize Winner is responsible for all taxes and fees associated with prize receipt and/or use, if any. The sole compensation to the Prize Winner and First Runner-Up will be the Prize and no additional compensation will be due or paid as a result of the submission being used as stated herein.

CLAIMING PRIZE: In order to claim a Prize, you must provide your correct name, mailing address, telephone number and email address. Prize Winner and First Runner-Up will be notified by Sponsor through an email message and it will be announced on Sponsor’s homepage on or before September 30, 2022. Prize Winner and First Runner-Up may be required to sign and return a Prize Verification Form to Sponsor within ten (10) days of notification. Sponsor is not responsible for inaccurate information provided on the Prize Verification Form. If a selected potential Prize Winner and First Runner-Up fails to comply with the Official Contest Rules and/or to submit required documentation within the designated period, the potential Prize Winner and First Runner-Up will be disqualified and the Prize will be awarded to an alternate Prize Winner and First Runner-Up.

COMPLIANCE WITH GOVERNMENT ENTITIES: The Sponsor and its related entities shall have the right to comply with any and all orders, recommendations, or directions whatsoever given by any government entity or by persons purporting to act with such authority, and such compliance shall not be deemed a breach of the Agreement or any agreement entitling the Prize Winner and First Runner-Up to assert any claim for liability, compensation or refund.

INTERNET: If for any reason this Contest is not capable of running as planned due to an infection by a computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest, at which time, Sponsor will conduct a random drawing from among all eligible entries received at the time of the Contest termination. The Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. The Sponsor is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunctions of any telephone network or telephone lines, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or entry to be received by the Sponsor due to technical problems, human error or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant's or any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading any materials in this Contest. SPONSOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INCOMPATIBILITY OF ENTRANT'S HARDWARE, SOFTWARE OR BROWSER TECHNOLOGY WITH SPONSOR'S HARDWARE, SOFTWARE OR BROWSER TECHNOLOGY. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

GENERAL: By entering this Contest, Entrants, Prize Winner and First Runner-Up: (1) agree to be bound by these rules; (2) agree to release Sponsor and its related entities, and the officers, directors and employees of each, from any and all liability for any loss, harm, damages, costs or expenses, including without limitation property damages, personal injury and/or death arising out of participating in this Contest, or the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the Prize and claims based on publicity rights, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery; and (3) consent to the use of his/her name, voice, picture, and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes in any medium throughout the world in perpetuity without additional compensation unless prohibited by law. Sponsor may discontinue this Contest at any time. Sponsor may terminate any Contest or decide to modify it in any manner that it deems fair and equitable to participants if it becomes aware of any occurrence that would materially affect the Contest's security and fairness. Sponsor may prohibit individuals from participating in Contest and disqualify entries if they (1) attempt to enter the Contest through any means other than as described in these Official Contest Rules, (2) attempt to disrupt the Contest or circumvent the terms and conditions of these Official Contest Rules or (3) repeatedly show a disregard for the Contest Rules or act (a) in an unsportsmanlike manner, or (b) with an intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other Entrant or Sponsor. Sponsor's decisions with respect to the Contest are final.

USE OF INFORMATION: The information that you provide in connection with the Contest may be used for Sponsor's internal purposes and to send you information about Sponsor's services but will not be provided to third parties, except as necessary for the administration of the Contest or as required by law or legal process. Entry constitutes permission to post Prize Winner's names on its website and to use Winner's name, hometown, country, and/or likeness for purposes of advertising and promotion without further compensation unless prohibited by law. For additional information, see the Privacy Policy at https://wtca.swoogo.com/2021PeaceThroughTrade.

NAME OF WINNER: To receive the names of the official winners (available after September 30, 2022) or a copy of the Official Contest Rules, send a self-addressed, stamped #10 envelope to be received by October 31, 2022 to: 2021-2022 Peace Through Trade Student Competition, World Trade Centers Association Foundation, 115 Broadway, Suite 1202, New York, New York, 10006 USA.

HAVE A QUESTION? Email us at foundation@wtca.org.

ABOUT WORLD TRADE CENTERS ASSOCATION FOUNDATION: The World Trade Centers Association Foundation (WTCAF) is a private, U.S. tax-exempt, charitable organization (501c3) founded in 2007, the mission of which is to conduct programs that promote social welfare in the pursuit and support of activities that foster peace and social stability. The WTCAF makes a difference by encouraging a better understanding of international trade; promoting and developing sustainable farming, energy, and transportation and trading activities; elevating the standard of living in less developed countries; and promoting ethical international business practices.

To learn more visit www.wtcafoundation.org.

///END OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES///