Groupie Social Media Contest Rules

OFFICIAL RULES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER THE GROUPIE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST.
A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

1)    Contest Timing: The Groupie Social Media Contest (the “Contest”) begins at 8:00 a.m. EST on August 8th, 2016 and ends at 4:59 p.m. EST on August 19th, 2016 (the “Contest Period”). The Contest will be divided into two (2) weekly periods, as outlined in the chart below (each, a “Weekly Entry Period”). No entries will be accepted during the period between the Weekly Entry Periods.

2)     Eligibility: The Contest is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are 21 years of age or older as of the date of entry. Employees of United States Tour Operators Association, Inc. (the “Sponsor/Administrator”), their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, suppliers, employees, distributors and advertising, promotional and judging agencies and household members of each (whether related or not), are not eligible to participate or win. This Contest is void where prohibited by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

3)   How To Enter the Contest: There is NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to participate in the Contest. A purchase does not increase your chances of winning:  During the Contest Period, you may access the Contest rules by visiting the tab found on the United States Tour Operators Association Website http://www.ustoa.com/groupie. Once you familiarize yourself with the rules, you may begin posting pictures of traveling with your groups or friends using the hashtag #TravelTogether on Instagram, and tag @USTOANYC on Instagram. You may also submit pictures through Twitter at @USTOA or Facebook at www.facebook.com/USTouroperatorsAssoc. All eligible entries must be received by the dates and times specified in the chart above to be eligible for the applicable Weekly Entry Period.  An entry consists of one single picture. Entries (except the Grand Prize Winner) from Weekly Entry Period 1 will be carried forward into Weekly Entry Period 2. After entry, you will be given the option to “tweet” the Contest or invite Facebook and Instagram friends to enter the Contest. Use of computer programs and other automatic means to enter the Contest is prohibited and will result in disqualification. Normal Internet access and usage charges imposed by your online service may apply. In the event more than one person claims to have submitted the winning entry, the authorized account holder of the social media handle as the time of entry shall be declared the winner. 

4)    Prizes and Approximate Retail Value: There are a total of two (2) Grand Prizes, one (1) awarded for each Weekly Entry Period.  Each Grand Prize is a $500 American Express Gift Card. All federal, state and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the winners. Winners will be chosen by midnight (EST) on August 15, 2016 and by midnight (EST) on August 22, 2016 following each Weekly Entry Period, respectively. 

5)    Selection of Grand Prize Winners: One (1) Grand Prize Winner will be selected for each Weekly Entry Period. Each Grand Prize Winner will be the person who posts the picture that the judge deem most exemplifies the joy of traveling together, the spirit of the journeys and best conveys a sense of place or location in a group setting, which is a minimum of two (2) people (the “Criteria). All entries for each Weekly Entry Period will be reviewed by members of Sponsor’s senior management who will select the ten (10) pictures they believe best satisfy the Criteria. These ten (10) final pictures be presented to the photo editor at AFAR Magazine who will select the Grand Prize Winner from the ten (10) final pictures based on the Criteria. The selection by the photo editor at AFAR Magazine will be binding, final and non-reviewable. 

6)    General Rules: By participating in the Contest, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and the Judges.  Potential Grand Prize winners will be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, liability/publicity release (where permitted by law) and assignment of rights within seven (7) days of notification attempt or the prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected. Return of prize notification will result in disqualification and an alternate may be selected.  Acceptance of a prize constitutes permission for the Sponsor and its agencies to use winner’s first name and last initial (and state in which they reside) and/or likeness and the winning pictures for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.  In the event there is a discrepancy or inconsistency between disclosures or other statements contained in any Contest materials and the terms and conditions of the Official Rules, the Official Rules shall prevail, govern and control. Entries become the property of the Sponsor.  The Sponsor and its agencies and Administrator are not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, Internet Service Provider (ISP), or failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the user or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest or by any human error which may occur in the processing of the entries in the Contest or for any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participation in, accessing or downloading information in connection with the Contest. In the event of a dispute as to any entry, the authorized account holder of the social media handle used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. Winners may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder of the social media handle used for the entry. Proof of posting does not constitute proof of delivery or receipt of such information. Sponsor and/or its Administrator (as identified in these Official Rules) are not responsible for the failure of any email or entry to be received by Sponsor/Administrator on account of technical problems or congestion on the internet or at any website. The Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual that tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Contest; violates the Official Rules; or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by 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 the Contest, then the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel the Contest, and select the applicable winners in a random drawing (or random drawings) for the Weekly Entry Period(s) at issue from among all eligible entries received for the Weekly Entry Period(s) at issue prior to cancellation. By participating in the Contest, the entrant agrees that Sponsor, Facebook, Administrator, their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, agents, retailers, advertising and Contest agencies, and all of their respective shareholders, officers, directors, employees and assigns, members, representatives and agents, will have no liability whatsoever for, and will be held harmless by entrant for any liability for any bodily injury, loss, cost or damages of any kind to persons, including death and property, damages sustained due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from entry creation, the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a prize or parts thereof, if applicable, or participation in the Contest or in any related activity. By entering the Contest, you hereby represent and warrant that you have read these Official Rules and are fully familiar with their contents.  

7)    Winners List: The names of the winners will be posted for thirty days at http://www.facebook.com/USTourOperatorsAssoc within a reasonable amount of time of the close of the Contest.  

8)    Sponsor/Administrator: The Sponsor/Administrator of the Contest is United States Tour Operators Association, Inc., 345 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1801, New York, NY 10001.   

The Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. You understand that you are providing your information to Sponsor and not to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. The personal information you provide will only be used commercially by Sponsor or Administrator in the event you are selected as a Contest winner or if you have indicated that you would like to receive additional information from Sponsor.