Lark Crafts

Create. Craft. Connect.Writing Contest

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

Create. Craft. Connect. Contest (the “Contest“) is jointly sponsored by Lark Crafts an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.(“Lark Crafts“), 387 Park Avenue South, 11^th Floor, New York, NY 10016 and THE CREATIVE CONNECTION EVENT, 215 Historic 25^th Street, Ogden, UT 84401 (“Creative Connection”).  (Lark Crafts and Creative Connection are sometimes referred to jointly herein as the “Sponsor” and all references to Sponsor shall, unless otherwise indicated, be deemed to include both Lark Crafts and Creative Connection.). Entrants must submit a 250 word essay in accordance with these official contest rules (“Official Rules”).

1. ELIGIBILITY: Open only to women who are legal residents of one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia and who are 21 years of age or older at time of entry under the terms of these Official Rules. Employees of Sponsor, and their parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies involved in this Contest, and their immediate family members (parent, child, spouse, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and/or those living in the same household of each, whether or not related, are not eligible to participate in or win the Contest. Void where prohibited by law.  All applicable federal, state and local laws apply.

2. HOW TO ENTER: Beginning 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on Friday July 9, 2010 through 5:00p.m. ET on Friday, July 23, 2010 (the “Entry Period”), log on to www.LarkCrafts.com. click on the Contest banner and follow the on-screen entry instructions to complete and submit your entry. Information required for entry includes entrant’s name, age, e-mail address, and mailing address (“Entry Information”), and an essay of 250 words or less (the “Essay”). Your Entry Information and Essay will together constitute one (1) entry (“Entry”) into the Contest.

Essay specifications: each Essay must be in English, original, and no more than 250 words in length, and must answer the following question: How will attending the Creative Connection Event impact your creativity and/or creative business?

Content Restrictions: The Essay must not include materials (language, phrases, quotations, artwork, etc.) belonging to or copyrighted by third parties. Any such Essay will be disqualified. The Essay must not have been previously published or otherwise exhibited. The Essay must not contain any material that infringes upon any personal, proprietary, or any other right of any third party. The Essay must not contain any obscene or otherwise objectionable material (as determined by Sponsor within its sole discretion). The Essay must not contain any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, or any other form of solicitation. The Essay must not contain any material that: (a) would give or threaten to give rise to criminal or civil liability; (b) encourages conduct that constitutes a criminal offense; (c) encourages or provides instructional information about illegal activities or (d) references any brand name products.

Your Entry will not be acknowledged or returned.  Entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. on July 23, 2010. By entering the Contest, each entrant grants Sponsor a non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable right to reproduce, copy, publish, display, distribute, perform, translate, adapt, modify, and otherwise use the Essay, without restriction and without compensation, notification, or additional consent from entrant or any third party. Entrant warrants that it has the sole and exclusive right to grant such rights to Sponsor, and that the Sponsor’s reproduction, publishing, displaying, and/or other use of the Essay will not infringe on any rights of third parties, including, but not limited to, copyright, trademark, privacy, or publicity rights, or create claims for breach of contract, anywhere in the world. Entrant agrees that Sponsor shall have no obligation to copy, publish, display, or otherwise exploit the Essay.

Entrant acknowledges that entrant will not receive any compensation of any kind for its Entry.  Limit one (1) Entry per person, multiple Entries received from any person will be disqualified. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means are void, as are Entries that are illegible, garbled, incomplete or that contain errors. Normal time, toll, connection and usage rates, if any, charged by your Internet service provider will apply.

3. JUDGING CRITERIA: Each Entry will be judged by a panel of qualified judges (“Judges”) associated with Crafts, who will select the potential prize winners. Judges will evaluate each Entry according to the following equally weighted factors: (1) Creativity and Originality, and (2) Entrepreneurial Vision (“Judging Criteria”). The three (3) Entries with the highest overall score will be declared the “Winners”.  In the event any potential Winner is disqualified for any reason, the entrant with the next highest total score in the pool of entrants who have submitted valid Entries will be chosen as the Winner. In the event that no Entries are received, no prize will be awarded. Sponsor reserves the right to not select a Winner, or to extend the Entry Period if in its sole discretion it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Entries. The decision of Sponsor in this matter is final and binding.

4. WINNER NOTIFICATION/ VALIDATION: The potential Winners will be notified by e-mail by Friday, August 6, 2010 and Winner may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Release of Liability/Publicity form (where legal) within seven (7) days of date of attempted notification.  Noncompliance within this time period, or with these Official Rules, or the return of any prize/prize notification may result in disqualification and, at Sponsor’s discretion, time period permitted, an alternate potential Winner may be selected.  Each Winner’s Essay may be posted on www.LarkCrafts.com on or before September 1, 2010 for a period of at least 15 days.  Prizes will be fulfilled approximately 4-6 weeks after winner validation.  Any Winner later determined to be ineligible may be required to return her prize.

5. PRIZE: Three (3) Grand Prizes: Three (3) Grand Prize winners (each a “Winner”) will receive a trip to the Creative Connection Event, September 16, 2010 – September 18, 2010. Trip includes: one (1) round trip coach ticket from the airport nearest to Winner’s residence to Minneapolis, MN; one (1) ticket to the Creative Connection Event; three (3) days/two (2) nights accommodations at hotel of Sponsor’s choosing in Minneapolis, MN for the nights of September 16^th & September 17^th; $60.00 cash or cash equivalent; and roundtrip ground transportation from hotel to the Creative Connection Event.  Approximate retail value (“ARV”) of Grand Prize:  $1,660. Actual value will depend on point of departure and any airfare fluctuations.  If Winner lives in close proximity to selected destination, ground transportation may be substituted for air in Sponsor’s discretion.  Any difference in actual value of prize from announced value due to fluctuations, timing, point of departure or mode of travel will not be awarded.  Travel must be completed the week of the Creative Connection Event. Sponsor will not replace any lost or stolen tickets, travel vouchers, or certificates. Once booked, no change, extension, or substitution of trip dates is permitted, except by Sponsor at its sole discretion.  Tickets are non-refundable and not redeemable for cash or credit.  Tickets may not be sold to a third party.  The Winner is responsible for obtaining all necessary and required travel documentation.  The Winner must be of legal age of majority in her state of residence (and at least 21 years of age). Winner is responsible for obtaining all travel documents required by airline. Seat locations will be determined by Sponsor.  Tickets are subject to certain terms and conditions as specified by issuer.   Travel arrangements must be made through Sponsor’s agent and Sponsor shall determine airline and flight itinerary in its sole discretion.  Three week advance booking is required.  Certain travel restrictions and blackout dates may apply.  All travel expenses not described herein as being awarded, including, but not limited to, incidental hotel expenses, ground transportation, meals, gratuities, souvenirs, and any other costs and expenses while on trip not mentioned herein as being awarded are the sole responsibility of the Winner.   Winner may be required to present a major credit card upon hotel check-in to cover any incidental expenses.   If for any reason any portion of the Prize does not occur, such portion will be forfeited with no compensation being paid in exchange therefor.  Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received during the Entry Period.  All prize details are at the sole discretion of the Sponsor.  No substitution or transfer of prize except in sponsor’s sole discretion; if any advertised prize becomes unavailable, Sponsor may award a substitute of comparable value.

6. GENERAL RULES: Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for the Sponsor and its designees to use Winner’s name, city, state, likeness, voice, biographical information and statements for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity in any and all media, now or hereafter known, throughout the world in perpetuity without additional compensation, notification or permission, unless prohibited by law. By participating, entrant (i) agrees to release and hold Sponsor, its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees and assigns (collectively, the “Released Parties”), harmless against any and all claims and liability arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, out of participation in the Contest or misuse, nonuse or use of any prize; (ii) waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages, attorneys’ fees or any damages other than actual out-of-pocket costs incurred to enter; and (iii) agrees to be bound by these Official Rules. Released Parties are not responsible for incomplete, lost, late, damaged, inaccurate, illegible, misdirected, garbled, delayed or undelivered Entries; or for technical hardware or software malfunctions or failures of any kind, lost, unavailable network connections, or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmission, which may limit an individual’s ability to participate.  Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion, to cancel, suspend or modify the Contest, or to disqualify any implicated entrant(s), (and their Entries) if any fraud, virus, actions by entrants, technical or other error or problem, or any other occurrence corrupts or affects the administration, integrity, security, or proper play of the Contest, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  In the event of cancellation, Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to award the prize in a random drawing from among all eligible, non-suspect Entries received up to the time of the event or action warranting such cancellation.  In the event this Contest is cancelled prior to the stated end date, a notice will be posted at www.larkcrafts.com/uncategorized/ccc-writing-contest-rules/. CAUTION: Any attempt by an entrant 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, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such entrant to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution.  Released Parties are not responsible for any technical, mechanical, printing, typographical, human or other error relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors which may occur in the administration of the Contest, the processing of Entries, the announcement of the prize or in any Contest-related materials; or for any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Contest.

7. WINNERS’ NAME: For the name of the Winner, available after August 6, 2010, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:  Lark Crafts Create. Craft. Connect Writing Contest, 387 Park Avenue South, 11^th Floor, New York, NY 10016, to be received by February 1, 2011.

8. NO WARRANTIES: Sponsor makes no warranties regarding any of the prizes furnished as part of this Contest.

9.PRIVACY: Any information submitted to Sponsor, including all Entries will be governed by the terms of Lark Crafts’s User Agreement and Privacy Policy

10. GOVERNING LAW: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules or the rights and obligations of any entrant, Sponsor, and/or any of the Released Parties shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York. All actions, proceedings, or litigation relating hereto will be instituted and prosecuted solely within the State of New York, County of New York. The parties consent to the jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of New York with respect to any action, dispute, or other matter pertaining to or arising out of this Contest.