Contest Rules

Updated February 10th: Extended dates

Residence Room Decorating Competition Official Rules (the "Contest Rules")

1. THE CONTEST - NO PURCHASE NECESSARY:  

The Residence Room Decorating Competition (the “Contest”) is sponsored by The Governors of The University of Calgary (the “Sponsor”).  The Contest will award six prize(s) as outlined in these Contest Rules. No purchase required to participate. 

 

2. ELIGIBILITY:  

To be eligible to win, an entrant must be (a) a resident of Canada (excluding Québec); (b) who has reached the age of majority in their province or territory of residence; (c) who is not a full-time employee of the Sponsor or any other parties engaged in the development, production or distribution of Contest materials or living in the same household as the foregoing; (d) who is a registered student of the Sponsor; and (e) who lives in any of the Sponsor’s student resident buildings during the Contest Period. All decisions regarding eligibility to enter this Contest will be determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.  

 

This paragraph shall apply to the extent that any social media services are used in connection with the Contest. The Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Hootsuite, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media companies (“Social Media Companies”). Each entrant in the Contest agrees to completely release the Social Media Companies of all liability in relation to the Contest. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the Contest must be directed to the Sponsor and not to the Social Media Companies. Entrants must comply with the terms of use of any applicable Social Media Company.  

 

3. HOW TO ENTER:  

No purchase necessary. To participate in the Contest, entrants must:

  • Follow @ucalgaryres on Instagram;
  • Send @ucalgaryres a Direct Message (DM) on Instagram between 12:00 a.m., February 3, 2025 to 11:59 p.m., February 18, 2025 (the “Submission Period”), including:
    • up to ten (10) images* of the entrant’s room;

As outlined in greater detail in Section 5 below, the Sponsor’s judging panel will select ten finalists and will post the room images to the publicly visible @ucalgaryres Instagram account for voting.

*For resident safety, images must not include identifying information about anyone living in the residence, such as names, room number, residence building, nearby landmarks, or other location information. Images must not include the personal belongings of anyone other than the entrant (i.e. a roommate’s furniture and belongings), even if the entrant obtains that individual’s consent. The Sponsor reserves the right to edit any submitted images to remove identifying or location-related information before posting to the @ucalgaryres, which is unrestricted and publicly visible. Any comments posted on the @ucalgaryres Instagram profile revealing the identity of an entrant or other resident will be deleted and may result in the poster’s contest submission and/or vote being discarded. 

All entries must be complete and are subject to verification by the Sponsor, in its sole discretion. Limit one entry per person. 

 

By participating in this Contest, entrants accept and agree to be bound by the Contest Rules set out herein, and accept the decisions of the Sponsor, or those acting on behalf of the Sponsor, as final and binding, without right of appeal, in all respects, including, without limitation, as to eligibility and/or disqualification of entries, which are in the Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion. Entries that are incomplete, irregular, inaccurate, contain false information, have been submitted through illicit means, or do not conform to or satisfy any condition of these Contest Rules shall be disqualified.  

 

4. CONTEST PRIZES:  

PRIZE(S): There are a total of six prizes (the “Prizes”) available to be won, including

  • 1st Prize: A Nintendo Switch, approximate retail value of $450
  • 2nd Prize: 2 Flames tickets, approximate total retail value of $185
  • 3rd Prize: UCalgary merchandise bundle (hoodie, t-shirt, water bottle or mug, Julia Gash tote), approximate total retail value of $150
  • 4th, 5th and 6th Prizes: UCalgary or UCalgary Dinos T-shirt, approximate retail value of $25 each

GENERAL: Prizes must be accepted as awarded and are not transferable or refundable. No substitutions except at Sponsor’s option. Nonmonetary Prizes may not be sold to, bartered with, purchased by or utilized by a third party. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute an alternate prize of equal or greater value if an advertised prize is unavailable at the time of award. 

 

5. WINNER SELECTION:  

The Sponsor’s judging panel will select up to ten finalists, whose room images will be posted on the publicly visible Instagram account @ucalgaryres for public voting (limit one vote per Instagram account).  The voting period will begin 2:00 p.m., February 21, 2025 and end 11:59 p.m., February 28, 2025 (the “Voting Period”). The number of votes received during the Voting Period will determine the order of potential winners of the Prizes (the “Potential Winners”). The Potential Winners will be contacted by the Sponsor by Direct Message (DM) on Instagram within seven (7) business days of the Voting Period end date.  

 

The odds of winning a Prize will depend on the number of eligible entries received during the Contest Period and the number of votes received during the Voting Period. The Sponsor may reject any entry if, in its absolute discretion, it considers the entrant to be ineligible or the entry to be disqualified. No correspondence will be entered into with Contest entrants except with the Potential Winners. Up to three attempts will be made to contact a Potential Winner within seven (7) of the Voting Period end date. A Potential Winner that does not accept a prize and meet all acceptance requirements within fourteen (14) business days of the Voting Period end date will be deemed to have declined the Prize.  

 

BEFORE BEING DECLARED A WINNER, each Potential Winner must sign and return within fourteen (14) business days of the Voting Period end date a declaration and release prepared by the Sponsor, which, among other things: (i) requires the Potential Winner to correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question without mechanical or other aid; (ii) confirms compliance with these Contest Rules; (iii) acknowledges acceptance of the Prize as awarded; (iv) agrees to release the Releasees (as defined below) from any and all loss, harm, claims, cost, expense (including legal and other professional expenses), demands, damages, actions or causes of action whatsoever which the Potential Winner, his/her heirs, executors or administrators may or thereafter have against any of the Releasees in respect of or relating to participation in the Contest, participation in any contest related activity or the acceptance, use or misuse of the Prize. If the Potential Winner: (a) declines the Prize; (b) fails to correctly answer the skill-testing question; or (c) fails or is unable to return the properly executed  declaration and release within the specified time, then he/she will be disqualified (and will forfeit all rights to the Prize) and the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to select an alternate eligible entry. Any alternate Potential Winner that is selected will be required to comply with these Contest Rules, including the above requirements related to the declaration and release.  

 

6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:  

In consideration of the opportunity to enter the Contest, each entrant, by entering the Contest, grants the Sponsor a paid-up, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, worldwide license to use his or her entries (including but not limited to photographs, video and text) entered into the Contest in marketing and promotion related to the Sponsor; and each entrant, by entering the Contest, confirms that he or she holds the exclusive rights to all intellectual property in his or her entries, other than the right of the Sponsor to use such property by the Sponsor as set forth above, and that all moral rights in the intellectual property in his or her entries have been waived. 

 

7. PUBLICITY:  

By participating and accepting a Prize, entrants consent to the use of their submitted photographs and entry without further remuneration or notice, in connection with the administration of the Contest or any publicity carried out by or on behalf of the Sponsor with respect to the Contest.  

 

8. DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: 

The Sponsor assumes no responsibility for loss, injury, damages, liabilities or costs of any kind whatsoever and howsoever caused arising out of or in connection with the Contest or a Prize. The Sponsor, or an employee, agent or other representative of the Sponsor, if applicable, shall not be liable for (without limitation): (a) any problems, errors or negligence that may arise or occur in connection with the Contest; (b) any failure of any mail system, courier, website or social media application  for incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry information, technical malfunctions, human or technical error, printing errors, lost, delayed or garbled data or transmissions, omission, interruption, deletion, defect or failures of any telephone or computer lines or networks, computer equipment, software or any combination thereof; (c) late, lost, delayed, not received, damaged, misdirected, incomplete, stolen, fraudulent or illegible entries (all of which shall be automatically void and not eligible for the Prizes); (d) failure to receive entries due to transmission failures, busy signals, traffic congestion on the internet or at any website or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, servers, access providers, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or recipient; or (e) any personal injury or injury, damage or loss to an entrant's or any other person's property related to or resulting from participation in this Contest and breaches of privacy due to interference by third parties. Entries are subject to verification by the Sponsor. Entry materials/data not satisfying the entry requirements or that have been tampered with or altered are void. 

 

9. RELEASE AND INDEMNIFICATION: 

To claim a Prize, all Potential Winners must sign a declaration and release to: (a) confirm acceptance of the Prize and compliance with these Contest Rules; (b) release, discharge and hold harmless the Sponsor, and its respective governors, departments, agencies, directors, officers, employees, agents, licensees, affiliates, related companies, representatives, successors and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”) from and against any and all manner of action, cause of action, claim or demand from any loss, injury, harm, damages, liabilities or costs of any kind whatsoever and howsoever caused, including, without limitation, bodily harm and property damage, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, arising out of or in connection with participation in this Contest, any Contest related activity, or from acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any Prize or participation in any Prize related activity; and (c) agrees to fully indemnify the Releasees from any and all manner of action, cause of action, claim or demand on the part of any third party or parties against any loss, injury, harm, damages, liabilities or costs related in any way to the Contest or to the use, acceptance and/or misuse of the Prizes, including, without limitation, death, and personal or property damage or injury.   

 

10. GOVERNING LAW: 

These are the official rules (the “Contest Rules”). The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws. Any dispute regarding these Contest Rules shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the Province of Alberta, including all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Contest Rules, rights and obligations between entrants and the Sponsor, and procedural provisions, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. Any dispute shall be adjudicated by the courts sitting in Calgary, Alberta. 

 

11. PRIVACY: 

The Sponsor is committed to protecting the privacy of Contest entrants. Personal information collected from entrants pursuant to these Contest Rules will be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Alberta). It will be collected for the purposes of administering the Contest and, only if consent is given at the time of entry, to provide entrants with information regarding upcoming promotions and/or events from the Sponsor in accordance with Canada’s anti-spam legislation. For more information regarding the manner of collection, use and disclosure of personal information by the Sponsor, please visit the Sponsor’s Privacy Policy at www.ucalgary.ca. 

 

12. TERMINATION OR AMENDMENT: 

The Sponsor reserves the right to terminate the Contest or amend the Contest Rules at any time and in any way, without prior notice. Without limiting the foregoing, if, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned for any reason, the Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or abridge the Contest during the Contest Period and conduct a random draw from all previously received eligible entries received during the Contest Period.