3M Signs of Success Contest
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Enter the contest! Enter Multiple Times - Note: each entry must be for a different job 
The following contest is intended for participation in the U.S. only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to U.S. laws. Do not enter this contest if your business is not located in the U.S.* (see item "2- Eligibility" section below for specific state exclusions) at the time of entry.
Contest begins on 12:00:01 a.m. Central Time ("CT") on March 26, 2008, and ends on 11:59:59 p.m. CT on December 31, 2008 ("Contest Period").
1. The Contest: This contest will highlight the importance of a sign to the success of a small or mid-sized business. The grand prize winning sign shop will receive five thousand dollars. In addition, a second grand prize of five thousand dollars will be awarded to the purchaser of the sign. This prize to the end user (brand owner) highlights the importance of this sign to their success, and hopefully goes a long way to reimburse them for the cost of the original sign. This winning entry will show they have the best designed sign, and also highlight the benefits they gained from using only 3M graphic materials listed below. In addition the winner will have the best description of how the sign is, or is expected, to positively affect the owner's business.
3M™ Scotchcal™ Translucent Graphic Films
3M™ Dual-Color Films
3M™ Blockout Films
3M™ Diffuser Films
3M™ Light Enhancement Film 3635-100
3M™ Panaflex™ Awning and Sign Facing 945GPS
3M™ Panagraphics™ II Intermediate Flexible Substrate
3M™ Panagraphics™ III Wide-Width Flexible Substrate
See the following for contest details.
2. Eligibility: Contest is open only to legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States (excluding New Jersey, North Dakota, Tennessee and Vermont) and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age (19 in AL and NE) or older. Void in New Jersey, North Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont and where prohibited by law. Employees, directors, officers and agents of 3M ("3M or Sponsor"); its subsidiary companies and sales representatives; employees, directors; advertising and promotion agencies involved in this Contest ("Promotional Parties"); and members of the immediate families (parent, child, sibling and spouse of each) or households of any of the above are prohibited from entering the Contest. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules. All entrants must be the principal or owner or president of a graphic manufacturing company that print and produce finished graphics. Sign manufacturing date must be between March 26, 2008 and December 31, 2008.
3. How to Enter: Go to www.3Mgraphics.com during the Contest Period, click on "Signs of Success Contest" and follow the instructions to submit your entry, each entry must contain three photos that best represent your sign. One photo must include a night image of the lit sign. Entries must be electric backlit signs.
The sign must use any combination of only the following 3M products:
3M™ Scotchcal™ Translucent Graphic Films
3M™ Dual-Color Films
3M™ Blockout Films
3M™ Diffuser Films
3M™ Light Enhancement Film 3635-100
3M™ Panaflex™ Awning and Sign Facing 945GPS
3M™ Panagraphics™ II Intermediate Flexible Substrate
3M™ Panagraphics™ III Wide-Width Flexible Substrate
All films included in the sign face must be 3M products. If a rigid substrate is used in making the sign face it is not required to be a 3M product. Flexible substrates should utilize 3M™ Panaflex™ Awning and Sign Facing 945GPS, 3M™ Panagraphics™ II Intermediate Flexible Substrate, or 3M™ Panagraphics™ III Wide-Width Flexible Substrate.
Type of Sign: We are looking for signs that have been created to promote a small or mid-sized business, brand or organization. Please include a written description in English, not to exceed 200 words explaining how the sign is, or is expected to, impact your customer's business and the benefits of using the 3M products.
You must also provide the following on the entry form: (1) the name of your company and contact information (2) all 3M products used in the entry; and (3) the date the sign was manufactured. Manufacturing date must be between March 26, 2008 and December 31, 2008.
(5) The top 25 finalists will be required to provide:
1. Customer's notarized signature stating that the submitted sign manufacturer was the one who produced the sign.
2. Verification that allowable 3M products were used and verification of the date the sign was manufactured.
3. Written permission from customer for 3M to use the sample photos and written descriptions of entries in communications (examples are sales flyers, advertisements, direct mail, email, websites, etc.).
You can enter as many different signs that your company completed as you would like. Facsimile or mailed entries are unacceptable. Entrants must be a United States company, and meet terms of eligibility defined above, in order to win. Date of manufacture must occur between March 26, 2008 and December 31, 2008. All entries are due by December 31, 2008. Promotional Parties, Prize Providers, nor their respective officers, directors, employees or agents are responsible for interrupted or unavailable network, server or other connections, miscommunications, failed telephone or computer hardware or software or telephone transmissions or technical failures, Internet Service Provider/network/website accessibility or availability, garbled or jumbled transmissions or other errors of any kind, whether human, mechanical or electronic; including without limitation the incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry information. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual found tampering (or attempting to tamper) with the entry process, the website, or the Contest. Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage the website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest is in violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages from any such entrant to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution. In case of dispute as to identity of entrant, entry will be declared made by the authorized account subscriber of the email account, who must comply with these Contest Rules. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel/suspend/modify the Contest, if it becomes corrupted in any manner, or due to fraud or other occurrences beyond Sponsor's control it cannot be conducted as originally planned.
4. Entries: By submitting an entry, each entrant represents that the photos submitted have never been published and have not previously won any other contest award; that use thereof does not infringe third party rights (including those of any photographer), is suitable for publication and the right to submit it is not restricted by copyright. Entry cannot defame or invade publicity rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person's personal or proprietary rights, including but not limited to containing any identifiable person, copyrighted materials not owned by entrant or any third party trademarks other than 3M. Entries not complying with all rules are subject to disqualification at Sponsor's sole discretion. No correspondence regarding entries will be entered into with entrants. Photos and written description submitted become the exclusive property of Sponsor and will not be returned. With respect to photos and written description entered, entrant unconditionally assigns and transfers to Sponsor all rights, title, interest and claims, including, without limitation, the copyright therein. Sponsor shall have right to use, alter, assign or dispose of such entries however it sees fit without approval of entrants. In order to accept the prize, except where prohibited, entrant will be required to grant the Sponsor the right to use entrant's name, image, likeness and biographical materials, as well as entrant's Photos and written description submitted, for advertising, publicity and promotion purposes including, without limitation, online announcements without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law.
5. Judging:
A. Finalist Selection: An independent agent of 3M will select 25 finalists ("Finalists") from all the entries. 3M will verify that the 25 finalists have met all the requirements for the contest. The Finalists will be judged based on a point system using the following criteria: (1) How the sign had a positive impact on their customer's business, and (2) the aesthetic appeal of the sign design, and (3) Adherence to all contest rules and regulations. 3M or its agents reserve the right to view the sign in person. The results of the judging remain the property of the independent agent.
B. Finalists Prize - Each of the twenty-five (25) Finalists will be awarded a 3M NASCAR® Jacket & Hat.
C. Finalist Judging for Selecting the Winner: A qualified panel of judges from the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) and the Small Business Administration will choose a winner from the 25 finalist. The winner is to be announced at ISA, 2009. Each of the twenty-five (25) Finalist entrants will be judged to determine the Grand Prize winner based upon the following criteria: 1) How the sign had a positive impact on their customer's business. (2) Aesthetic appeal of the sign design. (3) Adherence to all contest rules and regulations. (4) The judges' decisions on all matters pertaining to the contest are final. In the event of a tie, tie breaker will be based upon the highest score in the first judging criterion, continuing thereafter to each judging criterion as needed, to break the tie.
3M reserves the right to contact the 25 finalists for more documentation or evidence that 3M products were used. Examples of evidence could be any of the following: a) 3M representative viewing the sign firsthand; b) testimony from 3M distributor; c) testimony from installer and/or further verification from the end user.
6. Prizes/Approximate Retail Value (ARV). The winner will be announced in the 3M booth at the 2009 ISA in Las Vegas, Nevada. One (1) Grand Prize will be awarded to the end user (brand owner) of the winning sign and one (1) grand prize will be awarded to the sign manufacturer. The grand prize winner of the end user prize will receive $5,000 in cash and the grand prize winner of the sign manufacturer prize will also receive $5,000 in cash. Note that the winning sign manufacturer is not eligible for the $5,000 end user prize even if it is their brand on the winning sign.
If winner cannot accept prize as stated, prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner will be chosen. Odds of winning depend upon number of eligible entries received. Taxes on prizes are winners' responsibility. The 25 Finalists will be awarded a 3M NASCAR® Jacket & Hat.
7. Prize/Winner Verification: No transfer of prize allowed. Potential Prize winner will be notified by telephone and/or express mail (unless present for the winner announcement at the 3M booth at the 2008 SGIA) and will be required to sign, have notarized and return an unmodified Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity release form within five (5) days of issuance in order to receive the prize (optional in TN). If Prize notification letter or any prize is returned as undeliverable, or any prize documentation is not submitted as required by Sponsor, the prize will be forfeited. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize with a prize of equal/greater value, if advertised prize becomes unavailable. All taxes, license, title and registration fees or other costs associated with transferring and/or winning the prize, including, without limitation, all travel and transportation costs related to collecting the prize will be the sole responsibility of the winner (Prize will meet emissions requirements if awarded to a California or New York resident). Sponsor is not responsible for delays in delivery of the prize. Sponsor, however, shall use all reasonable efforts, subject to availability, to deliver the prize within 90 days after the receipt of a fully executed and notarized Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release (optional in TN)
8. General: By participating in this Contest, entrants agree to abide by and be bound by these Contest Rules and the decisions of the judges which are final in all matters relating to this Contest. Participants waive the right to assert as a cost of winning the prize any and all costs of redemption and any liability which might arise from redeeming or seeking to redeem said prize, or from use, misuse, acceptance or possession of said prize. By participating, entrants agree to release 3M, its affiliates, and their respective subsidiaries and agents, including without limitation its advertising and promotion agencies, and each of their respective directors, employees and officers (collectively "Releases"), from any and all liability arising from or in connection with participation in this Contest, or the awarding, receipt or use of any prize. By entering, entrants further agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Contest Rules, participant's rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of Minnesota, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Minnesota or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Minnesota. By entering, entrants consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state and local courts located in Minnesota.
9. Limitations of Liability: Sponsor and other Releases are not responsible for any attempt by an entrant or other individual to deliberately damage or undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest, including but not limited to any fraudulent claims, may be a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages from any such individual, to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Contest Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Participant engaging in any of the foregoing activities may be disqualified and will forfeit any prizes won.
10. Winners List: For the name of the Prize winners, send a self-addressed, stamped business size #10 envelope by April 1, 2009 to: Signs of Success Contest. 3M Graphics Market Center, 3M Center, Building 220-12E-04, St. Paul, MN 55144. A Winners list will be made available after winner has been verified and prize has been awarded.
Sponsor: 3M Graphics Market Center, 3M Center, Building 220-12-E-04, St. Paul, MN 55144.
