VOWS Awards – Terms and Conditions

GENERAL

  1. Entry is open to all businesses of all sizes working in the wedding industry in Scotland.
  2. Companies must have been trading for a minimum 24 months at August 1, 2019  and be based or have an outlet in Scotland.
  3. All entries must be submitted via the online form available at https://www.dctevents.com/enter/vows-awards/, by the closing date of Sunday, August 18, 2019.
  4. All entries, and the details contained within them, will be handled in the strictest confidence and only made available to members of the judging panel. All confidential information supplied will be securely destroyed after the judging period.
  5. It is accepted as a precondition of entry that all participating businesses will agree to facilitate and feature in coverage/ promotions concerning The Scottish VOWS Awards 2019 and its online portals.
  6. Businesses can enter any number of categories and win any number of categories, however a separate business review form is required for each category submission.
  7. Nomination statistics will not be provided after the closing date of 18th August, 2019.
  8. Winners will be announced at The Scottish VOWS Awards ceremony on 18th November 2019 and feedback requests will only be accepted up to 4 weeks following the event.

ELIGIBILITY

  1. Entrants can invite their wedding clients who married between 1st June, 2018 and 1st August, 2019 to submit nomination and  customer testimonials on the VOWS website.
  2. One vote per wedding per category will be accepted.  In the case of duplication’s, the first nomination will count.
  3. Voters may only vote for suppliers that they used for their weddings. Votes received from couples will be checked and verified.
  4. Voters who are married outwith Scotland but use a supplier based in Scotland are eligible to vote.
  5. Voters may vote for up to four suppliers but they can only vote once for each supplier.
  6. In alignment with the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977, nominations will not be accepted for celebrants or other bodies that undertake the solemnisation of marriage.

JUDGING PROCESS

  1. Data received from business review forms, customer testimonials and mystery shopper feedback will be used in final judging for awards.
  2. When asked to complete a business review form, ensure the entry is within the word count limit.
  3. Award winners will be announced at The Scottish VOWS Awards ceremony in November.
  4. Incomplete entries will not be judged.
  5. Entry forms will become the property of The Scottish VOWS Awards and entries will not be returned.
  6. Proof of sending entry (by email) is not proof of receipt by of The Scottish VOWS Awards.
  7. The organisers reserve the right to withdraw an award from any applicant supplying false information within their entry. Judges reserve the right to audit any information supplied. Any companies with fraudulent testimonials will also be disqualified.
  8. The judges’ decision is final. All entrants except winners can request feedback after which no further correspondence will be entered into.  Feedback requests will only be accepted up to 4 weeks after the event date.
  9. All business review forms will be passed to the judging panel and judges who are previous winners of a VOWS award will not judge their own business profession category.  The following terms and conditions apply to bookings for any events organised by DC Thomson & Co Ltd (company no. SC005830) (“us” or “we”)

BOOKINGS, PAYMENTS AND CANCELLATION

  1. Submitting a booking for an event through this website constitutes a legally binding agreement on you or, if you are making your booking in your capacity as an employee or representative of any organisation, your organisation.
  2. We reserve the right (acting in our sole discretion) to refuse to accept your booking.
  3. We must receive full payment in cleared funds at least 48 hours prior to the event or such earlier period specified by us in the relevant event details. We reserve the right to cancel your booking if we have not received full payment in clear funds within the specified time.

FILMING, PHOTOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL MEDIA

  1. We and our event partners and sponsors may film or take photographs (including flash photography) at events. Such films or photographs may be used (without limitation) in publicity and marketing materials (including our website). If you do not wish to appear in such films or photographs, then you must notify us in writing prior to the event, in which case we will use reasonable efforts to ensure that you do not appear in such films or photographs.
  2. Unless you are told otherwise i) we encourage attendees to use social media to share comments and thoughts in relation to the event and ii) you may also share photographs on social media that you take at the event using your smartphone provided that you acknowledge they were taken at the event. Otherwise, filming, photography, audio-recording or transmission of films, audio or photographs or live streaming is not permitted unless you have our prior authorisation. Please notify us at least 48 hours prior to the event if you wish to obtain any such authorisation. If you carry out any unauthorised filming, photography, audio recording or transmissions or live streaming then you may be asked to leave the event.

CHANGES TO EVENTS AND FORCE MAJEURE

  1. We reserve the right to change (at our sole discretion) the format, speakers, participants, content, venue location or any other aspect of an event at any time and for any reason, whether or not due to force majeure and (subject to clause 7) in each case without liability or refund. “Force majeure” shall include without limitation any event beyond our reasonable control and includes (without limitation) speaker or participant withdrawal, fire, flooding, health scare, disaster, venue damage or cancellation, supplier or contractor failure, failures of any public transport and industrial disputes.
  2. We reserve the right to cancel or change the date for an event at any time for any reason. In the event of a cancellation or change of date of an event by us (other than for reasons of force majeure), our only liability will be to offer you the option of a full refund for your booking or (where possible) attendance at any rescheduled date for the event. Any refund will be paid to you or your organisation within 30 days after the date of notification of cancellation/change of date.

OUR LIABILITY

  1. Subject to clause 2 in Changes to Events and Force Majeure, to the fullest extent possible in law, we are not liable to you for any loss, delay, damage or other liability incurred by you or your property and/or arising from the event itself; cancellation of an event; change of venue or date; or any actions or omissions of our suppliers, contractors or other participants or speakers.
  2. All warranties, conditions and other terms implied by law (whether by statute, common law or otherwise) are excluded from these terms and conditions.
  3. We are not liable or responsible for the content of any presentation, speech, publication or performance by speakers or participants at our events unless such individuals are employees or representatives of us and participating in their capacity as our employee or representative.

MISCELLANEOUS

  1. Our privacy policy, sets out how we may use your personal information. By accepting these Terms and Conditions, you confirm that you have read, understood and accept the privacy policy.
  2. We may collect from time to time feedback from delegates and use it for future marketing purposes. If you do not wish to have comments attributed to you, please do not identify yourself/ your organisation on any feedback forms.
  3. These terms and conditions (including in relation to any non-contractual obligations), as may be amended from time to time by us, are governed by Scots Law and the Scottish courts have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute arising under these terms and conditions (including in relation to any non-contractual obligations).
  4. Sponsors, Media Partners and Brand Ambassadors (and, as applicable, their group companies) of the VOWS Awards may not enter the VOWs awards as candidates/entrants during the period of their sponsorship/partnership/ambassadorial role with DC Thomson. Any such person attempting to enter shall not be eligible to win and their entry shall not be counted