Another Chance! Round 2 of “Win a Ticket to PASS Summit 2012”

WINNER UPDATE: Thanks to all who participated in our photo caption contest – way to bow-WOW us with your snappy captions!  However, a special two paws up goes to @forhakim for the winning caption:  Step back from the database, or I will byte!” Congrats, Hakim!  We’ll see you in Seattle, November 6th – 9th!

Last week, we whet your appetite for a free full 3-day PASS Summit 2012 registration ticket with our Tweet for a Ticket contest, and today, we’re ready to do it all over again! We’ve got one more full 3 day PASS Summit 2012 registration to give away, and it could be yours, that is, if you’ve got the right words to win it!

Check out the photo we’re featuring here, and then add your caption to the comments below this blog post. Make us laugh, make us cry, or make us step back and take a deep breath in awe – come up with the most creative caption for the photo and you can win yourself a ticket to PASS Summit 2012!

 

What are the details?

• You have from now through 5 pm PST on Tuesday, October 23rd to add your caption to the comments below this blog post.
• You may submit only one caption to the contest. If you submit any more than one caption, your first and all other captions will be disqualified.
• The winning caption will be selected by a panel of 3 judges, based on overall creativity and applicability to the photo.
• You must include your Twitter handle in order to be qualified.
• You must be a follower of @SQLServer on Twitter.

The winner will be announced at 9 am PST on Wednesday, October 24 via @SQLServer on Twitter. Please note, if you win, you will be responsible for all travel and accommodation arrangements and costs. The ticket is non-transferrable and may only be used by the submitting participant, and if you have already purchased a PASS Summit 2012 ticket, your current ticket will not be eligible for a refund. If you are unable or choose not to accept the prize, the ticket will be awarded to an alternate winner. This Challenge is open to all eligible participants worldwide. Please read the complete set of Challenge rules below and caption away!

WIN A TICKET TO PASS SUMMIT 2012 WITH A CLEVER CAPTION CHALLENGE – OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. COMMON TERMS USED IN THESE RULES:

These are the official rules that govern how the Round 2! Win a Ticket to PASS Summit 2012 Challenge (“Challenge”) promotion will operate. This promotion will be simply referred to as the “Challenge” throughout the rest of these rules. In these rules, “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Microsoft Corporation, the sponsor of the Challenge. “You” refers to an eligible Challenge entrant.

WHAT ARE THE START AND END DATES?

This Challenge starts at 11:30 a.m. PT on Oct 22, 2012 and ends at 5:00 p.m. PT on Oct 23, 2012 (“Entry Period”).

CAN I ENTER?

This contest is open to IT Professionals who are interested in attending the PASS Summit 2012 in Seattle on November 6-9, 2012 and are willing to pay for any/all travel and accommodation costs involved attending the Summit. Microsoft will pay the full cost of the Full Summit (3-Days) Individual Registration for PASS Summit 2012. Details of the event are available here.

You are eligible to enter this Challenge if you meet the following requirements at time of entry:

• If you are 18 of age or older, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Challenge; and

• You are NOT an employee of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and

• You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Challenge; and

• You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Challenge.

This Challenge is void wherever prohibited by law.

HOW DO I ENTER?    

To enter, post your photo caption for the featured photo in the comments below this blog post. We will judge the answers based on creativity and applicability to the photo of the answers received during the Entry Period.

To enter, you must do all of the following:

1. Add your caption to the comments below this blog post.

1. Include your Twitter handle so that we may contact you in the event you are selected as the winner. If you do not have an account, visit www.twitter.com to create one. Twitter accounts are free.

1. You must be a follower of @SQLServer on Twitter.

Note: You may only submit one caption to the Challenge. If you provide more than one caption, you will be automatically disqualified, including your first response. So take your time and provide only one answer.

We are not responsible for entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for entries that we receive but are not decipherable for any reason, or for entries that do not include your Twitter handle.

We will automatically disqualify:

• Any incomplete or illegible entry; and

• Any entries that we receive from you that do not meet the requirements described above.

WINNER SELECTION AND PRIZES

A panel of three (3) judges from the SQL Server Team at Microsoft will evaluate all responses to the question and determine a winner based on creativity and applicability to the photo.  The prize is one (1) Full Summit (3-Days) Individual Registration for PASS Summit 2012. Approximate Value $2,095. Only one (1) prize is available.

The winner of the Challenge will be personally responsible for all travel, accommodation, entertainment, meals, or any other cost involved with coming to and staying in Seattle for the duration of PASS Summit 2012. Microsoft is not responsible for any costs other than the Full Summit (3-Days) Individual Registration for PASS Summit 2012.

The winner of the Challenge will be sent their registration code via a Direct Message (DM) on Twitter or we can email the registration code if the winner provides us an active email address via a Direct Message (DM) to @SQLServer. The winner must reply to our Direct Message (DM) by 9:00 a.m. PT on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 or the winner will be disqualified and SQL Server Team at Microsoft will immediately notify the runner up of winning. If that happens, the runner up must respond to our Direct Message (DM) by 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 25, 2012, or that person will be disqualified and the contest will end without a winner.

If you are a potential winner, we will notify you via Direct Message on Twitter to the account provided at time of entry within forty-eight (48) hours following the end of the Entry Period. If the notification that we send is returned as undeliverable, or you are otherwise unreachable for any reason, we may award the prize to an alternate winner as decided by the panel of judges. Microsoft will provide the winner the registration code for the Full 3-Day Registration to the PASS Summit 2012 within 24 hours of the winner’s confirmation reply.

If there is a dispute as to who is the potential winner, we reserve the right to make final decisions on who is the winner based on the creativity of the answers provided, ensuring that all rules are followed, and the times the answers arrive are within the Entry Period.

If you are a potential winner, we may require you to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release within 10 days of notification. If you are a potential winner and you are 18 or older, but are considered a minor in your place of legal residence, we may require your parent or legal guardian to sign all required forms on your behalf. If you do not complete the required forms as instructed and/or return the required forms within the time period listed on the winner notification message, we may disqualify you and select an alternate, randomly selected winner.

If you are confirmed as a winner of this Challenge:

• You may not exchange your prize for cash or any other merchandise or services. However, if for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value; and
• You may not designate someone else as the winner. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, we will award it to an alternate potential winner; and
• If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize; and
• If you are otherwise eligible for this Challenge, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on your behalf.

WHAT ARE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING?

Your odds of winning this Challenge depend on the number of eligible entries we receive and the creativity of the answers as judged by a panel of three (3) members of the SQL Server Team at Microsoft.

WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS ARE YOU AGREEING TO BY ENTERING THIS CHALLENGE?

By entering this Challenge you agree:

• To abide by these Official Rules; and
• To release and hold harmless Microsoft, and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees and agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Challenge or any prize won; and
• That Microsoft’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to this Challenge; and
• That by accepting a prize, Microsoft may use of your proper name and state of residence online and in print, or in any other media, in connection with this Challenge, without payment or compensation to you, except where prohibited by law

WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE WAY THIS CHALLENGE IS EXECUTED AND ADMINISTRATED?

This Challenge will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Challenge.

WHAT IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND THE CHALLENGE CAN’T RUN AS PLANNED?

If cheating, a virus, bug, catastrophic event, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled, (also referred to as force majeure) affects the fairness and / or integrity of this Challenge, we reserve the right to cancel, change or suspend this Challenge. This right is reserved whether the event is due to human or technical error. If a solution cannot be found to restore the integrity of the Challenge, we reserve the right to select winners from among all eligible entries received before we had to cancel, change or suspend the Challenge. If you attempt to compromise the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Challenge by hacking or by cheating or committing fraud in ANY way, we may seek damages from you to the fullest extent permitted by law. Further, we may ban you from participating in any of our future Challenge, so please play fairly.

HOW CAN YOU FIND OUT WHO WON?

To find out who won, send an email to [email protected] by November 15th, 2012 with the subject line:  “Round 2! Win a Ticket to Pass Summit 2012 Challenge”.

WHO IS SPONSORING THIS CHALLENGE?

Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052