Official Rules: SmarterTravel Beach Photo Contest

Summertime is beach time. And to honor our favorite season for sun and sand, we’re launching a special photo contest this week, with great prizes for 10 finalists and one grand-prize winner.

To enter, simply post your best beach photos to Instagram and tag them #smartertravel (so we can find them) and follow us on Instagram @smartertravel (where you can enjoy more beach pics and scope the competition).

On July 15, we’ll choose our 10 favorites and post them on SmarterTravel, and then leave it up to you (and if you’re one of the finalists, your friends, family, and fans) to vote for the winner!

Each of our 10 finalists will get a set of three Instagram-pic-friendly photo frames from Tiny Mighty Frames (prize value: $48) plus a coupon for printing three of your favorite Instagram pics. And one grand prize winner, as voted by our readers, will get a beautiful leather weekender bag (prize value: $350) from Whipping Post.

We’re looking forward to seeing your beautiful, inspiring, funny, and fabulous beach pics. Post as many times as you want on Instagram between Tuesday, June 28, and Friday, July 15. Then get ready to vote for your favorites (sign up for our newsletter below or follow us on Facebook or Twitter to be the first to know when the voting opens) between July 18 and 24.

May the best beach photo win!

No Purchase Necessary. A Purchase Will Not Increase Your Chances of Winning. Void where prohibited.

1. Eligibility: Instagram SmarterTravel Beach Photo Contest (the “Contest”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia who are at least sixteen (16) years old. Employees of Smarter Travel LLC or other companies associated with the Contest, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee, are not eligible to enter.

2. Sponsor: The Contest is sponsored by Smarter Travel Media LLC, 226 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114 (“Sponsor”). The Contest is not sponsored by, endorsed by, administered by, or associated with Instagram. By participating in the Contest, you agree to a complete release of Instagram.

3. Agreement to Official Rules: By entering the Contest, you indicate your full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of: (a) these Official Rules and (b) Sponsor’s decisions and ultimate discretion, which is final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

4. Entry Period: The Entry Period begins at 10:00 AM EDT on June 28, 2016 and ends at 2:00 PM EDT on Friday July 15th, 2016. Entries submitted before or after the Entry Period will not be eligible. Sponsor’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Contest.

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5. How to Enter: To enter, make sure you’re following @smartertravel on Instagram (so that we can contact you if you win), then hashtag your best beach photos with #smartertravel on Instagram (via app or at www.instagram.com/smartertravel). There’s no limit on the number of photos you can hashtag to enter.

6. Entrant’s Warranties and Representations: By submitting an Entry, you warrant and represent that the Entry complies with all requirements of these Official Rules.

7. Sponsor’s Rights to Entries: By participating, you grant Sponsor, its agents, licensees, and assigns the unconditional, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, fully-paid-up, non-exclusive right and license to use, edit, adapt, and/or publish your entry in any format and on any platform or media without limitation, and without any review, compensation, or approval from you or any other party.

8. Selection of Potential Winner: SmarterTravel editors will choose 10 finalist photos. The voting for the grand-prize winner will be conducted by readers on SmarterTravel.com between July 18 and 24.  

9. Notification and Requirements of Potential Winner: Winner must be following @smartertravel at the time they are contacted to be eligible to win. Sponsor will send a message to the potential winner’s Instagram account used to enter the Contest with instructions on how to claim the prize. In order to receive any communication from Sponsor, your “Photos are Private” setting of your Instagram profile must be turned to “OFF.” If a potential winner does not respond within two (2) business days after the notice is sent, the Sponsor may select an alternate potential winnerin his/her place. Only three (3) alternate potential winners may be contacted. Except where prohibited, a potential winner may be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and/or a liability/publicity release. If a potential winner fails to sign and return these documents within the required time period, as determined solely by Sponsor, an alternate potential winner may be selected in his/her place.

10. Prize: 10 finalists will receive a set of three Instagram-picture-friendly photo frames (prize value: $48), plus one coupon for printing, and one grand prize winner will receive a “Weekender” leather travel bag (prize value: $350) by Whipping Post. A winner is responsible for paying any applicable income taxes and any and all other costs and expenses not listed above. Any prize details not specified above will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. A prize may not be transferred and must be accepted as awarded. A winner may not request cash or a substitute prize; however, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize with another prize of equal or greater value if the prize is not available for any reason, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

11. General Conditions: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Contest is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to, fraud, virus, or other technical problem, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Contest in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules or (b) award the prize(s) at random to entrants from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Failure by Sponsor to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Proof of sending any communication to Sponsor by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by Sponsor. In the event of a dispute as to any online Entry, the authorized account holder of the Instagram account used to enter will be deemed to be the participant. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person who is assigned to an account by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning accounts for the domain associated with the submission. The Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

12. Privacy and Publicity: Any information you submit as part of the Contest will be used in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy. Except where prohibited, participation in the Contest constitutes an entrant’s consent to Sponsor’s use of his/her name, likeness, voice, opinions, biographical information, and state of residence for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.

13. Disputes: Except where prohibited, you agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in Massachusetts, USA. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Massachusetts, USA, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of Massachusetts, USA, or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Massachusetts, USA.

14. Results: The winner will be notified on Instagram via Direct Message by Smarter Travel. Smarter Travel will choose a new winner if the initial Winner does not respond to Smarter Travel within 48 hours of notice.

See our contest rules and terms of use for more information.