The Gin Guide Awards 2024 - Terms & Conditions

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1. Definitions

• 1.1 - ‘Entrant’ shall mean the producer/ importer/ retailer / agent / individual that submits the Entry.
• 1.2 - ‘Entry/Entries’ shall mean the gin or gins entered into the Awards by the Entrant.
• 1.3 - 'Awards' shall mean The Gin Guide Awards 2024 competition.
• 1.4 - 'Organiser' shall mean The Gin Guide (The Spirits Guide Ltd). 
• 1.5 - 'Entry Closing Date' shall mean Friday 9th February 2024.
• 1.6 - 'Sample Delivery Date' shall mean Friday 23rd February 2024. 

2. General

• 2.1 - The Organiser’s decision is final on all matters.
• 2.2 - The Organiser reserves the right to amend all dates and deadlines without prior notice.
• 2.3 - The Organiser reserves the right to amend the Awards process and the Terms & Conditions with notice given to Entrants in this eventuality.
• 2.4 - The Organiser reserves the right to alter the Entry Closing Date and any published scheduling, to place an entry into a different category, to reject an entry, to deem an entry as ineligible, or to alter the date, time or place on or at which any element of the Awards are scheduled to take place. 
• 2.5 - In the event that an Entrant does not agree to be bound by any amended Terms & Conditions, they must inform the Organiser that they wish to withdraw from The Gin Guide Awards competition.
• 2.6 - All information submitted will be handled with confidentiality under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.

3. Entry & Form Submission

• 3.1 - The Gin Guide Awards 2024 (the 'Awards') online entry form must be submitted by Friday 9th February (the 'Entry Closing Date'). The correct entry fee must have been paid online by the Entry Closing Date or by bank transfer (if an invoice is requested before the Entry Closing Date) by Friday 23rd February 2024.
• 3.2 - An entry to the Awards is only completed and eligible for judging when the entry form, correct entry fee and correct product sample has been received. 
• 3.3 - Any entry forms which are incomplete will be deemed invalid. In this event, the entrant will be notified and given the opportunity to complete all required fields in the form before the Entry Closing Date.
• 3.4 - Any entry forms which are not fully completed by the Entry Closing Date or are submitted after the Entry Closing Date may be deemed invalid at the discretion of the Organiser. In this event, the Entrant will be offered the opportunity for their entry fee to used as payment for Membership of The Gin Guide instead.

• 3.5 - In the event that an entry is deemed ineligible or is refused at the fault of the Entrant, the Entrant will be offered a 50% refund or the opportunity for their entry fee to used as payment for Membership of The Gin Guide instead.
• 3.6 - By submitting The Gin Guide Awards 2024 entry form, you confirm that all information provided is correct at the time of submitting the form and you accept that any information found to be incorrect or misleading will result in disqualification from the Awards. In this event, entry fees and product samples will be retained by the Organiser. The Gin Guide must be informed of any changes to entry form information before the commencement of judging.
• 3.7 - By uploading and submitting imagery with an Awards entry form you confirm that you own and have the rights to distribute the imagery. By uploading and submitting any imagery, you grant the Organiser permission to display, print, publish, reproduce and/or edit the imagery without providing credit. In the event of the Organiser utilising imagery provided by you that is not owned by you or that you do not have the rights to distribute, you accept full liability for any breaches of applicable laws. 
• 3.8 - Entries must be submitted by the distillery or brand owner of each gin, or by a third party appointed by the distillery or brand owner (such as a PR Agency or Distributor) with the permission of the distillery and brand owner of each gin entered.
• 3.9 - The Entrant will indemnify The Gin Guide for any claims which arise as a result of the Entrant submitting an Entry which it does not have the authority or permission to submit.

4. Payment

• 4.1 - Payment of entry fees must be completed by online bank transfer, Paypal, debit card or credit card. Cash, cheques or other payment methods cannot be accepted.
• 4.2 - Paid Members of The Gin Guide are entitled to 20% off the Awards entry fee. Members of The Gin Guide whose Membership covered discounted entry into The Gin Guide Awards 2023 will be required to renew their Membership to receive discounted entry in The Gin Guide Awards 2024. 

5. Product Eligibility, Ingredients & Additives

• 5.1 - All gins submitted must be bottled at a minimum of 37.5% ABV, unless being entered into the Sloe Gin & Damson Gin category.
• 5.2 - Entries into the Navy Strength & High ABV Gin category must be bottled at an ABV of between 54% and 70% inclusive.
• 5.3 - Spirits or liqueurs bottled at below 37.5% ABV cannot be entered into The Gin Guide Awards, unless being entered into the Sloe Gin & Damson Gin category.
• 5.4 - Gins that are either 'homemade', for personal consumption, unlicensed, non-commercial, or not currently commercially available for either consumer or trade sales cannot be entered.
• 5.6 - Entries cannot contain any illegal additives or additives that are banned in the UK, including but not limited to Sudan dyes and Azo dyes. You can find a full list of approved food additives and the parameters of use in retained EU Regulation 1333/2008.
• 5.7 - Entries cannot contain edible glitter, glitter or glitter substitute including glitter powders, glitter residues, glitter dust, glitter shapes, glitter emulsifiers, flavourings including any of the aforementioned that have been marked safe for use in cooking or safe for human consumption.
• 5.8 - Entries cannot contain full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, CBD isolate or another format that contains CBD including but not limited to powders, flakes, dust, granules, extracts, oils, residues, emulsifiers, flavourings including any of the aforementioned that have been marked safe for use in cooking or safe for human consumption.
• 5.9 - Entries cannot contain edible metallic flakes for example ‘gold flakes’ or any other additives similar in nature.
• 6.0 - Entrants must disclose the number of botanicals and the full list of botanicals in all Entries. In the event that any judges suffer from an allergic reaction, this allows the Organiser to swiftly and accurately inform the relevant medical professionals of the contents of the Entry and Sample.

6. Product Samples & Shipping

• 6.1 - Product samples must be sent by pre-paid post or courier and must be received by Friday 23rd February (the 'Sample Delivery Deadline') at no cost to the Organiser. Deliveries which arrive after the Sample Delivery Deadline may be refused or accepted at the discretion of the Organiser.
• 6.2 - All customs, clearance and associated shipping costs must have been paid by the Entrant. In the event that these have not been paid, the Organiser will refuse the delivery and present the Entrant with the option to receive an invoice for the costs incurred. If this invoice is refused or unpaid by the Entry Closing Date, the entry will be disqualified. In this event, the Entrant will be offered the opportunity for their entry fee to used as payment for Membership of The Gin Guide instead.
• 6.3 - Product samples must be provided and presented as per retail, with bottling, labelling and sealing as per retail. 
• 6.4 - If product samples are not received by the Sample Delivery Deadline, the Organiser has the right to cancel the entry. If the entry is cancelled, the Entrant will be offered the opportunity for their entry fee to used as payment for Membership of The Gin Guide instead.
• 6.5 - It is the responsibility of the Entrant to ensure that samples have been delivered to Organiser's address - 29 Lummas Mead, Chinnor, Oxfordshire, OX39 4FQ, England - before the Sample Delivery Deadline or on the Sample Delivery Deadline.
• 6.6 - The Organiser cannot be held liable for the loss or damage of sample deliveries, or delays caused by couriers or customs. Entrants are responsible for arranging sufficient and suitable packaging and insurance for deliveries.
• 6.7 - Any product samples received after the Sample Delivery Deadline will be retained by the Organiser. 
• 6.8 - Product samples will not be returned following judging.  
• 6.9 - The Organiser reserves the right to retain open bottles or utilise remnants at trade and consumer events and for website and/or social media content to promote the gin. 

7. Judging

• 7.1 - The judging of tasting categories is conducted in a 'blind' format. Packaging, product information and imagery provided is not considered or able to influence judging. Prior or current commercial relationships with any gin producer or their representatives must be declared by judges and measures are in place to prevent such relationships being able to impact judging.   
• 7.2 - Sponsors of The Gin Guide Awards are excluded from involvement or influence in any aspect of Judging.
• 7.3 - Judges of The Gin Guide Awards are ineligible to enter products that they produce or own.
• 7.4 - The Organiser has the right to disqualify any entry not deemed to meet the entry criteria or Terms and Conditions. In this event, the Entrant will be offered the opportunity for their entry fee to used as payment for Membership of The Gin Guide instead
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8. Finalists, Winners & Prizes

• 8.1 - Finalists will be entitled to display the 'The Gin Guide Awards 2024 - Finalist' logo online and on printed materials. The 'The Gin Guide Awards 2024 - Finalist' logo may not be edited in any way and the design is owned by The Gin Guide (Trademarked). The Gin Guide Awards 2024 Finalist logo is not permitted or licensed to Entrants for use on bottle stickers unless approved in writing by the Organiser.
• 8.2 - Bottle stickers must be ordered by the chosen printer designated by The Gin Guide. The designated printer is inkReadible. Finalists and Winners outside of the UK must request permission from The Gin Guide to use local printers.  
• 8.3 - The winning gin in each category will be entitled to display the 'The Gin Guide Awards 2024 - Winner' logo online and on printed materials. The 'The Gin Guide Awards 2024 - Winner' logo may not be edited in any way and the design is owned by The Gin Guide. The Gin Guide Awards 2024 Winner logo is not permitted or licensed to Entrants for use on bottle stickers unless approved in writing by the Organiser.
• 8.4 - Winners may not amend the wording of their Award when publishing and promoting their Award. For example, a Winner in the Traditional Gin category of The Gin Guide Awards 2024' may not be promoted as 'Best Traditional Gin' or other variations. Any desired use of such variations much be approved in writing by the Organiser before use.

9. Publication & Promotion

• 9.1 - Excluding bottle stickers applied to the respective Finalist or Winning product in The Gin Guide Awards and any other promotion on the bottle itself or clearly referring to the individual product, any display, publication or text references to winning an Award must state the Awards year that the Award was achieved and must state the specific brand and product that the Award refers to. If a gin is made available under multiple brands, such as a standard spirit used for white-label contracts, only the specific branding and presentation under which the gin was entered may be associated with Awards achievements. 
• 9.2 - Any display, publication or text references to the being a Finalist must state the Awards year that the Finalist performance was achieved and must state the specific gin that the 'Finalist' achievement refers to.
• 9.3 - Winners and Finalists agree that the Organiser may publish details and particulars of each Winning entry and Finalist, including production locations and botanical ingredients.
• 9.4 - All gins entered into the Awards will receive scoring details and feedback comments from the judges. These comments are provided to entrants without naming the author of each comment. The score and comments may not be published or quoted and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of all judges, The Gin Guide Awards, The Gin Guide, or Paul Jackson (Head Judge).
• 9.5 - The Organiser will not be liable to Entrants for any consequential losses (i.e. loss of revenue, loss of business, loss of goodwill, loss or damage to data or information) arising out of, or in connection with, the provision of any aspect of the Awards including but not limited to the judging process, communication of Finalists or Winners or any other Awards related processes or communications.

10. Membership Benefits

• 10.1 - Within each year of Membership of The Gin Guide, a gin brand or distillery may receive a discount on the entry rates for one (1) occurrence of The Gin Guide Awards. For the same gin brand or distillery to receive a discount on the entry rates for a subsequent occurrence of The Gin Guide Awards, their Membership of The Gin Guide must be renewed for the minimum period of an additional year.
• 10.2 - Entrants of The Gin Guide Awards who also become Members of The Gin Guide between The Gin Guide Awards entry opening date and the date on which winners are announced will receive benefits of profiles and reviews after the announcement of winners and not before. This is to avoid additional tastings of entrants' gins resulting in any familiarity or potential sub-conscious influence during the judging process, and also to ensure that all Membership benefits can be delivered within the year of Membership

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If you have any question or queries regarding the Terms and Conditions of The Gin Guide Awards, please contact [email protected]