SAS Customer Recognition Awards Official Rules

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2023 SAS GLOBAL CUSTOMER RECOGNITION AWARDS CONTEST

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN AND WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. YOU HAVE NOT WON YET.

These Official Rules (“Rules”) apply to the 2023 SAS Global Customer Recognition Contest (the “Contest”). The Contest is subject to all applicable laws and regulations of the United States and its states and territories and is void where prohibited by law. Participation in the Contest constitutes each Entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to (i) these Rules and (ii) Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest. Winning a Prize Package (described below) is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

1. Eligibility. (A) General. The Contest is only open to all active business Customers and Partners of SAS Institute Inc. (“SAS”) (“Customers” are organizations doing business directly with SAS and “Partners” are companies working with SAS on behalf of an organization that is an active member of the SAS Partner Program). No individuals employed at active business Customers or Partners of SAS may enter the Contest in their individual capacity. No Customers or Partners holding student accounts may enter the Contest. Other eligibility requirements and conditions of participation are set forth below in these Rules. Customers and Partners entering the Contest are referred to in these Rules as “Entrants,” a term used to refer to, as applicable, the individual submitting the Submission as well as the Customer or Partner entity on whose behalf such Submission is made.

SAS also may, in its sole discretion, determine that a potential Winner is ineligible to receive any part or all of the Prize Package due to governmental, ethical, conflict of interest or similar concerns. Certain organizations, for example, may be subject to the SAS “No Gifts” list.  If you are uncertain if you will be ineligible based on any of the foregoing, you may contact SAS at communities@sas.com. Other eligibility requirements and conditions of participation are set forth below in these Rules.

(B) Additional Eligibility Requirements. Prior to being eligible to receive a Prize Package, an Entrant that has been selected as the potential winner of the Contest must provide Sponsor with any information or certifications needed by Sponsor, in its judgment, for tax reporting or other purposes. Without limiting the foregoing, an Entrant that is selected as a Winner of the Contest may be required to have an authorized representative sign a copy of these Rules, to complete and sign a Declaration of Compliance, Liability and Publicity Release, and provide any other document that Sponsor determines is required, necessary or appropriate, in its judgment, to confirm the Winner’s eligibility and for tax reporting or other purposes. If any potential Winner refuses to accept the full Prize Package, or fails to satisfy the above conditions within seven (7) days of the notice that such Entrant has been selected as a potential Winner, such Entrant will not be eligible for the Prize Package, and an alternate Winner will be selected, as described in “Winner Selection” below.

2. Entry Period.  Entry to the Contest is open from 12:01 a.m. eastern time (ET) on April 3, 2023 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on June 2, 2023 (“Entry Period”).  Entries must be submitted during the Entry Period in order to be eligible for the Contest. Sponsor’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Contest.   

3. How to Enter.  To enter, eligible Customers and Partners should visit https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Customer-Recognition-Awards/con-p/awards (the “Website”), follow the directions to enter the Contest, and then upload its Submission (described further below).  As explained below in Selection of Winners, one (1) Winner will be chosen for each of the fifteen (15) “Categories” listed below.  Any Entrant can submit a separate Submission for each applicable Category, but may submit only one (1) Submission per Category. Eligible results and examples for each Category Submission must be documented and achieved January 1, 2021 through the date of the Submission.  

The fifteen (15) Categories are:

Open for External Submissions (9)

1. Distinguished Partner:  Awarded to a SAS Partner that exceeded the Customer’s expectations and was essential in the Customer’s success.
2. SAS Analytics Explorers Advocate: Awarded to a Customer who is leveraging the SAS Analytics Explorers program to grow their skills, their career and/or their network.
3. Community Uplift Award: Awarded to a Customer who made an impact in their community at large using SAS products.
4. Innovative Problem Solver:  Awarded to a Customer who uses SAS in innovative ways to solve a business problem (financial, marketing, sales, R&D, operations, and anything else you want to share).
5. Professional Growth Award:  Awarded to a Customer who leverages SAS resources for personal professional development (learning courses, certifications, webinars, e-books) or for developing their team.
6. Rookie of the Year:  Awarded to a new Customer (initial account opened within the 5-year period prior to the beginning of the Entry Period) that is using SAS to make a positive impact in its organization.
7. ROI Rock Star: Awarded to a Customer demonstrating the greatest business benefit and return on investment (ROI) using SAS to increase revenue.
8. Curious Thinker:  Awarded to a Customer that has an inspiring career story to share and highlights how SAS played a part in that journey.
9. Visual Storyteller:  Awarded to a Customer using data visualizations to help educate their company and tell a story about their data.

SAS Internal Selected (6)

1. Customer Impact Award – Public Sector:  Awarded to a public sector Customer who has had the most impact through a willingness to share their analytics journey, successes and lessons learned with others.
2. Customer Impact Award – Private Sector: Awarded to a private sector Customer who has had the most impact through a willingness to share their analytics journey, successes and lessons learned with others.
3. SAS Support Community Hero: A Customer that answers a lot of questions in SAS Communities; people who contribute the most each year and goes above and beyond to assist other users on the SAS Support Community.
4. Regional User Group MVP:  Awarded to a Regional Customer User Group leader demonstrating a dedicated passion for success for user group members.
5. User Feedback Award:  Awarded to a Customer who provides valuable feedback on SAS products and has been an essential reference for product improvements. Their feedback is high-quality, provides examples and is reliable. Their feedback has driven product improvements.
6. Valuable Voice Award:  Awarded to a Customer who has consistently engaged in our Inner Circle Surveys over the last year and provided valuable feedback on our products and services.

To enter a Submission, each Entrant must: (a) complete the entry form via https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Customer-Recognition-Awards/con-p/awards by providing certain information, including the Entrant’s legal name, address, and contact information; and (b) upload a Submission into the Contest - video, photo or story based on specific award category. 

Only Submissions that are in the English language will be accepted. Each Submission also must include the Entrant’s company logo. Please include your company’s logo as a JPEG or PNG image. Preferred image size is 335 pixels (width) x 176 pixels (height).

Each eligible Customer and Partner completing the entry process and uploading an eligible Submission will be entered in the Contest. Posting a Submission in the appropriate section of the Website constitutes entry (“Entry” or “Entries”) into the Contest and consent to and agreement with these Rules.

4. Entry Conditions. Limit one Entry per Customer or Partner during the Entry Period per Category. Any attempts by any person to submit more than one Entry for the same Customer or Partner will result in all Entries for that Customer or Partner being disqualified. Entrants must meet all eligibility requirements listed herein. The Customer’s or Partner’s legal entity name submitted with the Entry will be the identity of the Entrant and, if selected and qualified for a prize, the identity of the winner. The use of a fake name or email address will disqualify an Entrant. Use of agencies or robotic, repetitive, programmed or similar entry methods is prohibited. All Entrants agree to abide by these Rules and waive any right to claim ambiguity in this Contest or these Rules. All Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. All Entries must be completed, including uploading of the Submission, during the Entry Period to be eligible for the Contest.

5. Conditions of Submission. Submission must answer all the questions for the award category. The Submission must be a non-confidential description of Entrant’s qualifications for the relevant Category. The Entrant must be the owner or authorized representative of the Entrant with authorization to present and submit the Submission. Any Submission that Sponsor, in its sole opinion, deems to be inappropriate for publication will not be considered, and the corresponding Entrant will be disqualified from the Contest. By entering, each Entrant represents and warrants that: (a) the Submission is the original work of the Entrant and does not violate or infringe any copyright, trademark/tradename, or other proprietary right of any person (including but not limited to rights of privacy) or entity; (b) the Submission either is the sole and exclusive property of the Entrant or Entrant owns or otherwise controls all of the rights to the Submission; and (c) the Submission has not been entered into or won any previous contests or awards and has not been published or distributed previously in any form of media. Please do not submit Submissions that contain depictions of artistic works, copyrights, trademarks/tradenames, logos, or similar brand identifying marks owned by any third party. All such Submissions will be disqualified. By entering, each Entrant further warrants and represents that the Entrant has the authority to enter the Submission on behalf of the Entrant, that the Submission has not been previously licensed or transferred, and that Entrant unconditionally assigns and transfers to Sponsor all worldwide rights, title, interest and claim, which Entrant now has or may in the future have to their Submission or any element(s) thereof including, but not limited to, all intellectual property rights and each Entrant hereby waives all rights Entrant has or may have in their Submission or any element(s) thereof. By entering, each Entrant further warrants and represents that the Entrant has received all rights that may be necessary from any person depicted in the Submission to grant this assignment and transfer of rights and that Entrant can make written copies of such authorizations available to the Sponsor upon request (if the likeness of a minor is included, such written permission must include authorization from the minor’s parent or guardian). Upon posting your Submission, it will be available for viewing on the SAS Support Community. Visit the SAS Terms of Use for more information.

Additional SAS Rights. By uploading a Submission for entry into the Contest, each Entrant grants Sponsor the right to publish, use, reference, display and translate into other languages, the Submission and the video (the "Video") (defined below) as follows:  

(i) on SAS's internal and external websites and social media platforms; (ii) on SAS digital web publications and printed publications; (iii) in distributed printed media; (iv) in original excerpts from speeches, slides, and other marketing mediums; and (v) by otherwise referring to the Submission in public communications for any legal purpose. Uploading a Submission further constitutes the Entrant's consent to irrevocably assign and transfer to the SAS any and all worldwide rights, title and interest in and to the Submission, including but not limited to all intellectual property rights. SAS also reserves the right to present each Entrant’s name, company, trademarks, logos, and other identifying information along with the accepted award. 

Without limiting the foregoing, each Entrant agrees that the identity of any or all Winners may be displayed at SAS Explore 2023 and other events as appropriate, and each Entrant agrees by submitting an entry and being selected as a winner, the Entrant’s company name, Submission, and other personal information will be publicly displayed at SAS Explore 2023. Submitting an entry and being chosen as a winner also permits SAS to utilize and publish said content in presentations, internal and external social media platforms, Marketing and Public Relations platforms, and SAS websites. Winners will be required to submit a brief Video about their submission, and Video details will be provided to each Winner. A segment of each Video will be used to create a compilation video. Any Winner may deny SAS's use of the foregoing information without cause within 30 days' notice by emailing communities@sas.com. Winners will be notified in July 2023 and announced at the event in September 2023. Awards will be presented live to each winner or mailed if you are unable to attend the live event.

6. Void Submissions.  Submissions that are deemed by the Sponsor, in its sole discretion, to be offensive, immoral, obscene, profane, defamatory, not in keeping with the image of the Sponsor, or in violation of these Rules will be void. Further, all Submissions that contain copyrighted or other proprietary materials for which the Entrant has not obtained appropriate assignment of rights, as well as any content which disparages or portrays the Sponsor in a negative light, or otherwise violates these Rules will be void. Furthermore, Sponsor is not responsible for lost, incomplete, stolen, damaged, garbled, corrupt, illegible, late, or unintelligible entries, or for printing or other errors appearing in these rules or other Contest materials, misprints or errors in other Contest-related information, garbled communications, failures or malfunctions of internet connections, phones, phonelines, telephone systems, technical or mechanical malfunctions, or other malfunctions, problems or errors, whether caused by equipment, programming used in this Contest, processing errors, human errors or otherwise. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to void any entries from Entrants whom Sponsor believes have attempted to tamper or have tampered with the administration, security, or fairness of this Contest.

7. The Prize Package.  SAS will award one (1) prize package to each of fifteen (15) Winners (“Prize Package” or “Prize”) consisting of all of the following:

(A) Admission for one (1) individual employed by the Winner to SAS Explore 2023;

(B) The Transportation and Hotel Package described below for SAS Explore 2023;

(C) Lunch at ARIA Resort and Casino on September 12, 13 or 14, 2023 for Traveler (defined below) (estimated retail value $100); and

(D) A crystal winner’s trophy (estimated retail value $185) and assorted SAS swag (estimated retail value $200).

The estimated retail value of the full Prize Package is $5,480. The odds of winning a Prize Package in the Contest depend upon the number of eligible Entries received during the Entry Period and the quality of the Submission; fifteen (15) Prize Packages will be awarded.  All federal, state and local taxes, and all other costs associated with acceptance or use of the Prizes, are the sole responsibility of each Winner. 

Transportation and Hotel Package Details.

The Transportation and Hotel Package will consist of the following:

• Three night’s accommodation at ARIA Resort and Casino (the “Hotel”) for the nights of September 11-13, 2023. The Hotel accommodation will include only a single room, double occupancy.
• Meals allowances for four (4) days while at SAS Explore 2023, up to $75 per day (exclusive of the lunch at ARIA described above in Section 7(c)).
• Selected transportation. The exact details of the transportation portion of the Prize Package will depend on the proximity of the Winner’s home to the SAS Explore 2023. All travel must take place between September 11-14, 2023.

If the employee of a Winner who will be using the Transportation and Hotel Package (the “Traveler”) resides within driving distance of Las Vegas, that Traveler may choose to travel to and from SAS Explore 2023 using the Traveler’s own vehicle and be reimbursed for mileage. If that Traveler lives in Las Vegas, the Transportation and Hotel Package will consist only of the Hotel accommodation, Meals allowance, and round trip ground transportation between Traveler’s residence and the Hotel. 

All other Travelers will receive a roundtrip air flight with a commercial airline service, coach-class, between a major airport near the winner’s home (the “Departure Airport”) and Harry Reid International Airport, Paradise, NV (LAS). The Departure Airport will be chosen by SAS, who will consult with the Traveler. The Traveler is responsible for travel to and from the Departure Airport. SAS will provide the Traveler with ground transportation to and from LAS and the Hotel. All travel must be booked through the SAS Travel Department. If transportation, hotel and roundtrip air flight exceed $3,000, it will be the Winner's responsibility to pay the difference or not accept the Prize Package.

8. Winner Selection.  SAS will award one (1) Prize Package to each of fifteen (15) Winners, with one (1) Winner for each of the fifteen (15) Categories described above. The selection of Winners will be conducted in two phases: Online Voting followed by Panel Voting. 

Online Voting will be conducted between June 12 and June 23, 2023. Voting is open to the general public and will occur on the SAS Community. You cast your vote by clicking the “Like” button under the submissions of your choice. You may vote for multiple submissions in each of the nine (9) Online Submission Categories. The three (3) Entrants receiving the most Online Votes within each Category will receive 10, 8 and 6 points respectively.  

Panel Voting will take place between June 26 and June 29, 2023.  A Panel consisting of SAS employees plus external members will score each Submission on a 1-5 scale on three categories: sprint of story, strength of evidence and results. The three (3) Entrants receiving the most Online Votes will have their scores combined with the scores from the judging panel to determine the Potential Winners for each category.

If any potential Winner refuses to accept the entire Prize Package, or fails to satisfy all Eligibility conditions described in Section 1 of these Rules, such entity will not be eligible for the Prize Package. (Please do not enter the Contest if you will be unable to accept the entire Prize Package so that other persons may have a chance of receiving the Prize Package.) In that event, the Entrant with the second highest votes be the new Potential Winner.  This process will be repeated no more than four (4) times, and if no final Winner for any Category meets all conditions for this Contest, then the Prize Package will not be awarded for that given Category. 

9. Winner Notification and Verification. The Potential Winners will be contacted by a representative of Sponsor within forty-five (45) days (i.e., the judging period) after the end of the Entry Period. The Potential Winners will be notified by email or telephone using their contact information provided at the time of entry into this Contest. Receiving a Prize Package is contingent upon compliance with these Rules, including any eligibility requirements. 

10. Agreements to Receive Prize Package. We recognize that some Entrants may not be able to accept portions of the Prize Package. If you would be unable to accept any portion of the Prize Package, please do not enter the Contest so that other persons may win. 

(A) If you are selected as a Winner and you cannot accept any portion of the Prize Package, it is your responsibility to notify SAS within two business days of receiving your winner notification.

(B) If you are selected as a Winner, you are agreeing that you are allowed to accept hotel, airfare, meals, and conference registration. If you are unable to accept the trip to the conference, it is your responsibility to notify SAS within two business days of receiving your winner notification.

11. Prize Delivery and Conditions.  The Prizes are non-assignable and nontransferable and may not be substituted for cash. A Prize may not be upgraded, and no substitutions by the Winner will be allowed; except Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to substitute a Prize for one of equal or greater value if the designated Prize should become unavailable for any reason, subject to applicable law. Any Winner may waive the Winner’s right to receive the Prize. 

12. Conditions and Disclaimers.  By entering the Contest, each Entrant agrees that: (a) he or she or they and the entity on whose behalf the Entrant enters will abide by and be bound by these Rules; (b) neither Sponsor nor any of its affiliated companies or the advertising and promotional agencies affiliated with Sponsor or those affiliated companies, nor any of their officers, directors, employees, agents or representatives (collectively, Sponsor’s “Affiliates”) are responsible for claims, injuries, death, losses or damages of any kind resulting from participation or inability to participate in the Contest, or the awarding, acceptance, use, misuse, loss, or misdirection of a Prize Package; and (c) Sponsor is not responsible for any inability of a Winner to accept a Prize Package for any reason. 

In the event a question arises regarding a Winner’s identity, the Entry will be deemed made by the entity associated with the email account associated with the Entry.  Entries are void if unreadable, inaccurate, incomplete, mutilated, irregular in any way, or otherwise not in compliance with these Rules.  Although Sponsor attempts to ensure the integrity of the Contest, neither Sponsor nor any of its Affiliates are responsible for the actions of Entrants or other individuals in connection with the Contest, including attempts by Entrants or other individuals to circumvent these Rules or otherwise interfere with the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest.  If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned by reason of tampering, fraud, industry conditions, bankruptcy or liquidation, marketplace demands, applicable law, unforeseen obstacles, or any other causes which, in the sole opinion of Sponsor, could corrupt, compromise, undermine, or otherwise affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, viability, or proper conduct of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to modify these Rules, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend all or any part of the Contest, and in the event of cancellation or termination, to select Winners from among all eligible non-suspect Entries received up to the time of such cancellation, termination, modification, or suspension, as applicable. 

13. LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY.  Neither Sponsor nor its Affiliates shall be liable to any Winner or any other person for failure to supply the Prize Package or any part thereof, by reason of any acts of God, any action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) by any governmental or quasi-governmental entity (whether or not the action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) prove(s) to be invalid), terrorist acts, earthquake, war, fire, flood, explosion, unusually severe weather, hurricane, embargo, labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal), transportation interruption of any kind, work slow-down, civil disturbance, insurrection, riot, or any other cause beyond Sponsor’s or its Affiliates’ sole control. 

14. Release and Indemnification.  BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, AND BY AGREEING TO BE A TRAVELER, EACH ENTRANT AND TRAVELER RELEASES AND HOLDS THE SPONSOR AND ITS AFFILIATES HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LOSSES, DAMAGES, RIGHTS, CLAIMS, AND ACTIONS OF ANY KIND ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM THE CONTEST OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY CONTEST-RELATED ACTIVITY, OR RESULTING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF THE PRIZE PACKAGE (INCLUDING ANY TRAVEL OR ACTIVITY RELATED TO ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRIZE PACKAGE) AWARDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, AS WELL AS CLAIMS BASED ON PUBLICITY RIGHTS, DEFAMATION, AND/OR INVASION OF PRIVACY.

15. Miscellaneous.

(a) Privacy.  All personal information collected in connection with this contest will be handled by SAS Institute Inc. and its Affiliates in accordance with these Rules and the SAS Privacy Statement, available at http://www.sas.com/privacy.  By entering the Contest, each Entrant agrees that Sponsor may share Entrant’s personal information with its Affiliates for the purpose of Prize Package fulfillment in the event Entrant is chosen as a potential Winner.  Entrants whose e-mail address is submitted as part of this Contest agree that Sponsor may contact them by e-mail to make Entrant aware of information pertinent to the Contest, and to distribute information regarding Sponsor’s products, special events, promotional offers, or purchase incentives. By participating in this Contest, Entrants agree to receive occasional emails from SAS about our products and services. Entrants may choose to opt-out of future e-mail notifications by clicking the link in the e-mail and following the opt-out instructions, or by contacting us directly at privacy@sas.com. Opting into specific offers does not improve an Entrant’s chances of winning.

(b) Publicity Release.  Except where prohibited, by accepting a Prize Package, each Winner grants permission for Sponsor and its agents to use his/her name, voice and/or likeness, for advertising, merchandising, promotion and/or publicity purposes in any and all media now known or hereinafter invented without territorial or time limitations and without additional compensation.

(c) Applicable Law. The Contest, and any disputes that may arise hereunder, shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the state of North Carolina without regard to the conflicts of laws principles of any jurisdiction. Venue with respect to any such disputes shall be had in the state and federal courts of the state of Illinois. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision so long as the general intent of these Rules remains in effect. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, these Rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained herein.

16. Official Rules. By participating in the Contest, each Entrant fully and unconditionally agrees to and accepts these Rules and decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest. The Contest will be run in accordance with the Rules, subject to amendment by Sponsor. Each Entrant must comply with the Rules and will be deemed to have received and understood these Rules by participating in the Contest. The terms of the Contest, as set out in these Rules, are not subject to amendment or counteroffer, except as set out herein. If any provisions of the Rules are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Rules will not constitute a waiver of that provision.

17. Sponsor.  The Contest is sponsored by SAS Institute Inc. 100 SAS Campus Drive Cary, NC 27513.

18. Copy of Official Rules.  These Rules will be posted on the Sponsor’s website at https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Customer-Recognition-Awards/con-p/awards during the Entry Period and until Winners are selected.

19. Winner List.  For the winner list, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address of Sponsor provided above, Attn: SAS Customer Recognition Awards Contest Winner List.