Official Rules
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS/FIRST MERCHANTS BANK SMALL BUSINESS OF THE MONTH CONTEST
Official Rules
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
ELIGIBILITY: Participation in the Columbus Blue Jackets/First Merchants Bank Small Business of the Month Contest (the “Contest”) is available only to corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, or other formal business entities. Eligible Businesses (“Business” or “Businesses”) must be in good standing under the laws of the State of Ohio and must have been in business for at least three (3) years prior to entry. Entrants making the nomination of a prospective Small Business of the Month (an “Entrant”) must be eighteen (18) years of age or older by the date of entry. The term “Winner” shall mean a winning Business. Employees and immediate family members of First Merchants Bank, Columbus Blue Jackets (“Blue Jackets”) (collectively, “Sponsor”), Nationwide Arena, the National Hockey League, Columbus Arena Management LLC (“CAM”), the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (“CFA”), the Ohio State University (“OSU”) employees who work in connection with Nationwide Arena, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, governors, successors, assigns, employees, and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) are not eligible to enter or participate in the Contest.
WHEN TO ENTER: No purchase necessary. The Contest Period (the “Contest Period”) begins at 12:01 a.m. ET on September 27, 2024 and ends at 5:00 p.m. ET on April 5, 2025. All entries must be received by April 5, 2025. Each Monthly Prize Contest (each a “MP Contest”) shall consist of one (1) Contest Registration Period (each a “Registration period”) and one (1) Contest Prize Determination Date (each a “Prize Determination Date”), as detailed below. Each Prize Determination Date selection will include all entries received on or before 5:00 p.m. ET on the last day prior to the Prize Determination Date (including all non-winning nominations from any prior judging dates). Entries received at 5:01 p.m. ET on the last day prior to the Prize Determination Date will be included in the next MP Contest.
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Contest Period Start |
Contest Period End |
Prize Determinate Date |
Prize Date |
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September 27, 2024 |
October 11, 2024 |
October 12, 2024 |
October 28, 2024 |
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October 29, 2024 |
November 12, 2024 |
November 13, 2024 |
November 21, 20024 |
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November 22, 2024 |
December 6, 2024 |
December 7, 2024 |
December 14, 2024 |
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December 14, 2024 |
January 2, 2025 |
January 3, 2025 |
January 9, 2025 |
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January 9, 2025 |
January 30, 2025 |
January 31, 2025 |
February 6, 2025 |
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February 7, 2025 |
March 14, 2025 |
March 15, 2025 |
March 30, 2025 |
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March 21, 2025 |
April 5, 2025 |
April 6, 2025 |
April 12, 2025 |
HOW TO ENTER: No purchase necessary. To enter the Contest, Entrant must go online to https://tradablebits.com/tb_app/509980 and submit the Entrant’s name, email, phone number, job title, Business name, Business description, number of years the Business has been in operation, name of the owner or general manager of the Business, and number of employees of the Business. All Entrants must have a valid e-mail address or entry is void. Limit one (1) Contest entry per Entrant. For the avoidance of doubt, multiple Entrants may submit the same business to win during the Contest period, but such Business may only be chosen as a Winner one (1) time. Automated entries are prohibited, as are mechanically reproduced or photocopied entries, and any use of such automated devices and/or copies will cause disqualification. Message and data rates may apply. Sponsor is not responsible for illegible, lost, late, damaged, incomplete, postage-due or misdirected mail or entries, or incomplete, late or lost entries due to data or computer glitches or other programming/technological/electronic error, difficulty, malfunction, or failure of any kind. All materials submitted become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual (and all his or her Contest entries) who tampers with the entry process. Contest is void outside of Ohio and where prohibited or restricted by law and is subject to all federal, state, and local laws.
WINNER SELECTION PROCESS AND JUDGING CRITERIA: Sponsor will contact each Winner individually via phone and/or e-mail. Winners will be selected by Sponsor representatives (“Judges”) from all eligible entries on the Prize Determination Date. Each selection will include all entries received on or before 5:00 PM EST on the last day prior to the drawing (including all non-winning entries from prior judging dates). Winners will be chosen using the following judging criteria:
A. The length of time the Business has been in operation
B. Based on the business description provided by the Entrant, the general fit and compatibility between the Business and First Merchants Bank
Entrants and Businesses acknowledge that the criteria for determination a Winner is based upon a subjective standard and shall be determined by Judges in its sole discretion.
In the event that an Entrant who nominates the Winner and/or the Winner cannot be contacted via the process above, if any Prize notification is returned as undeliverable, if any Winner declines the Prize or in the event of noncompliance with these Contest rules and requirements, such Prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected from all remaining eligible entries, if time permits. Limit one Prize per person or address. Winners must be available for the game date for which their name was drawn. No other date will be substituted. Failure to be available for the game date will result in automatic prize forfeiture. Upon prize forfeiture, no compensation will be given.
PRIZING: The Contest offers Businesses seven (7) opportunities to win an MP Contest on seven (7) independent Prize Determination Dates. The Winner of each MP Contest will (i) be featured on the Blue Jackets’ in-arena scoreboard and LEDs as the “CBJ Small Business of the Month” during the applicable game (along with other applicable promotions) and (ii) receive one (1) parking pass to the Arena Garage and four (4) tickets to the applicable game at the Arena with First Merchants Bank during the month in which the Business Winner is featured (such game dates are subject to change in Sponsor’s sole discretion). The total approximate retail value for the Prize is $1,600.
Additional terms and conditions apply for all ticketed patrons entering Nationwide Arena.
PRIZE DOES NOT INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION, PARKING, AND/OR HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS. SPONSOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS.
Sponsor is not responsible for Winner’s scheduling conflicts, delays or cancellations or acts of god that may prohibit receipt or use of prizes, including any act of nature or force majeure including, but not limited to, flood, tornado, earthquake, storm, lightning, fire, epidemic, pandemic, acts of God, war, national emergency, civil disturbance, riot, sabotage, terrorism, court order, or machinery or equipment theft, damage or failure, or if any scheduled home game of the Blue Jackets is canceled because of player strike, management lockout, labor dispute or other cause beyond the reasonable control of the Blue Jackets. Other restrictions may apply.
Any and all taxes and any other expenses not specifically mentioned herein shall be and are the sole responsibility of each Winner. If required, each Winner must report income to the IRS. In the event it is deemed during the verification process that the Winner does not have the requisite valid information for Sponsor to report the tax liability associated with acceptance of the Prize, such Winner will be disqualified. Valid information requirements for Winners will be determined by IRS requirements.
GENERAL PRIZE CONDITIONS: Certain restrictions may apply to prizes. Each Entrant and Winner agrees that the Prize is awarded “as is” with no warranty, representation or guarantee, either express or implied, in fact or in law, whether now known or hereinafter enacted, relative to the use or enjoyment of the Prize, including, without limitation, its quality, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Prize may not be redeemed for cash value. Prizes are nontransferable and no substitutions are allowed except by Sponsor who reserves the right, in its discretion, to award prizes of equal or greater value if advertised prize is unavailable for any reason or change the game date for any MP Contest Prize. No more than the stated prizes will be awarded. Sponsor shall not be obligated to replace any lost, mutilated or stolen Prize or any Prize that is undeliverable or does not reach the Entrant or Winner for any reason, including, without limitation, because of incorrect or changed contact information. All Prizes legitimately claimed will be awarded.
GENERAL RULES: Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, extend, or suspend this Contest at any time, for any reason. The Released Parties assume no responsibility or liability for any damages, losses, or injury(ies) resulting from any Entrant’s or Business’ participation in this Contest and/or any Entrant, Winner’s or Winner’s guests’ receipt, acceptance, use, or misuse of any Prize. To receive the Prize, each Entrant and/or Winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility, waiver of liability and publicity release prior to the Winner receiving and participating in the Prize package. All Prizes are subject to availability and dates are subject to change. Participation in this Contest and any subsequent acceptance of the Prize constitutes, except where prohibited by law: (i) permission to use Entrant’s, Winner’s and/or Winner’s name and likeness(es) in any form of media for publicity purposes without further authorization, compensation or remuneration of any kind; and (ii) an express and absolute release of the Released Parties from and against any and all liability, damages, claims, and/or actions of any kind whatsoever for injury(ies) – including but not limited to paralysis and/or death, damages or losses of any and/or all kinds whatsoever to persons and/or property which may be sustained in connection with any Entrants, Winners, and/or Winners’ guests’ participation in this Contest and/or such person or business’ receipt, acceptance, ownership, and/or use or misuse of the Prize awarded, and/or while preparing for, participating in, attending, and/or traveling to and/or from any Prize-related activity.
By participating in this Contest, each Entrant accepts and agrees to the collection of his/her personal information for the purposes described herein (including the administration of the Contest) and each Entrant and Winner accepts and agrees to be absolutely bound by the foregoing absolute liability release and by all of these Official Rules and by all decisions of judges, which shall be final. By entering in this Contest, each Entrant acknowledges that he/she may receive information on Blue Jackets and/or Nationwide Arena news, Contest, and tickets. Furthermore, each Entrant grants the Blue Jackets express permission to issue such materials to entrants via e-mail or regular mail.
Except where prohibited, as a condition of participating in this Contest, each Entrant and Winner agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the Entrant and/or Winner and any Released Party, any and all claims and/or causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or the prize(s) awarded, or the determination of the Winner must and shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances shall an Entrant or Winner be permitted or entitled to obtain awards for, and each and every Entrant, Winner and Winners’ guest, hereby waives any and all rights to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, and every Entrant, Winner and Winner’s guest further forever expressly waives any and all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.
Sponsor’s failure to or decision not to enforce any provision in these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision of these Official Rules. In the event there is any alleged or actual ambiguity, discrepancy or inconsistency between disclosures or other statements contained in any Contest-related materials and/or these Official Rules (including any alleged discrepancy or inconsistency in these Official Rules), it will be resolved by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion.
ADDITIONAL TERMS: In case of dispute as to the identity of any online entrant, entry will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at time of entry. “Authorized Account Holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) responsible for assigning e-mail addresses or the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Any potential Winner may be requested to provide Sponsor with proof that such Entrant who nominated the Winner is the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the winning entry. Any other attempted form of entry, except as specifically otherwise provided in the section entitled “How to Enter,” herein, is prohibited; no automatic, programmed, robotic, or similar means of entry are permitted. Released Parties are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, telephone, or other communication malfunctions, errors or failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, web site, Internet, or ISP availability, unauthorized human intervention, traffic congestion, incomplete, garbled, jumbled or delated computer transmissions which may limit, delay or prevent one’s ability to enter the Contest, or from lost, undelivered, misdirected, damaged, or mangled mail. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, extend, or suspend this Contest should (in its sole discretion) virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, or proper conduct of the Contest. In such case, Sponsor may select the Winner(s) from all eligible online entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds, in its sole discretion, to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or web site. Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Contest or winning a Prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that said entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair playing practices (including the use of automated quick entry programs) or by intending and/or undertaking to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other entrants or Sponsor’s representatives.
CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
WINNER’S LIST: To obtain a list of Winner(s), send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Columbus Blue Jackets/First Merchants Bank Small Business of the Month Contest, c/o Columbus Blue Jackets, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43215. Only one (1) request per outer envelope will be fulfilled.
COPY OF OFFICIAL RULES: For a copy of these Official Rules, print out these pages or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Columbus Blue Jackets/First Merchants Bank Small Business of the Month Contest, c/o Columbus Blue Jackets, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43215. Only one (1) request per outer envelope will be fulfilled.
