2025 Poster Competition Terms & Conditions

AVA Conference Poster Competition 2025 - closing date extended to midnight, Saturday 19 April 2025

1. Information on how to enter this Competition and Prize details form part of these Terms and Conditions of entry (Terms). These Terms apply to the Competition and entry into the Competition is deemed acceptance of these Terms.
   
   
2. The promoter is the Australian Veterinary Association (ABN 63 008 522 852) of Unit 40/6 Herbert Street, St Leonards NSW 2065 (the "Promoter" and "AVA").

Key dates

3. The Competition will be open from Saturday 12 October 2024 and will close Midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on Friday 19 April 2025 (the “Competition Period”).
   
   

Who can enter

4. Entry is open to the following (the "Eligible Entrants"):
   
   

(a.) at least one of the authors must be a valid and current member of the Promoter/AVA (Member);

5. AVA employees of the Promoter are not eligible to enter.

By entering this Competition, the Eligible Entrant represents and warrants that they are eligible to enter. 

Releases and indemnities

6. Eligible Entrants acknowledge that they may be subject to data charges depending on their own individual arrangements for internet access if entry is online or by email.
   
   
7. Eligible Entrants are responsible for ensuring they are able to accept the Prize as set out and in accordance with these Terms, in the event they are unable to do so then the Promoter reserves the right to redraw the Prize. 
   
   
8. Eligible Entrants agree to abide by each and all these Terms. Misrepresentative or fraudulent entries will cause an Eligible Entry to be invalidated. Offering or receiving any incentive for voting (including to any judging staff) is not permitted and will invalidate the vote, and may disqualify the Eligible Entrant receiving the vote. The Promoter reserves the right, with or without cause and in its absolute discretion, to exclude Eligible Entrants and withhold prizes for violating any of these Terms. The Promoter reserves the right to amend these Terms. Any amendments will be published on the Promoter’s website (the "Website"). 
   
   
9. There is no alternative to the Prize stated and the Prize is not transferable, and no part or parts of the Prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.
   
   
10. The Promoter’s decision is final and binding on the Eligible Entrants. No correspondence will be entered into. 
    
    
11. The Promoter can at any time cancel, modify or supersede the Competition (including altering prizes) if, in our sole discretion, the Competition is not capable of being conducted as specified.
    
    
12. The Promoter may (without limitation) remove any Materials from the Website, the AVA Conference Display or from any publication without notice.
    
    
13. The Promoter will not be liable for any loss or damage to the Materials howsoever caused.
    
    
14. (a) Each Eligible Entrant indemnifies the Promoter and its affiliates and agrees to hold them harmless from and against all losses, costs, proceedings, damages, expenses or liabilities howsoever incurred by the Promoter or any of its affiliates as a result of any claim by a third party resulting from the Eligible Entrant’s breach or failure to observe any of the obligations in these Terms.
    
    (b) Nothing in these Terms limits, excludes or modifies or purports to limit, exclude or modify the statutory consumer guarantees as provided under the Competition and Consumer Act, as well as any other implied warranties under the ASIC Act or similar consumer protection laws in the States and Territories of Australia (“Non-Excludable Guarantees”). Except for any liability that cannot by law be excluded, including the Non-Excludable Guarantees, the Promoter (including its respective officers, employees and agents) excludes all liability (including negligence), for any personal injury; or any loss or damage (including loss of opportunity); whether direct, indirect, special or consequential, arising in any way out of the promotion.
    
    (c) The Promoter shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever which is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for any personal injury suffered or sustained in connection with any prize/s except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law. The Promoter is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, either caused by the phone user or for any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilised in this competition, or for any technical error, or any combination thereof that may occur in the course of the administration of this competition including any omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line or telephone, mobile or satellite network failure, theft or destruction or unauthorised access to or alteration of entries.

How to enter

15. To enter the Competition and be eligible to win, Eligible Entrants must adhere to the following criteria:
    Criteria:

• Posters must focus on research, clinic case reports or case series in veterinary science reflecting cutting edge science or an advancement of knowledge.
• At least one of the authors must be an AVA member.
• Posters that have been presented at other conferences (especially international conferences) within the previous three years are encouraged.
• The committee will respond to you after applications have closed on 19 April 2025.
• Poster format: No larger than ‘B0’ 1000mm (W) x 1414mm (H)
• Submit entry online collectively known as an Eligible Entry.
  
  

16. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for any entries not received for any reason during the Competition Period. Eligible Entries will be deemed to be accepted at the time of receipt by the Promoter. No responsibility will be taken for lost, late or misdirected entries. The Promoter is not responsible for technical difficulties with the entry mechanism and does not warrant that the entry mechanism will be available at all times.
    
    
17. Incomplete, illegible, indecipherable or incorrect entries, or entries containing offensive or defamatory comments, or which breach any law or infringe any third-party rights (including intellectual property rights, moral rights, copyright or privacy) and/or which fail to meet the requirements for an Eligible Entry are invalid. Any Eligible Entrant who, in the opinion of the Promoter, tampers or interferes with the entry mechanism in any way, or who does not properly comply with the entry process, will be ineligible to win.
    
    
18. Eligible Entrants must not do anything illegal and/or dangerous and/or that would put themselves or others at any risk. An Eligible Entry must not depict people or branded products or signs.
    
    
19. An Eligible Entry must not communicate messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or goodwill to which the Promoter wishes to associate. Eligible Entrants must familiarise themselves with the Love is Blind campaign (http://loveisblind.org.au/) which details certain animal breeds that will no longer be depicted in AVA communications.
    
    
20. If a poster is accepted, it is up to the poster author (or a nominated representative by the author) to bring their poster to the secretariat office after 3:00pm on Monday 12 May 2025 for acceptance. They must then hang their own poster or arrange for someone to hang it for them in the poster area outside the conference hall by Monday evening. It is not the AVA’s responsibility to hang your poster for display and judging.
    
    

Judging process

21. The Competition is a game of skill, and chance plays no part in determining the Finalists or Winners. Each Eligible Entry will be judged by the judging panel outlined in clause 29 based on its relation to the Competition Theme and the quality and creativity of the Materials (Judging Criteria). The judges will select the Winners based on the Judging Criteria.
    
    
22. Judging will take place on Tuesday 13 May 2025, 2:00pm to 3:00pm, with the winners being announced prior to the Plenary on Wednesday 14 May 2025 at 2:00pm.
    
    
23. There will be a total of four prizes in two categories:

Four (4) competition category winners (Winners). Each Winner will be awarded one (1) Prize. The Promoter will appoint a panel of judges to select the Winners.

23A.   There are four (4) Prizes available. The Prizes consits of: 

• Young Researcher Prize (student or graduate less than 3 years): $500
• Best overall poster
  • First Prize: $600
  • Second Prize: $250
  • Third Prize: $150

24. All entries will be notified by the email or telephone contact details they provided upon entry within 14 days after the Closing Date. Up to 50 posters (Finalists) will be selected by the judging panel to be displayed at the 2025 AVA Conference from 12 – 16 May. All reasonable endeavours will be made to contact the Finalists and Winners within this period. If a Finalist cannot be contacted or is not available, the Promoter reserves the right to re-draw another poster from the pool of Eligible Entries that were received before the Closing Date.
    
    
25. If an Eligible Entrant would like to remove their Materials from the pool of Eligible Entries before the Closing Date, please contact education@ava.com.au. Removing any Materials (or any part thereof) from the Competition will render the entire Eligible Entry void. Finalists and Winners will not be able to remove their Materials (or any part thereof) after the Closing Date.
    
    
26. All Materials that are submitted by Eligible Entrants other than the Materials of the Finalists will be deleted by the Promoter. The Promoter is unable to return any Materials that have been submitted for the Competition.

General terms

27. The Cash Prize is non-transferable and there are no alternatives to the Prize in whole or in part.
    
    
28. The Finalists may be required to participate in a reasonable level of publicity relating to this Competition.
    
    
29. The Promoter collects personal information in order to conduct the Competition and may, for this purpose, disclose such information to third parties, including but not limited to agents, contractors, service providers, Prize suppliers and, as required, to Australian regulatory authorities. Entry is conditional on providing this information. By entering, Eligible Entrants consent to the Promoter, for an indefinite period, unless otherwise advised, using the information for promotional, marketing, publicity, research and profiling purposes, including sending electronic messages or telephoning the Eligible Entrant and for such other purposes as set in the Promoter's Privacy Policy (full Privacy Policy is available at (http://www.ava.com.au/privacy-policy). Eligible Entrants should direct any request to access, update or correct information by contacting the Promoter via email to education@ava.com.au.
    
    
30. These Terms are governed by the laws in the State of New South Wales.