The essay competition is administered and promoted by The Financial Times Limited, company number 00227590, Number One Southwark Bridge, London, SE1 9HL(“FT”).
The competition will run from 2359 BST on 23 April 2015 until 2359 BST on 20 May 2015. Winners will be announced by 2359 BST on 25 May 2015 and notified by email. Late entries will not be accepted.
The competition is open to all full or part-time MBA students at a recognised European business school.
Entry is limited to one per person. Only individual entries will be accepted. Team entries will not be accepted. Answers must be a maximum word count of 1,000 words, answering the question stipulated, in order to be accepted.
Entries must be written in English, typed, single line-spaced, with numbered pages and sources referenced using footnotes. Footnotes should include, author, title of publication, publisher if available, date or internet URL wherever possible. Entries that do not meet these criteria will not be read. Entrants must retain their own copies as no entries will be returned. Entries must be submitted online via live.ft.com/marketinginnovators_MBAessay and will be acknowledged by an automated email. There will be no feedback on any entries, either during or after the competition.
Illegible, incomplete, defaced or corrupt entries will not be accepted. No responsibility can be accepted for lost entries and proof of transmission will not be accepted as proof of receipt. Entries must not be sent through agencies or third parties.
Entrants will be required to register before submitting entries at live.ft.com/marketinginnovators_MBAessay. Upon registration, Entrants will be required to give their contact details including full name, email address and telephone number, Business school name and MBA course, and are required to provide proof of current student status.
One overall winner will be invited to the Marketing Innovators Summit on 2nd June at Vinopolis, London (the “Event”) and will receive £250 towards conference travel and expenses. Seven runners-up will each receive a conference pass to attend the Event, worth £1,299 (together the “Prize”). Other than as expressly stated no accommodation or travel costs will be payable by FT.
The winner and runners-up shall be those entries which, in the sole opinion of the judges, display the most original and exceptional thinking. The judges’ decision is final and not subject to appeal. No correspondence will be entered into. There is no cash alternative. The prize is not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.
FT reserves the right to present no prizes or to reduce the number of prizes if an insufficient number of deserving essays is received.
Entrants retain all copyright in their entries. However, in consideration of FT providing and/or promoting this competition each entrant grants a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual licence to FT (including its assigns and licensees), to feature any or all of the submitted essays in whole or in part in any of their hard copy or digital publications (including special reports), websites, social media feeds or platforms, and/or in any promotional material connected to this competition without payment to the entrant. The individuals responsible for any essays so featured will be fully credited. The winning essay and/or the seven runner-up essays may be published in whole or in part by the Financial Times or Financial Times Live. There is no guarantee that the overall winner’s essay, or the essays of any of the seven runners-up will be published.
In the event of any winner being unable to attend the Event, FT will offer the prize to the next entrant best entry, selected in accordance with these terms and conditions.
FT reserves the right to modify the format and content of essays for publication purposes.
To the fullest extent permissible by law FT accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liability, injury or disappointment, suffered or incurred by the entrant as a result of the entrant entering this competition or by the entrant accepting (or refusing as the case may be) the Prize.
FT reserves the right to disqualify any participant that they determine are submitting material that is deemed to be offensive.
Entry to the competition is deemed an acceptance of the FT Live Delegate Terms and Conditions available at https://live.ft.com/Custom/Terms/FT-Live-Delegate-Terms-and-Conditions.
Entries must be original work by the entrant and must not have been published elsewhere or have won a prize in any other competition. Any form of plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification. It is the responsibility of the participant to ensure that their essay does not infringe the copyright of any third party or any other laws.
By entering, the entrants, including the winner, agree to allow the free use of their names, photographs and general locations for publicity and news purposes in relation to this competition.
Uses of personal data received by FT in the course of the competition are subject to current UK data protection legislation. The winner’s name may be published on FT’s websites and social media channels.
The winners’ name and county may be disclosed to anyone who writes within one month of the closing date, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope to: FT Live, MBA Essay Competition, One Southwark Bridge, London, SE1 9HL.
Submission of an entry will be deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions.
FT reserves the right at any time to cancel the competition or modify these terms and conditions (including altering or substituting the Prize) if, in its sole discretion, the competition is not capable of being conducted as specified.
The competition is not open to employees of FT or FT Live’s sponsors, their families, agents or anyone else professionally associated with this competition.
This competition is subject to the laws of England and Wales whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction. The competition shall be void where prohibited by law, including where in FT’s reasonable opinion we cannot award a prize or accept an entry due to sanctions laws or any banking restrictions.