The Next Travel Star Pitch Competition
Terms & Rules
1. Sponsorship and Acceptance of Terms. The Competition is sponsored and administered by Questar, Inc. d/b/a GoTraveler, Inc., 747 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 450 Chicago, IL 60654 (“GoTraveler”). By submitting an entry for consideration in the NEXT TRAVEL STAR competition (the “Competition”), all entrants (designated by “you” and “your”) fully and unconditionally agree to the following terms, conditions, and rules (“Terms”), and further agree that all determinations and decisions of GoTraveler and the judges of the Competition shall be final and binding:
2. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. ODDS OF ADVANCING IN THE COMPETITION AND OF WINNING DEPEND ON THE NUMBER OF ENTRANTS TO THE COMPETITION. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL REGULATIONS APPLY.
3. Eligibility. The Competition is open only to individuals who are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and are age eighteen (18) years or older (or age nineteen (19) years or older for residents of Alabama and Nebraska) at the time of entry.
4. Instructions to Enter.
a. Initial Submission – Prior to the First Round Deadline (defined below), submit at the upload portal at www.gotraveler.com/next-travel-star: (1) an audio/video sizzle reel or trailer in MP4 file format no less than two (2) minutes and no longer than three (3) minutes in length; (2) a pitch deck meeting the requirements published at and (3) a biographical page, including the information set forth in at www.gotraveler.com/next-travel-star. You may also submit an Initial Submission by sending the above-listed materials on a USB drive or DVD by U.S. Mail to GoTraveler 747 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 450, Chicago, IL 60654, postmarked on or before the First Round Deadline. The Initial Submission should demonstrate your travel knowledge, the originality, marketability, and entertainment appeal of your travel show concept or approach to hosting a travel show, and/or the quality of your marketability and engagement as a travel show host. All Initial Submission materials must be in English only and must be in the format designated at the website upload portal. Only one (1) Initial Submission will be considered for each entrant. The submission of more than one (1) Initial Submission by an entrant shall render all submissions by that entrant null and void and the entrant making multiple Initial Submissions shall be ineligible to participate in the Competition. Entrants should retain a copy of all of their submission materials, as GoTraveler will not return materials that it receives.
b. Pitch Final – The Three Finalists will pitch their project at the Pitch Final. Each Finalist will have a maximum of five minutes to pitch their project to the judges. The Pitch Final presentation should emphasize and reiterate the qualities of your proposed concepts in your Initial Submission, All Finalist presentations at the Pitch Final must be made in English only. Each Finalist is solely responsible for all of the Finalist’s own travel, accommodations, and other expenses incurred to make their presentation at the Pitch Final with the exception that GoTraveler will provide each Finalists with a maximum of three (3) entry tickets to the live and in-person presentation. GoTraveler will not reimburse Finalists for any costs or expenses incurred in appearing at the Pitch Final. In the event that a Finalist cannot or does not appear at the Pitch Final at their designated time, GoTraveler may, in its sole and exclusive discretion, select an alternate Finalist to appear in the non-appearing Finalist’s place. A Finalist’s failure to appear at the Pitch Final at their designated time shall automatically and without notice render such Finalist’s designation as a Finalist and eligibility to make a presentation at the Pitch Final revoked and such Finalist shall be ineligible to further participate in the Competition.
5. Competition Dates and Deadlines. There will be two (2) rounds in the Competition: first an online submission of materials (“Initial Submission”); and second a live and in-person presentation to a panel of judges on January 14, 2024 at the Donald A. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N River Rd, Rosemont, IL 60018 (the “Pitch Final”).
a. The entry period for the Initial Submission begins at 12:01am CST on October 15, 2023 and ends at 11:59 CST on November 30, 2023 (the “First Round Deadline”). GoTraveler will select three finalists from the Initial Submissions to participate in the Pitch Final (“Finalists”). The Finalists will be announced by 5:00pm CST on December 15th, 2023.
b. The Pitch Final will take place on January 14, 2024 and one (1) winner will be announced that day after the conclusion of the last presentation and the meeting of the judges to select the winner, no later than 11:59pm CST.
6. Originality, Conditions, and Ownership of Submitted Materials. All materials used and/or submitted with the Initial Submission and at the Pitch Final (collectively “Materials”) must be your own original work, and all biographical materials must be true and accurate. You represent and warrant that you are the owner of all right, title, and interest in and to the Materials, including but not limited to copyrights and all other intellectual property rights, free and clear from any rights or claim of rights by any third party, and that the Materials do not infringe upon the intellectual property, moral, or other legal rights of any third party, that your submission of Materials does not create a conflict with any obligation you may have to any third party, and that all Materials are free from any and all viruses, trojan horse, malicious code, and other harmful software. Materials that are not original, are infringing, or contains racist, sexist, ageist, ableist, defamatory, pornographic, obscene, indecent, or illegal material, or other material deemed by GoTraveler to be otherwise inappropriate or not in compliance with these Terms, in its sole and exclusive discretion, shall not be accepted and any Initial Submission or Pitch Final presentation containing such Materials shall be null and void, and the entrant making use of such Materials shall be ineligible from any participation in the Competition. All entrants shall maintain ownership of all intellectual property rights in and to their respective Materials, subject to the terms of these Terms.
7. Use and Materials and Rights Granted to GoTraveler. By making an Initial Submission, you are voluntarily submitting your Materials and any and all information contained therein to GoTraveler on a non-confidential basis. No confidential, fiduciary, or other relationship is intended or created between you and GoTraveler, or any of its past and present officers, directors, employees, agents, and/or representatives as a result of your Initial Submission of Materials or, if selected, your participation as a Finalist. By making an Initial Submission, you irrevocably grant to GoTraveler, its subsidiaries, affiliates, related companies, sponsors, successors, assigns, and licensees (collectively, the “GoTraveler Parties”) the unlimited, non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide right and license to reproduce, copy, display, distribute, encode, store, transmit, publish, post, broadcast, publicly perform, exhibit, adapt, make derivative works, edit, and otherwise use and/or reuse your Materials, in any media, format, or platform now known or hereafter created.
You agree that the GoTraveler Parties shall have the right, but not the obligation, to make audio, video, and/or audio-visual recording(s) of your participation in the Competition, including but not limited to any presentation of Finalists in the Pitch Final, and to edit all such recordings in the GoTraveler Parties’ sole and exclusive discretion, and shall own all copyrights and other intellectual property rights in and to such recordings. Except where prohibited, you further irrevocably agree that the GoTraveler Parties shall have the unlimited, perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide right to use your name, image, voice, likeness, and all biographical information you have provided to the GoTraveler Parties, as well as any and all recordings or footage of your participation in any and all parts of the Competition (collectively, “Likeness”), in any media, format, or platform now known or hereafter created, including without limitations on any social media, and in any and all channels of trade, for use in the Competition and/or in connection with the promotion and publicity of the Competition, including but not limited to after the completion of the Competition, or any and all future pitch contests at the GoTraveler Parties’ sole and exclusive discretion, without you prior approval or any compensation to you. By entering the Competition, you perpetually and irrevocably waive any and all intellectual property rights, rights of publicity, rights of privacy, or other legal or moral rights, that you may have that may preclude use of your Likeness and agree not to sue or assert any claim against any of the GoTraveler Parties for any use of your Likeness. No provision of these Terms shall obligate or otherwise require any of GoTraveler Parties to make use of any Materials or your Likeness for any reason. By making a submission for the Competition, you agree that the GoTraveler Parties shall not be liable for any statement made or coverage by the press that may be present at the Pitch Final.
8. Finalists and Winner Selection. All eligible Initial Submissions will be reviewed, evaluated, and judged by and among employees of GoTraveler, and that based upon such review, evaluation, and judging, GoTraveler will determine, in its sole and exclusive discretion, the three Finalists.
Evaluation of Initial Submissions and selection of Finalists shall be made on the basis of reviewers’ determination, in their sole and exclusive discretion, of the merit of your presentation, the degree to you which you have demonstrated your travel knowledge, the originality, marketability, and entertainment appeal of your travel show concept or approach to hosting a travel show, and/or the quality of your marketability and engagement as a travel show host.
The selection of the winner at the Pitch Final shall be made by the three judges selected by GoTraveler. At the time of the publication of these Terms, the judges for the Pitch Final will be travel industry professionals or streaming entertainment industry professionals. GoTraveler reserves the right, in its sole and exclusive discretion and without prior notice, to select and/or change the judges of the Pitch Final, in its sole and exclusive discretion. The judges shall determine the winner of the Pitch Final using the same criteria used by the reviewers in the evaluation of the Initial Submissions.
9. Prizes and Taxes. The prize awarded to the winner of the Competition, as determined by the judges of the Pitch Final, shall be that the winner is deemed the “NEXT TRAVEL STAR” and shall have a total of three (3) one-hour long development meetings with a GoTraveler development executive to at a time, date, and place to be agreed upon by GoTraveler and the winner of the Competition. The value of the prize of in-kind consultation services is approximately $550.00. The designation of Finalists and the award of the prize for the Pitch Final are non-transferable. The winner of the Pitch Final is solely responsible for the payment of any and all State, Local, Federal and other taxes, duties, tariffs, title fees, or other fees for prizes awarded in the Competition. The identity of the winner will be available at www.gotraveler.com/next-travel-star within ten (10) days of selection by Pitch Final judges or may be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to GoTraveler at 747 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 450, Chicago, IL 60654. GoTraveler shall have no further obligation with respect to any offer to the winner of the Competition to host a travel show or to use or shop the winning submission or any concept or idea submitted by the winner of the Competition.
10. Release and Indemnification. By entering the Competition by making an Initial Submission, you hereby agree, on behalf of yourself, your heirs, legatees, successors, and assigns, to release and hold harmless GoTraveler and the GoTraveler Parties, and their respective past and present officers, directors, employees, agents, and/or representatives (the “Released Parties”) from any and all claims, suits, expenses, and liabilities, whether arising in contract or tort, including but not limited to claims of invasion of privacy, defamation, violation of any right of publicity, infringement of copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights, property damage, death or personal injury, or claims of negligence, and damages or injuries of any kind, by or to any persons or property (including but not limited to Materials) arising from or relating to the entrant’s entry, creation of an Initial Submission, submission or an Initial Submission, travel to or from the Pitch Final, participation in the Pitch Final, the broadcastor exploitation of the Materials or Likeness, or any other participation in the Competition. You further agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against any and all claims, suits, expenses, and liabilities, or the threat of any of the foregoing, arising from or relating to your participation in the Competition and/or your acceptance of being designated a Finalist and/or the winner of the Competition.
By submitting an Initial Submission, California residents ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE READ THE PROVISIONS OF CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE SECTION 1542, AND THEY WAIVE ALL RIGHTS UNDER SUCH PROVISION, WHICH PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS:
A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.
11. General Conditions. The Competition and the eligibility of entrants to participate in the Competition shall be conditioned upon adherence to these Terms. GoTraveler shall retain in perpetuity and shall not be responsible to return any Materials to you and shall not be responsible for any delay, corruption, inaccessibility, illegibility, unreadability, destruction, loss, misdirection, or damage to your Materials, or any technical failure or malfunction related to the Materials or submission of Materials, occurring at any time. You may and should retain a copy of all Materials. You understand and agree that GoTraveler may have previously created, developed, explored, or considered ideas that are the same or similar to themes, formats, or ideas contained in your Materials, and that by submitting your Materials for consideration in the Competition, you waive and relinquish any and all claims to the themes, formats, and ideas, in whole or in part, as they may relate to or be encompassed or included in any current or future projects of GoTraveler. GoTraveler reserves the right in its sole and exclusive discretion to cancel, suspend, or modify these Terms or the Competition at any time. GoTraveler also reserves the right, in its sole and exclusive discretion, to disqualify any entrant that it finds to tamper or attempt to tamper with the entry process and/or the selection process, to be in violation of these Terms, to be engaged abusive, or disruptive behavior, to endanger or threaten to endanger the safety or well-being of any person, and/or to engage at any time (including but not limited to after being named as a Finalist or winner of the Competition) in any behavior that tends to injure, tarnish, damage or otherwise negatively affect GoTraveler or the GoTraveler Parties and/or their respective reputations and goodwill. You understand and agree that your submission of Materials and/or participation in the Competition does not constitute or create any express or implied contractual obligation of GoTraveler to use your Materials or to acknowledge or promote your status as an entrant, finalist, or winner of the Competition. As a condition to participate in the Pitch Final you may be required and hereby agree to provide additional information and/or to execute any and all additional releases as determined by GoTraveler in its sole and exclusive discretion. The rights and releases you have granted and/or made to GoTraveler, the GoTraveler Parties, and/or the Release Parties shall survive any termination of these Terms.
12. Limitation on Liability. To the extent permitted by law, the GoTraveler Parties shall not be liable for (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information arising from or relating to the Competition; (2) any technical failures or malfunctions of any kind, including any disconnection of any phone lines or Internet connections, network connections, hardware, or software; (3) any unauthorized human intervention in the administration of the Competition; (4) any delays, cancellations, or disruptions of travel or accommodation; (5) any injury or damage to any person arising from or relating to participation in the Competition. ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, JUDGMENT, AWARDS, SETTLEMENTS, AND DAMAGES SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL COSTS INCURRED (IF ANY) AND SHALL NOT EXCEED A CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF $100.00. THE GOTRAVELER PARTIES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR AND YOU HEREBY KNOWINGLY AND EXPRESSIVELY WAIVE ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO SEEK AND/OR OBTAIN PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, AND/OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, LOST PROFITS, AND/OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF $100.00 OF ACTUAL COSTS INCURRED, OR TO HAVE ANY DAMAGES MULTIPLIED OR OTHERWISE INCREASED. YOU ALSO IRREVOCABLY WAIVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK ANY INJUNCTIVE OR EQUITABLE RELIEF. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
13. Privacy Policy. GoTraveler will collect the name, address, email address, and other biographical information provided by an entrant in the Initial Submission. GoTraveler will use such collected information for administration of the Competition, including using such information in promoting, advertising and conducting the Competition, sharing such information with the judges of the Competition for consideration in the judging of Initial Submissions, the selection of Finalists, and the Pitch Final, and identifying Finalists and the winner of the Competition to the public. GoTraveler may also collect and use information as set forth in its Privacy Policy available at https://www.questarentertainment.com/privacy. By submitting information to GoTravleer, you are agreeing to the terms above and in the Questar Entertainment privacy policy.
14. Governing Law. These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois without regard for its conflict of law provisions. The parties agree that any claims or other actions arising out of or relating to this Submission Release shall be exclusively litigated in the state or federal courts located in Chicago, Illinois, and the parties hereby consent to the exercise of personal jurisdiction over them by all such courts.
15. Full Agreement. These Terms constitute the entire agreement and understanding between you and GoTraveler. No oral representations or other agreements have been made by GoTraveler except as stated in the Submission Release. These Terms may not be amended, modified or changed in any way except in writing and signed by both parties. No part or provision of these Terms may be waived by GoTraveler except in writing signed by its duly authorized officer or agent.