Think big. Change the world.
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Visit us at Web 2.0 Expo.  We have a lot of things going on:
 
  • Booth #117 - "Think big.  Change the World"
  • Contest:  $1,000 for best idea:  Tell us how to spend $500,000 on Web Developers this year. 
  • Microsoft Web Stack Trial DVD (including Expression Web, Visual Studio, SQL Server and Windows Server. 
  • Think Big Packet:  Guidance, resources and information about opportunities with Microsoft technologies for the web
  • Learn2ASP Training offer
  • Session @ 4:30 Wednesday (where winners will be announced and Hugh's Blue Monster T-Shirts will be handed out) 
 
$1,000 Best Idea Contest;
Receive a Euro dollar just for entering! 
 
SCENARIO: You are working for Microsoft. You are in charge of investing $500,000 to help 160,000 Web Developers build their business. Tell Microsoft the best way to spend a half million dollars on Web Developers next year and if your idea is a winner, take $1,000 home with you on Wednesday!

This investment is aimed at enabling Web Developers (Web Builders, Agencies) who make their living selling web-based solutions to business customers.

So, how would you allocate your investment to enable them most effectively?
NOTE: Suggesting that you give $3.125 to each of them is not considered a valid entry (or mathematical variation thereof). :-) 

Some ideas to spur your thinking: Your suggestions may involve business tools, events, tradeshow, mashups, idea centers, playbooks, business processes, market research, templates, training, wizards, generate customer leads, gadgets, integration with Vista/Office, peer-to-peer matchups, bumper stickers, financing, open source projects, OEMs, ISVs, alliances, etc…
To see a list of the types of benefits available today. 
 
ENTRY FORM:  (Stop by our booth to enter - use this as a sample)

Describe the person and company that your investment helps the most?  (choose one)
 Business person
 Technical person
 Other______________________

How does it help Web Developers make a better business?  (choose all that apply)
 Reduces their costs
 Increases their opportunities
 Speeds the sale
 Improves their ability to service/fulfill
 Increases their customer satisfaction
 Other_______________________

Describe your idea and include how would you allocate the $ as a percentage?
less than 300 words.
 

OPTIONAL READ:
TERMS & CONDITIONS
“Tell Microsoft how to spend $500K” Contest
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
By entering the Microsoft “Spend our Money” Contest (the “Contest”), you (or, if a minor, your parent or legal guardian) agree to abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Microsoft Corporation (the “Sponsor” who may also be referred to below as “Microsoft” “we”, “us” or “our”), and the judges which shall be final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest.
1. Contest Description: This is an idea-based Contest. The object of this Contest is to create suggestions for how Microsoft should prioritize and invest in channel programs specifically for Web Developer Audience and Enterprise Search Solution Providers. We will be looking for entries that are scalable to a very broad audience (up to 100,000 companies WW), that help them build their business using Microsoft technologies as a platform. Ideas may be to allocate the funding across training, software, events, programs, marketing, business templates, peer-to-peer matchups,etc

For purpose of this Contest, each suggestion in the Contest will be called an “entry.” You can enter up to 3 ideas. The first entry is eligible to receive a Euro dollar.
Your entry will be judged using the criteria in Paragraph 4, and the judges will select one winner who will each receive the prize described below.
2. Eligibility: You are eligible to enter this Contest if you are:
• at least thirteen (18) years old at the time of entry; and
• not employed by us, or any of our or their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, participating vendors or advertising or promotion agencies, or anyone working directly on this program, product and promotion.
This Contest is void outside the geographic area identified above and wherever else prohibited by law.
3. Start And End Dates: The Contest begins at Booth #117 at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco on Monday at 4:30PM Pacific Time (“PT”) when the Expo Floor opens on Monday, April 16th and ends at 6 PM PT on Tuesday, April 17th (“Entry Period”). Winners will be announced at 5pm in the closing Microsoft session on April 18th
4. Entry Requirements: All entries must be received by 6 PM PT on Tuesday, April 17th to be eligible for judging. An entry must meet the following requirements:

• The entry must be a legitimate business suggestion [legitimate meaning that it must fall within the confines of what a responsible corporate entity would be able to invest in].
• The entry can be either entered as a web form (via Infopath) on site in the booth or, you may take a printout of the form and return it by 6pm on Tuesday.
• Your entry should not contain trade secrets about your own organization or confidential information not intended for public consumption.
Entries may not contain, as determined by us, in our sole and absolute discretion, any content that:
• is sexually explicit, unnecessarily violent or derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group; profane or pornographic;
• promotes alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing) or a particular political agenda;
• is obscene or offensive;
• defames, misrepresents or contains disparaging remarks about other people or companies;
• communicates messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or good will to which we wish to associate; and/or
• violates any law.
We reserve the right to reject any entry, in our sole and absolute discretion, that we determine does not meet the above criteria.
5. How To Submit Your Entry: You may only submit up to 3 entries. Your first entry makes you eligible to receive a Euro. To submit your entry, visit Booth #117 at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco and follow the directions provided to register and submit your suggestion either using the online form or paper. Lost, late, incomplete, inaccurate, stolen, misdirected, undelivered and/or garbled entries as well as entries generated by any script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.


6. The Judging Of Entries: A panel of judges will review all eligible entries received and select [1] winner based upon the following criteria:

[60%-] Ability to impact the broad business of web developers and their ability to deliver web-based solutions.
[30% -] Detail around execution and whether it is feasible by a corporation.
[10% -] Creativity
The judging process will be overseen by an independent observer. The decisions of these judges are final and binding. . In the event of a tie between any eligible entries, the tie will be broken by an additional judge who will the judge the entries that are tied based on the criteria listed above.
7. Important Information About Your Entry: You warrant and represent that:
• your entry is your own original idea;
• it has not been previously published or submitted in any other contest;
• your entry does not otherwise violate the rights of any other person or company by using their trademarks, logos, names or images without their express written consent.
You waive any claim of infringement (including without limitation copyright, trademark, patent, trade name, trade secret, etc.) against the Promotion Parties (which is defined below) based upon their use of your entry.
In the event of any dispute regarding whether you submitted a particular entry, you must provide us with proof that you are the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the entry in question.
When you submit your entry it becomes our property and it will not be returned. By submitting your entry, you:
• Understand and acknowledge that the Promotion Parties may have developed or commissioned materials similar or identical to your submission and you waive any claims you may have resulting from any similarities to your entry.
Please note that following the end of this Contest your entry may be posted on a website selected by us for viewing by visitors to that website. The Promotion Parties (which is defined below) are not responsible for any unauthorized use of your entry by visitors to this website. While we reserve these rights, we are not obligated to use your entry for any purpose, even if it has been selected as a winning entry. If you do not want to grant us these rights to your entry, please do not enter this Contest.
We may ask that you pose for a “check delivery ceremony” which may be delivered to the press…
8. Winner Notification: If you are the winner:

• you will notified by phone or e-mail during the show and you must be present to win.
• the prize will be awarded to you on Wednesday evening after tax forms have been signed. Ensure it is listed and/or distributed in accordance with your company’s policies (the Promotion Parties are not responsible for the re-distribution of prizes within your company);
• you may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability/Publicity release, unless prohibited by law, within ten (10) days of date of prize notification.
If you are a winner and you are not present during the announcement or we cannot reach you by phone or email during the hours of 9am and 4pm Wednesday April 18th, you may forfeit your prize and 2nd place winner may be selected…
At the time of acceptance, you must return the Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability/Publicity release completed and signed or returned to Microsoft by US Mail within ten (10) days of date of prize notification or if you (iii) are not otherwise in compliance with these Official Rules, you will be disqualified and, we may, at our discretion, notify a runner-up or, if a random drawing prize, randomly select an alternate winner from among all remaining eligible entries received for that monthly drawing.
If you are a winner and accept the prize, you agree that we and our designees shall have the right to use your name, company name, trademarks and logos [Note: Employee can’t make grant of right to company property, if you wish to use company name or logo, must secure permission from authorized party and company], city and state of residence in any and all media now or hereafter known worldwide in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission, unless prohibited by law.
9. Prize: If you are a winner, you will receive [$1,000 cash prize description] (Estimated Retail Value (“ERV”): US$[$1,000]). If you are a winner:
• you may not transfer your prize to someone else. If you do not wish to or cannot accept the prize, it will be forfeited and we may, at our discretion, award it to a runner-up. We may, however, award a prize of comparable or greater value, at our discretion;
• you are responsible for all federal, state, provincial and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes) as well as any other costs and expenses associated with accepting and/or using the prize that are not included above as being part of the prize award;
• you understand you are accepting the prize “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by us; and
• you understand that all prize details shall be determined by us.
10. Limitations of Liability: The Promotion Parties are not responsible for any liability, cost or injury incurred by Participants arising out of or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, the following.
• lost, late, incomplete, inaccurate, stolen, fraudulent, misdirected, undelivered, interrupted, damaged, delayed or postage-due reports, entries, mail or other information;
By entering this Contest, you agree to, and hereby release and hold harmless Microsoft, its parent company, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising or promotion agencies, and anyone working directly or indirectly on this program, product and promotion, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees and representatives (which for the purpose of these Official Rules will be referred to together as the “Promotion Parties”) from any and all liability or any injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Contest or acceptance and use of any prize.
11. General Conditions: This Contest is governed by Washington law. You agree that the jurisdiction and venue for the handling of any disputes or actions arising out of this Contest shall be in the courts of the State of Washington.
If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned for any reason, including, without limitation, the reasons set forth above, we reserve the right at our sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. If a solution cannot be found to restore the integrity of the Contest, we may, at our sole discretion, determine the winners of this Contest using all non-suspect, eligible customer redemption reports and/or entries received (as applicable) before we had to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest.
We may disqualify you from participating in the Contest or winning a prize (and void your participation in the other promotions we may offer) if, in our sole discretion, we determine you are attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, deception or other unfair playing practices, or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass us, any other entrant or our representatives or if you are otherwise not in compliance with the terms of these Official Rules. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY YOU OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM YOU TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
12. Winners List : To request a list of winners (available after [insert date]), you can send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: “$1,000 Best Idea Contest”, attn: Winners - 121/3026, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052.

13. Sponsor: This Contest is sponsored by Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington 98052.