DRAFT for legal review. Replace every [BRACKETED] item and have a lawyer approve these rules before voting opens.
The Indie Studio Awards: Official Rules
Organized by the EYT Network of Studios ("Organizer"), [ORGANIZER LEGAL NAME AND ADDRESS]. Founding sponsor: EYT Pilates Teacher Training.
1. How it works
Clients vote for their favorite independent Pilates studio at pilategarchs.com. If a studio is not listed, a voter may nominate it, and the nomination counts as that person's vote. Studios that register at pilategarchs.com are listed for voting.
2. Dates
Voting opens January 2, 2027 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time and closes January 20, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Winners will be announced February 1, 2027.
3. Who can vote
Individuals [AGE REQUIREMENT, e.g. 18 or older] with a valid email address. One vote per person and per email address. A vote counts only after the voter confirms it by clicking the link sent to their email. Votes from automated, duplicate or fraudulent sources will be removed.
4. Eligible studios
Independently owned Pilates studios [DEFINE: e.g. not owned or operated by a franchise system or by a company with more than X locations]. Studios owned by the Organizer or its affiliates, its employees, or judges' immediate families are [ELIGIBLE / NOT ELIGIBLE]. The Organizer may remove any studio that does not meet these rules.
5. How winners are chosen
The studios with the most confirmed votes become finalists [NUMBER OF FINALISTS, overall and per region and category]. A judging panel then selects the winners based on what clients wrote about each finalist. Judging criteria: [CRITERIA]. The judges' decisions are final.
6. Prizes
National winners: first place $500, second place $300, third place $150. Regional winners (Northeast, South, Midwest, West, International) and category winners (Most-Loved Studio, Best Community Impact, Best Studio Culture, Best New Studio, open 2 years or less) receive a plaque, window decal and digital badge. National winners also receive a feature on Chat EYT The Podcast, a one-year EYT Network of Studios membership and one EYT teacher training seat for a staff member [TERMS]. Prizes are awarded to the studio's owner. Winners are responsible for any taxes. [SPONSOR PRIZES, IF ANY]
7. Using your words
By voting, you agree that what you write about a studio may be shared with that studio and quoted, with your first name and city, on winner plaques and in Indie Studio Awards promotion.
8. Privacy
We use your name and email to confirm your vote and to send you Indie Studio Awards updates. We share your contact details with sponsors only if you check the sponsor box. [LINK TO PRIVACY POLICY]
9. General
[STANDARD TERMS: void where prohibited, limitation of liability, right to modify or cancel, governing law, how to contact the Organizer.]