OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF MONEY IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS PROMOTION. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF MONEY WILL NOT IMPROVE THE CHANCES OF WINNING. THIS PROMOTION IS IN NO WAY SPONSORED, ENDORSED OR ADMINISTERED BY, OR ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION X (FORMALLY TWITTER), FACEBOOK OR INSTRAGRAM FROM META (“SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM(S)”).
The “Union Plus Explore” Contest/Sweepstakes (the “Promotion”) is intended for legal United States of America (“USA”) residents only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to USA law and applicable state law. Do not enter this Promotion if you are not a USA resident or are otherwise ineligible to enter in accordance with these Official Rules at the time of entry. The Promotion is sponsored by Union Privilege, 1100 First Street NE Ste 850, Washington, DC 20002 (the “Sponsor”).
ELIGIBILITY: The Promotion is open to any legal resident of the USA (including D.C. and US Territories); age eighteen (18) or older at the time of entry and is a current or retired union member in good standing with a union that participates in the Union Plus Car Rental, Entertainment or Vacation Tours Program (see eligible unions in Appendix A of the Official Rules) (the “Entrants”). The Promotion is not open to the general public. The Sponsor, the Administrator, their respective parent companies, employees, officers, directors, subsidiaries, affiliates, distributors, sales representatives and advertising and promotional agencies, and the officers, directors, agents, and employees of each of the foregoing (collectively, the “Released Parties”), and members of their immediate families (defined as including spouse, biological, adoptive and step-parents, grandparents, siblings, children and grandchildren, and each of their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) or households (whether related or not) of any of the above are NOT eligible to participate in this Promotion. Non-eligibility or non-compliance with any of these Official Rules will result in disqualification. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. (For the avoidance of doubt, any references in these Rules to Entrants shall also include the Entrants who are deemed the Winners (as defined below)).
AGREEMENT TO OFFICIAL RULES: By participating, Entrants agree to abide by and be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the Promotion. Winning the Prizes (as defined below) is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
TIMING: The Promotion begins at 12:00:01 am ET on March 18, 2025, and ends at 11:59:59 pm ET on December 17, 2025 (“Promotion Period”). The Sponsor’s database computer is the official time-keeping device for the Promotion. The Promotion Period will be divided into the following seven (7) entry periods (“Entry Period”):
HOW TO ENTER: Entrants will be able to enter the Sweepstakes (in Entry Periods 1, 4 & 7) or by visiting www.unionplus.org/explore (the “Website”) and completing the Sweepstakes registration form requesting full name, email address, phone number, physical address, union affiliation, etc. Each completed online registration received during the Sweepstakes Period will account for one (1) valid Sweepstakes entry. Limit one (1) registration entry per Entrant per Entry Period. After an entry is completed, Entrants also have the opportunity to earn bonus entries via the Refer-A-Friend post-entry feature. Entrants will be given a unique URL address to share with their friends. For every friend that enters the Sweepstakes through the unique URL, the original referrer will receive five (5) bonus entries. Limit fifty (50) bonus entries (through this feature) per Entrant.
Entrants will be able to enter the Contests via Instagram and/or Facebook (in Entry Periods 2, 3, 5 and 6). To enter via Facebook, Entrants must have an active Facebook account or sign up for a free Facebook account at www.facebook.com. To enter via Instagram, Entrants must have an active Instagram account or sign up for a free Instagram account at www.instagram.com. In addition, Entrants must enter the Contests using a personally registered Facebook or Instagram account. Any Entrant found to be using the Facebook or Instagram account of a group, company, or other association, may be disqualified. During each Contest Entry Period, Entrants will be instructed to comment on the Union Plus Facebook or Instagram post and properly answer the post’s posed question. Each comment must contain the following hashtag in order to be eligible, #ExploreContest. By publishing a theme-applicable comment (Sponsor’s sole discretion) with the hashtag, an Entrant will automatically receive one (1) Contest entry. Limit one (1) Contest entry per Entrant per Entry Period.
Entry Periods 2, 3, 5, and 6: The Entrant is responsible for all costs associated with entry. Limit one (1) entry per Entrant per Entry Period. In the event that more than one of exactly the same comment is submitted, only the first submission received shall be accepted. Entry Period #1,4 & 7: Proof of entry information at the Website is not considered proof of delivery to or receipt by Sponsor of an entry. Entries made by any other individual or any entity, and/or originating at any other website or email address, including, but not limited to, commercial Sweepstakes subscription notification and/or entering service sites, will be declared invalid and disqualified for this Sweepstakes. The use of automated entry devices is prohibited, and no mechanically reproduced entries are allowed; all such entries are void.
Released Parties are not responsible for: late, incomplete, delayed, undelivered, or misdirected entries. All information submitted by Entrants will be treated according to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy, available at https://www.unionplus.org/page/privacy. By participating in the Promotion and providing any personal contact information, Entrants hereby agree to Sponsor’s collection and usage of their personal information and acknowledge that they have read and accepted Sponsor’s Privacy Policy.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS/RESTRICTIONS: Once submitted, an entry cannot be deleted, canceled or modified. In order to be eligible, entries must actually be received by Sponsor during the Promotion Period. Entries received by Sponsor before the start of the Promotion Period or after the end of the Submission Period will be discarded and deemed VOID. Those who do not follow all of the instructions, or do not abide by these Official Rules or other instructions of Sponsor will be disqualified. All entries will not be returned or acknowledged. An Entrant’s entry constitutes their representation of eligibility, consent to participate in Promotion and consent for Sponsor to obtain, use, and transfer their name, social media handle, address, photograph and other information for the purpose of Promotion administration.
Entrants represent and warrant that their submitted entry is the original work of the Entrant, has not been previously published, has not won previous awards, and does not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity and must have been created in a legal and safe manner. If the entry contains any material or elements that are not owned by the Entrant or provided by the Sponsor, and/or are subject to the rights of third parties, the Entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the entry, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the use and exhibition of the entry by Sponsor in the manner set forth in these Official Rules, including, without limitation, name and likeness releases for any person who appears in or is identifiable in the entry (collectively, the “Clearances”). By submitting an entry, an Entrant warrants and represents that he or she consents to the submission and use of the entry in the Promotion.
By submitting an entry, each Entrant: 1) irrevocably grants Sponsor a royalty-free non-exclusive license throughout the world to use, re-use, copy, publish, republish in whole or in part, edit, add to, modify, and rearrange the entry in whatever media, including without limitation edit, rearrange, and/or copy the entry for use in the Promotion of Sponsor’s products and services, without further permission, consideration or payment to the Entrant, except where prohibited; 2) warrants and represents that the Entry is entirely the original creation/work of the Entrant and that use of the Entry as described herein will not violate any law or infringe upon the rights, title, claim or interest of any third party; and 3) certify that Entrant is the creator and sole copyright owner of the Entry.
Entries may not contain any image or depiction of the following: (i) materials which include or constitute trademarks, trade names or copyrighted works created or owned by any person or entity other than Entrant or for which the Entrant has obtained owner’s written permission to use (Sponsor’s discretion); (ii) materials bearing profanities, or bearing the name or likeness of any celebrity, living or dead; (iii) materials which contain visibly identifiable or potentially identifiable information, including but not limited to, phone numbers, website links, street addresses, e-mail addresses or license plate numbers; (iv) inappropriate behavior for a general audience; (v) any depiction of real or simulated sexual acts; (vi) violence in any form; (vii) materials which violate anyone’s reasonable privacy expectations, violate any known agreement, or which are defamatory in nature; (viii) materials which are derogatory to Sponsor, or any affiliated entity or person; (ix) materials which are discriminatory based on race, religion, national origin, physical disability, age, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation or preference; (x) materials in which any person identifiably appears unless Entrant has obtained an appropriate written release from such person granting all rights required herein; and, (xi) materials which do not comply with all other requirements in these Official Rules. Entries that do not conform to these guidelines will be disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right to reject or disqualify any entry which Sponsor, in its sole and absolute discretion, determines to be inconsistent with the letter or spirit of the Official Rules or potentially damaging to its, the Promotion’s, or another’s image or reputation.
GENERAL CONDITIONS: If for any reason the operation or administration of this Promotion is impaired or incapable of running as planned for any reason, including but not limited to (i) infection by computer viruses, bugs, (ii) tampering, unauthorized intervention, (iii) fraud, (iv) technical failures, or (v) any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Promotion, the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Promotion in whole or in part, at any time, without notice and award the Prizes (defined below) using all non-suspect eligible entries received as of, or after (if applicable) this cancellation, termination, modification or suspension date, or in any manner that is fair and equitable and best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual deemed to be tampering or attempting to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Promotion or Sponsor’s Website; or acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE; THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Failure by the Sponsor to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
RELEASE AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: By participating in the Promotion, Entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Promotion or receipt or use of any Prize, including, but not limited to: (i) any technical errors that may prevent an Entrant from submitting an entry; (ii) unauthorized human intervention in the Promotion; (iii) printing errors; (iv) errors in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries; or (v) injury, death, or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from Entrant’s participation in the Promotion or receipt of any Prize. Released Parties assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Released Parties are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or telephone lines, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email or entry to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems, human error or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Website, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to Entrant's or any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participation in this Promotion or downloading any materials in this Promotion. Entrants further agree that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Promotion, and in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorney fees. The releases hereunder are intended to apply to all claims not known or suspected to exist with the intent of waiving the effect of laws requiring the intent to release future unknown claims. Entrants waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages. For New Jersey Residents: nothing herein bars recovery of damages or attorneys’ fees where mandated by statute.
Except as expressly provided above, IN NO EVENT WILL RELEASED PARTIES BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES) ARISING OUT OF PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROMOTION OR THE ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE, OR MISUSE OF, OR ANY HARM RESULTING FROM THE ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF A PRIZE.
By participating, Entrants release and agree to hold harmless the Released Parties from any and all liability for any injuries, death or losses or damages to persons or property AS WELL AS CLAIMS/ACTIONS BASED ON PUBLICITY RIGHTS, DEFAMATION, AND/OR INVASION OF PRIVACY that may arise from participating in this Promotion or its related activities or the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of, or any harm resulting from the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a Prize. Released Parties are not liable in the event that any portion of the Promotion is cancelled due to weather, fire, strike, acts of war or terrorism, pandemic, or any other condition beyond their control.
EACH ENTRANT UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES THAT ALL RIGHTS UNDER SECTION 1542 OF THE CIVIL CODE OF CALIFORNIA AND ANY SIMILAR LAW OF ANY STATE OR TERRITORY OF THE USA ARE HEREBY EXPRESSLY WAIVED BY HIM/HER. SECTION 1542 READS 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.”
CONTEST WINNER DETERMINATION: Following the conclusion of each CONTEST Entry Period, Sponsor-appointed judges will review all eligible entries based on the following judging criteria:
- Applicableness to Theme (50%)
- Originality of comment/story (50%)
Based on the judges’ scoring, one (1) potential winner will be identified per Contest Entry Period. The decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding. The potential Contest winners will each be contacted via Instagram or Facebook (depending on method of entry).
SWEEPSTAKES WINNER DETERMINATION: Following the conclusion of each SWEEPSTAKES Entry Period, one (1) potential winner will be selected in a random drawing conducted by the Sponsor, whose decisions are final and binding. The prize drawings will be conducted on or about seven (7) days following the conclusion of each Sweepstakes Entry Period. The odds of winning a prize will depend on the total number of eligible entries received throughout the Sweepstakes Entry Period in question. The potential winners will each be contacted via phone and/or email.
PRIZES: There will be up to seven (7) Prizes available. Each prize winner (“Winner”) will receive the following (depending on Entry Period they are identified as a Winner):
(each of the above considered a “Prize”)
Total Prize Pool - $23,000. All other expenses associated with Prize acceptance or usage not specifically mentioned herein are the responsibility of the Winners. No substitution of the Prize will be permitted, except by the Sponsor, who reserves the right at its sole discretion to substitute a Prize with another prize of equal or greater value.
ADDITIONAL PRIZE CONDITIONS: By accepting a Prize, the Winners agree to release and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Promotion or receipt or use of a Prize. The potential Winners must comply with notification instructions within three (3) business days from the first attempt in order to claim their Prize. All Winners must comply with instructions to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability & Publicity Release (the “Affidavit”) to the Sponsor, within seven (7) business days of when the Affidavit notice or attempted notice is sent. Note: The Affidavit sent to the potential Prize Winner will require that the Winner provide their Social Security Number to the Sponsor, which will be used solely for tax reporting purposes. The Winners will be responsible for all local, state, and federal taxes associated with the receipt of their Prize. All Winners must note that the value of their Prize is taxable as income and an IRS Form 1099 will be filed in the name of the Winner for the value of their Prize. The Winners are solely responsible for all matters relating to the Prize after it is awarded. If a Prize or Prize notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable to the potential Winner, if a potential Winner cannot be reached or does not comply with notification instructions within three (3) business days from the first notification attempt, if a potential Winner fails to return requisite document(s) within seven (7) business days, or if a potential Winner is not in compliance with these Official Rules, then such person shall be disqualified and, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, an alternate Winner may be selected.
By accepting a Prize, where permitted by law, the Winners grant to the Released Parties and those acting pursuant to the authority of Sponsor and the Released Parties (which grant will be confirmed in writing upon Sponsor’s request), the right to print, publish, broadcast and use their full name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness and/or biographical information for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without further payment or additional consideration, and without review, approval or notification. The Winners also acknowledge that Released Parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to their Prize.
DISPUTES: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules or the rights and obligations of Entrants, Administrator, and Sponsor in connection with the Promotion shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions that would cause the application of any other state’s or jurisdiction’s laws. By participating in the Promotion, Entrant agrees that: (i) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Promotion, shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any judicial proceeding shall take place in a federal or state court within the District of Columbia; (iii) any and all claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Promotion, but in no event will attorney fees be awarded or recoverable; (iv) under no circumstances will Entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and Entrant hereby waives all rights to seek, punitive, incidental, exemplary, consequential, special damages, lost profits, other damages, and/or any rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased; and (v) Entrant’s remedies are limited to a claim for money damages (if any) and he/she waives any right to seek injunctive or equitable relief.
SEVERABILITY: The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. If any provision of the Official Rules is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, the other provisions will remain in effect and will be construed as if the invalid or unenforceable provision were not contained herein.
MISCELLANEOUS: These Official Rules contain the full and complete understanding with respect to the Promotion and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, representations, and understandings, whether oral or written. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of these Official Rules, and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof. No amendment to, or waiver of, any provision of these Official Rules shall be effective unless in writing and signed by both Sponsor and Administrator. The waiver by Sponsor or Administrator of any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of any other provision herein. The rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned by Entrants, whether by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Sponsor, and any attempted assignment in violation of the foregoing shall be null and void. These Official Rules shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the permitted successors and assigns of Sponsor, Administrator, and Entrant.
WINNERS LIST REQUEST: To request confirmation of the first name, last initial, city, and state of residence of each Winner, please send a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope, by January 31, 2026, to: ASC/VS “Union Plus Explore Travel” 2025 Promotion Winners List Request, 300 State St. Suite 402, Rochester, NY 14614.