Announcing the PASS 24 HOP Challenge

Calling all data junkies! How smart are you?  Want to get smarter?

Play along with #pass24hop Challenge on Twitter starting at 5:00 AM PT Tuesday, September 9, 2014 to win a free Microsoft Exam Voucher!  Simply watch 24 Hours of PASS and be the first to answer the question correctly. At the beginning of each 24 live 24 Hours of PASS sessions (approximately 5-8 minutes into each hour) a new question regarding the session will be posted online on the  @SQLServer Twitter account. The first tweet with the correct answer will win a prize.  Your answer must include hashtags #pass24hop and #24hopquiz.

To take part in the #pass24hop Challenge, you must:

1. Sign in to your Twitter account. If you do not have an account, visit www.twitter.com to create one. Twitter accounts are free.
2. Once logged into your Twitter account, follow the links and instructions to become a follower of @SQLServer.
3. From your own account, reply your response to the question tweeted by @SQLServer.  
4. Your tweet must contain both the #pass24hop and #24hopquiz hashtags to be eligible for entry.
5. Your tweet must include the complete answer to the question, or it will be disqualified.
6. The first person to correctly tweet a correct reply to the corresponding question will win the prize described below.  

Register now for 24 Hours of PASS and get ready for 24 hours of play!  

Learn more about the 24 Hours of PASS read the official rules below.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. COMMON TERMS USED IN THESE RULES:

These are the official rules that govern how the ’24 Hours of PASS Social Media Answer & Question Challenge (“Sweepstakes”) promotion will operate. This promotion will be simply referred to as the “Sweepstakes” throughout the rest of these rules. In these rules, “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Microsoft Corporation, the sponsor of the Sweepstakes. “You” refers to an eligible Sweepstakes entrant.

WHAT ARE THE START AND END DATES?

This Sweepstakes starts at 5:00 AM PT Tuesday, September 9, 2014 and ends at 5:00 AM PT Tuesday, September 9, 2014 and ends at 7:00 AM PT Wednesday, September 10, 2014 (“Entry Period”). The Sweepstakes consists of 24 prizes. Each Prize Period will begin immediately following each of the 24 session and run for 60 minutes.  

CAN I ENTER?

You are eligible to enter this Sweepstakes if you meet the following requirements at time of entry:

· You are professional or enthusiast with expertise in SQL Server or Business Intelligence and are 18 years of age or older; and

o If you are 18 of age or older, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Sweepstakes; and

· You are NOT a resident of any of the following countries: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.

PLEASE NOTE: U.S. export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Therefore residents of these countries / regions are not eligible to participate

• You are NOT an employee of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and

• You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes; and

• You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes.

This Sweepstakes is void wherever prohibited by law.

HOW DO I ENTER?  

At the beginning of each 24 live 24 Hours of PASS sessions (approximately 5-8 minutes into each hour) a new question regarding the session will be posted online on the  @SQLServer Twitter account. The first tweet with the correct answer will win a prize.  Your answer must include hashtags #pass24hop and #24hopquiz.  Failure to use this hashtag will automatically disqualify you.

To enter, you must do all of the following:

7. Sign in to your Twitter account. If you do not have an account, visit www.twitter.com to create one. Twitter accounts are free.
8. Once logged into your Twitter account, follow the links and instructions to become a follower of @SQLServer
9. From your own account, reply your response to the question tweeted by @SQLServer  
10. Your tweet must contain both the #pass24hop and #24hopquiz hashtags to be eligible for entry
11. Your tweet must include the complete answer to the question, or it will be disqualified.
12. The first person to correctly tweet a correct reply to the corresponding question will win the prize described below.  

Limit one entry per person, per session.  For the purposes of these Official Rules, a “day” begins 5:00 AM PT Tuesday, September 9, 2014 and ends at 7:00 AM PT Wednesday, September 10, 2014 (“Entry Period”). If you reply with more than one answer per session, all replies received from you for that session will be automatically disqualified.  You may submit one answer to each session, but will be eligible to win only one prize within the 24 hour contest period.

We are not responsible for entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for entries that we receive but are not decipherable for any reason, or for entries that do not include your Twitter handle.

We will automatically disqualify:

• Any incomplete or illegible entry; and
• Any entries that we receive from you that do not meet the requirements described above.

WINNER SELECTION AND PRIZES

The first person to correctly respond will receive a Microsoft Exam Voucher.  Approximate Retail Value each $150.  A total of twenty four prizes are available.

Within 48 hours following the Entry Period, we, or a company acting under our authorization, will select one winner per session to win one free Microsoft Certification Exam.  Voucher has a retail value of $ $150.  Prize eligibility is limited to one prize within the contest period.  If you are selected as a winner for a session, you will be ineligible for additional prizes for any other session.  In the event that you are the first to answer correctly on multiple session, the prize will go to the next person with the correct answer. 

If there is a dispute as to who is the potential winner, we reserve the right to make final decisions on who is the winner based on the accuracy of the answer provided, ensuring that the rules of including hashtags is followed, and the times the answers arrives based on what times are listed on www.twitter.com.

Selected winners will be notified via a Direct Message (DM) on Twitter within 48 business hours of the daily drawing. The winner must reply to our Direct Message (DM) within 48 hours of notification via DM on Twitter. If the notification that we send is returned as undeliverable, or you are otherwise unreachable for any reason, or you do not respond within 48 business hours, we will award the prize to an alternate winner as randomly selected. Only one alternate winner will be selected and notified; after which, if unclaimed, the prize will remain unclaimed.

If you are a potential winner, we may require you to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release within 10 days of notification. If you are a potential winner and you are 18 or older, but are considered a minor in your place of legal residence, we may require your parent or legal guardian to sign all required forms on your behalf. If you do not complete the required forms as instructed and/or return the required forms within the time period listed on the winner notification message, we may disqualify you and select an alternate winner.

If you are confirmed as a winner of this Sweepstakes:

• You may not exchange your prize for cash or any other merchandise or services. However, if for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value; and
• You may not designate someone else as the winner. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, we will award it to an alternate potential winner; and
• If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize; and
• If you are otherwise eligible for this Sweepstakes, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on your behalf.

WHAT ARE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING? 
There will be 24 opportunities to respond with the correct answer. Your odds of winning this Challenge depend on the number of responses and being the first to answer with the correct answer.

WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS ARE YOU AGREEING TO BY ENTERING THIS CHALLENGE? 
By entering this Challenge you agree:

· To abide by these Official Rules; and

· To release and hold harmless Microsoft, and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees and agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Challenge or any prize won; and

· That Microsoft’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to this Challenge; and

· That by accepting a prize, Microsoft may use of your proper name and state of residence online and in print, or in any other media, in connection with this Challenge, without payment or compensation to you, except where prohibited by law

WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE WAY THIS CHALLENGE IS EXECUTED AND ADMINISTRATED? 
This Challenge will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Challenge.

WHAT IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND THE CHALLENGE CAN’T RUN AS PLANNED? 
If cheating, a virus, bug, catastrophic event, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled, (also referred to as force majeure) affects the fairness and / or integrity of this Challenge, we reserve the right to cancel, change or suspend this Challenge. This right is reserved whether the event is due to human or technical error. If a solution cannot be found to restore the integrity of the Challenge, we reserve the right to select winners from among all eligible entries received before we had to cancel, change or suspend the Challenge. If you attempt to compromise the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Challenge by hacking or by cheating or committing fraud in ANY way, we may seek damages from you to the fullest extent permitted by law. Further, we may ban you from participating in any of our future Challenge, so please play fairly.

HOW CAN YOU FIND OUT WHO WON? 
To find out who won, send an email to v-daconn@microsoft.com by September 15, 2014 with the subject line: “SQL Server QQ Winners

WHO IS SPONSORING THIS CHALLENGE? 
Microsoft Corporation 
One Microsoft Way 
Redmond, WA 98052