1. Introduction

Welcome to the ECDMA Global Awards website. These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of this website and your participation in the ECDMA Global Awards program (“Awards Program”), whether as a Nominee, Judge, or general website visitor. By accessing or using this website, you (“you” or “User”) agree to be bound by these Terms.

2. Definitions

  • ECDMA Global Awards: Community Management LTD, incorporated in England and Wales with registered address at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, UNITED KINGDOM.

  • Awards Program: The ECDMA Global Awards program, recognizing excellence in e-commerce and digital marketing.

  • Website: The ECDMA Global Awards website located at awards.ecdma.org

  • Nomination: An application submitted for consideration in a specific Award Category.

  • Nominee: The individual, company, team, agency, or organization submitting a Nomination.

  • Award: Recognition granted to winners in various categories and tiers (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Honorable Mention).

  • Judge: An individual selected by ECDMA to evaluate Nominations in the Awards Program.

  • Confidential Information: Any information related to the Awards Program, Nominations, Nominees, or judging process that is not publicly available, including but not limited to the content of Nominations, scoring, judging deliberations, and Judge identities.

3. Eligibility and Participation

  • Nominees: The Awards Program is open to individuals, companies, teams, agencies, and organizations worldwide involved in e-commerce and digital marketing, unless otherwise specified in a specific Award Category’s description. Nominations must relate to accomplishments, projects, initiatives, or activities that have taken place primarily within the past three (3) years from the Nomination deadline.

  • Judges: Judges are selected by ECDMA based on their expertise and experience in e-commerce and digital marketing. The primary pool of judges consists of invited ECDMA Senior Members, supplemented by other industry experts. Judges are bound by separate Terms & Conditions for Judges.

  • Website Visitors: The Website is accessible to all individuals. However, certain features, such as submitting a Nomination or accessing Judge-specific information, may require registration or authorization.

4. Nomination Process & Deadlines

  • Nominations must be submitted online through the official ECDMA Global Awards website.

  • All required fields on the Nomination Form must be completed accurately and truthfully.

  • Supporting documents must be submitted according to the guidelines specified for each category.

  • Designated Point of Contact: Each Nominee must designate a single point of contact (“Point of Contact”) for all communication related to the Nomination and the Awards Program. The Nominee is responsible for maintaining accurate contact information (name, email address, phone number) for the Point of Contact within their online account on the ECDMA Global Awards website. The Point of Contact agrees to:

    • Whitelist the email address @ecdma.org to ensure timely receipt of communications.

    • Read and respond to all email correspondence from ECDMA promptly.

  • Nominations received after the applicable deadline will not be considered.

  • The deadline for the current Awards Program is: March 15, 2025

  • Offline Materials: ECDMA strongly discourages the submission of any offline materials. Any offline materials submitted will not be returned. ECDMA is not responsible for any loss or damage to offline materials.

Express Judging Participation:

Judges agree to participate in Express Judging when requested by ECDMA. This may involve evaluating a specific number of nominations within a shorter timeframe (typically 15 days) for an additional fee.

5. Judging Process

  • Nominations are evaluated by a panel of Judges as defined in Section 2.

  • Judges are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of all Confidential Information.

  • Judges must recuse themselves from evaluating any Nomination where a conflict of interest exists, including situations where they have a personal or professional relationship with the Nominee or if they work for a company that is a direct competitor of a Nominee.

  • Category Determination: In the event of a dispute regarding the appropriate category for a Nomination, the decision of the ECDMA Global Awards Organizing Committee shall be final. ECDMA reserves the right to move a Nomination to a different category if deemed appropriate by the judges or the Organizing Committee.

  • Judging is based on a pre-defined set of criteria and a scoring system, as detailed on the ECDMA Global Awards website. 

  • Each criterion is scored on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Each score is then weighted according to the percentage assigned to that criterion. The average score across all judges determines the final score for each nomination.

  • Winners are determined solely by the average score of Judges’ evaluations. There is no separate panel review.

  • ECDMA’s decisions regarding the judging process, winner selection, and award tier allocation are final.

Express Judging:

Nominees may opt for Express Judging for an additional fee. Express Judging provides expedited feedback on nominations within 15 days of submission.

Express Judging Fee:

The Express Judging fee is  €200 per nomination. This fee is non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the judging process.

Express Judging Process:

Nominations submitted for Express Judging will be reviewed by a dedicated panel of judges with expertise in the relevant category.

Judges will evaluate Express Judging nominations based on the same criteria as standard nominations.

Feedback on Express Judging nominations will be provided within 15 days of submission.

Express Judging does not guarantee that a nomination will win an award. The final decision on all award winners rests with the ECDMA Global Awards judging panel, who consider all nominations based on the established judging criteria.

6. Awards & Recognition

  • Winners will be notified by email after the judging period.

  • All winners will receive:

    • A digital certificate recognizing their achievement.

    • One (1) complimentary printed certificate with free delivery.

  • Winners may purchase additional printed certificates, premium certificate options, or trophies. Pricing and ordering details will be provided to winners after the announcement.

  • Shipping and Customs: Winners are responsible for any customs duties, taxes, or other fees associated with the delivery of awards or merchandise. If a shipment is returned to ECDMA due to unpaid customs duties or incorrect shipping information, the winner will be responsible for the cost of re-shipping.

  • An Awards Ceremony may be held to celebrate winners. Details regarding the ceremony, including venue, date, and ticket purchase information, will be announced separately. Attendance at the Awards Ceremony is not mandatory and is at the winner’s discretion and expense.

  • Disclaimer: The ECDMA Global Awards recognize excellence and achievement in the e-commerce and digital marketing industries. However, ECDMA does not guarantee or imply any specific benefits or outcomes as a result of winning an award. This includes, but is not limited to, immigration approvals, visa status changes, employment opportunities, promotions, or other professional advancements. Individuals and organizations are solely responsible for how they use their award recognition and should not misrepresent its significance.

7. Fees & Payment

  • Nomination fees are payable upon submission of the Nomination.

  • The applicable fee is determined by the category and the nomination period (Early Bird, Regular, Late).

  • A full fee schedule is available on the ECDMA Global Awards website. 

  • All fees are charged in Euros (€).

  • Payments are processed securely through our integrated Stripe payment system. We accept all major credit and debit cards supported by Stripe.

  • Credit Card Chargebacks: ECDMA takes credit card charge disputes very seriously. Any Nominee who initiates a chargeback without legitimate grounds or who engages in fraudulent payment practices may be permanently banned from participating in current and future ECDMA Global Awards programs.

  • All nomination fees are non-refundable. The fee covers the processing and evaluation of your application, which begins immediately upon submission. In the rare case of a technical error resulting in incorrect fee calculation, ECDMA will issue a refund for any overpayment. If an underpayment occurred due to a technical error, we will contact you to arrange for the payment of the remaining balance.

8. Intellectual Property

  • Nominees retain all ownership rights to their submitted materials.

  • By submitting a Nomination, you grant ECDMA a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use submitted materials for promotional purposes related to the Awards Program, including but not limited to the ECDMA website, social media, marketing materials, and press releases. This includes the right to adapt, edit, translate, and publish submitted materials.

  • Publication of Winning Entries: ECDMA may publish summaries or excerpts of winning Nominations on its website and other promotional materials. Winners will be given the opportunity to redact any confidential or sensitive information from their Nominations before publication.

  • You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to grant ECDMA this license and that your submitted materials do not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party.

9. Website Use

  • The content on the Website is for general information purposes only. ECDMA makes no warranties or representations about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, suitability, or availability of the content.

  • You are responsible for your use of the Website and any reliance you place on the information contained therein.

  • You agree not to use the Website for any unlawful or prohibited purpose, including but not limited to:

    • Violating any local, national, or international law or regulation.

    • Infringing upon the intellectual property rights of ECDMA or any third party.

    • Transmitting any harmful content, including viruses, malware, or other destructive code.

    • Interfering with or disrupting the Website or its servers.

    • Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the Website or its systems.

10. Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability

  • ECDMA makes no warranties or representations, express or implied, regarding the Awards Program, the judging process, the selection of winners, the Website, or any benefits arising from winning an award.

  • ECDMA is not liable for any loss, damage, or expense arising from participation in the Awards Program or your use of the Website, including but not limited to:

    • Errors or omissions in the Nomination process.

    • Technical issues with the website or online platform.

    • Decisions made by the judges.

    • Any consequences arising from the use of award recognition by winners.

  • To the maximum extent permitted by law, ECDMA’s total liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Awards Program, the Website, or your participation in it, regardless of the form of action (whether in contract, tort, or otherwise) shall be limited to the amount of the Nomination fee paid by you. For Users who have not paid a Nomination fee (e.g., general Website visitors), ECDMA’s total liability shall be limited to £100.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless ECDMA, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and judges from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to:

  • Your Nomination and any submitted materials, including any claims of intellectual property infringement.

  • Your breach of these Terms.

  • Your violation of any third-party rights.

  • Your negligent or intentional misconduct in connection with the Awards Program or your use of the Website.

12. Termination

  • ECDMA may terminate your participation in the Awards Program or your access to the Website at any time for any reason, with or without notice.

  • ECDMA may reject a Nomination if it is incomplete, inaccurate, submitted after the deadline, or if it does not meet the eligibility criteria.

  • Without limiting any other remedies, ECDMA may terminate your participation as a Judge at any time for breach of these Terms, including, but not limited to, a breach of confidentiality obligations.

  • You may withdraw your Nomination at any time before the applicable deadline by notifying ECDMA in writing. No refunds will be issued for withdrawn nominations.

13. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

  • These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

  • Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Awards Program, the Website, or your participation in it will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

14. Modifications

  • Modifications to Terms & Conditions: ECDMA reserves the right to modify these Terms & Conditions at any time without prior notice. The latest version of the Terms will be posted on the ECDMA Global Awards website. Your continued participation in the Awards Program or use of the Website after any modifications constitute acceptance of the revised Terms.

15. Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and ECDMA relating to your participation in the Awards Program, your use of the Website, and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, representations, or agreements, whether oral or written.

16. Waiver

No waiver of any provision of these Terms will be effective unless in writing and signed by an authorized representative of ECDMA.

17. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

18. Contact Us

  • If you have any questions or concerns regarding these Terms, please contact us at [email protected].

Thank you for visiting the ECDMA Global Awards website!