SHOW ALBERTA is an ongoing interactive eContest targeting Alberta communities, as well as out of the province tourists that have visited or would be visiting Alberta. It is a B2C2B (business to consumer to business) full-cycle contest created to increase awareness about Alberta's tourism attractions and promote Alberta Tourist TV, which itself is mandated to market Alberta's tourism and travel industry around the world.

The contestants are challenged to produce a 2-5 minute long video about the tourist attractions in their community, about special events (festivals, athletic competitions, fairs, etc.), Alberta-based multicultural celebrations, experiences unique to Alberta (adventures, mysteries, etc.) and other video shorts relevant to Alberta's tourism.

The winners of SHOW ALBERTA eContests are decided both democratically and academically.

1.The polls of the viewing audience (visitors to the ATTV's SHOW ALBERTA eContest site) will indicate a dynamic ranking meter that will be posted on ATTV's site.
2.Based on these polls, an ATTV-based jury, comprised of an ATTV videographer, an ATTV marketing specialist and a representative of the Sponsor, will discuss the ten finalists during a live WebCast.
3.During the live WebCast the final results will again be influenced through e-polls that would meter the preferences of the viewing audience.

The three finalists will be announced and featured on a main Alberta TV network and on ATTV's site during the WebCast.
However, the viewers' votes do not entirely influence the judging for the Semi-Finalists or Winner, but will be given the distinction of being highlighted on our site as a Visitors' Favorite. The video entry receiving the most visitor votes during the SHOW ALBERTA eContests will receive a Visitors' Favorite Award and A Recognition Prize.

Being a unique form of viral advertising (stealth marketing), SHOW ALBERTA eContest benefits from

1. existing Alberta social networks,
   as well as from
national and international social networks that have Alberta as the initiator of radiating nodes.
2. In other words, Alberta is the home of tens of thousands of communities: cities and towns of various sizes, counties, districts, townships, hamlets and resorts. The members of each community are bonded through geographic ties and local civic pride. By way of Internet communication and other forms of word-of-mouth propagation the news about SHOW ALBERTA eContest will spread rapidly.

SHOW ALBERTA eContest is initially triggered through various venues:

• As recurring news on one (or more) of Alberta's TV networks, which will later benefit from cost-free original (local & community oriented) programming;
• As recurring news on one (or more) of Alberta's radio networks , such as CBC-Radio's (local provincial/regional) cultural news;
• As newspaper ads cosponsored by (possibly) Travel Alberta and private tourist businesses and organizations (WestJet, Brewster, Greyhound, Fairmont Hotels, AMA, etc.);
• As a syndicated article in travel magazines (Westworld, Discover Calgary/Edmonton, etc.);
• As chapterized news on Alberta tourism and travel related websites.
• As a multiple-placement News Release.

Most Albertans, especially first and second generations Albertans, have relatives and strong connections with other people in the rest of Canada and abroad, who typically come for visits to Alberta and are also 'dubbed' as tourists. Many of them carry a digital video camera for filming relatives, friends, tourist sites and other point of interest. One of our many eContests will be about the best experiences the visitors who came to Alberta had and how such experiences were 'translated' into a short movie.

Almost all videos* would be posted on ATTV's SHOW ALBERTA player & menu, and, of course, they could be accessed by anyone anywhere throughout the world. SHOW ALBERTA eContest would be linked with numerous promotions about Alberta's tourism.

The expected increased in both Travel Alberta and ATTV brand awareness would also be accompanied by another huge element benefiting Travel Alberta and ATTV's database: a voluntary and incidental building of a rich email list that could be repurposed to the sponsors of the eContest, among other uses.

* There will be rules & regulations for the contest and also tips for shooting & editing the videos, which will also be benefiting the sponsors.

Anybody from anywhere in Alberta, the rest of Canada and from around the world --- people who have access to a video camera and a basic editing system --- could participate to the SHOW ALBERTA eContest. It could be individuals, communities and other forms of organizations motivated by 'local patriotism', artistic pride and the actual prizes.

Unlike direct mail advertising, our unique form of viral marketing will benefit from a high and rapid response rate, doubled by valuable demographic data that could be used for further promotions by ATTV and the (co)sponsors. We will be able to reach and data-bank on a large number of interested people at a low cost, while avoiding the annoyance of spam mail. This promotion will encourage the contestants "to tell a friend, who then would tell another friend"... This will be a positive word-of-mouth endorsement of an exciting attempt to showcase the Alberta communities the contestants belong to.

The initial contestants will be those who find out about SHOW ALBERTA eContest from direct media advertising. Statistics and studies show that about 20% of any (regular network) TV audience would enter any publicized contest. In total numbers, that is a lot of people. Any customer base that could be increased by 20% also becomes an active word-of-mouth promoter of SHOW ALBERTA eContest to other potential contestants.

Demographically, the target audience for the SHOW ALBERTA eContest could be the largest possible and the least restrictive criteria-wise. Each time, our consequent contests will give us the opportunity to involve more communities and more visitors of ATTV's website, as well as of the sponsors of the eContest. Also, this will also be an effective system for keeping our bookmarked name in front of them on a constant basis. Again, when they would be ready to seek tourist and travel services, the contestants and their friends would remember ATTV website. Or they would simply enjoy the entertaining aspect of the contest while concomitantly direct and indirect advertising would take place for the benefit of all parties who are involved in the SHOW ALBERTA eContest.

Specification: By entering the SHOW ALBERTA eContest, entrants warrant that they own all intellectual property rights that relate to their entry (including without limitation all rights to audio and video content inherent in their entries and the right to use the likeness of all persons depicted in their entries) and agree to assign all intellectual property rights to Sponsors & ATTV, and permit Sponsors & ATTV to use the videos in any media, including the Internet, for any purpose whatsoever. Evidently, entrants who would not agree to this use will not enter the SHOW ALBERTA eContest.

The prizes for the winning participants to the SHOW ALBERTA eContest will have a dual significance:

1. The material/functional worth or monetary value of the actual prizes.
2. The 'local-pride' value for the winners and the community they represent.

From the sponsors' point of view, the prizes could be represented by

1. Gear used in the process of making the videos, such as video cameras, tripods, significant amounts of recordable media, PCs containing editing software, etc.
2. Vacationing packages, cruise tickets, specialized tours, accommodation for a group/couple at a hotel, spa or resort, etc.
3. Airline tickets; limited time use of car, free rental for a SUV/station wagon or a camper, etc.
4. Mountain or touring bikes, scooters, etc.
5. Hiking gear, traveling equipment and accessories, portable cookware, outdoors garments, etc.
6. Annual passes for ski resorts, golf courses, sporting events, mountain/music festivals, etc.

The SHOW ALBERTA eContest sponsors may opt to extend the volume of their promotional offerings (beyond the number of finalists), in order to access a wider segment of their targeted markets.

Even if only a fraction of the contestants are hopeful of winning the grand prizes, many more will enjoy the increased excitement of showcasing their community on the SHOW ALBERTA eContest site. In the end, by way of having their videos posted on the ATTV, all contestants could consider themselves partial winners and be proud of themselves and their work.

The polls of the viewing audience (visitors to the ATTV's SHOW ALBERTA eContest site) will indicate a dynamic ranking meter that will be posted on ATTV's site. A panel of judges comprised of an ATTV videographer, an ATTV marketing specialist and a representative of the Sponsor, will rate the video based on the criteria listed in the official rules. The ten highest scores at the end of the three-month period (allocated for producing the videos) that are the result of the viewing audience's ranking meter will become Semi-Finalists and will compete for the Winning Prize.

Judges will evaluate the ten finalists during a live WebCast and they will base their ratings on the overall quality of the video (25%), originality (25%), clarity of messages (25%), and reflection of tourist theme (25%). In the event of a tie, the winning entry will be the entry among the tied entries with the highest score in the originality criterion.

During the live WebCast the final results will again be influenced through e-polls that would meter the preferences of the viewing audience with regard to the three finalists. The three winners will be announced at the end of the WebCast and on one or more Tourist TV portals.

1. How do I enter the Video Contest?

The first step, regardless of the device you use to capture the video, is to transfer the video from the capturing device to your computer. You may want to consult your device's manual to see the specific instructions for transferring data from the device to your computer.

Once the video is on your computer, our contest entry screens will walk you through the following three (3) steps:

1) Upload the original video.
2) Edit your video to 5 minutes or less.
3) Select a thumbnail to represent your video clip.

2. What is the maximum size and time length of the video that I can upload? Your video must be no larger than 20MB (20 megabytes). The device you use to capture the video will influence the size of your video file. Using a higher resolution capture device, such as a camcorder, will create a larger video file than using digital phone camera to capture the video. We recommend capturing the video using a digital video camera. If you wish to use video captured from a mobile phone, you must transfer the video to your computer before uploading it to the contest. Beware though that the quality of the video will be poor. To find out the size of your video file, right-click on your file, go to "Properties," and look at the value listed next to "Size."

PLEASE REMEMBER: The video entry you submit must be 5 minutes or less.

3. Are there free video editing tools that I can use to shorten the length of my video?

You will need to edit the video locally by a professional or by anybody with access to a video editing system or on your computer before you can upload it to the contest. If you use the Windows XP operating system, you will most likely have a free video editing program pre-installed on your computer. This program is called Windows Movie Maker and can generally be accessed by going to: START > PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > ENTERTAINMENT > WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER

This program will let you edit your video to make it shorter. For more information on Windows Movie Maker, please read http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/21/faq.mspx

If Windows Movie Maker is not installed on your computer, you can download the free program at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx

4. What video formats are acceptable?

We support most digital video files stored as MPEG (MP4, VOB, MPG, 3GP), Microsoft (AVI, ASF, WMV), and Apple QuickTime (MOV) file formats. Due to the complex nature of video, there may be some files that will not be viewable due to technical issues, even if they have the above file extensions. Please try to use one of the suggested formats and we will notify you if there is a problem with the video.

5. What if I don't have a video-recording device (camcorder, mobile phone, etc.)?

Without a video-recording device you are not able to enter our SHOW ALBERTA eContest; however you are still able to vote for your favorite video entries.

6. How often can I enter the Video Contest?

You may submit one video per each SHOW ALBERTA eContest per category, but it must be a different video each time.

7. Where is my video contest entry?

Videos are published on the site on a weekly basis. Once your video is published, you will receive an e-mail with a link to your entry. Also, when you're on the site, go to the contest you entered, and click on the "View Weekly Entries!" link. If your entry did not meet the requirements of the contest, it may have been rejected and will not be displayed on the site.

We start accepting entries at 12:01 a.m. Mountain Standard Time on Sunday morning of each week. Immediately after your video is submitted, you will receive a "Thank You" message on your screen.

On Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week (7-9 days), you will receive an e-mail with the ID number of your video.

Once you receive your ID number, you may view your entry by going to the video contest. Go to the "View Weekly Entries!" link, type in your ID number in the "Jump to Entry" box, and click "Go."

8. How do I get my friends to vote for my video entry?

When you upload your video, you will be asked to provide first name and e-mail addresses of people you'd like to visit the contest site and vote for your video. Once your video is posted to the site, both you and your friends will receive an announcement e-mail with a link directly to your entry.

9. What does it cost to enter my video in the contest?

There is no cost to enter VISIT ALBERTA video contest. You must simply complete the free registration.

10. Why do I have to register to enter or vote?

You must be willing to register to enter or vote so our system can identify you and prevent people from coming back to enter more than once or voting more than once.

11. What do I win if my video gets the most votes in the VISIT ALBERTA video contest?

The viewers' votes don't entirely influence the judging for the Semi-Finalists or Winner, but will be given the distinction of being highlighted on our site as a Visitors' Favorite. The video entry receiving the most visitor votes during the contest period will receive a Visitors' Favorite Award and A Recognition Prize.

12. What happens to my video once I submit it to VISIT ALBERTA video contest?

Once you submit your video, if eligible, it will be judged based on the SHOW ALBERTA eContest criteria and posted to the site. Once on the site, others may view and vote for their favorite video. Please note: Your video may be deleted after the contest is over.

13. How are the videos judged?

A panel of judges will rate the video based on the criteria listed in the official rules. The ten highest scores at the end of the month that are the result of the viewing audience's ranking meter will become Semi-Finalists and will compete for the Winning Prize. Judges base their ratings on the overall quality of the video (25%), originality (25%), clarity of messages (25%), and reflection of tourist theme (25%). In the event of a tie, the winning entry will be the entry among the tied entries with the highest score in the originality criterion.

14. How will I know if I win?

The Semi-Finalists and Visitors' Favorite entrants will be posted on the site at the end of the contest period. The Grand Prize Winner will be notified by e-mail and certified mail following the end of the contest period.

15. Who is eligible to participate in the contest?

You may enter if you are 18 years old or older, and are a Canadian resident living in the Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec). If you are younger than 18 years old your parent or legal guardian could submit the video under their name and following the rules of the SHOW ALBERTA eContest.

16. My e-mail address is showing up under my video. How do I remove it?

The information displaying below your video is your Member Name. You can always update your profile by clicking here... Select a name -- such as cooltown or bestcommunity -- for your Display Name and press "Update Profile." The Member Name does have to be unique so you may need to try another option such as cooltown2 or bestcommunity2, etc. This change will not take effect on the site immediately.

17. I keep coming back to the "E-mail a Friend" page. How do I get past that?

If you have no more friends to refer to the contest, just click the SHOW ALBERTA eContest logo at the top of the page or click here to return SHOW ALBERTA eContest home page.

18. Why are entries disqualified?

If you entered a video and did not receive an e-mail with a link to your entry, your entry may have been disqualified. The most common reasons for disqualification are that entries did not adhere to the rules of the contest. Albertatouristtv.com or for short ATTV adheres to a strict no-nudity policy for all of its contests. Albertatouristtv.com/ATTV will disqualify entries for unlicensed use of copyright material.

19. Why is there no audio on my entry?

If an entry is submitted with audio from another source (for example a music soundtrack or a TV show playing in the background), Albertatouristtv.com may "mute" the audio to avoid copyright issues. However, the video can still be entered into the contest, but with very slim chances of winning.

Thank you for your interest in Alberta Tourist TV and/or ATTV and welcome to our website. Since we are providing access to these pages, we ask that you respect a few conditions while you're here, and take note of the following disclaimers. If you have questions about any of the following, please, do not hesitate to get in touch with us via our contact form.

1. This site was designed solely to provide information about Alberta Tourist TV and/or ATTV - A Division of Alta CineVision Incorporated, a communications service & technology company headquartered at 526, 35A Street N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 2Z9.

2. Due to copyright and licensing issues, you may only use, alter, adapt or create a derivative work from its contents outside of their original context following Alberta Tourist TV and/or ATTV's prior written permission.

3. Everything on this site (information, names, images, pictures, logos and icons) relating to us or our products and services is provided on "as is" basis without any representations or any kind of warranty made (whether express or implied by law) to the extent permitted by law, including the implied warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, compatibility, security and accuracy. Under no circumstances will Alberta Tourist TV and/or ATTV be liable for any losses or damage (for example of data, revenue, business, goodwill or opportunity) arising from the use of this site.

4. All non-studio imagery on this site is provided to show the role communications services play in a purely editorial context. No endorsement or connection is implied to any individual, group, brand, service or situation, unless otherwise clearly stated and agreed upon by all participating parties.

5. Where you are invited to submit any contribution to Alberta Tourist TV and or ATTV (including any testimonial, text, photographs, graphics, video or audio) you agree, by submitting your contribution, to grant us a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licensable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, play, make available to the public, and exercise all copyright and publicity rights with respect to your contribution worldwide and/or to incorporate your contribution in other works in any media now known or later developed for the full term of any rights that may exist in your contribution, and in accordance with privacy restrictions set out in Alberta Tourist TV and/or ATTV's privacy policy.