Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of These Terms

These Terms form an agreement between you and the ABAE Awards operating entity responsible for the applicable website, recognition program, order, service, or communication. If you do not agree, do not use the website or submit information through an ABAE form.

Additional written terms may apply to a specific award order, press service, sponsorship, event, payment, or partner program. Where those specific terms conflict with these Terms, the specific written terms control for that transaction or program.

2. Eligibility and Authorized Use

You must be legally capable of entering into a binding agreement or be acting with appropriate authority on behalf of a business, organization, nominee, winner, sponsor, media organization, or other entity.

You are responsible for the accuracy of information submitted and for ensuring that you have permission to provide information, logos, photographs, quotes, websites, attachments, or other materials relating to another person or organization.

3. Nominations

ABAE accepts self-nominations and third-party nominations for qualified businesses, entrepreneurs, leaders, and organizations. A nomination is a request for consideration only.

• Submission does not guarantee review, recognition, category placement, winner status, public listing, press coverage, an award package, or annual Grand Finale participation.
• ABAE may request additional information, supporting evidence, clarification, or confirmation.
• ABAE may correct formatting, standardize category or location information, combine duplicate submissions, or decline incomplete, inaccurate, misleading, unverifiable, abusive, or ineligible nominations.
• The nominator is responsible for submitting truthful information and obtaining any permission required to nominate another person or organization.

4. Industry Judges and Recognition Decisions

Qualified submissions may be reviewed by ABAE industry judges, reviewers, or authorized personnel. Review may consider category fit, business or leadership achievement, public information, supporting evidence, location, completeness, relevance, impact, and program capacity.

Recognition decisions are discretionary and may involve comparative review. ABAE may reassign a category, defer a nomination to a later cycle, request clarification, revoke a decision based on material inaccuracies, or decline to provide detailed scoring or deliberation notes.

5. Recognition, Winner Status, and Public Records

If selected, a honoree may receive a public Winners Directory record and verification information. Public record fields may include winner name, display name, verification code, recognition year, quarter, category, city, state, status, website, logo, recognition description, and approved press link.

ABAE may correct, update, restrict, archive, or remove a record when necessary to address errors, duplication, fraud, rights concerns, legal obligations, misuse, or later-discovered inaccuracies.

ABAE recognition is independent recognition. It is not a government certification, license, accreditation, legal verification, financial rating, investment recommendation, or guarantee of business performance.

6. Verification Tools and Digital Assets

The Verify Winner page and related QR codes, badges, certificates, serial numbers, and links are intended to confirm the ABAE record displayed at the time of access.

• Verification confirms an ABAE recognition record; it does not verify every claim, credential, license, financial statement, product, service, or legal status of the winner.
• Digital badges and certificates may be used only for the recognized winner and corresponding recognition record.
• Users may not alter verification codes, fabricate records, create misleading certificates, or imply a broader endorsement than the recognition granted.

7. Optional Paid Products and Services

Recognition and verification are separate from optional paid products and services. Available offerings may include the Winner Recognition package, Executive Visibility package, Prestige Crystal package, plaques, the CRY005 Crystal Diamond on Black Base, certificates, digital assets, press features, distribution, interviews, engraving, shipping, and related fulfillment.

Prices, inclusions, add-ons, payment timing, shipping charges, production timelines, cancellation rules, replacement terms, and refund terms are those displayed at checkout, in the order form, in the payment page, or in a written order confirmation.

• ABAE may require winner-record verification and confirmed payment before production, fulfillment, publication, or interview scheduling begins.
• Personalized or engraved items may not be changeable after production has started.
• Estimated delivery, production, publication, or scheduling dates are not guarantees and may be affected by customer approvals, service providers, carriers, media outlets, event timing, or force-majeure circumstances.
• The purchaser is responsible for accurate engraving, shipping, billing, contact, and winner information.

8. Press, Distribution, Podcast, and Magazine Services

Optional visibility services may include an ABAE Digital Winner Feature, professionally prepared press announcement, distribution to approximately 20–50 online news outlets, business podcast interview, business magazine interview, executive-profile positioning, or related copy.

• Distribution volume is approximate and depends on the selected service, distribution network, editorial acceptance, technical availability, timing, content compliance, and third-party outlet decisions.
• ABAE does not guarantee publication by a specific news outlet, search-engine ranking, traffic, leads, sales, revenue, investor interest, media pickup, or permanent availability of a third-party article.
• Interview and publication schedules may change. The winner must provide requested information, approvals, images, quotes, availability, and permissions within applicable deadlines.
• ABAE may edit submitted copy for length, grammar, clarity, legal risk, accuracy, brand standards, and publication requirements.

9. Quarterly Recognition and Annual Grand Finale

ABAE quarterly recognition is currently conducted virtually. The annual Grand Finale is the in-person awards experience.

Quarterly recognition does not automatically guarantee annual selection, attendance, speaking, stage presentation, travel support, guest access, media coverage, or any specific Grand Finale benefit. Annual qualification, participation requirements, ticketing, venue rules, dates, travel, accommodations, and event-specific terms may be communicated separately.

ABAE may change event dates, formats, venues, programming, speakers, schedules, capacity, or participation requirements when reasonably necessary.

10. Sponsorship and Partnership Independence

Sponsors and partners may support quarterly recognition, categories, media programming, winner experiences, community-impact initiatives, or the annual Grand Finale.

Sponsorship does not influence nominations, judge review, winner verification, category placement, quarterly recognition decisions, or annual Grand Finale selection. Sponsor deliverables are governed by the applicable written sponsorship agreement.

11. Submitted Content and Permissions

You retain ownership of content you submit, subject to the rights granted below. By submitting content, you represent that the content is accurate to the best of your knowledge and that you have the rights and permissions necessary to provide it.

You grant ABAE a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, reproduce, format, edit, display, publish, distribute, archive, and use submitted content as reasonably necessary to review nominations, maintain winner records, verify recognition, fulfill orders, publish approved press materials, promote ABAE programs, operate events, and provide requested services.

This license may continue for published winner records, historical recognition archives, completed media materials, certificates, transaction records, and legally required business records.

12. ABAE Intellectual Property

The ABAE name, logo, website design, category descriptions, verification system, certificates, badges, award graphics, written content, event materials, and related intellectual property are owned by or licensed to ABAE and protected by applicable law.

Except for authorized winner use of issued assets, you may not copy, sell, license, modify, misrepresent, remove notices from, or create confusingly similar ABAE materials without written permission.

13. Prohibited Conduct

You may not:

• Submit false, defamatory, infringing, deceptive, unlawful, or materially misleading information.
• Impersonate a nominee, winner, judge, sponsor, media representative, ABAE employee, or other person.
• Manipulate verification links, fabricate certificates or badges, scrape records at unreasonable volume, bypass security, or interfere with website operation.
• Use ABAE recognition to imply government approval, accreditation, licensing, legal verification, guaranteed performance, or a relationship that does not exist.
• Upload malicious code, violate privacy rights, infringe intellectual property, harass others, or use ABAE services for unlawful activity.

14. Third-Party Services and Links

ABAE may use or link to third-party form, CRM, payment, email, SMS, telephone, analytics, hosting, shipping, manufacturing, media, event, social-network, video, or other services.

Third-party services may have separate terms, privacy policies, availability, editorial rules, processing times, and technical limitations. ABAE is not responsible for an independent third party’s acts, omissions, content, security, or continued availability, except to the extent required by law or expressly agreed in writing.

15. Disclaimers

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the website and ABAE services are provided on an “as available” and “as is” basis. ABAE does not guarantee uninterrupted operation, error-free records, permanent third-party links, specific business results, media outcomes, search rankings, revenue, attendance, sponsorship results, or continued availability of every feature.

ABAE may rely on information submitted by nominees, nominators, winners, service providers, public sources, and other third parties. ABAE does not independently audit every business claim, credential, license, ownership claim, financial statement, product, service, review, or public representation.

16. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, ABAE and its officers, judges, reviewers, contractors, partners, sponsors, service providers, and representatives will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost opportunities, reputational harm, lost data, or business interruption arising from use of the website or ABAE services.

Where liability cannot be excluded, ABAE’s aggregate liability for a claim relating to a paid transaction will not exceed the amount actually paid to ABAE for the specific product or service giving rise to the claim, except where applicable law requires a different result.

17. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless ABAE and its officers, judges, reviewers, contractors, partners, sponsors, service providers, and representatives from claims, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses arising from your submitted content, violation of these Terms, infringement of another party’s rights, misuse of recognition assets, or unlawful use of ABAE services.

18. Suspension, Removal, and Termination

ABAE may suspend access, reject a submission, cancel a service before fulfillment, restrict use of an asset, remove or correct a winner record, or terminate participation when reasonably necessary to address fraud, nonpayment, legal risk, misuse, inaccurate information, security concerns, abusive conduct, intellectual-property issues, or violation of these Terms.

Any applicable refund, credit, replacement, or completion obligation will be determined under the transaction-specific terms, the stage of fulfillment, and applicable law.

19. Changes to These Terms

ABAE may update these Terms to reflect changes in website features, recognition programs, paid services, providers, events, operational practices, or legal requirements. Updated Terms will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.

Continued use after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms to the extent permitted by law.

20. General Provisions

If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not transfer your rights or obligations without ABAE’s written consent; ABAE may assign these Terms as part of a restructuring, asset transfer, or similar transaction.

These Terms, the Privacy Policy, and any applicable order, sponsorship, event, or service-specific terms constitute the agreement relating to the applicable use or transaction.

The final production version should identify the ABAE operating legal entity, principal business address, governing law, venue, and any required dispute-resolution provisions after confirmation by qualified legal counsel.

21. Contact ABAE Awards

Use the official ABAE Contact page for questions about these Terms, an order, a nomination, a winner record, a sponsorship, a media service, or the annual Grand Finale.