Article 1 – Principles and aims of the V d’Or Awards
The V d’Or Awards are organised by Vinexposium, simplified joint stock company with share capital of €2,922, with its registered office at 10 rue Condillac – 33000 Bordeaux, registered with the Register of Trades and Companies of Bordeaux under no. 822 686 192 (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”). They will reward the most ambitious business initiatives in terms of performance, responsibility and collective spirit with “V d’Or award” trophies in an annual competition.
By seeking the expertise of a wide panel of professionals, and by featuring the V d’Or Awards ceremony as part of the Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2024 event organised in February, the V d’Or Awards aim to encourage the construction of a sustainable future for the wine and spirits sector and highlight ambitious initiatives to an international audience.
The V d’Or Awards are awarded after two votes by the members of the College of the V d’Or Awards, and during a dedicated awards ceremony held on the eve of Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris, attended by the Nominees. This ceremony will be simultaneously broadcast on the digital portal of the Vinexposium group. The projects selected will also benefit from dedicated visibility during Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2024.
Entry entails unreserved acceptance of the clauses of these rules and the decisions handed down within the framework of the V d’Or Awards.
Article 2 – Terms and conditions of entry
2.1 Conditions of participation in the V d’Or Awards:
The V d’Or Awards are open free of charge to all wine and spirits professionals operating in the BtoB and/or BtoC marketing chain, which can present one or more products, materials, experiences, services, solutions, initiatives or economic models (hereinafter referred to as the “Initiatives”), through an international call for entries, in accordance with the following conditions (hereinafter referred to as the “Participants”):
– Participants must not be members of the V d’Or Award Committee or the College of the V d’Or Awards,
– They must accept these rules without restriction or reserve,
– They must have sent their entry before October 1st 2023 at midnight (Central European Time).
The Initiatives must imperatively:
– have been implemented or officially announced after 1st January 2022,
– belong to one of the categories listed in Article 2.3 of these rules,
– demonstrate a responsible and sustainable approach to people and the environment.
The conditions of participation are cumulative.
2.2 Terms of participation:
Entries for the V d’Or awards are made online, in the dedicated section of the website at www.vinexposium.com/en/vdor. Participants can submit their entry by completing the information requested in the online form.
Participants must provide, for each of the Initiatives presented:
– answers in English to the online questionnaire,
– at least one visual,
– observable and measurable elements that make it possible to understand the concrete results of the Initiative,
– the logo of their company, and the logo of their Initiative if applicable, in high definition, in case they are selected as finalists.
The entry forms must be completed and submitted no later than October 1st 2023 at midnight, in the format requested on the web platform set up by the Company on the website www.vinexposium.com/en/vdor.
The entry of the Participant will be definitively confirmed by clicking on “Submit my entry”.
An acknowledgement of receipt confirming the entry will be sent by email to every Participant having submitted their entry. Any entry that is incomplete or does not fulfil the criteria set by the Company will be rejected.
Participants must solemnly swear only to communicate accurate and true information, and notably to avoid any omission or imprecision that could lead to an erroneous judgment. In case of proven irregularity, the V d’Or Award Committee reserves the right to withdraw the capacity of Nominee from the company in question or to withdraw a trophy already awarded and explain this decision in the media.
Participants furthermore must solemnly swear not to make direct contact with the members of the V d’Or Award Committee and/or the College of the V d’Or Awards nor communicate to them any element of any nature about their Initiative, outside of the web platform designed for that purpose.
2.3 Categories of V d’Or Awards:
Entries are open to relevant Initiatives in one of the following 6 categories:
1. Export strategy
2. Brand experience
3. Business solution
4. Eco-friendly market launch
5. Joint initiative
6. Heritage initiative
It is specified that one Honorary V d’Or Award will also be awarded. Selection for that award will take place off the platform.
Participants may present one or more Initiatives, as the number of entries per candidate company is not limited. Any company presenting several Initiatives must complete one entry for each Initiative presented.
Nevertheless, a same Initiative may only be presented in one category.
Article 3 – V d’Or Awards timeline
– Deadline for registration of completed entries: October 1st 2023 at midnight (Central European Time),
– Review of entries by the College of the V d’Or Awards and scoring to choose the Nominees: 16 October to 27 October 2023 at midnight (Central European Time),
– Announcement of Nominees: from 21 November 2023,
– Vote of the College of the V d’Or Awards to select the Winners: 2 January to 12 January 2024 at midnight (Central European Time),
– Announcement of the Winners and award of the V d’Or Award and Honorary V d’Or Award trophies: 11 February 2024, the eve of Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2024.
Article 4 – Composition and responsibility of the V d’Or Award Committee
The V d’Or Award Committee 2024 is chaired by Michel Chapoutier (hereinafter referred to as the “President”). The members of the V d’Or Award Committee are appointed by the Chair and represent the 6 professional categories composing the College of the V d’Or Awards.
The V d’Or Award Committee validates the entries and Initiatives selected before submission to the College of the V d’Or Awards. The Committee also has a role of identifying ambitious Initiatives in the sector and may, on its own initiative, suggest that a company enter an Initiative into the V d’Or Awards, with their eligibility remaining subject to the conditions described in Article 2.
The V d’Or Award Committee also has the option of examining and validating requests for admission to the College of the V d’Or Awards.
Lastly, the V d’Or Award Committee has a role of ambassador of the V d’Or Awards, and in this way its members may be required to issue statements and make speeches on behalf of the V d’Or Awards.
Article 5 – Assessment of entries by the College of the V d’Or Awards
The members of the College of the V d’Or Awards are professionals in the wine and spirits industry operating in one of the following 6 professional categories:
– Producers: representatives of companies practising a significant activity of production or trading and marketing of wines and spirits internationally (equal to or greater than 25% of their average annual turnover during the 5 years preceding their request for admission).
– Wholesale buyers: procurement or general management roles of companies practising a significant activity of import, distribution, wholesale or BtoB agents (a minimum of 250 references of wines and/or spirits bought on average during the 5 years preceding their request for admission).
– Retail buyers: procurement or general management roles of companies practising a significant activity of supermarket, wine merchant, restaurant, hotel, bar or delicatessen in BtoC (a minimum of 250 references of wines and/or spirits bought on average during the 5 years preceding their request for admission).
– Collective organisations: trade organisations, syndicates, associations, groups dedicated to the wine and spirits professions with over 50 members on average over the 5 years preceding their admission.
– Technical and scientific experts: experts, researchers, observers, consultants, trainers and teachers, and scientific and technical journalists practising all or part of their expertise in the wine and spirits sector with a significant technical and/or scientific contribution for the industry.
– Economics and marketing experts: experts, researchers, observers, consultants, trainers and teachers and journalists practising all or part of their expertise in the wine and spirits sector with a significant economic and/or marketing contribution for the industry.
The Initiatives will be assessed according to 5 criteria, scored on a scale of 1 to 4, 1 representing a project which does not fulfil the criterion and 4 for that fully responding to the issue of the criterion. Thus, each Initiative will have a score out of 20.
The College of the V d’Or Awards will assess the entries on the basis of the observable and measurable elements that must be provided by entrants, and which make it possible to understand the concrete results of the project. Every document containing figures must be true and official.
A responsible and sustainable approach in respect of people and the environment is essential to apply for a V d’Or Awards. This may concern one or more steps of the Initiative presented.
For the “Best export strategy” category, the 5 criteria are:
1. Understanding of the market
2. Level of boldness of the export strategy
3. Effectiveness of the means put in place on the export market
4. Visibility
5. CSR impact of the export strategy
For the “Best brand experience” category, the 5 criteria are:
1. Innovative and original quality of the brand experience
2. Coherence of the experience you offer in relation to the personality of your brand
3. Quality of execution
4. Visibility
5. CSR impact of the brand experience
For the “Best new business solution” category, the 5 criteria are:
1. Relevance of the new business solution
2. Improvement of the customer experience
3. Concrete impact on the wine and spirits sector
4. Viability of the business model
5. CSR impact of the innovation
For the “Best eco-friendly market launch” category, the 5 criteria are:
1. Coherence of the project with the brand personality
2. Innovative and original nature of the project
3. Eco-friendly vision over the whole of the value chain
4. Pedagogic approach accompanying the market launch
5. CSR impact of the project
For the “Best joint initiative” category, the 5 criteria are:
1. Consistency between the execution and the goals of the project
2. Innovative and original nature of the project
3. Unifying spirit of your collective initiative
4. Visibility
5. CSR impact of your collective initiative
For the “Best heritage initiative” category, the 5 criteria are:
1. Dynamic engendered
2. Preservation of the heritage in question
3. Capacity to promote the knowledge-sharing
4. Visibility
5. CSR impact of your knowledge-sharing
Article 6 – Designation of Nominees and Winners
The 4 Initiatives which obtain the best score in each category in the first round of voting according to the criteria set out in Article 2 of these rules (hereinafter referred to as the “Nominees”) will be selected by the College of the V d’Or Awards.
The Company undertakes to notify by email all companies whose Initiatives have been nominated before 22 November 2023, date of the official announcement.
Under no circumstances may any Nominee notified and officially announced withdraw its entry.
Those not selected will also be informed.
The College of the V d’Or Awards will then vote again to choose a Winner for each category from among the Nominees.
The Company undertakes to notify all Winners by email before 11 February 2024, date of the official announcement.
Under no circumstances may any Winner notified and officially announced withdraw its entry.
Those not selected will also be informed.
The official announcement of the 6 Winners of the V d’Or Awards, and the award of the trophies will take place on the day before Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris opens.
Winners undertake to make a 5-minute speech on the day the trophies are awarded.
Article 7 – Prizes
7.1 The Winners will be presented to the public during Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2024. Nominees and Winners may be the subject of a presentation to the public throughout the duration of the Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2024, through a printed document and/or a presentation.
7.2 Winners will be awarded a “V d’Or” trophy by the Company for their category at the awards ceremony.
Nominees and Winners may mention this in their own advertising up until the day before Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2025. Any commercial or advertising reference to the nomination or the trophy received as part of the V d’Or awards must specify:
– For Winners: the exact wording “2024 V d’Or Awards” and the category of the Initiative.
– For Nominees: the wording “Nominated for the 2024 V d’Or Awards” and the category of the Initiative.
The prizes awarded have no value of approval or accreditation in any way.
Article 8 – Intellectual Property
Each Participant certifies that the Initiatives presented complies with applicable regulations and accepts the full responsibility for any defects in the aforesaid Initiatives, for which the Company, the V d’Or Award Committee or the College of the V d’Or Awards cannot be held liable.
Participants shall acknowledge and respect all regulations applicable during Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris, whether enacted by the public authorities or by the Company, in order that the Company cannot be held liable.
In view of the international dimension of the Company and Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris, the Initiatives presented at the V d’Or Awards come from multiple countries and are intended to be marketed worldwide. The Participants undertake that Initiatives comply with the legislation of their home country or of countries where they want to market their products.
Consequently, the Company, the V d’Or Award Committee or the College of the V d’Or Awards cannot be accused of promoting Initiatives non-compliant with the French or European legislation.
Participants must state that they hold all intellectual property rights for Initiatives presented to the Company and have been duly authorised by the intellectual property rights holder, the Company cannot be held responsible therein, in particular in the event of a dispute with a third party.
Participants shall also guarantee the Company that the elements transmitted are original and have borrowed no original element or one protected by any intellectual property rights. In this respect, Participants shall hold the Company harmless as regards any action for infringement or any action arising from claims of copyright concerning the elements transmitted.
It is the responsibility of Participants to ensure that their intellectual property rights have been preserved and the relevant patents filed. Pursuant to the terms of Articles L611-11 and L611-1 of the French Intellectual Property Code, in order to be admissible, patents must be filed in France no later than six months after the invention has been disclosed to the public.
The Company accepts no responsibility regarding the commercial or non-commercial use of the Initiatives presented as part of the V d’Or Awards that may infringe Participants’ rights.
Furthermore, the elements presented in the context of the V d’Or Awards by the Participants are provided to the Company under the sole responsibility of the Participants, who alone bear all possible rights. They declare that these elements do not in any way violate intellectual property rights or any other third-party rights. The Participants release the Company from any liability in this regard and shall indemnify the Company for any damages it may suffer and shall hold it harmless against any action brought against it in connection with these elements.
Article 9 – Authorizations – Image rights
9.1 All Participants taking part in the Competition also expressly authorise the Company and Vinexposium group to use, from the announcement of the Nominees, the name of the Initiatives presented and of the Nominees, the brief description and pictures, whether animated or not, and all the elements transmitted by the Participants as part of their participation in the V d’Or Awards, for all communication purposes related to the V of Gold and to the promotion of the Company and of Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris, for five years from the date of their nomination and apply to all media, including paper, magnetic, optical, digital, computer, web, (notably the social networks), telematic, electronic, film, video cassette, CD-ROM, DVD, or other media, known or unknown at this time, now or in the future.
9.2 The Nominees or Winners authorize the use of their name, address and photograph in any publicity or promotion related to the V d’Or Awards and Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris.
Furthermore, the results of the V d’Or Awards, and the names of the Nominees and Winners may be released to the press and will be subject to a special promotion.
9.3 Participants, for no charge, expressly authorises the Company and the Vinexposium Group to and/or any third party designated by the Company:
– take during Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris or during the awards ceremony, should they wish to do so, photos and/or videos featuring the Participants and/or members of its team, as well as any Initiatives,
– use any such images freely on all media and in particular for the purposes of advertising (including on the internet) in France and worldwide for a period of five (5) years beginning from the award of the trophies,
– cite and reproduce, for no charge, its trade mark and company name as a commercial reference for the purposes of communication on any media (including the internet) in France and worldwide for a period of five (5) years beginning from the date of the acceptance of these rules.
Article 10 – Personal Data
Personal data on each Participant collected for their participation in the Competition and, when appropriate, in order to allow the presentation of an award, are collected and treated in pursuance of the regulations relative to the protection and the collection of personal data.
Collected data are intended exclusively for the Company. They may be disclosed to the service contractors and subcontractors hired by the Company for the purposes of the organisation and/or management of the V d’Or awards.
Since the data collected on each Participant on the occasion of the Competition are essential in order to take his participation into account and for the presentation of an award, the exercise of a Participant’s right to delete the data before the end of the Competition would lead to the automatic cancellation of this Participant’s participation in the Competition.
Each Participant has the right to access and the right to correct data concerning them and, if applicable, the right to remove, the right to oppose the processing of these data, the right to delete and to limit their processing and the right to the portability of their data, which they can exercise at any time by writing, by e-mail or post, to this address: VINEXPOSIUM – Les V d’Or – 10, rue Condillac – 33000 Bordeaux or [email protected]. Any Participant also has the right to lodge a claim with the CNIL (French data protection agency).
Personal data are kept for the duration of the V d’Or Awards 2024 and for a period of 5 years after the last expression of interest by the Participant. Datas necessary to establish proof of the said relationship, those necessary for the execution of the present rules and those necessary for the Company to comply with the legal and regulatory obligations to which it is subject are kept in accordance with the provisions in force.
Article 11 – Modification
The Company reserves the right to shorten, extend, postpone, or cancel the Competition, at any time and without notice or obligation to justify its decision, and to modify all or part of the conditions of access and/or the terms of implementation of the V d’Or Awards, in case of force majeure or events beyond its control, without its responsibility being engaged nor any compensation being claimed.
In such circumstances, the Company will make its best efforts to inform the Participants as soon as possible.
Any Participant will be deemed to have accepted this modification by participating in the V d’Or Awards from the effective date of the said modification.
Article 12 – Languages of the V d’Or awards
Rules of the Competition are published in English and in French. In case of contradiction between this translation of the General Conditions of Participation and the French version thereof, only the French version shall prevail.
Article 13 – Consultation of the rules
The rules of the Competition are available on the platform dedicated to the V d’Or awards. The rules can be obtained by writing to: VINEXPOSIUM – The V d’Or awards – 10, rue Condillac – 33000 Bordeaux.
Article 14 – Complaints and disputes – Governing Law – Jurisdiction
Participation in the Competition is subject to full acceptance of all clauses contained in these rules.
If one or more provisions of this Agreement are declared null and void or deemed to be invalid, this shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.
Participants admit that by participating in the V d’Or Awards obligatorily submits them to French law, in particular for any dispute that may arise from the V d’Or Awards or that may be directly or indirectly related to it, without prejudice to any rules of conflict of laws that may exist. Any dispute arising about the V d’Or Awards will be settled amicably between the Company and the Participant. The Commercial Court (Tribunal de Commerce) in Nanterre shall have jurisdiction over any dispute concerning the interpretation or execution of these rules.
In the event of a proven breach in these rules, the Company shall be entitled to exclude the Participant, without the Participant being able to claim any compensation and without prejudice to any compensation that the Company may claim.
Any dispute or claim relating to the V d’Or Awards must be made in writing and sent to Vinexposium by post and will not be taken into consideration after 11 February 2024.
No telephone or written request concerning the interpretation or application of these rules, the mechanisms or procedures of the V d’Or Awards, or the designation of the Nominees and Winners will be answered.