Ballot Rules

These rules apply to each ballot process for tickets to attend one of the seven “150th Celebration Lunches” taking place on Sunday 8th September 2024 at 12.30pm at the following venues:

  • London, Plaisterers Hall
  • Oxford, Balliol College
  • Cambridge, Girton College
  • Liverpool, Royal Liver Building
  • Birmingham, Park Regis
  • Glasgow, Trades Hall
  • Cardiff, City Hall

(the Lunches).

For the purposes of the below document:

“Ballot Application Period” refers to the period commencing on the Opening Date to the Closing Date, inclusive.

“Organiser(s)” refers to The International Exhibition Cooperative Wine Society Ltd of Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2BT.

“Applicant(s)” refers to the primary ticket-holder who meets the eligibility criteria and enters the ballot.

“Guest” refers to the person accompanying an Applicant.

Eligibility

  1. To be eligible to enter and participate in a ballot draw, the participant:
    • must be a member of The International Exhibition Cooperative Wine Society Ltd;
    • must be at least aged 18 years of age or over as of the 8 September 2024;
    • must not be prevented from participating based on the laws of the participant’s country;
  2. Ballot entries are limited to one entry per participant per location. Multiple entries into each location ballot from the same share number will not be accepted. These terms shall apply to each location entry submitted by a participant.
  3. In entering a ballot, the participant confirms that they are eligible to do so. The Organiser reserves the right and may require the participant to provide proof that they are eligible to enter a ballot.
  4. Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted and joint submissions are not allowed and multiple entries with the same membership number will not be accepted and the entry(ies) will be disqualified.
  5. The Organiser reserves all rights to disqualify an Applicant if their conduct is contrary to the spirit or intention of the ballot.
  6. For the avoidance of doubt, an Applicant’s entry in a ballot does not guarantee the Applicant or its Guest’s entry to a lunch.

The Ballot

  1. Applications for the ballot can be made from 8am on 18th October 2023 (Opening Date) to 3pm on 16th February 2024 (Closing Date), inclusive. Any applications received after the Closing Date are automatically disqualified and will not be considered.
  2. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the details that are supplied when they enter the ballot are correct.
  3. By applying for the ballot, the Applicant is deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by these Terms and Conditions upon application. The Organiser reserves the right to refuse entry into the ballot or refuse to award tickets to anyone in breach of these Terms and Conditions.

How to enter

  1. During the Ballot Application Period, applications may only be made:
    • online by an Applicant, by applying through the Applicant’s online account at thewinesociety.com; or
    • by calling Member Services on 01438 741177. The Organiser’s telephone lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm (GMT) and Saturday 9am-5pm (GMT) except for bank holidays in England.  
  2. For help with ballot entries, please contact Member Services on 01438 741177. The Organiser’s telephone lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm (GMT) and Saturday 9am-5pm (GMT) except for bank holidays in England.
  3. It is the Applicant’s sole responsibility to ensure that the entry has been completed accurately and in full with all required data, and is properly submitted in accordance with the instructions specified. A ballot entry cannot be amended once submitted.
  4. If a successful Applicant is no longer able to attend or otherwise wishes to withdraw its entry from a ballot, that Applicant should notify the Organiser of its withdrawal request from the applicable ballot(s) as soon as possible in accordance with clause 14.
  5. Applicants may request that their entry to a ballot and/or name is removed from the applicable ballot(s) or reserve list(s) at any time by emailing memberservices@thewinesociety.com or calling Member Services on 01438 741177 Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm (GMT) and Saturday 9am-5pm (GMT) except for bank holidays in England.
  6. The Organiser will not accept responsibility for entries that are not successfully complete as a result of any equipment failure, technical failure or malfunction, systems, satellite, network, server, computer hardware or software failure of any kind.
  7. The Organiser and its representatives shall not be liable for any direct or indirect loss suffered as a result of any technical failure or malfunction, equipment failure, systems, satellite, network, server, computer hardware or software failure of any kind which may result in any email or application being lost, not properly registered or recorded.

Ballot Draw

  1. Each successful Applicant in a ballot draw(s) shall have the chance to purchase up to a maximum of two tickets in the relevant ballot draw(s). Each ticket is priced per location as per clause 18. The tickets are subject to the relevant terms and conditions set out on the Organiser’s website at Terms And Conditions | The Wine Society and/or which shall be provided to the successful Applicant(s) at the time of notice of their success in the ballot by email.
  2. There are:
    • 295 tickets available for the London, Plaisterers Hall lunch at £225 (inc. VAT)
    • 175 tickets available for the Oxford, Balliol College lunch at £185 (inc. VAT),
    • 215 tickets available for the Cambridge, Girton College lunch at £185 (inc. VAT),
    • 145 tickets available for the Liverpool, Royal Liver Building lunch at £160 (inc. VAT),
    • 145 tickets available for the Birmingham, Park Regis lunch at £160 (inc. VAT),
    • 175 tickets available for the Glasgow Trades Hall lunch at £160 (inc. VAT),
    • 285 tickets available for the Cardiff, City Hall lunch at £160 (inc. VAT)

to be allocated in the applicable ballots, for attendance at one of seven lunches. The venues hosting the lunches may each also stipulate their own terms, conditions or restrictions and all successful Applicants agree and the Applicants procure that their Guests shall agree to be bound by the applicable venue terms and conditions.

  1. A successful Applicant who purchases a ticket(s) will receive, along with their Guest (as applicable), the following in their ticket price as a minimum:
  • entry to the chosen lunch each;
  • welcome drink each;
  • four course meal paired with wine

the ticket(s) does not include transportation costs to and from the event, accommodation, additional food and drink or personal expenses. Any other costs incurred in addition to those set out in these terms and conditions and that are incidental to the fulfilment of the ticket are the responsibility of the Applicant and their Guest.

  1. The Organiser reserves the right to substitute what is included in the ticket price with alternative products and/or services (as applicable) of an equal or greater value.
  2. The decision of the Organiser is final, and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.
  3. Each location ballot shall be drawn randomly by an automated computer programme from all eligible entries in the relevant location ballot on 19th February 2024 at 10am (First Draw Date).
  4. The Organiser will notify successful Applicants by email within one week of the First Draw Date using the email address provided on the Applicant’s member’s record.
  5. Any unsuccessful Applicants shall automatically be added to a reserve list. They will receive an email from The Organiser to notify them of this.
  6. Successful Applicant’s should confirm their and (as applicable) their Guests attendance to the applicable lunch that they have been drawn for in the ballot by making payment for the ticket(s) within ten (10) days of the email notification from the Organiser. The email will provide instructions about how to pay for the ticket(s). Failure by a successful Applicant to make successful payment to the Organiser on or before the Payment Date shall result in the Applicant forfeiting and withdrawing their right to the ticket(s) and their ballot application, respectively and the ticket(s) will be reallocated to those Applicants on the relevant lunch locations reserve list.
  7. If and when tickets become available for each location due to initially successful Applicants forfeiting and withdrawing their right to the ticket(s) and their ballot application for their selected location in accordance with clause 25, the Organiser reserves the right to offer the tickets to the next successful and eligible reserve list Applicant for the relevant location from the correct entries into the ballot for the relevant location that were received before the Closing Date.
  8. The Organisers shall email the applicable reserve list Applicants using the email address provided on the Applicant’s member record. Successful reserve list Applicant’s should confirm their attendance and their Guests (as applicable) to the lunch that they have been drawn for in the ballot by making payment for the ticket(s) within ten (10) days of the email notification from the Organiser. The email will provide instructions about how to pay for the ticket(s). Failure by a successful reserve list Applicant to make successful payment to the Organiser on or before the Reserve Payment Date shall result in the reserve list Applicant forfeiting and withdrawing their right to the ticket(s) and their ballot application, respectively and the ticket(s) and clause 26 and clause 27 shall re-apply accordingly.
  9. No further re-draws of any of the ballots in accordance with clause 26 and clause 27 shall be undertaken after 11.59pm on 6 September 2024.
  10. The Organiser must either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place. To comply with this obligation the Organiser will [send the surname and county of the successful ballot Applicants to anyone who emails memberservices@thewinesociety.com or writes to the Organiser’s address set out above.
  11. If you object to any or all of your surname and county being published or made available, please contact the Organiser by emailing memberservices@thewinesociety.com. In such circumstances, the Organiser must still provide the information and successful entries to the Advertising Standards Authority on request.

Tickets and Guests

  1. The ticket(s) are subject to the event terms and conditions as defined on The Wine Society’s Terms And Conditions | The Wine Society.
  2. Once a successful Applicant has confirmed that they and their Guest (if applicable) will attend and have successfully paid the ticket(s) cost in accordance with the Ticket Terms, the Organiser will email a ticket confirmation to the Applicant before the lunches (as applicable), using the email address provided on the successful Applicant’s member record.
  3. The Organiser does not accept any responsibility if the successful Applicant and/or their Guest are not able to take up the ticket(s).
  4. A Guest may only attend the event with the named Applicant. If a Guest does not arrive in the company of that Applicant, the Guest will not be permitted to enter the applicable lunch.
  5. Both the Applicant and Guest must be aged 18 years or over on the date of the applicable lunch. The Organiser reserves the right to revoke the tickets and refuse entry to the applicable lunch and shall not be held liable if the Applicant or Guest are not able to confirm their identification upon reasonable request by the Organiser.
  6. Should a successful Applicant withdraw their ballot application(s) after the relevant ballot has been drawn, their ticket allocation(s) will be deleted and neither the Applicant nor their Guest will be able to attend.
  7. The ticket(s) are personal to the successful Applicant and their Guest and may not be claimed by a third party on the Applicant’s behalf or transferred to another person.
  8. Tickets cannot be sold, traded, transferred, offered for sale, are not negotiable, non-exchangeable and can be used only by the Applicant and their Guest(s). Tickets may also not be used as a prize or for any other promotional or trade purpose by anyone except the Organiser.

Limitation of liability

  1. Insofar as is permitted by law, the Organiser, its agents or distributors will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate the Applicant or their Guest or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up the lunch except where it is caused by the negligence of the Organiser, its agents or distributors or that of their employees. Your statutory rights are not affected.

Data protection

  1. The Organiser collects and uses personal data to conduct the ballot as is necessary for the Organiser to be able to perform its agreement with the Applicant and in order to comply with its legal obligations, including to select the successful Applicants, deliver the ticket(s) and publish the results (as required by advertising regulations).
  2. The Organiser will only process your personal information as set out in the privacy policy (as amended from time to time) which is available at https://www.thewinesociety.com/about/privacy-notice. See also clause 29 and clause 30 with regard to the announcement of winners.

General

  1. If there is any reason to believe that there has been a breach of these terms and conditions, the Organiser may, at its sole discretion, reserve the right to exclude you from participating in the ballot.
  2. The Organiser reserves the right at any time, to hold void, suspend, cancel, change or postpone the ballot, where it becomes necessary to do so.
  3. Should the ballot be cancelled, postponed or changed in accordance with clause 43 or for reasons beyond the Organiser’s reasonable control, the Organiser will not be liable for any loss or expense incurred or to be incurred by the Applicant and/or the Guest, including but not limited to the cost or expenses incurred or to be incurred in relation to travel to a lunch and/or for accommodation in relation to or attendance at the lunches.
  4. These ballot rules are governed by the laws of England, and any dispute arising therefrom shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
  5. The Organiser’s Terms & Conditions also apply which may be found at Terms And Conditions | The Wine Society
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