National Halloween Convention: Haunted Gingerbread House Competition

[themonstermaze]

THE 2010 NATIONAL HAUNTED GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Dates of the convention =April 29th – May 2nd 2010.
Dates of the competition = Saturday May 1st 2010, 4:30 pm - 6 pm
http://www.nationalhauntersconvention.com

Rules and Procedures
The following Rules and Procedures have been set forth and established by The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention for the purpose of the 2010 National Haunted Gingerbread House Competition. Please retain these sheets for your records. For additional information, contact Michael Bruner at [email protected]

ENTERING,QUALIFYING to ENTER:
The competition is open to everyone except employees of the convention and their immediate family and/or household members.

To be eligible for the competition, a signed and completed entry form must be received by 4 p.m. on Friday, May 2nd, 2010. Entries that are not pre-registered will not be accepted. Entry numbers will be assigned upon receipt of completed entry forms, and competitors will receive a letter or e-mail with entry number confirming their entry into the 2010 competition.

Only one (1) entry per entry form is permitted.

The 2010 National Haunted Gingerbread House Competition Entry Form must be signed by the individual entering the competition. If the individual is younger than the age of eighteen (18) by the date of the competition In-take, a signature from a parent or legal guardian is required in conjunction with the minor’s signature.

Team Entries are allowed for entry under the following guidelines.

• Please complete one (1) entry form for the team that only includes the team captain’s contact information.

• A separate typed list of each team members’ first and last names should be included with the team’s entry form.

• A signature from a parent or legal guardian will still be required for each team member under eighteen (18) years of age.

• In the event a Team Entry places in the competition, the team captain will be the recipient of any prizes.

Distribution or splitting of any prize, ribbon, or plaque will be left to the team captain to determine.

• A Team is defined as two (2) to three (3) individuals working on a single entry. No more than three (3) individuals are allowed to work on a single entry.

Due to space, only a limited number of entries will be accepted into the competition.

The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention Special Events Department reserves the right to refuse any entry deemed inappropriate.

All supplies *MUST* be provided by the entrant. All material must be present at the BEGINNING of the competition. Any "forgotten" items will not be allowed to be added later.

Realizing the time constraints of the competition, pre-painting pieces will be allowed prior to the competition. There will be NO stove at the competition, all pieces that require baking / boiling / frying / etc. MUST be done AT HOME prior to arriving to the competition.

It is NOT recommended that you create the entire piece prior to the competition, as damage may occur and transport and may bring suspicion to the judge’s mind that the entrant at the competition may have had assistance at home. It is recommended that the time at the competition should be used for the ASSEMBLY of your created pieces and final decorations.

If the haunted gingerbread house is not complete at the “end” of competition, the total look will be judged as it stands.

CANCELLATION POLICY
The Special Events Department at the convention understands that situations may cause competitors to withdraw from the competition. In the event you are no longer able to compete, please inform contact Michael Bruner at [email protected]

PLACING and PRIZES
The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention will award one entry from the competition the title of Grand Prize.

SIZE LIMITATIONS, IDENTIFICATION, and DESCRIPTION:
Entries must not exceed 36 inches high, 36 inches wide and 36 inches long. Entry must be placed on a board base. We suggest using ½” or ¾” plywood as a base for your entry. Entries combined with a base must not be larger than 36 inches high, 36 inches wide, and 36 inches long. If you wish to install “legs” on the underside of your base, the legs are considered as part of the base and should not cause the entry’s height to exceed 36 inches.

Write your name, address, and entry number on the underside of your base.

Include with your gingerbread entry a typed, one-page description of your entry. Include any unique features about your gingerbread entry and materials used in the construction process. The top of your sheet should have the name of your gingerbread entry and your entry number. Please DO NOT include your name in the name of your gingerbread entry;

doing so will disqualify you from the competition. The one-page description will ONLY be used for publicity purposes and for display purposes explaining your entry to the public; the judges will not read entry descriptions.

JUDGING PROCESS and JUDGING CRITERIA:
Public judging will be held on Saturday, May 1, 2010, from 4:30 a.m.-6 p.m. A Formal Awards Ceremony will be held at 6 p.m., and all winners will be announced at that time.

Overall Appearance, Originality & Creativity, Difficulty, Precision, and Consistency of Theme (Theme should be competitors own and consistent throughout the entry. The only required theme for the competition is something from the Halloween / Horror genre.)

The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention reserves the right to refuse any entry deemed inappropriate (nudity, vulgarity, et al.)

MATERIALS and CONSTRUCTION:
Except for the base, all visible aspects of the entries must be constructed and composed completely of edible materials. The main structure should be constructed primarily of gingerbread. Paint and or ribbon may be used to decorate the outer edge of your plywood base (not to exceed the length and/or width of the base). Any entry with visible non-edible components will be automatically disqualified. Edible materials are not limited to sweets. Artificial display materials, such as Styrofoam or interior lighting, may be used, only for the interior construction of the entry.

Mechanics and pneumatics ARE allowed, not only allowed, but are encouraged! While the following video is a CAKE and not gingerbread house, it illustrates the possibilities that available by incorporating motors and pneumatic cylinders into your design:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SflRdDLfsbA

Make no mistake – this is not a cake competition – this is a haunted gingerbread house competition.

Candies must be unwrapped and free of any non-edible materials such as lollipop sticks. All entries must be solely constructed by the individual(s) entering the competition. Teen, Youth and Child competitors may be supervised, for safety precautions, by a parent, legal guardian, or classroom teacher. However, all entry design, construction, and decoration must be done solely by the individual(s) entering the competition.


DESIGN:
Although the competition is titled ‘The National Haunted Gingerbread House Competition’, entries are not limited to the structure of a house. Competitors are welcome and encouraged to uniquely design their entry for the 2010 competition, as long as the entry is in keeping with the competition Rules and Procedures. (In other words – If you want to make a haunted castle? That’s ok. If you want to make a graveyard with mausoleum? That’s ok. If you want to make a haunted ocean liner with lighthouse? That’s ok. If you want to make a skeleton pirate ship? That’s ok. Etc. etc. etc.)

The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention reserves the right to refuse any entry deemed inappropriate due to nudity or vulgarity.

ENTRY IN-TAKE and ENTRY PICK-UP:
Contestants must bring their un-assembled entries to The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention’s Registration Area on Saturday, May 1, 2010, between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. prior to the competition. The competition starts at 4:30 p.m. so it is in your own best interest to arrive early and set up your equipment as the contestants for the makeup war will be setting up at the same time. (Please note that the make up war is scheduled at the same time in an adjacent area – so the audience can view both competitions simultaneously.)

Please be aware that Staff is not permitted to assist in the direct transportation of any entry; this is for the safety of the competition entries.

DISPLAY INFORMATION
Entries will be on display at The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention, during the remainder of the event. Permission is granted to The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention to transport my entry for publicity and to photograph and use of any photos for promotional purposes.

At no time does The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention guarantee the safety or security of my entry and cannot be held responsible for any damages incurred by my entry on or off the resort’s property.

ROOM RESERVATIONS
The National Halloween, Horror, Haunted House and Hearse Convention offers a discounted room rate to competitors in the 2010 National Haunted Gingerbread House competition. Information on the discounted room rate and reservation policies may be found at: http://www.nationalhauntersconvention.com/hotel.htm

SIGN UP
Please Email the following information to Michael Bruner at:
[email protected]

SUBJECT: National Haunted Gingerbread House Competition 2010

Name of your Team:

Member Names of Your Team (up to 3 total)

Team Leaders Name:

Team Leaders Phone:

Team Leaders Email: