Terms of Use.

By accessing or using the World Food Championships website (worldfoodchampionships.com and any associated domains), mobile applications, event registration platforms, or any services operated by WFC (collectively, the "Services"), you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.

These Terms apply to all users of the Services, including website visitors, registered competitors, event spectators, sponsors, volunteers, judges, and any other participants in WFC events or programs. Your use of the Services constitutes your acceptance of these Terms, regardless of whether you create an account.

WFC reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Continued use of the Services after any modification constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. We will make reasonable efforts to notify registered users of material changes via email or website notice.

Use of our Services and participation in WFC events is subject to the following eligibility requirements:

• Age: You must be at least 18 years of age to register independently for a WFC event or create an account. Individuals under 18 may participate only with a parent or legal guardian who registers on their behalf and accepts these Terms.
• Legal Capacity: You must have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract in your jurisdiction. By accepting these Terms, you represent that you are not barred from doing so under any applicable law.
• Qualification: To compete at the WFC Main Event, you must hold a valid, unexpired Golden Ticket earned at an official WFC-sanctioned qualifying event. WFC reserves the right to verify qualifying credentials at any time.
• Geographic Eligibility: WFC events and Services are open to participants from all countries unless prohibited by applicable law, sanctions, or specific event rules. WFC reserves the right to restrict participation from specific jurisdictions.
• Prior Disqualification: Individuals who have been permanently disqualified from WFC competition are not eligible to register or participate. WFC reserves the right to deny registration to anyone who has violated these Terms or WFC competition rules.

To register for WFC events or access certain features of our Services, you may be required to create an account or complete a registration form. By doing so, you agree to:

• Accurate Information: Provide truthful, accurate, current, and complete information during registration. Providing false or misleading information may result in disqualification and permanent ban from WFC events.
• Account Security: Maintain the confidentiality of your account credentials. You are solely responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify WFC immediately at [email protected] if you suspect unauthorized use.
• One Account Per Competitor: Each competitor may maintain only one active account. Creating duplicate accounts may result in disqualification of all associated registrations.
• Non-Transferability: Your registration, account, and Golden Ticket are non-transferable. You may not sell, assign, or transfer your registration or competitor status to any other person.
• Category Commitment: Once you register in a competition category, you will compete in that category. Category changes after registration are subject to WFC approval and applicable deadlines.

WFC reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, provide false information, or engage in conduct detrimental to WFC, its participants, or its partners.

All WFC competition participants are bound by the Official WFC Competition Rules, which are updated annually and published on our website. These Terms of Use do not replace the Competition Rules — both apply. By registering as a competitor, you agree to be bound by all competition rules in effect at the time of your event.

Participation in WFC events may require payment of registration fees, entry fees, or other charges. All fees are stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise specified.

• Payment Processing: All payments are processed through our secure third-party payment processors. By submitting payment information, you authorize WFC to charge the applicable fees to your payment method.
• Fee Accuracy: WFC makes every effort to ensure fees are accurately displayed. In the event of a pricing error, WFC reserves the right to cancel the affected registration and issue a full refund.
• Taxes: You are responsible for all applicable taxes, duties, or levies on registration fees in your jurisdiction. WFC will collect applicable sales tax where required by law.
• Failed Payments: If a payment fails and is not resolved within 5 business days, WFC may cancel your registration. You will receive notice before cancellation occurs.
• Prize Money: Prize money is awarded to eligible winners per the official prize schedule announced before each event. Winners are responsible for all applicable income taxes on prizes received. WFC may withhold taxes as required by law.

The following policies are published by World Food Championships and govern competitor registration, cancellations, and use of the WFC brand mark.

Competitor Registration

Payment must be made at the time of registration to complete your process and reserve your competitor status. Unpaid registrations will be deleted from the registration system within two (2) weeks. There are no refunds, but competitors can sell their place to other qualified competitors.

Cancellation of Preferred Qualifying Event

There are no refunds for events that have been postponed. The certification fees paid at time of postponement will apply to the next date of the event's occurrence. For events that are cancelled with no plans to postpone, a written notice of cancellation must be received by MMA Creative for any possible, partial refund. Such refund will be prorated based on the number of months the event received exposure from WFC's platform and promotional channels.

Use of Official Brand Mark

Anyone wishing to use the official World Food Championships (WFC) brand mark for any purpose (marketing, promotional, or otherwise) must request permission from WFC by emailing [email protected]. All requests must state the intended purpose of using the brand mark, the application, and the length of time the brand mark will be used. Approved requests will receive digital versions of the official brand mark, a letter of permission, and brand standards for usage.

All content on the WFC website and associated Services — including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, photographs, videos, audio clips, data compilations, software, and the overall design and compilation of content — is the property of World Food Championships Holdings, LLC or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

• WFC Branding: The "World Food Championships" and "WFC" names, associated logos, and other brand elements are the property of World Food Championships Holdings and may not be used without our prior written consent.
• Website Content: You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any WFC website content without our express written permission.
• Limited License: WFC grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Services for personal, non-commercial purposes in accordance with these Terms.
• Recipes: Competition recipes submitted to WFC remain the intellectual property of the submitting competitor. By submitting a recipe, you grant WFC a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, publish, and promote the recipe for WFC marketing and editorial purposes with attribution.
• Feedback: Any suggestions, ideas, or feedback you provide to WFC may be used by us without restriction, compensation, or obligation to you.

By participating in WFC events, you acknowledge and agree to the following media and content terms, which are a condition of participation:

This includes use in television productions, streaming content, social media posts, press releases, advertising campaigns, and official WFC publications. No compensation will be paid for this use.

• Champion Profiles: Category champions and the World Food Champion consent to be featured in extended media coverage, including interviews, documentary content, and brand partnership promotional materials associated with WFC.
• Your Posts About WFC: When you post content about WFC on social media using official WFC hashtags, you grant WFC permission to repost, share, and amplify that content with attribution.
• Prohibited User Content: You may not post content that is defamatory, harassing, obscene, or that infringes the intellectual property rights of WFC or any third party. WFC reserves the right to remove content and terminate accounts of users who violate this policy.
• No Endorsement: WFC's sharing of user-generated content does not constitute endorsement of any views expressed in that content.

You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities in connection with the Services or WFC events. Violations may result in immediate disqualification, account termination, removal from the event, and potential legal action:

• Fraud & Misrepresentation: Misrepresenting your identity, qualifications, qualifying credentials, or any information provided to WFC during registration or competition.
• Cheating: Tampering with competition dishes, scoring systems, judging processes, or any other element of the competition. This includes bribery, collusion with judges, and any form of scoring manipulation.
• Unauthorized Access: Attempting to gain unauthorized access to WFC's systems, databases, or accounts of other users.
• Harassment & Discrimination: Harassing, threatening, intimidating, or discriminating against other competitors, WFC staff, judges, volunteers, or spectators on any basis including race, gender, religion, nationality, or disability.
• Unauthorized Commercial Activity: Soliciting, advertising, or conducting commercial transactions with other participants at WFC events without prior written authorization from WFC.
• Intellectual Property Infringement: Reproducing, distributing, or displaying WFC content, trademarks, or proprietary materials without authorization.
• Automated Access: Using bots, scrapers, or other automated tools to access or collect data from WFC's websites or registration systems.
• Harmful Code: Uploading or transmitting viruses, malware, or any other harmful code through WFC's Services.
• Unsafe Conduct: Engaging in unsafe behavior at WFC events that endangers the health or safety of yourself, other participants, staff, or spectators.

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT LIMITS WFC'S LIABILITY TO YOU.

Assumption of Risk: Participation in live culinary competitions involves physical risks including exposure to heat, sharp implements, open flames, and fast-paced kitchen environments. By registering as a competitor, you voluntarily assume all risks associated with participation in WFC events. WFC strongly recommends all competitors maintain appropriate health and accident insurance coverage.

Third-Party Services: Our Services may contain links to third-party websites and services. WFC is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of any third-party site. Your interactions with third parties are solely between you and them.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation of liability, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless World Food Championships Holdings, LLC, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, and partners from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your violation of these Terms of Use
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Your participation in any WFC event, including any injury or damage caused by your actions
• Any content you submit, post, or transmit through the Services
• Your infringement of any third-party intellectual property rights
• Any dispute between you and another WFC participant, sponsor, or third party

WFC reserves the right to assume control of the defense of any matter subject to indemnification by you, at your expense. You agree to cooperate with WFC's defense of any such claim.

These Terms of Use and any disputes arising out of or related to these Terms or your use of the Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Tennessee, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Dispute Resolution: Before initiating any formal legal proceeding, both parties agree to attempt to resolve any dispute informally by contacting WFC at [email protected]. WFC will attempt to resolve your concern within 30 days.

Jurisdiction: For matters not subject to arbitration, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Davidson County, Tennessee.

Time Limit: Any cause of action or claim you may have arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services must be commenced within one (1) year after the cause of action accrues, otherwise such cause of action is permanently barred.

WFC reserves the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time in our sole discretion. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Post a notice on our homepage for material changes
• Send an email notification to registered account holders for significant changes
• Provide at least 14 days' advance notice before material changes take effect, except where immediate changes are required by law

Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must discontinue use of the Services and notify WFC to close your account.

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Competition Rules, and any applicable event-specific agreements, constitute the entire agreement between you and WFC regarding your use of the Services and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

Waiver: WFC's failure to enforce any provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of our right to enforce that provision in the future.

If you have questions about these Terms of Use, need to report a violation, or wish to submit a formal dispute, please contact us through the following channels. We are committed to responding to all legal inquiries within 10 business days.