Rules:

• Contestants must be a Professional, Established, or Academy member of NSA Wisconsin in good standing.
• Contestants must agree if they advance to participate in the in-person finalist competition on the evening of February 13th in Madison, submit video to the Regional Competition, and travel at their own expense to the National Final Competition.
• CPAE Recipients are considered “Elite Speakers” and do not qualify to compete. This event is for mainstream and aspiring/professional speakers only. Elite-level speakers will be called upon to act as Judges and Mentors at various stages of the competition. 
• A Chapter or Regional Finalist who does not advance is eligible to compete in subsequent years. 
• The National NSA Storytelling Champion is not eligible to compete in the competition in subsequent years - You can only WIN once. 
• All Due Dates and Deadlines, Chapter, Regional and National, are non-negotiable and firm. No exceptions. Failure to comply could result in disqualification. 
• A participant can only compete once per year (one Chapter event only – not multiple Chapter competitions). This rule is applicable for anyone who is a member of multiple Chapters.
• A participant cannot change their primary storyline. The story that is used at Chapter Entry Level must be the story used at Regional and National Level. The general story can be enhanced based on feedback/coaching received during Mentor Sessions, but the story at large must remain the same. 
• Final scores and Champion selections made by the selected Judging Panel at all levels are conclusive and indisputable. 

Each contestant grants and releases to NSA, its successors, assigns, and licensees the right to photograph and record my entire presentation, including likeness, voice, and verbal statements, on film, videotape, and audiotape (collectively, the “Recording.” Each contestant also grants NSA the right to edit, distribute and/or showcase the Recording in the NSA Digital Vault, alone or as part of a compilation, at its discretion without additional approval. This Agreement does not constitute an affirmative obligation on the part of NSA to distribute the Recording. NSA and its agents are permitted the right to use the Recording, name, likeness, voice, and biographical information and any other information about the contestant in connection with the advertising, promotion and public relation efforts relating to the specific presentation dated herein, in all media, now known or hereafter created without any compensation.