Benchmarks: K-Days Design Competition

Explore Edmonton Corporation in partnership with MADE is hosting the K-Days Design Competition in order to seek inspiring designs!

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Hey Edmonton, we want you to design a piece of K-Days!

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Explore Edmonton Corporation, in partnership with MADE, is hosting the first-ever K-Days Design Competition, aimed at bringing more local design and art to the fairgrounds.

In this, the inaugural year for the design competition, we’re looking for inspiring designs for distinctive seating or benches to add to the historic fabric of K-Days. The awarded design concept will receive a $25,000 cash prize, and up to $100,000 for production and fabrication of the furniture, which will be installed and ready for admiration at Edmonton's fairgrounds in summer 2023.

When you're in the business of making memories, it's functional art pieces for the win! Help us spread the word: if you or someone you know dabbles in construction or industrial design, register below to access the full competition guidelines and learn more about Benchmarks: K-Days 2023 Design Competition. We cannot wait to see your design ideas!

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Eligibility

The Competition is open to Alberta-based designers and artists who have reached the age of majority at the time of entry, with the exception of employees or volunteers of Explore Edmonton or the City of Edmonton, related and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, departments or agencies, franchisees, suppliers, advertising and promotional agencies, Competition administrators, and any other parties engaged in the development, production or distribution of Competition materials, and those living in the same household. By participating in this Competition and submitting an entry (a “Submission”) for the design of street furniture for K-Days (“Furniture”), Competition entrants (“Participants”) acknowledge compliance with, and agree to be bound by, these Competition Rules. Participants who do not comply with any of these Competition Rules are subject to disqualification by Explore Edmonton, in Explore Edmonton’s sole discretion. No purchase or entry fee necessary.

Prizes

A maximum of three (3) cash prizes will be awarded as follows:

The first place winning Participant will receive a cash prize of $25,000
Each of the two runners up will receive a cash prize of $2,500

In addition, the first place winning Participant (and, at Explore Edmonton’s sole discretion, either or both of the runners up) will have the opportunity to enter into negotiations with Explore Edmonton for a contract for the supply and fabrication of their Furniture at K-Days based on their Submission.

All eligible entries that meet the requirements of these Competition Rules will be acknowledged or featured on K-Day’s Design Competition webpage at k-days.com/design-competition, as well as an exhibition during K-Days.

Winner Announcement

The first place winning Participant and two runners up will be announced on May 1, 2023 or such later date as determined by Explore Edmonton in its sole discretion.

Submission Requirements

How to Enter

Submissions are to be uploaded through the unique link provided by email to Registrant(s) by 11:59 PM MT on April 3, 2023.

Submission format:

PDF document, no more than 10 pages
File size limit: 20MB maximum
The Submission should include links to any online work (e.g. website, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo etc.)
File naming convention: surname_initial_Entrytitle.pdf (e.g. smith_m_Chair.pdf)
The PDF document should include a cover page with a bio or brief description of the Participant along with a description of the Submission.

Mandatory Requirements

Submissions and the Furniture designs included therein must meet the following mandatory requirements:

the Furniture must be safe, durable and resilient
the Furniture must be easily movable and transportable
the Furniture must be able to be fabricated and ready for use by July 14, 2023
the Furniture shall be able to incorporate a QR code that will link to information about the Furniture and the K-Days Design Competition.
the Submission must include a detailed proposal on the method of fabrication and estimated production cost for the Furniture
the Submission must not contain any content that depicts explicit sexuality, or that is harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, or is hatefully, racially ethnically, or otherwise offensive or objectionable, as determined by Explore Edmonton in its sole discretion
the Submission must not infringe the intellectual property rights, or defame or invade the publicity or privacy rights, of any third party, living or deceased

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Additional Considerations

In addition, Submissions may be assessed based on whether the Furniture:

is functional for K-Days patrons of all ages and all levels of mobility
utilizes locally/readily available and sustainable materials. Stay tuned for a local recyclable product that can be incorporated into the design!
Potentially stackable for minimal storage requirements

Evaluation

Submissions shall be holistically evaluated by an evaluation committee composed of representatives of Explore Edmonton and the Alberta design industry, who will then make a recommendation for Explore Edmonton for its final approval in relation to the first place winning Participant and two runners up. The evaluation will be based on the Submission requirements set forth above and the designer’s or artist’s: