CANSTRUCTION RULES & REGULATIONS

Participating in Canstruction requires a large time and monetary commitment. Please be sure that your team members are committed to completing the competition. Registration fees will not be refunded.

1. Awards Categories (as there are enough teams)
Best Meal
Best Use of Labels
Structural Ingenuity
Jurors' Favorite
Honorable Mentions
People's Choice

Local winners go on to compete internationally through submission of slide photography to a panel of jurors convened at the SDA/AIA Annual Convention in the spring of each year. The local competition may give additional unofficial awards, however those winners do not proceed to the international competition.

2. Structure size
10'l x 10'w x 8'h (maximum)

Each team is to provide a sketch or computer image and dimensions of their structure by January 13. All designs must be approved by the Canstruction Committee prior to build day. Team names will be kept anonymous prior to the announcement of the winners. Email to joyce@paragonme.net. Do not send CAD files.

3. Team size
Five (5) people plus one (1) person to assist in unpacking. Any number of people can assist in the design and planning of the structure. Only 5 people will be permitted to build at one time. That includes those who are organizing cans, cutting foam-core and other materials. Teams may swap out members and are allowed a maximum of 15 minutes for transition. Teams must have an architect, engineer or other design professional in order to enter the competition. 1 cart will be provided to assist teams in transporting cans from the staging area to the build location. Teams may bring their own carts/dollies to move cans in addition to the cart provided.

4. Food Products
▪ Aluminum food cans of all sizes may be used. Some food manufacturers are switching to plastic. If using plastic containers make sure they stack and can take the pressure of cans from above bearing down.
▪ No glass containers
▪ No pet food
▪ No alcoholic beverages
▪ Soda and junk food strongly discouraged. Depending on the composition of the jury, your entry could lose for using non-nutritional items. Food banks need nutritional food, not junk food. Make every effort in designing a structure that uses edible, nutritious foods.
▪ Canned food must not be expired or dented. Dented and expired cans will not be counted in the People’s Choice Awards.
▪ Labels must be intact and legible. Labels cannot be covered over, stripped off or altered in any way.
▪ Boxes and bags are strongly discouraged. The name of the competition is Canstruction. Jurors prefer to follow the name of the competition and in recent years many structures with boxes and bags did not make it through the elimination process for that reason.
▪ Props are strongly discouraged. Jurors prefer pure food structures. Solve all design challenges with food items. All things equal, a structure with props will lose when judged against a structure with no props. (Example: a structure that has eyes. One structure uses black cans to make eyes; another structure has black circles made of paper and pasted on top of the cans for eyes. Once the jury sees that eyes can be made from cans or a food product, any entry that used paper cutouts is in disfavor.)

5. Adjunct Building Materials: Structures MUST be structurally self-supporting.
     o Permissible materials:
▪ one-quarter inch thick foam-core, cardboard, masonite, plywood, plexi-glass–for the purpose of leveling or balancing materials and not as load bearing. A structure where leveling material is not visible is judged superior to a structure where it is in plain view.
▪ 1/4" Threaded Rod
▪ Cardboard tubes used as guides must also be limited to one-quarter inch thick.
▪ Velcro
▪ Tape (clear and double-faced)
▪ High-tension rubber bands
▪ Nylon string
▪ Wire
▪ Tie-backs
▪ Plywood/masonite template for even flooring–essential if building on a carpeted surface or uneven flooring.

o Not Permissible
▪ 2x4's
▪ half-inch plywood
▪ half-inch thick tubing
▪ sheet metal
▪ permanent adhesives.

If you bring items in to assist with the building of your structure, you must remove them from the mall at teardown on February 26.

ACQUISITION OF CANNED GOODS
1. The local competition may not be a 501(c)3 not-for profit charity. Unless your local food bank or other organizing entity can provide its taxpayer I.D. to food donors to use as a charitable tax deduction, instruct donors to take the contribution as a marketing/public relations business expense. Naming the contributors on your sign next to your structure will give them their marketing/pr exposure.
2. Participating teams are responsible for obtaining their own supply of canned goods.
3. Teams may solicit canned goods and/or financial donations from food manufacturers, grocery stores, business consultants, contractors, vendors, and employee/student food drives.
4. Cans should be packed in sturdy cartons and labeled with your team/firm name.
5. If arranging for canned goods from an out of town supplier, they must be delivered to the location designated by your host site. No sidewalk deliveries.
6. Cans are ONLY to be delivered to the site at a scheduled time between February 13 and February 17, during business hours. Please call Kim Eckrote-Showalter by February 10 to establish your time at 372-3831.
7. A team member should visit the site after delivery of cans to make sure all cans have been delivered. If anything is missing you will have that day to find it and/or get it delivered.
8. Save all packing boxes. Boxes must be used to repack cans at the end of the competition. Bring additional packing boxes to the site for de-construction.


SUBMISSION WITH DEADLINES
SIGNAGE & TEXT
Each entry will have a 30x42 foam-core board (self-standing easel back) that sits adjacent to the entry. There is an official graphic standard for the layout that is used without exception. If you have contributors that must have their logos prominently displayed this would require an additional easel backed board created and produced by your team, at your team's expense.


SIGNAGE & TEXT DEADLINE: Absolutely no later than: February 3.
E-mail as a WORD Document to sheena.seger@tiem.toyota-industries.com.
▪ DO NOT format your Word document.
▪ Flush Left on all required text
▪ Enter a return between each piece of information required.
▪ DO NOT choose fonts, sizes, graphics, etc.
▪ No columns
▪ No text boxes, no picture boxes, no graphics, no logos (firm or contributors)
▪ No colors.
▪ DO NOT DO YOUR OWN FORMATTING!

A sample of a completed board is attached.

TEXT FOR FOAMCORE BOARDS.
The information requested should be submitted on a Word file in the following order (DO NOT list these category titles in your document but follow this order for providing the required information).
▪ FIRM NAME or TEAM NAME. The way it should appear in the program.
▪ TITLE OF ENTRY. If any word in your title is to be italicized do so.
▪ DESCRIPTION OF THE STRUCTURE. Keep to one paragraph. This is what is provided to the jurors and public as they view each entry. The descriptions are most helpful in drawing the jurors' and public's eyes to the rich detail in each design, any play on words, double entendres with the label names, etc. Don't get caught up in making long drawn out philosophical statements, keep that to one sentence and let your entry speak for itself. Spend your time describing the choices you made in cans and labels to articulate your theme. Spell check your paragraph.
▪ 5-PERSON TEAM NAMES, CAPTAIN FIRST (no exceptions, no co-captains) followed by the rest of the team in alphabetical order. Spell names correctly. You must designate ONE team captain.
▪ THANK YOU'S for any sponsors and/or other team members who participated. (If you are receiving major support from a food manufacturer or grocery store and need to display a sign with their logo, you will need to create a separate board at your own expense. It should be a foam-core board, self-standing easel back to sit on the floor.)


MOVING MANIFEST/CAN INFORMATION:
As noted above, delivery of cans must take place during the week of February 13-17 during business hours. See section above under Acquisition of Cans for more information.

All boxes/cartons must be labeled with your firm/team name. Be strategic about how you pack and unpack your cans, as that will have a huge effect on your efficiency the morning of the competition.

Each team captain will be given an Excel Spreadsheet that includes their team's contact information, their site location contact information, and columns requiring the following information to be completed:

Detailed inventory of all cans:
▪ Name of each food product
▪ Quantity of each food product
▪ Total number of cartons
▪ Total number of cans
▪ Total cost, whether purchased or donated

BUILD-OUT
▪ Build-out begins on Saturday, February 18 at 10 AM. All teams must be finished by 7 PM. No exceptions. All building aids must be removed from the area by 7 pm as well.
▪ Try to do as much prefabrication of any templates, foam-core or other special materials you require prior to the day of the build out.
▪ If you have a chance to do a practice build, take that opportunity to lessen surprises at the site.
▪ Bring plenty of extra supplies (tape, scissors, foam-core, cardboard) over estimate.
▪ Bring a ladder if you are building tall or to position spotlights.
▪ Bring plenty of food and beverages for the team if not supplied by organizers/host.
▪ Boxes must be saved for repackaging at the end of the event.
▪ Make sure your structure is standing the next morning. Tell host to call you if structure looks like it is structurally unsound, sagging, slipping, etc. Be prepared to go over and fix immediately. If rebuilding is impossible, box up cans.

JUDGING
▪ Judging with be held on Sunday morning, February 19.
▪ Judging is done anonymously. No firm/team names visible at the structure or used in the mission statements.
▪ Be prepared to go to the site and rebuild anything that may have fallen.
▪ Team members cannot be on location at the time of judging.
▪ Hosts should maintain a respectful distance while the jury views and discusses the structure. In other words, no eavesdropping.
▪ No signage displayed until the jury has left.


THE AWARD CEREMONY
▪ Sunday, February 19 at 1:30 PM.
▪ Meet the contributors. Introduce yourselves and let them know how much their contribution means to the event.
▪ It is good for some team members to be at your structure to welcome everyone and answer questions regarding the design and construction methodologies used.

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
▪ Professional photographs will be taken of each entry.
▪ Winning teams will have their photos taken at the awards presentation.
▪ Beta Cam Videography will be taken the night of the build-out and evening of the gala.
▪ After the winners are announced the winning teams are asked to go to their structures and wait for the photographer/videographer. This will take some time. If you do not wish to wait at your structure for a team photo please let us know in advance.
▪ Take your own photos, if using digital cameras put on setting for highest resolution. Remove all signage and stanchions prior to photographing. Many times the personal photos are excellent and can be used for the international competition and the media when better than the professional photographers.

DECANSTRUCTION
▪ This will occur from 6 PM to 10 PM on Sunday, February 26.
▪ Each entry must be taken down and packed in boxes for pickup. You should allow ample time.
▪ If you brought in materials to help support your structure, they must be removed from the mall during deconstruction on February 26.

SAMPLE FOAM-CORE BOARD

Gilsanz Murray Steficek, LLP

The LinCAN Tunnel


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Team: Claire Austin, Captain
Ian Forsyth
Jonathan Hernandez
Ana Rincon
Marius Wilk


Special Thanks to our other team members: Joe Basel, Lynda Guo, Jill Hrubecky, Cathy Huang, Joo-Eun Lee, Glenda Orengo.

Special Thank You to Fresh Direct, Lucky Deli and Village Copier Services for their generous contributions to our structure.