1. Sponsor

Del Mar Coastal Creators ("DMCC" or "Sponsor"), 322 8th St, Suite 101, Del Mar, CA 92014. Questions: info@delmarcoastalcreators.com.

2. Contest Period

The contest begins when the official contest post is published on the @delmarcoastal TikTok account and ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on December 31, 2026 (the "Contest Period"). Entries made outside the Contest Period will not be judged.

3. Eligibility

Open to legal residents of San Diego County, California who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry and who have a public TikTok account in good standing. There is no minimum follower count. Employees, officers, and contractors of Sponsor, the members of their immediate families (spouse, parents, siblings, children), and people living in the same household as any of them are not eligible. Sponsor may ask the potential winner to verify age and county of residence.

4. How to Enter

To enter, during the Contest Period you must do all of the following:

(a) Follow @delmarcoastal on TikTok;

(b) Like and repost the official contest post;

(c) Comment on the official contest post with #DelMarCoastalCreators and tag at least one friend; and

(d) Keep your TikTok account public, and keep your repost of the contest post visible on your profile, until the winner is announced, so the judges can review your entry.

Limit one (1) entry per person and per TikTok account. Additional comments do not count as additional entries and do not improve your score. Tag only real people you know; tagging accounts in bulk or using fake accounts will disqualify you.

5. Judging

After the Contest Period ends, a panel selected by Sponsor will review the public TikTok account of each eligible entrant and score it using these criteria:

Engagement rate (likes, comments, and shares relative to follower count): 30%
Follower growth (percentage growth in followers during the Contest Period, measured from the date of entry): 25%
Content quality and creativity: 25%
Audience authenticity (real, organic followers and engagement): 20%

Follower growth is measured as a percentage, so smaller accounts can compete with larger ones. The winner is the eligible entrant with the highest total score, referred to in contest materials as San Diego's "hottest" new content creator. Physical appearance is not a judging criterion. Sponsor may ask the potential winner for screenshots of their TikTok analytics to verify scores, and may disqualify any entrant whose account shows signs of purchased followers, bots, or other inorganic engagement. If entries tie, the tie will be broken by the highest score for Audience authenticity; if a tie remains, the judges will re-evaluate the tied entries against all criteria and select the winner. The judges' decisions are final.

6. Prize

One (1) Winner will receive the Get Discovered Package: $1,000 USD, plus a Featured Creator spotlight on DMCC's TikTok account and website, plus top placement in the DMCC creator directory when brand access opens. Approximate retail value: $1,000.

The cash prize will be paid by electronic payment or check, at Sponsor's option, within 30 days after the winner is confirmed. The prize is not transferable. The winner is responsible for any taxes on the prize. Because the prize is valued at $600 or more, the winner must provide a completed IRS Form W-9 before the prize is paid, and Sponsor will issue an IRS Form 1099. Spotlights and directory placement are features produced by DMCC. They are not employment, a paid engagement, or a promise of any brand opportunity. Brands that find creators on DMCC contact and work with creators directly.

7. Free DMCC Profile Required to Claim

To claim the prize, the potential winner must create a free creator profile at delmarcoastalcreators.com within 14 days after being notified. Creating a profile is free. DMCC never charges creators any fee. Creating a profile requires accepting DMCC's Creator Agreement. Although DMCC's regular creator applications are curated, DMCC will accept the confirmed winner's profile for purposes of this contest. You do not need a DMCC profile to enter, and having one does not improve your score.

8. Winner Notification

The potential winner will be notified by direct message from the official @delmarcoastal TikTok account within 15 days after the Contest Period ends. DMCC will never ask for a password, payment, or a fee to claim a prize. Beware of impersonator accounts. The potential winner must reply within 72 hours and may be required to sign a declaration of eligibility and release. If a potential winner does not respond in time, is found ineligible, does not create a profile within the time allowed, or does not comply with these rules, the prize may be forfeited and awarded to the next highest-scoring eligible entrant.

9. Publicity and Use of Entries

By entering, you agree that Sponsor may identify you by your TikTok handle as an entrant or as the winner on DMCC's website and DMCC-owned social media channels, and may repost your public comment on the contest post, for the purpose of promoting this contest and DMCC. This permission does not allow Sponsor to sell or license your name, image, or content to any brand or other third party. The winner's spotlight and directory profile are governed by the Creator Agreement.

10. General Conditions

Sponsor may disqualify anyone who tampers with the entry process, uses bots, purchased followers, or purchased engagement, uses multiple accounts, or otherwise acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive way. If the contest cannot run as planned because of technical problems, fraud, or other causes beyond Sponsor's control, Sponsor may cancel, modify, or suspend it and award the prize among eligible entrants received before the problem occurred. Sponsor is not responsible for deleted comments, hidden reposts, or TikTok outages or changes to the TikTok platform.

11. Release and Limitation of Liability

To the extent permitted by law, by entering you release Sponsor and TikTok, and their respective officers, employees, and agents, from any claims arising out of your participation in the contest or your acceptance or use of the prize.

12. Privacy

For entrants, Sponsor reviews only information that is already public on your TikTok account. For the potential winner, Sponsor will also collect your name, contact details, proof of age and residence, and payment and tax information, and will use them only to administer this contest, deliver the prize, and meet tax reporting requirements. Information you submit when creating a DMCC profile is handled as described in the Creator Agreement.

13. Governing Law

These rules are governed by the laws of the State of California. Any dispute will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in San Diego County, California.

14. Winner's Name

The winner will be announced on @delmarcoastal. For the winner's TikTok handle, email info@delmarcoastalcreators.com with the subject line "Contest Winner" after the winner is announced.