Terms of
Participation

Organisers

Creative Express Hungary 2026 is organised by the Magyarországi Kommunikációs Ügynökségek Szövetsége (MAKSZ) together with ADC Hungary, as the first official Hungarian qualifying competition of the Creative Express programme.

Creative Express is an initiative of ADC*E – Art Directors Club of Europe . The national competition is part of the qualification process leading to the international Creative Express final held during ADC*E Creative Week in Barcelona.

Competition date and location

The Hungarian national competition will take place in Budapest on 23 September 2026 and will run throughout the day.

The programme starts with a briefing at the Arriva bus garage, Andor Station, Budapest XI District, followed by travel to the main competition venue, MagNet Ház on Andrássy Avenue.

The organisers reserve the right to make reasonable changes to the venue, timetable or programme where operational circumstances require it. Participants will be informed of any material changes as soon as reasonably possible.

Registration period

Registration opens on 31 August 2026 and closes on 22 September 2026.

Registration must be completed through the Registration section of the Creative Express Hungary website. Registration is only considered valid once all required information has been submitted successfully.

The organisers may contact applicants if clarification or additional information is required.

Team composition and eligibility

Participation is open to two-person junior creative teams.

A combination of a visual profile and a text, concept or strategy profile is recommended, but is not mandatory.

Students may participate. Agency teams must consist of two participants from the same agency. Client-side teams may also participate. The organisers may request evidence confirming eligibility.

Competition format

Participants will work on a live client brief within a collaborative, competition-based format.

Shortlisted teams will be expected to present their submission in accordance with the presentation format communicated by the organisers.

Submission deadline

All competition materials must be submitted by the announced deadline. Submissions received after the deadline may be excluded from evaluation unless the organisers determine that exceptional circumstances justify otherwise.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that their submission is complete, accessible and provided in the requested format.

Originality and third-party rights

Participants are responsible for ensuring that their submitted work is their own original work and that its use does not knowingly infringe the copyrights, trademarks, privacy rights or other rights of third parties.

Where third-party material is used, participants are responsible for obtaining any permission required for its use.

The organisers may exclude a submission where there are reasonable grounds to believe that it infringes third-party rights or violates applicable law.

Jury and evaluation

Entries will be evaluated by a professional jury consisting of nine jury members.

The jury will evaluate submissions according to the Competition brief, the quality of the creative solution and the criteria communicated to participants.

The jury may select a shortlist before the final presentation round. The jury’s professional decision regarding the Competition results is final, except in the event of an administrative or eligibility error identified by the organisers.

Winner and international final

The winning two-person team will earn the right to represent Hungary at the international Creative Express final in Barcelona during ADC*E Creative Week, 16–20 November 2026.

Participation in the international stage may be subject to additional ADC*E rules, eligibility requirements and organisational conditions.

The winning team must comply with those requirements in order to participate in the international final.

Participant conduct

Participants are expected to behave professionally and respectfully towards other teams, organisers, jury members, partners, venue staff and other persons involved in the Competition.

The organisers may exclude a participant or team in the event of serious misconduct, cheating, deliberate disruption, violation of Competition rules or behaviour that could materially damage the Competition or the rights of others.

Photography, video and event communication

Photography, video recording and other documentation may take place during the Competition.

Where participants’ names, photographs, recordings or Competition activities are intended to be used for communications, promotional or editorial purposes, the applicable permissions and data protection requirements will apply.

Any specific consent required for such use will be obtained separately where necessary.

Personal data

Personal data submitted during registration and participation will be processed in accordance with the Creative Express Privacy Policy.

Participants should review the Privacy Policy before completing their registration. Acceptance of the Privacy Policy where required forms part of the registration process.

Competition materials and intellectual property

Unless otherwise specified in separate Competition Rules or in the competition brief, ownership of original intellectual property created by participants remains with its respective creator.

Participants permit the organisers and jury to access, reproduce and display submitted materials to the extent reasonably necessary for administration, evaluation, presentation and documentation of the Competition.

Any wider commercial, promotional or client use of Competition submissions should be subject to the applicable Competition Rules or a separate agreement.

Changes, suspension or cancellation

The organisers may amend the timetable, format, venue or operational arrangements where circumstances beyond their reasonable control make this necessary.

The organisers may suspend, postpone or cancel the Competition where it cannot reasonably be conducted as planned.

Participants will be informed of material changes through the contact details supplied during registration.

Limitation of responsibility

Participants are responsible for their own personal belongings, equipment and materials during the Competition.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation would not be permitted under applicable law.

The organisers are not responsible for circumstances outside their reasonable control, including interruptions to third-party services, transport disruption or other events that prevent the Competition from proceeding as originally planned.

Relationship with other Competition documents

These Terms should be read together with:

If specific Competition Rules are subsequently issued for a particular aspect of the Competition, those specific rules will apply to that aspect.

Contact

For operational Competition enquiries, participants may also use the contact information published on the Creative Express Hungary website.