What IS the Contest?

The Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange title is a fun, low-stress educational title that offers its titleholders the opportunity to travel within the Mid-Atlantic region to educate others about power exchange relationships, using their own relationship as an example.

This contest is all about representing a healthy, functional power exchange relationship.

The Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange contest is a contest for couples and triads in power exchange dynamics. It is a regional feeder into the International Power Exchange Contest, hosted at Beyond Leather in Florida each Spring. The IPE title and its associated regional titles are teaching titles designed to increase awareness of power exchange dynamics and is an intentionally inclusive title. Contestants run as either a pair or a triad and can be in any type of power exchange dynamic. For example, Dominant/submissive, Owner/property, Big/little, Handler/pet, old guard Master/slave, Rigger/rope bottom, and Primal dynamics, among many others. Although the contest has its roots in leather, it is not a leather contest and is open to all members of the Kink and BDSM communities.

What Do We Have to Do?

The contest has four separate components, three of which are formally judged:

1. Meet & Greet open to all participants (not scored);
2. 10-minute educational presentation on a power exchange topic related to your dynamic;
3. 4-minute “fantasy” that highlights an aspect of the contestants’ story or play; and
4. a 20-minute closed interview with the judges’ panel.

The contest has five to seven judges, who will score the contestants at the end of each component. At the end of all components, there’s an additional judging category based on overall image during the contest (approachability, cohesiveness, etc.). The contest uses the Olympic-scoring method, where the highest and lowest scoresheet for each component is disregarded.

All contestants are also asked to donate an item or basket for the silent auction, the proceeds of which will go towards the Titleholders’ Travel Fund.

Who Can Run?

All contestants must read and understand the qualifications for being a contestant.

The following are the rules for qualification and what is expected of the contestants.

• You must be at least twenty-one years old.
• You must be able to arrive in Gettysburg, PA no later than 3:00 pm on Friday, November 20th.
• This contest is open to any pair/poly/triad that’s in a “power exchange” relationship for at least one year.
• You must complete your required paperwork as outlined in the “Contestant Checklist” by the deadline.
• You must be able to communicate and teach others on your specific power exchange dynamic.
• You are not permitted to be under the influence of illegal drugs or an excessive amount of alcohol during any of the contest portions. “Excessive amount of alcohol” is subject to be determined at the discretion of the Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange Producers. 
• You cannot have a current title that conflicts with the IPE contest or with the rules of your current title. If you hold a current title, contact the Producers immediately to find out if you are still eligible to compete.
• You must agree to be photographed and allow the photographs to be used on the Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange website or in print advertising for Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange. If not possible, state the reasons why in your application.
• You will be expected to wear contestant numbers at all times until the end of the contest and then return them. These will be provided at the contestant meeting prior to the Meet and Greet.
• You will be expected to bring one (or more if possible) item or basket for the silent auction that benefits the contest winners’ travel fund. This item or basket must have a regular retail value of at least $200.  If it is a basket of items and the total value is over $300, it is up to the discretion of the silent auction coordinator to separate the items into smaller groups or to leave it as it is.  You must provide a list of the items and their retail value any time prior to October 3rd to midatlanticpowerexchange@gmail.com.
• You must not have any outstanding warrants either nationally or internationally and you must not be currently under indictment in any court of law.
• If you win, you will agree to present at least 4 (four) workshops, classes or demos to teach others about your specific dynamic at 4 (four) different events within the Mid-Atlantic Region during your title year. One of the 4 (four) workshops may be in a virtual format.
• If you win, you will agree to return to the Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange Contest the following year to “step down” from your title and give a speech regarding your title year. You may be asked to help out in a volunteer position.  You will be asked to bring an auction item to help raise a travel fund for your successors.  Your registration fee will be waived.
• And, most of all, you will be expected to have fun!