Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange Contest Rules
Contestant Qualifications
All contestants must read and understand the qualifications for being a contestant.
The following are the rules for eligibility and contestant expectations.
- You must be at least twenty-one years old.
- You must be able to arrive in Gettysburg, PA, no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, November 20, 2026.
- This contest is open to any pair/poly/triad that has been in a “power exchange” relationship for at least one year.
- At least one of the contestants must live within the Mid-Atlantic region.
- You must complete your application by Friday, October 23, 2026.
- 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 determined at the discretion of the Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange Producers.
- You cannot have a current title that conflicts with the IPE contest circuit 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 November 6th 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 be expected to represent the Mid-Atlantic Region by competing at the 2027 International Power Exchange Contest, held at Beyond Leather, April 22-25, 2027, in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
- 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!
Judging Criteria
The Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange contest will be judged using an Olympic scoring method. We will have 5-7 judges and both the lowest and highest scores for each pair in each category will be thrown out. Only the middle scores will actually be counted. In the unlikely event there is a tie at the end of the contest; all judges’ scores will be counted. In the extremely unlikely event that there is still a tie score, the Producers, Director and Judges will convene to decide on a winner. There will be a total maximum possibility of 810-1350 points per pair. A minimum of 70% of the total score must be achieved for a winner to be declared. This means that even if we only have one pair competing, they must score at least a total of 567-945 points in order to win the title. A Head Judge will be appointed. A Tally Master and an Assistant Tally Master will calculate the scores separately. Their total scores will be compared for accuracy. A timekeeper will be present when needed.
Educational Presentation (100 points)
This is your opportunity to teach the attendees and judges about your specific dynamic. You will have a minimum of 5 minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes to give an explanation to the audience about your relationship dynamic. You may use posters, dry erase boards, or any other visuals you feel would be helpful. Visuals are not a requirement, but they are allowed. You must supply your own visuals or props. However, if you need something that we might have, please e-mail the Producers to discuss it. Background music is not allowed during this portion. Handouts are discouraged. You will have the use of a stage and microphone. When you reach the 9-minute mark on your time, you will be quietly made aware that you have to wrap it up. At the pre-contest meeting, we will explain this in full. When you are done, you will be given no more than 10 minutes to answer questions from the audience. The judges will not ask questions, they will only observe. You will be judged on your knowledge regarding your power dynamic, stage presence, and articulation of your dynamic and how well you handle questions from the audience.
Demo/Fantasy (60 points)
This category allows you to show the audience a scene or scenario that involves your power dynamic. You will have a maximum of 5 minutes, which is approx. 1 song. It may be a compilation of songs. You can decide to enact a scene with background music (supplied by you ahead of time) or you can request the use of a microphone. Please understand that we cannot mike the stage to pick up your talking if you walk around the stage. The microphones only pick up so much. It is suggested that you stick with a music background but this is your choice. You will be judged on the content and connection the two of you make during your demo or fantasy along with audience reaction, stage presence, image and the comfort level you display. There will be no questions asked by the judges or audience. Please let us know ahead of time which, if any, play equipment you may need and we will provide it, if possible. You will not be given notice of your time running out; this should be timed with your music.
Interview (80 points)
The interview is possibly the most important category because the judges will have already observed you, watched your Presentation and Demo/Fantasy and will now have lots of questions to ask you. The judges will be allowed to ask you whatever they want to know. The pair/triad will be interviewed together and the interviews are closed to all others including handlers or friends. The judges will score you on how well you answer the questions and on the attire you choose to wear. The length of the interview will be determined at the contest but will most likely last between 15-20 minutes per contestant pair.
Overall Image for the Duration of the Contest (30 points)
The last thing the judges will be asked to do will be to score you on their overall feeling about you as a pair/triad and how they observed your interaction with each other and with the community during the contest. There is no defined “look” other than being authentic to the power exchange dynamic in which you live.
IPE Regions
In order to be eligible to compete in the Mid-Atlantic Power Exchange Contest, at least one contestant must live within the Mid-Atlantic Region.
The Mid-Atlantic region includes residents of Delaware, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey (shared with Northeast), Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
For information on other regional contests, please visit the IPE website.
