This Week's #ExpChat Twitter Chat: Family Travel

May 23 - Chatting about Family Travel

Join us each week from 10:30 AM-12:00 PM PST on Wednesdays for #ExpChat, our weekly sponsored Twitter chat.  The topic and prize changes each week.  To join, just search and follow the #ExpChat hashtag during these times.  Our hosts will ask a series of questions and you can interact with the community to discuss each one.  To win, make sure you are following @Expedia on Twitter, using the #ExpChat hashtag and tweeting at least once to be entered into the random drawing at the end of the chat.  Additional information about this week's chat is below.

Wednesday May 23 - Family Travel

We're celebrating the launch of our Expedia Kids in the City partnership with some of the top family bloggers from around the country.

Win a $500 coupon to use on Expedia.com for hotels or packages (not good on standalone flights)

(NOTE: As the coupon is good for Expedia.com only, the contest rules below state that the winner must be a US resident)

Co-hosted this week by @Expedia, @SpencerSpellman, @karasw, and @NYCityMama

Meet the co-hosts:

Spencer Spellman, @SpencerSpellman

Traveling by himself on an airplane for the first time at age 7, Spencer has had a knack for travel ever since. He has been working in the travel industry for four years, first as a staff writer and editor for a travel guide publisher before making the transition to freelancing and blogging at The Traveling Philosopher. Spencer has contributed to multiple print and online outlets, including National Geographic's Intelligent Travel Blog, Centro Y Sur Magazine, AOL Travel, and Travel + Escape. He also develops digital strategies for travel companies.

Carol Cain @NYCityMama

Carol Cain left a career in public relations to better enjoy life with her three boys and husband. In the process she managed to incorporate her love for travel into the mix and now lives to share her adventures with others.  Carol is the founder and publisher of the family-friendly travel and food site, NYCityMama.com.  Her passion for travel, with or without kids in tow, is often contagious having earned her awards and recognition from the likes of Residence Inn by Marriott, Babble and NBC. She has shared her travel tips and stories on both online and in print outlets such as American Airline's Black Atlas, Matador Network, New York Family Magazine, Good Housekeeping and Lifetime Moms.

Kara Williams @karasw

Kara Williams covers family travel, as well as romantic escapes and girlfriend getaways, on award-winning The Vacation Gals, a blog she co-owns with two other travel writers. A longtime freelancer and columnist for the Denver Post, she also contributes to Luxury Las Vegas, Ocean Home, American Eagle's Latitudes, Denver Life and Interval World; online you can also find her at Away.com, Fodors.com and FamilyVacationCritic.com. A member of ASJA and SATW, Kara makes her home in the Colorado Rockies with her husband and two school-age children; favorite family destinations include Hawaii and Mexico, as well as the Southwest U.S. -- often with a beat-up pop-up camper in tow.

Want to learn more about Twitter chatting?  Here's a little 101 straight from our blogger co-host Spencer:

#Expchat is a weekly chat on Twitter, sponsored by Expedia and hosted by me.  I’m joined every week by a couple guest co-hosts who help me moderate the chat. There’s a new topic each week, with past topics including technology in travel and giving the gift of travel for the holidays. Past chats have come on the heels of announcements from Expedia, including the launch of a Facebook app with Groupon Getaways, Travel Wish List, and the new Expedia Hotels app for iPad/tablet. The chat was mentioned by Tnooz recently when discussing Expedia’s new iPad/tablet app. In addition to talking travel, Expedia has been giving away prizes each week, which have included an iPad 2 and travel vouchers to use on Expedia.com.

You don’t have to be a frequent Twitter user to join in the chat. You can follow the hashtag simply using Twitter Search. However, I recommend using a Twitter application like HootSuite or Tweetdeck, where you can create a column solely for #Expchat, or use TweetChat, which allows Twitter users to tweet and reply using the hashtag automatically.

Stay abreast of sweepstakes rules by viewing the Expedia Twitter Sweepstakes Official Rules, which are reposted every week

Official Chat Rules

No Purchase Necessary.  A Purchase will not Increase Your Chances of Winning.

1. Eligibility:  The Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the United States who are at least eighteen (18) years old and have a Twitter account.  Employees of Expedia, Inc., as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of those employees, are not eligible to enter. 
2. Sponsor:  The Sweepstakes is sponsored by Expedia, Inc., 333 108^thAvenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98004(“Sponsor”).
3. Agreement to Official Rules:  By entering, you indicate your full and unconditional agreement to (a) these Official Rules and (b) Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding.  Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
4. Entry Period:  The Sweepstakes begins at 10:30 AM PST and ends at 12:00 PM PST on May 23, 2012.  Sponsor’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Sweepstakes.
5. How to Enter:  If you don’t already follow @Expedia on Twitter, visit http://twitter.com/Expediaand click on the icon to follow @Expedia.  Once you are following @Expedia, respond to the Sweepstakes question with the hashtag #ExpChat.  There is a limit of one (1) entry per person.  Multiple entrants are not permitted to share the same Twitter account.  If you attempt to obtain more than one (1) entry by using multiple/different Twitter accounts, identities, registrations, or logins, or through any other methods, Sponsor may exclude you from participating in the Sweepstakes. 
6. Drawing:  After the Entry Period, Sponsor will select one (1) potential winner in a random drawing of all entries received.  The odds of being selected depend on the number of entries received. 
7. Notification and Requirements of Potential Winners:  Sponsor will announce the winner on Twitter by 1:00 PM PST on May 23, 2012.  Additionally, sponsor will send a direct message from @Expedia to the potential winner’s Twitter account used to enter the Sweepstakes with instructions on how to claim the prize.  In order to receive a direct message from Sponsor, you must (a) be following @Expedia and (b) have your account settings set to “unprotected” and/or “public.”  If a potential winner does not respond and comply with the instructions in the direct message within 3 days after Sponsor sent the direct message, he/she will forfeit the prize and Sponsor may award the prize to an alternate entrant.  Only three (3) alternate entrants will be contacted.  Except where prohibited, a potential winner may be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release.  If a potential winner is a minor, his/her parent or legal guardian will be required to sign the documents on his/her behalf.   
8. Prize:  One (1) winner receive a coupon for $500 off any booking for a package or hotel on Expedia.com.  The coupon expires October 31, 2012 and can only be used on one (1) booking.  A winner is responsible for paying any applicable income taxes and any expenses not listed above.  Any prize details not specified above will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  A prize may not be transferred and must be accepted as awarded.  You may not request cash or a substitute prize; however, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize with another prize of equal or greater value if the prize is not available for any reason.  Full terms and conditions -  

   http://www.expedia.com/p/info-terms/pr-2012may500.htm

9. General Conditions:  In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Sweepstakes is impaired in any way, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, or other technical problem, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Sweepstakes to address the impairment and then resume the Sweepstakes in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules; or (b) award the prizes at random from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment.  Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the operation of the Sweepstakes, violates these Official Rules, or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner.  Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any person who seeks to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes.  Failure by Sponsor to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.  Proof of sending any communication to Sponsor by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by Sponsor.  In the event of a dispute as to the owner of an entry, the authorized account holder of the Twitter account used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant.  The Sweepstakes is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.
10. Release and Limitations of Liability:  By participating in the Sweepstakes, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Sweepstakes; (b) technical errors related to computers, servers, providers, or telephone, or network lines; (c) any errors on the Twitter platform that may prevent an entrant from entering or receiving direct messages; (d) printing errors; (e) lost, late, postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail; (f) errors in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries; or (g) injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize.  You further agree that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ liability will be limited to thecost of entering and participating in the Sweepstakes, and in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorney’sfees.  You waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.
11. Disputes:  You agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Sweepstakes or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in the State of Washington.  All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Washington, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Washington or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Washington.