There are two many contest that are getting abandoned,what i currently see is a lot of contest on this site to prop up the numbers but with most of them not been finished.
All this is going to do is make this site look unprofessional and can easily be taken as a farming resource and this site will loose all credablity as a professional site.
This is one of the reasons that im all for guaranted contest only
The best system i've seen is the one over at DO were im a designer,how that works is you want a design done you need to send the money first and it gets held in trust.
Mods you have the makings of a good site but if you don't address this problem in a timely manner do you think the site will get companys looking to get work done or will it be just another farming resource.
1. We should make it guaranted only ( MONEY'S HELD IN TRUST )
2. There should really be a end date,but i know sometimes it takes a while to get what a person is after.That being the case the client will need to give feedback on what there like and dislike about a persons design,because if the client offers no feedback its like trying to read there mind....sometimes thats not that easy

3. This one is very important,don't let any substandard designs be posted on this site because this will reflect on the overall sites talent base and professionism.
In closing im aware of you (Mods) eventually running guaranted contest only,but as a new site you need do it now in it's infancy.
That my two cents
Creative measures