Canon is sponsoring a Photomarathon event with lots of great prizes. You have to be physically present to participate. They give you some themes and you have 2 hours per theme to go out and shoot. Judging will be based on creativity in theme interpretation, use of colors, light/ shadows, composition of photograph, and relevance to the theme given in the marathon. There is a category for people with SLR cameras and one for point and shoot so all skill levels are welcome.
The event will be in the Philippines and Singapore on October 18th and in Malaysia on November 1. Check out their website for details ... http://www.photomarathonasia.com/