If you are willing, can you provide a GIMP file with the layers? That way we can insert our pics, URL, or what not. Of course that depends on the design hehe.

cool idea!

Making a competition of it is a great idea.

Personally, I'm not interested in promoting my Friendica server, only the network as a whole. Also, the reason we still need people to make banners is not many of us can do it.

It would be great if layers could be provide as per the above, but could you please try to make a "standard" version that's generic enough to not need any changes, for those of us who probably couldn't even manage that.

I will try to do this! In fact I'm using Photoshop for it, but probably I find a way to export it as a GIMP file.
There will be as many different versions/designs as I manage to make ;)

The GIMP functionality could be a problem, but it looks like GIMP can open .psd files with some restrictions (no layer effects), so I will make a .psd file which only consists of some layers with plain pictures - you should be able to import these into GIMP.

BTW, does anyone have the Friendica Logo in some higher resolution than 32x32? :D I could publish this as a reference image for the banner contest (and also use it myself).

Then some questions about organisation:
Should the contest START at Friendica Day and then last for example one week? Or should the "award ceremony" take place on this day?
I would say, give people a week for submission of pictures (to a Banner Contest group) and then another 3 days of "liking" submissions, after that the winner is published and gets the Friendica Server admin information.