ITA Seeks Illinois' Best and Brightest for the Eleventh Annual CityLIGHTS Awards

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - February 9, 2010) - The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) today announces the opening of nominations for the ITA 2010 CityLIGHTS Awards. The sole event of its kind in Illinois, ITA CityLIGHTS recognizes and celebrates leading information technology companies, executives and advocates in Illinois.

The 2010 ITA CityLIGHTS will recognize excellence in six categories:

-- CityLIGHTS Award: Given to an individual that has made a significant impact on the Illinois technology community.

-- CEO of the Year Award: Given to the CEO who has driven his or her company to prominence in the past year.

-- Spotlight Award: Given to the CTO/CIO for leadership and outstanding contributions in the application of technology.

-- Lighthouse Award: Given to the company which best represents the region's growing stature as home to world-class information technology companies.

-- Rising Star Award: Given to the company that has emerged from its start-up phase to distinguish itself in the technology marketplace.

-- Newcomer Award: Given to the company that has the strongest potential to emerge from its start-up phase and distinguish itself in the technology marketplace.

Nominations close for the 2010 CityLIGHTS Awards on March 19, 2010 with finalists announced on March 30, 2010. The public will again determine the final winners, with the voting phase ending at noon on April 14, 2010. Illinois Technology Association (ITA) members and the general public have the opportunity to vote from a list of finalists in each of the six categories. Voting will take place solely through the ITA CityLIGHTS website, www.itaCITYLIGHTS.com. Awards will be presented at the annual CityLIGHTS Awards Gala on April 29, 2010 at Union Station. All Illinois companies are encouraged to nominate, vote, attend, and support.

CityLIGHTS is ITA's annual celebration of vitality and innovation in the Illinois technology community. Celebrating its eleventh year, CityLIGHTS recognizes some of the leading technology companies and individuals whose leadership and success are driving the role of technology in Illinois. The Awards Gala is also an opportunity for the industry to connect with technology executives, entrepreneurs, corporate executives and investors in the region for an evening of dining, socializing, and celebration.

Sponsors of this year's CityLIGHTS Awards include Presenting Sponsor Grant Thornton and Gold Sponsor CompTIA.

To nominate Illinois' technology or to register for the event, visit www.itaCITYLIGHTS.com. For more information about sponsoring or other support roles, please contact Sarah Habansky at 312.924.1077 or shabansky@illinoistech.org. A wide variety of sponsorship opportunities are available.

About the Illinois Technology Association

Illinois Technology Association (ITA) is passionately committed to the successful growth of our member-companies and the regional technology industry. ITA champions the interests of start-ups and industry leaders, innovation agents and students as independent and collaborative thought leaders who leverage the power of technology to transform business. Through fostering strategic development, peer-to-peer leadership, networking, and access to experts across the breadth of business, membership in ITA accelerates the realization of success. For more information about ITA, please visit www.illinoistech.org or contact LeAnne Tourtellotte, Vice President, at leanne@illinoistech.org.

Contact Information: Contact: Dorothy Radke Illinois Technology Association 312.924.1044 dradke@illinoistech.org