CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - April 6, 2011) - Over 200 technology industry leaders, companies, and future concepts are nominated for nine 2011 ITA CityLIGHTS Awards.
"ITA is thrilled to report a record number of nominations," said Fred Hoch, President, ITA. "The strength of the technology industry continues to lead the recovery of the local economy, either directly with small to medium sized businesses, or with the competitive products and services made possible by technology for non-technology products."
Judges representing business, education, VCs, government, and civic organizations will review nominees and determine finalists. The judging panel will name finalists April 18, and public voting runs from April 18 - 30, 2011. Winners will be determined by composite score (50 percent judges; 50 percent community voting) in all categories except the CityLIGHTS Award, which is determined solely by the ITA Board of Directors. Winners will be announced at the awards gala May 12, 2011.
The 2011 judges include:
- Matt McCall, New World Ventures
- Kevin Willer, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
- Don DeLoach, Infobright
- Linda Darraugh, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- Jim Gagnard, smartsignal
- Lance Pressl, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
- Laura Frerichs, University of Illinois Research Park
- Troy Henikoff, Excelerate
- Adam Hecktman, Microsoft
- Ari Kaplan, Chicago Cubs
- Jason DeHaan, City of Chicago
- Todd Thibodeaux, CompTIA
- Leslie Vickery, ClearEdge Marketing
See the full list of 2011 ITA CityLIGHTS Judges.
ITA CityLIGHTS will be held on May 12, 2011 in the Great Hall at Chicago Union Station. The event is attended by more than 700 executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and technology champions from the breadth and depth of Illinois business. To sponsor, purchase a table or tickets to the event, visit www.itacitylights.org. The Awards Gala is an opportunity for the industry to connect, socialize, and celebrate the continued success of the technology industry in Illinois and the growing importance of this economic sector.
Finalists, by award, will be announced April 18, 2011. Public voting will begin on April 18, 2011. Winners will be announced at the 12th ITA CityLIGHTS Awards Gala.
About the Illinois Technology Association
The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) is a driving force behind the growth of Illinois' vibrant technology industry. We are relentless in championing the development and application of technology, from start-up companies to industry leaders, leveraging the transformative nature of technology to revolutionize industries. ITA uniquely capitalizes peer-to-peer collaboration, networking, and access to experts across the breadth of business to cultivate the Illinois technology industry. The unique and powerful integration of these valuable and experienced resources differentiates the ITA as a source of accelerated growth for the technology industry of Illinois. For more information about ITA, please visit www.illinoistech.org.
Contact the ITA at headquarters@illinoistech.org, follow the discussion on Twitter at @itabuzz, and visit www.illinoistech.org to find out more about how ITA supports the growth of the local industry.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Dorothy Radke
Illinois Technology Association
312.924.1044
dradke@illinoistech.org