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1 S TAT I O N E RY TR E N DS .COM | Monday, May 18, 2015 DAY T WO 27th Annual LOUIE Award Winners Announced T he Greeting Card Association (GCA) honored the 27th LOUIE Award finalists and winners in 58 different categories at New York City's Edison Ballroom last night. Finalist companies, industry retailers, manufacturer's representatives and suppliers, as well as media, were among the nearly 300 guests in attendance. This year's theme, "The Roaring LOUIEs," celebrated the glamour and incredible creativity in the industry and honors the timeless, classic tradition of sending and receiving printed invitations, greeting cards, and announcements. Winners of the 58 categories were blind-judged by a panel of industry experts over a two-day period in early February during the NY NOW trade show in New York City, on the criteria of originality, impact, design excellence, sendability, and value. Judges included industry retailers, suppliers, artists, sales representatives, bloggers, and press members. A special Blue Ribbon panel of five judges selected the Cards of the Year. The winner for Card of the Year in the $4.00 and below category is Sunrise's "Sugar Lips," which also won in the Valentine's Day category. Ladyfingers Letterpress's "Bun in the Freezer" card was named Card of the Year in the above $4.00 category, after taking home the LOUIE in the new LGBTQ category. "The judges deliberated long and hard. With so many great cards this year it was a difficult decision. The Blue Ribbon Judges selected cards that met the criteria the best. You can't help but smile with both cards!" said Tina Benavides, 27th LOUIE Awards chair and vice president, Cards, Creative Division at American Greetings. More than 200 companies from throughout the world submitted nearly 1,100 entries — a record- breaking number — including "Rising Star," which recognizes emerging excellence in companies that have been in operation for fewer than three years and recognize the diversity and appeal of greeting cards and the entire industry. "We are thrilled with the caliber of entries and delighted that so many new companies submitted to this year's LOUIE Awards," said Tina Benavides. "We offer our thanks to the 15 outstanding judges, representing companies from across the country, who dedicated their time and expertise to carefully evaluate each card," she said. As in years past, the LOUIE Awards invites consumers to choose their favorite card from among all the category winners announced last night, by visiting the LOUIE Awards Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ LOUIEAwards), between May 18-June 1, and "liking" their favorite cards. In addition to a personalized award, the finalists and winners are showcased in a special LOUIE Exhibit designed by American Greetings and Universal Presentation Concepts (UPC), which is available to the public during the National Stationery Show. This year, nine companies sponsored the LOUIE Awards at the following levels: Platinum — American Greetings, Designer Greetings, Hallmark, National Stationery Show, and UPC; Silver — Avanti Press Inc., and Neenah Paper; and Category Champion — Bobst and The Madison Park Group. The financial support from these organizations, as well as the in-kind donations from many others, is critical to ensuring the ongoing success of the LOUIE Awards. To learn more about the LOUIE Awards, visit www.greetingcard.org. STATIONERY TODAY D A Y THE OFFICIAL NATIONAL STATIONERY SHOW ® DAILY 2 SHOW HOURS Monday, May 18 - Tuesday, May 19 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 20 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. TODAY'S SEMINARS Show Floor 2900 aisle Etsy Trends: Treasure-Hunting for the Pros 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Future Color/Design Trends: Innovation and Impact 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Stationery View 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. FULL SCHEDULE ON PAGE 15 LOUIE Award Winners Exhibitor News TODAY at a glance INSIDE SHOW SPECIALS Ann Page Half-off freight for orders over $500 and free freight on orders over $1,000. Orders cannot be split and must be shipped by Aug. 1, 2015. Old Tom Foolery Six free cards with every $200 spent. Zippernut Press 10 percent off any Zippernut Press order totaling $250 or more placed during the show. Order $400 or more and get 10 percent off and free shipping. Order must be placed by close of show. Includes all products: greeting cards, stationery products, journals, buttons and magnets. To see all the show specials from our exhibitors that have been published, log in to the NSS mobile app. Card of the Year winners: Sunrise, left, $4.00 and below; Ladyfingers Letterpress, above $4.00 SEE ALL WINNERS ON PAGE 2

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