2012 ITA CityLIGHTS Awards Nominations Open

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Mar 14, 2012) - The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) is pleased to announce the opening of nominations for the 2012 ITA CityLIGHTS Awards. Nominations close March 26, 2012.

The ITA CityLIGHTS Awards are Illinois' annual celebration of the growth and vitality of the local technology community. Celebrating its 13th Year, CityLIGHTS provides an opportunity to recognize leading technology companies and individuals in our community whose innovation and success are driving growth in Illinois.

ITA invited the community to create an additional award. The final award developed as a result of a write-in campaign -- "Prominent Woman in Tech" -- was chosen by the community. The award will celebrate a woman in the local technology industry who has championed programs or organizations which promote women in STEM roles.

"The importance of STEM education is well known," said Fred Hoch, President, ITA. "Recognizing a leader in the field who is actively promoting these roles to women, who are well under-represented, will continue to shine the light on the need for STEM education to support the growing tech industry over the long term."

The 2012 ITA CityLIGHTS Award Categories includes:

• Prominent Woman in Tech: Presented to a preeminent female in the local technology industry who has championed programs or organizations which promote women in STEM roles.
• New Concept Award: Presented to the company or individual regardless of size and status of the company with the best new technology-focused concept of the year.
• Best Strategic Use of Technology Award: Presented to the non-tech organization who has leveraged technology to provide a differentiated product or service, or has transformed the norm in their industry.
• CityLIGHTS Award: Presented to an individual or business that actively and consistently supports the growth of the Illinois technology industry through demonstrated collaborative involvement, driving awareness of the community on a national level.
• CEO of the Year Award: Presented to the CEO who has led extraordinary business growth of their technology company over the past year.
• Technologist of the Year Award: Presented to the individual whose talent has championed true technology innovation, either through new applications of existing technology or the development of technology to achieve a truly unique product or service.
• Newcomer Award: Presented to the company that has the strongest potential to emerge from its start-up phase to become a leader in the technology industry.
• Rising Star Award: Presented to the company, which, through innovation in products, services or business approach, has grown to become a serious competitor in the marketplace.
• Lighthouse Award: Presented to the company who has taken a leading role in the national industry while attracting national attention to the Illinois technology industry.

To find out more about the full list of awards, visit http://illinoistech.org/page.aspx/citylights

To submit a nomination, visit http://ita.cx/yWxN0I.

Nominations close on March 26, 2012. Finalists will be determined by a panel of judges and will be named on April 9, 2012. Public voting on select awards will open on April 9, 2012 and close on April 25, 2012. Winners will be announced at the 2012 ITA CityLIGHTS Awards Gala on May 10, 2012.

To join in our efforts to celebrate the Illinois technology industry, contact us at headquarters@illinoistech.org. Purchase your table or tickets and find out more about 2012 CityLIGHTS. Follow the discussion on Twitter at @itabuzz, and visit www.illinoistech.org to find out more about how ITA is supporting the growth of the local industry.

About the ITA
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.