Open Call for Chicago Innovation Awards Nominations

CHICAGO--(Business Wire)--
Businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout the Chicago
region are invited to compete in the region's premier competition
honoring product and service innovation, the Chicago Innovation
Awards.

The Chicago Innovation Awards recognize businesses and
organizations that have embraced innovation through new products,
services, processes or business models. Founded by Tom Kuczmarski, CEO
of the Chicago-based innovation firm Kuczmarski & Associates and
prominent local journalist Dan Miller, the awards have grown steadily
since they were established in 2002. This year, BusinessWeek magazine
is the exclusive print media partner for the awards and WBBM Newsradio
780 is the broadcast partner.

"The spirit of these awards is to foster innovation throughout the
region," said Kuczmarski. "A great way to do that is to recognize and
honor organizations that are making the effort to change lives through
innovation."

Winners will be featured in a special section of Business Week, on
WBBM Newsradio 780, and honored at a special reception and awards
ceremony Oct. 27 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.

In addition, 75 nominees will be awarded scholarships to a
day-long executive education program on the techniques of innovation
at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, education
partner of the awards.

Past winners have included firms such as Abbott Labs, Radio Flyer,
and Motorola, as well as small firms such as driFIRE and Experiencia
Immersive Learning Center.

"Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at IBM, from
inventing new technologies to helping our clients create new business
processes, and even in exploring new ways to solve societal
challenges," said Dave Carlquist, Vice President of Americas Central
Region for IBM, a Gold Sponsor of this year's awards.

Other 2008 awards program Gold Sponsors include the law firm
McGuireWoods and Wrigley Company.

"As a company with a 100-plus-year history in Chicago, it is
outstanding to be a part of an organization that honors innovative
companies in our own backyard," said Ian Robertson, Senior Director of
Sustainability Initiatives at Wrigley Company.

"At McGuireWoods, we pride ourselves on being one of the most
client-centric law firms in the country," said Richard Greenberg,
managing partner of McGuireWoods' Chicago office. "This commitment to
clients, and the community as a whole, is something you will find
ingrained in every Chicago Innovation Award winner."

Nominees must have launched a new product, service, process or
business models between May 1, 2006, and July 31, 2008. The contest is
open to any type of organization, public or nonprofit, with national
or divisional headquarters in northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana,
southeastern Wisconsin or southwestern Michigan. For details, go to
www.chicagoinnovationawards.com or call Edward Glassman at
312-988-1516.

for Chicago Innovation Awards
Jada Cash
312-970-5897
jada.cash@slackbarshinger.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008