The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA, Fairfax, Virginia) is accepting entries for its annual Product of the Year competition through to Friday, August 2. Exclusive to Printing United exhibitors, and judged by a panel of industry experts, the competition awards the leading products in the printing industry across 87 categories.
“The Product of the Year competition represents the best of the best among a wide range of categories in commercial hardware, software, consumables, and industrial and screen equipment,” said Ray Weiss, Director of Digital Print Programs at SGIA. “Any exhibitor’s product that is, or will be, available on the market in 2019 is eligible for entry.” To best reflect the current array of solutions for the printing industry, Weiss also added that all the competition’s categories are re-evaluated and updated each year based on previous entrants’ feedback.
Entries are judged at SGIA’s headquarters by a panel of volunteer industry experts in an open scoring system, factoring in criteria such as date of manufacture and “wow” factor, as well as objective print quality data. The results will be announced in advance of Printing United (SGIA and NAPCO Media’s latest iteration of the SGIA Expo coming to Dallas, Texas, October 23 to 25) allowing exhibitors to promote their winning products prior to the expo. Winners will receive a Product of the Year Award Jewel and have their entry displayed in Printing United’s Golden Image/Product of the Year Gallery.
Weiss hopes this year’s entries will exceed 2018’s record-breaking 255. “With each year, it gets more exciting to see the game-changing entries,” he said. “Product of the Year allows participants and winners to bring their solutions to the forefront for prospective customers.” Product of the Year participants must submit entries ($85 USD each) online and send in required materials by Friday, August 2. For more information and to enter, please visit https://www.sgia.org/programs/awards-competitions/product-of-the-year.
SGIA now accepting Product of the Year Competition entries until August 2
