PEWAUKEE, WI - The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) will hold its annual Graphics Excellence Awards (GEA) Celebrations on May 24, 2017. The Celebrations are the culmination of the annual GEA competition, which recognizes companies throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for superb craftsmanship in the design, creation and production of outstanding printed projects they produce for their customers.

Dual sites will have simultaneous Celebrations that evening:  the Medinah Shrine Center in Addison, IL, and the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee, WI. The Celebrations start at 5 p.m. with an extended networking reception. All of the award-winning projects will be on display for attendees to examine and to choose their favorite in the voting for the People’s Choice award. A formal dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. followed by the presentation of the award plaques and the announcement of the top winners. 

The GEA competition was judged over two days with a panel of outside graphics experts who brought more than 60 years of collective print, finishing and converting experience to their evaluation of the contenders. There was a wide range of excellent entries from booklets, reports and calendars to boxes, labels and tags, and wide format and sculptural 3D pieces such as a mannequin made out of corrugated paper.

Joseph Lyman, president of GLGA, is extremely proud of the quality of work submitted in the 2017 GEA competition and the results it produced. “As one of the largest regional graphic competitions in North America with more than 800 submissions representing 69 companies, the GEAs are one of most recognized programs GLGA manages throughout the year,” Lyman said. 

This year, nearly 80 percent of companies submitting projects won either a Gutenberg (Best of Category) or a Best of Division award. “This demonstrates just how outstanding the quality of work produced in our region is and the high level of parity there is among printers, finishers and converters located throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin,” Lyman said. “We are extremely proud to represent such outstanding print organizations.”

At the May 24th Celebrations, Gutenberg awards will be presented to the winners in nearly 100 categories and Best of Division plaques to winners in more than 40 divisions. In addition, the highly anticipated Best of Show, Runners-Up, Best of States, and People’s Choice winners will be presented at the end of the evening. 

For more information on how to purchase tickets, visit www.glga.info or contact Debra Warner toll-free at (855) 522-2210.