For Immediate Release
Contact: Michael Morgenthal
Phone: (212) 460-8090 ext 206
Fax: (212) 460-5460
E-mail: press@sid.org

Nomination Process, Categories Revamped for 2005 Display of the Year Awards

SAN JOSE, Calif., November 2 - The nomination process for the 2005 Society for Information Display (SID)/Information Display Magazine Display of the Year Awards (DYAs), the most prestigious awards in the display industry, has undergone a facelift with the hope of opening up the competition to as many segments of the display business as possible. Now in their 11th year, the 2005 DYAs will be announced and presented at the 2006 SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, which will take place in San Francisco from June 4-9.

Chaired by Aris Silzars, the DYA Committee undertook an intensive review of the nomination process following the announcement of the 2004 awards. The Committee decided that from now on, companies will be allowed to self-nominate their own display-related products for award consideration. In essence, anyone can now make a nomination for the 2005 awards, regardless of company affiliation. Silzars stressed that the source of the nomination will in no way influence the committee's final selections of award winners. Strong efforts will be made to publicize the new nominations process to ensure that the entire display industry will participate.

"In the past, the nomination procedure for the (DYAs) has been closed and perceived as too secretive," Silzars added. "With these new guidelines, we hope that everyone in the display industry will consider submitting a product for nomination. These are the most prestigious awards in the industry - we recognized the need to cull nominees from the widest possible pool. That is why we made these changes."

Another change the Committee made was extending the deadline for nominations to December 31, 2005. This was done so that the awards now will reward the best products from the entire calendar year. To be eligible for a 2005 award, the product, application or component must have been introduced and been commercially available at some time between November 1, 2004 and December 31, 2005. In future years, the awards will be restricted to one calendar year.

The Committee's final change was to clarify the three awards categories. The Display of the Year Award category will remain the same, but the other two categories have been modified. The Display Product of the Year Award will now be known as the Display Application of the Year Award, while the Display Material or Component of the Year Award has been rechristened the Display Component of the Year Award. Silzars explained that these changes were made to avoid confusion for nominators regarding which products are appropriate for which categories. As in the past, two awards - Gold and Silver - will still be presented in each of the three categories. Here is a further breakdown of the categories:

Display of the Year Award
This award is granted for a display with novel and outstanding features such as new physical or chemical effects, or a new addressing method. Examples of appropriate nominations are: LC, plasma or OLED displays; bistable displays; or HDTV displays with novel means of rendering fast-moving pictures.

Display Application of the Year Award
This award is granted for a novel and outstanding application of display, where the display itself is not necessarily a new device. Examples of appropriate nominations for this category are: a camera with a display used as a view finder; a display used as an electronic book; a mobile phone with a display or displays used for still or moving pictures; or a novel projection system with known display components.

Display Component of the Year Award
This award is granted for a novel component that significantly enhances the performance of a display. A component is sold as a separate part destined to be incorporated into a display. A component may also include display-enhancing materials and/or parts fabricated with new processes. Examples of appropriate nominations in this category are: a polarizer; an electrophoretic laminate; or an LED used as a backlight.

To nominate a product, component or application for a 2005 Display of the Year Award, visit www.sid.org/awards/dya.html and download the nomination form. The forms must be completed entirely (including supporting documentation) and submitted by December 31, 2005. Complete instructions for submitting nominations are provided on the Web site.

The 44th SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition will take place Sunday, June 4 through Friday, June 9, 2006 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. It is the premier international gathering of scientists, engineers, manufacturers and users in the field of electronic-information displays. For exhibitor information, contact Kate Dickie, Exhibit Sales Manager, (212) 460-8090 ext. 215, e-mail: Kate@sid.org. For registration information, contact Ralph Nadell, Registrar, (212) 460-8090 ext. 203, e-mail: Ralph@sid.org. For press registration, contact Jessica Quandt, (212) 460-8090 ext. 213, e-mail: jess@sid.org. Visit www.sid2006.org for more information.

ABOUT SID
The Society for Information Display (SID) is the premier international professional society exclusively devoted to the advancement of electronic-display technology, manufacturing, and applications. Its international headquarters are located at 610 South Second Street, San Jose, CA 95112, U.S.A. Visit SID online at www.sid.org.