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The Greeting Card Association (GCA) has announced the winners of its 26th Annual International Greeting Card Awards Competition, better known as the “LOUIE Awards.”

 

Winners in each of the 29 categories in this year’s competition, as well as the “Cards of the Year” in each of the two price divisions, were revealed at the LOUIE Awards gala held on Sunday evening, May 18, at Espace in New York City, during the signature mix marketplace tradeshow. This highly anticipated industry event drew nearly 300 guests, including finalist companies, industry retailers, manufacturers’ representatives and suppliers, as well as members of the media. 

 

Congratulations go to the 26th Annual LOUIE “Card of the Year” winners: Sunrise, which took top honors in the $3.50 and Below category; and Hello!Lucky, which won in the Above $3.50 division. A complete list of winners can be found at www.greetingcard.org.

 

“The LOUIE Awards celebrate the amazing talent that continues to bring excitement and innovation to the greeting card and stationery industry,” said 26th Annual LOUIE Awards Chair Cambria Evans, creative director/founder of J.Bartyn Design. “Each of the incredibly creative LOUIE winners and finalists prove there’s just no substitute for a ‘real’ card.”

 

This year’s LOUIE theme, “Eye Candy: The Best Cards of the Year,” was designed by Evans and overseen by LOUIE Strategic Chair Katy Greenspan, director of the artist community at Minted. The competition drew more than 900 entries from 220 companies worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, Israel and the U.K. All entries were marketed and sold in the U.S. during the 2013 calendar year, and each of these outstanding winners represents the best of the thousands of cards and invitations published each year.

 

And, for the third consecutive year, the Greeting Card Association is inviting consumers to choose their favorite card from among all the category winners announced at the gala, by logging on to the LOUIE Awards Facebook page between May 19 and May 31 and “Liking” the card they think is the best. Last year’s Consumer's Choice LOUIE Award winner, Madison Park Greetings, received its award during last night's ceremony. 

 

The GCA would like to thank the 26th Annual LOUIE Awards sponsors: Platinum Sponsors – American Greetings; Hallmark. Gold Sponsors – Designer Greetings, Inc.; Infinity Foils, Inc.; Jast Company; National Stationery Show/Emerald Expositions; Universal Engraving, Inc. Silver Sponsors – Avanti Press, Inc.; Neenah Paper. Category Champion – Bobst North America, Inc.; The Madison Park Group. The GCA also extended its gratitude to Universal Presentation Concepts for the contribution of the LOUIE Awards Exhibit and GCA Lounge at the signature mix marketplace, which includes the National Stationery Show.

 

For more information, visit www.greetingcard.org.