CEA OPENS NOMINATIONS FOR 2009 MARK OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS HONORING CUSTOM HOME ELECTRONICS

Call for Submissions Runs October 1 Through November 14

Arlington, Va., October 1, 2008 – The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® today opened entries for the 2009 Mark of Excellence Awards, presented by CEA’s TechHome Division to honor outstanding achievement in custom home electronics products, services and installation. Winners will be announced at an awards dinner on Friday, March 13, 2009 at the Rosen Centre Hotel, during the tenth annual Electronic House Expo (EHX) Spring 2009, which returns to the Orange County Convention center in Orlando, Florida, March 10-14.

Award entries will be accepted until November 14, 2008, and will be reviewed by a panel of industry experts and submitted in two categories: Supplier and Systems Integrators. New sub-categories this year include Best Software Application, Best Universal Design Home and Best Community Home of the Year.

“We look forward to receiving this year’s entries for the most innovative products in custom home electronics,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president of conferences and events, CEA. “We are continually impressed by the quality of product submissions as our Mark of Excellence Awards program becomes more popular every year.”

To help with the entry submission process, CEA will use a time-saving entry portal collaboration system, powered by mBLAST, that allows co-workers to combine their separate nominations and pre-populate basic nominee information.

To submit products for the 2009 Mark of Excellence Awards program, review evaluation criteria or learn about the new manufacturer scholarship program, log onto www.CE.org/MarkofExcellence.