Dial-up      Broadband

ARC 2008 AWARDS
ANNOUNCES ANNUAL REPORT WINNERS

>> GREATER TORONTO AIRPORTS <<
WINS BEST OF SHOW

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO CURRAN & CONNORS

NEW YORK, NY - September 18, 2008 - The 22^nd Annual International ARC Awards - the world's largest annual report competition - were presented this evening at a gala ceremony in the Grand Salon Ballroom of The JUMEIRAH ESSEX HOUSE Hotel. The winners were deemed the best out of over twenty-one hundred entries from 28 countries. ARC Awards nominations increased 10% over last year's record total.

            This year's BEST OF SHOW trophy was captured by GTAA Toronto Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This year's theme was captured in the title Uplifting people. The judges commented that it was an excellent annual report, succeeding in its goal to communicate both visually and verbally the theme of the report. The annual report scored near perfect ten's throughout the Judging Rounds earning the judges' accolades for its clean and crisp design, great concept, and execution which was carried through consistently to the end.

            The PLATINUM ACHIEVEMENT Award, honoring the design agency which places the most wins for its clients, went to HGB Hamburger Geschäftsberichte, Hamburg, Germany.

            The ARC Awards presented the TITANIUM ACHIEVEMENT Award, honoring the agency with the highest percentage of wins to VSA Partners, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

            The LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Award was proudly presented to Scott Greenberg, President and COO, Curran & Connors, Hauppauge, New York, who is retiring this year. He was with Curran & Connors for 22 years and was instrumental in growing the company from a single design studio to the largest designer of annual reports in the United States. Since the ARC Awards inaugural competition 22 years ago, he has won every year, including numerous Grand Awards and eleven PLATINUM ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS.

            Tracy Byrnes, financial reporter for FOX Business Network and author of the much acclaimed book, Break Down Your Money, served as Master of Ceremonies. She presented 38 Grand Awards to the individuals whose work demonstrated the highest degree of achievement in annual reports. 

Grand Award Winners
In their respective categories, the 2008 Grand Award Winners were:

BEST OF SHOW

TITANIUM ACHIEVEMENT

PLATINUM ACHIEVEMENT

COVER DESIGN
Artistic/Creative

COVER DESIGN
Portrait

COVER DESIGN
Various

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Non-Profit Organizations

INTERIOR DESIGN
U.S.A.

INTERIOR DESIGN
Traditional - International

INTERIOR DESIGN
Non-Traditional - International

NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS
U.S.A.

NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS
International

NON-TRADITIONAL
ANNUAL REPORTS
U.S.A.

NON-TRADITIONAL
ANNUAL REPORTS
International

ON-LINE ANNUAL REPORTS

PRINTING & PRODUCTION

SOCIAL AND PUBLIC
RESPONSIBILITY
REPORTS

SUMMARY ANNUAL REVIEWS

OVERALL PRESENTATION
Traditional Format

OVERALL PRESENTATION
Special Sizes

OVERALL PRESENTATION
Creative Approach

BEST OF AUSTRIA

BEST OF CANADA

BEST OF GERMANY

BEST OF HONG KONG

BEST OF KOREA

BEST OF MEXICO

BEST OF INTERNATIONAL

Western Hemisphere

BEST OF INTERNATIONAL

Eastern Hemisphere

JUDGES' CHOICE AWARD

            The ARC Awards, established by MerComm, Inc. in 1987, were created to honor overall excellence in annual reports, and to encourage noteworthy and vital writing, as well as imaginative and original design.

            This year, over 2,100 entries in 14 major categories were submitted by 1,068 different companies from 28 countries representing over 200 industries. During a five week period, the international panels of distinguished judges read and evaluate the annual reports.

            Judges ranked the annual reports with a score between one and one hundred.  The top 25% scoring annual reports won Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honors Awards.

            Criteria used to choose winners included Cover Design, Chairman's Letter, Writing, Interior Design, Financial Presentation, and Overall, how well the spirit of the company is reflected in the annual report.

            Preliminary and final judges represent top level investor relations executives, financial executives, writers, designers, and photographers from over 90 different agencies and corporations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom.

            The ARC Awards is sponsored by MERCOMM, INC., the world's only independent awards organization, founded with the mission to advance the standards of excellence in the fields of corporate communications. The MerComm Awards Programs are free from advertising, membership dues, or outside sponsorships. Entrants may review the judges' evaluations, and are guaranteed fairness and impartiality. As such, the ARC Awards is considered the most highly respected and prestigious competition in the industry.