LITTLETON, Colorado - CPI Card Group, a world leader in card manufacturing and related solutions, is pleased to have received two Elan awards and five finalist positions at the 2009 ICMA Annual EXPO. The awards recognize the latest advancements and achievements in card design throughout the industry.

The only award that recognizes card design innovation as well as technical achievement in the industry, the ICMA Elan Awards honor card manufacturers and vendors for their excellent card design and innovative products. Each entry was selected by a panel of judges in a blind competition. Entries were judged solely on the card’s features and were not identified by company. Delegates attending the Expo selected the People’s Choice Award winners.

CPI’s awards and finalist cards, for five different clients, were in the following categories:

Best Gift & Promotional Card, Winner: Toys Card, manufactured for Walgreens

People’s Choice, Winner (Tie): First Data Go-Tag Sticker, manufactured for First Data

Best Identification Card, Finalist: Guanajuato Driver’s License, manufactured for Latin ID

Unique Innovation, Finalist: VSX Sport Card, manufactured for Limited Brands

Best Secure Financial Card Design, Finalist: Elevate Card, manufactured for Virgin America and Barclaycard US

Best Other Secure Card Design, Finalist: First Data Go-Tag Sticker, manufactured for First Data

People’s Choice, Finalist: Toys Card, manufactured for Walgreens

Walgreens category manager Leslie Demourelle says, “We are honored by the ICMA’s recognition of the Walgreens Toys gift card. We wanted to create an innovative solution that would further position Walgreens as a destination for its great selection of toys at affordable prices. CPI Card Group’s design and production team worked closely with our advertising team to bring the imaginative and challenging concept to fruition, while keeping a sharp eye on costs. The result was a ‘funtastic’ card design that met our budget constraints, yet exceeded our expectations for execution.”

Kathy Cook, Brand Manager at Limited Brands, adds, “Limited Brands leveraged CPI’s expertise and experience to develop a full wood card for Victoria’s Secret. The brand wanted to determine if there was an option for a full wood card with no overlay that would sustain typical consumer use and work at our POS. We worked directly with the CPI team, which was instrumental in bringing this wood card to market for Victoria’s Secret. CPI worked with suppliers to find the right type of wood that met the needs of the brand but would also be able to work on the press. The brand was thrilled by the final output as it completely aligned with their brand position and differentiated them in the market place. Limited Brands appreciates and values the work of CPI to deliver the best and most innovative stored value products. They are viewed as a key supplier of the Enterprise, and we look forward to our continued partnership.”

“We found it challenging to develop a plastic design that would set the Virgin America card program apart from the industry,” said Pat Santilli, Marketing Operations, Barclaycard US. “We also wanted to make sure the card captured the spirit and fun of the Virgin America brand. With the help of CPI, we were able to identify unique printing techniques to get the effect we sought. The debossing tactic that CPI developed for the front of the card was a great way to differentiate Virgin America’s card from others. CPI was able to provide versioning quickly which allowed Virgin America to make its final decision on card design.”

Dominique Gas, General Manager at Latin ID, says, “We are extremely pleased that our Guanajuato Driver’s License card was a finalist in the Best Identification Card category. The Guanajuato Driver’s License secured design is exclusive. The card includes different levels of security that help fight against forgery and counterfeiting. This is a very complex card, and CPI did an outstanding job that the ICMA recognized.”

About CPI Card Group

CPI, a global leader in financial and commercial card production and related services, offers a single source for plastic cards, from foil cards and holograms to translucent and smart cards, and personalization and fulfillment services. CPI offers the largest production capacity in North America. CPI’s production sites include Denver, Colorado; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Las Vegas, Nevada; Colchester, England; Liverpool, England; and Toronto, Canada. CPI’s plants in Colorado, Nevada, Colchester and Liverpool are ISO 9001 certified. For more information, visit www.cpicardgroup.com.

Source: CPI Card Group

Regina Ramey of CPI, +1-303-345-2441, rramey at cpicardgroup.com