Triad Annual Report Award Winners to Be Honored at November 2nd Luncheon; More than 600 midwestern companies participated in this year's competition

Business Wire, Oct 25, 2005

CHICAGO -- The winners of the 15th annual Triad Annual Report Awards competition will be announced November 2, 2005, at the Chicago Club in downtown Chicago.

The top 10 and top 50 annual reports will be announced at the 2005 Triads Award luncheon, which will run from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Chicago Club on 81 East Van Buren Street. Those attending the ceremony will also receive insights into winning formulas for annual report production.

Preceding the luncheon, the NIRI-Chicago is sponsoring its fourth annual Annual Report Roundtable Discussion and Workshop, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., also at the Chicago Club. The Workshop, open to all NIRI members and non-members who work on annual reports, will focus on identifying a best practices approach to annual report design and production, as well as current issues and trends related to annual reports.

Triad Award Program

The Triad Annual Report Program is unique among annual report competitions in that three independent organizations sponsor and evaluate annual reports from all public companies in a selected geographic region. The three organizations are the Chicago chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI-Chicago), the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIFA) and professors from DePaul University's Department of Finance. Judges from the three separate disciplines these organizations represent - investor relations professionals, graphic designers and academia - together evaluate the reports submitted for competition based on a stringent list of criteria. No fees or memberships are required on the part of companies submitting annual reports to participate in the competition.

"Results of the 15th annual Triad Annual Report Awards competition will be announced at a luncheon celebration on November 2nd," said Dave A. Prichard, president of the National Institute of Investor Relations -- Chicago Chapter. "More than 600 Midwestern companies participated in this year's competition, which represents 76 percent of the public companies in the eight-state region. This level of participation signals the continued strong interest in the Triad program, one of the Midwest's most prestigious annual report competitions, and the continued importance of what is for many public corporations their single most important communication vehicle."

The Triad Awards program has recognized the very best in annual reports submitted by thousands of Midwestern public companies since 1991. The selection process begins in the spring, when annual reports are solicited for the judging process from more than 800 publicly traded companies in the eight Midwest states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Select members of NIRI-Chicago, the American Institute of Graphic Arts and DePaul University's Department of Finance, who have proven annual report expertise and experience, then judge the reports. The hours of careful judging and detailed scoring culminate in the selection of the top 10 and top 50 annual reports, which are honored at the November 2nd Triad Awards luncheon.

More information on the Triad Awards and Annual Report Roundtable can be found by visiting http://www.niri-chicago.org/cg/awards/triad.html.> NIRI-CHICAGO

The Chicago Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI-Chicago) works to advance the practice of investor relations and meet the growing professional development needs of those engaged in the field. With more than 200 members, NIRI-Chicago is one of the largest NIRI chapters in the United States and received NIRI's Best Overall Large Chapter Award in 2004. Its members include corporate officers, consultants, service providers, academics, and others involved in the practice of investor relations, a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance. More information about NIRI-Chicago is available at www.niri-chicago.org.

AIGA

The American Institute of Graphic Arts / Chicago Chapter is one of the largest and most vital chapters in the country with over 1,200 active members. The purpose of AIGA is to further excellence in communication design as a broadly defined discipline, strategic tool for business and cultural force. AIGA is the place design professionals turn to first to exchange ideas and information, participate in critical analysis and research and advance education and ethical practice.

DePaul University

DePaul University's Department of Finance is dedicated to offering a conceptually grounded, quality education for a broad community of learners. Central to this mission is providing a foundation for lifelong learning and enhanced professional and intellectual growth for our community of students, faculty, business and alumni.

In 2005, our Kellstadt Graduate School of Business ranked ninth in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of part-time MBA programs. This was the tenth consecutive year in the nation's Top 10. DePaul offers an MS program for nearly every business career goal including M.B.A. concentrations in Finance, Real Estate Finance and Investment, and Financial Analysis. Additionally, DePaul offers a Master of Science in Computational Finance, Master of Science in Finance as well as a Master of Science in Real Estate.