LEDs Magazine announces third annual Sapphire Awards Gala and judging panel

Awards to be presented to the most innovative products in the industry and the Illumineer of the Year

NASHUA, NH —LEDs Magazine is excited to announce the third annual Sapphire Awards will be held March 1, 2016 at the City National Grove Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. The awards gala and ceremony are being held in conjunction with the co-located Strategies in Light conference and the LED Show.

Get the latest Sapphire Awards program and Gala details

The LEDs Magazine Sapphire Awards is the first and only awards program in the lighting industry to focus on the LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) market from an enabling-technology and elegance-of-design perspective – recognizing true technology stars. It also recognizes an Illumineer of the Year, a person or small team responsible for significant innovation in the development of LEDs, other enabling components, development tools, and solid-state lighting (SSL) products.

“We are so proud of how quickly the Sapphire Awards has grown,” said Christine Shaw, senior vice president and publisher at LEDs Magazine. “To continue our commitment to the industry this year, we’ve stepped it up this year by adding product categories and expanding our judging panel, as well as revamping our online submissions process for easier and quicker use.”

The awards are currently open for product entries for the Sapphire Awards and nominations for the Illumineer of the Year Award. The product entry categories include: Packaged LEDs and OLEDs, LED Drivers, Modular LED Light Engines, SSL Enabling Technologies, ICs and Electronic Components for SSL, Tools and Tests in SSL Design, Connected SSL Lamp Design, Commercial-Quality SSL Lamp Design, Linear T8 SSL Lamp Design, Indoor Ambient, Track, and Accent SSL Luminaire Design, Indoor Troffer, Linear, and Recessed SSL Luminaire Design, Outdoor SSL Luminaire Design, Smart and Connected SSL Technologies, Horticultural Lighting, Tunable SSL Technology, Human-Centric Lighting, Industrial SSL Luminaire Design, and Specialty SSL Design.

“We’ve had an amazing response to the Sapphire Awards for the past two years,” said Maury Wright, editor of LEDs Magazine. “We’re excited to see the growth of the awards in such a short time and with the enhancements we made this year, 2017 is raising the bar even higher. The judges are looking forward to reviewing submissions.”

The Sapphire Awards relies on independent judges chosen from industry and consultancy roles to ensure that all entries are fairly evaluated. The expert judging panel includes:

Nancy Clanton, Clanton & Associates
Terry Clark, Finelite
Daryl DeJean, Emerging Technologies Associates
Jerry Duffy, GE Lighting
Austin Gelder, UL
Monica Hansen, LED Lighting Advisors
Duncan Jackson, Billings Jackson Design
Brad Koerner, Philips Lighting
Rita Koltai, Koltai Lighting Design
Thomas Kowalczuk, Wynn Design and Development
Dave Neal, Seoul Semiconductor
Steve Paolini, Telelumens
Charles Schrama, Lumileds
Milena Simeonova, Light4Health
Marissa Tucci, Tucci Lighting
Christine VanLeeuwen, Graybar
Howard Yaphe, Axis Lighting
Stephanie Pruitt, Strategies Unlimited
Philip Smallwood, Strategies Unlimited
Robert Steele, Strategies Unlimited
Shonika Vijay, Strategies Unlimited
Maury Wright, LEDs Magazine

For more information, or to submit a product or nomination for Illumineer of the Year, visit https://sapphireawards.secure-platform.com.

About LEDs Magazine

LEDs Magazine is the leading information resource for the global LED and lighting community, serving thousands of readers that specify, design, and manufacture LED-based products for a wide range of end-use applications. Its key value proposition is to offer well-written, unbiased, and informative editorial content to more than 63,000 subscribers. LEDs Magazine provides news and product information on a daily basis in combination with in-depth technical articles, analysis, and case studies. For additional information about LEDs Magazine, visit www.ledsmagazine.com.

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