ALA New Product Award (NPA) Designation

Award

• Official ALA NPA Designation Plaque
• ALA NPA Designation Media Coverage
  • Inclusion in ALA Awards News Release
  • Picture on LabAutomation2010 Web site
  • Listing in ALA News Section of February Edition of LabSnap
• Interview on The Lab Man Podcast Show at LabAutomation2010
  • Live and Recorded in the ALA Member Center on the Show Floor
  • Segment To Be Released with March 2010 Edition of LabSnap

Primary Judges*

• Jay Smith, ALA Member, President Plexera Bioscience
• Brian Musselman, Ph.D., President, SciMarket Strategies
• Andy Zaayenga, ALA Member & LRIG Executive Chair
• Anthony G. Craig, Ph.D., J.D., Fliesler Meyer LLP
• Lance Larka, ALA Member, Oblique Automation Solutions

Competition Guidelines/Process

1. Prior to the exhibition each year, exhibiting companies will be notified about the ALA NPA Designation competition and given the opportunity to declare participation.
   • Additionally, on-site in Palm Springs at LabAutomation2010 entry forms will be placed in each booth after set-up (typically on Saturday) offering exhibiting companies the opportunity to opt-in to the competition. The exhibitors will place the entry forms into a ballot box located in the Show Office on the Exhibit Show Floor declaring participation.

2. All product entries must be on the exhibit floor and have some supporting data indicating it works as advertised.

3. The product entry must be less than one year old in its current form (since the prior LabAutomation conference) to be considered. Major product enhancements can be considered. Products CANNOT have been displayed at previous LabAutomation conferences.

4. The top three winning companies of the ALA NPA Designation must have agreed to participate in the competition.

Evaluation Guidelines/Process

Timing
Sunday, January 24 — Phase 1 (if additional time is needed, primary judges will adapt)
Monday, January 25 — Phase 2
Tuesday, January 26 — Confirmation & Announcement

Phase 1 — Sunday, January 24

1. The Lead Judge will divide the new product entries equally among the six primary judges.
2. Commencing Sunday evening, each primary judge will visit, review and rank the top three new products entries assigned. The participating media will canvas the entire exhibit floor and rank their top three new products.
   • Note — The team of judges may decide to identify themselves to the candidates or may choose to visit and judge each product anonymously.
3. Sunday evening (and early Monday morning if necessary), the primary judges will meet to tally their respective rankings. This should result in a Top 9 List to be considered as part of Phase 2.
   • Note — The primary judges are neither required to nor limited to choosing 9 new product entries for the second phase. At the primary judges' discretion, the list for the second phase may be nominally smaller or larger than 9 candidates.

Phase 2 — Monday, January 25

1. Each of the primary judges will visit, review and judge each of the Top 9 new product entries using the scoring criteria below.
2. Monday evening, the primary judges will meet to tally the scores and rank the Top 9 new product entries. The top three highest scoring new products will receive the ALA NPA Designation.
   • Note — At the primary judges' discretion, they may choose up to three top new product entries, but no more than three winners. In some years, there may only be one or two top new product winners.

Tuesday, January 26 — Confirmation & Announcement

1. The top three product entries will be announced in the Exhibit Hall three hours before the close of the exhibition on the final day (Tuesday, January 26). Announcing well before the close of the Exhibit Hall will allow for the necessary media pictures and to record the live show of The Lab Man pod cast.

Scoring Criteria

• market opportunity — narrow or broad in scope
• impact on the field of laboratory automation and technology
• extraordinary technical originality
• quality of supporting data

Scoring System

5 — Outstanding, Novel and Broad Impact for a New Product 4 — Very Good, Solid, Novel Product 3 — Some Unique New Product Qualities 2 — Needs More Proof and Development 1 — Not Substantially New or Improved 0 — Not New at All

Eligibility

• The LabAutomation Scientific Committee comprises a Chairman, Associate Chairman, Track Chairs and Associate Track Chairs. Session Chairs are not members of the LabAutomation Scientific Committee, and therefore are eligible to participate.

If your company meets the criteria above and wants to be considered for the LabAutomation2010 New Product Award Designation please send the following via email to Amy McGorry at amcgorry@labautomation.org:

• Company Name
• Booth #
• Name of on-site contact
• Brief (<30 words) description of the product and why it deserves the award and certifying that the product is, indeed, "new"

Non-Discrimination Statement

Reservation