LITTLETON, Colorado, May 1 /PRNewswire/ --

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.