McLean, Va. - The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) presented five "Best in Show" awards to companies that exhibited at the 2014 NADA and American Truck Dealers (ATD) Convention & Expo in New Orleans.

The first annual "Best in Show" awards, which are categorized by exhibit size, recognize companies for excellence in design and construction, including the use of innovative materials and creativity in color, lighting and attractions. The exhibits were also evaluated on branding, company imagery, messaging and incorporating the theme of the NADA convention.

Here are the 2014 "Best in Show" winners:

• Cree Inc. – Best Linear Booth (100 to 400 square feet);

• Chrome Data Solutions – Best Small Island Booth (400 to 1,000 square feet);

• TD Auto Finance – Best Medium Island Booth (1,000 to 2,000 square feet);

• Reynolds & Reynolds – Best Large Island Booth (2,000 square feet and above); and

• Procede Software – ATD "Best in Show" award.

"It was an honor to present the first ever 'Best in Show' awards to this year's exhibitors," said Donovan Bertsch, chairman of NADA's convention committee for 2015, and owner of Theel Inc., Chevrolet and Buick in Bottineau, N.D., who announced the winners on Jan. 27. "This award recognizes the dedication, creativity and significant investment that our convention exhibitors make each year to support the work of NADA and ATD on behalf of dealers."

There were 566 companies exhibiting at the 2014 NADA and ATD convention, which occupied 700,000 square feet on the Expo floor at the convention center in New Orleans from Jan. 24-27. The winners were determined by officials from NADA and Freeman, a provider of integrated services for face-to-face marketing, specializing in convention and trade show management.

The "Best in Show" awards were a direct result of NADA's annual Wheelhouse Innovation Sessions, which is hosted by Freeman, and includes a cross-section of exhibitors for a roundtable discussion that explores new ways to make the convention and expo more valuable and relevant to all participants, said Connie Mikels, NADA director of Expositions.