Portfolios.com (www.portfolios.com), the leading provider of online portfolio solutions for creative professionals, launched its "Work the Room" online award show party to compliment the 2006 Portfolios.com International Awards. The 2006 awards competition is an international competition for designers, illustrators, photographers and the advertising industry with a spin - every element of the awards competition is online.

In 2003, Portfolios.com pioneered the online award competition with a format that allows creative professionals, not just Portfolios.com members, to enter the show and upload entries online and have their work judged by an international panel of esteemed judges. The judges also judge the show virtually through a proprietary online judging module and winners are promoted on Portfolios.com in the Winners' Showcase, which becomes a permanent feature of the website. "When we initially launched the awards competition, our intention was to create the first virtual award show in the industry that is truly accessible and rewards all creative professionals regardless of budget or geography," said Dan Tanenbaum, president of Portfolios.com. "Award competitions have typically been exclusionary, with high entry fees, award show galas that are expensive to attend and anything but welcoming to outsiders or recent entrants to the industry. In keeping with our history, we wanted to be different and make our competition an easy to enter, no attitude event that open to all creatives. Work the Room (www.portfolios.com/award/2006/portfolios_content.html) is a gentle poke at the award show gala and keeps the competition light and fun."

Portfolios.com has won numerous industry awards for its interactive website and recently has received awards internationally for the award competition itself. The Portfolios.com Cube, the fold-your-own Gold award trophy, earned recognition in the London International, How Magazine and Applied Arts Magazine annual design competitions. And "Work the Room" was recently recognized by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences at the 9th Annual Webby Awards.

This year's competition is sponsored by HP, Creativepro.com, Adrants.com and Create Magazine, all industry leaders committed to helping creatives and advertising industry professionals advance their careers. "Our sponsors for this year's show have been instrumental in enabling us to keep entry fees low and make the awards competition more accessible," adds Mr. Tanenbaum. "This year we announced a special Best in Show award sponsored by HP for each main category, with generous prizes and promotional opportunities for these talented winners through HP".

The 2006 Portfolios.com International Awards is accepting entries through April 17, 2006 at www.portfolios.com/award

About Portfolios.com
Portfolios.com (www.portfolios.com) was established in 1995 as the first comprehensive online resource showcasing creative talent. The company prides itself on providing high-quality artists of every profile for advertising, corporate, editorial or publishing projects. Portfolios.com members are showcased throughout the recently formed Portfolios Partner Network, powered by Portfolios.com, reaching creative buyers through leading websites, newsletters and publications that are viewed by nearly 400,000 users and generate over 4 million page views monthly. Portfolios.com's online portfolio products are currently available through its award-winning website and through its Network Partners including the Creativepro Portfolio Showcase at www.creativepro.com/eservices/portfolios and the Adrants Portfolio Showcase at www.portfolios.com/adrants/index.html. For more information about the Portfolios Partner Network visit www.portfolios.com/partnernetwork.html.