Presentation of prints for competition

[russell2pi]

I am thinking of putting in a couple of pics in an art expo. (Medium regional town - paintings and photos mostly so I should fit right in . PS location info on my profile is only approximate.)

I am just hoping for some tips on bang-for-buck presentation options for these.

I'm thinking of going with 20mm foamcore mounting. I feel matted prints are a) pretentious and b) distant (alienating), due to glass glare.

Is that a reasonable option? I'm looking at DigitalWorks. There's the option of a couple of different print finishes and then a handful of different lamination / overlay options. I am a bit bewhildered.

One pic is one where sharpness is important - background stars are a key element. The other is pure delicate softness. But in either case, when it comes to stippled / canvas-like finishes and coatings, I worry. Those finishes surely ruin both sharpness and smoothness. So do I just go with gloss print and UltraGloss coating? Does that have downsides? Glare?

Any other, more general suggestions for presentation of prints for competition or exhibition would be very welcome. I couldn't find a hell of a lot on here on that topic.