Ordering Trophies and Awards

Materials, engraving, lead times and making the presentation work

Awards are ordered under time pressure for an event with a fixed date, and almost everything that goes wrong is a lead time or a spelling problem. Both are avoidable.

Materials and what they suit

Acrylic is light, modern and inexpensive, and it scratches. Glass and crystal feel substantial and photograph well, and they chip if knocked. Metal and resin figures suit sport and survive being handled by children.

Wood bases add weight and a traditional look and are where most engraved plates sit.

Engraving methods

Laser engraving on glass and crystal produces a frosted mark and is the standard. Sand blasting gives a deeper mark on glass. Metal plates are usually engraved or printed and screwed or stuck to a base.

Colour printing allows logos and photographs, which engraving cannot reproduce in detail.

Artwork

Supply vector files for logos, since they scale perfectly at any size. An image taken from a website will be visibly soft when enlarged.

Check what the engraving area actually is, since long titles and names are shrunk to fit and become unreadable.

Proofread, then proofread again

Names, dates, the event title and any spelling of an organisation. Collect names in writing from a list rather than from memory, and have someone else check them.

Engraved items are not returnable, and a misspelled name at a ceremony is remembered.

Lead times and spares

Production is separate from delivery and both must be added. Order two or three weeks ahead, and include a spare, since there is always a late addition.

Medals and certificates

For large events, medals and printed certificates cost a fraction of trophies and are kept just as often by children. A named certificate is frequently valued more than a generic cup.

Order a proof of any printed design at full size and check every name.

Perpetual trophies

A trophy returned and re-engraved each year needs space on the base for future names. Plan for a decade rather than the next two winners, and keep a written record of past holders somewhere other than the base.

Budget across the event

Decide the total first and divide it, rather than pricing the winner's trophy and then discovering there is nothing left for category awards.

Ask about discounts on quantity, since setup dominates short runs and doubling an order frequently adds far less than double the cost.

Sizing the award to the occasion

Several small awards work better than one enormous one for a team event. Check the weight if awards are being posted afterwards, since glass is expensive to ship.

Ask for a digital proof before production.