Award Ceremony Tips

Congrats to one of Trophies2Go's kiddos, Joseph Hanson, for winning one of the three 2016 Presidential Scholarships from the Awards and Recognition Industry Educational Foundation (ARIEF).  Joe, our Production Manager Tom Hanson's son, was awarded the 'Awards Associates Scholarship' at our trade show in Las Vegas earlier this month.

One of Joe's teachers at Silver City High describes him as an outstanding person, student, and athlete; active in school, extracurricular activities and his community.  With a 3.6+ GPA, he is a member of the National Honor Society, was Kiwanis Student of the Month, and received the "ScholarBaller" Award for being a student athlete with a 3.5 or higher GPA.  He is varsity football team captain, leading his team to 3 consecutive playoff state championship appearances and participates on the track team in the off season.  He has a positive attitude and is responsible and caring.  He is well deserving of recognition!

Other Trophies2Go scholarship recipients include Chelsea Peart, Zach Hall, and Ryan Peart.

Thank you to the Awards and Personalization Association and in particular the ARIEF scholarship committee for their generous support of Trophies2Go students and students across the country.  We appreciate the giving nature of our industry, it's the best!  And Congrats again to Joe!

Cheers! Jessica

Celebrate Oscar Sunday!

Check out our Pinterest page for even more ideas!

Are you a fan of the big screen, watching every nominated film?  If so, you won't want to miss the 89^th Annual Academy Awards , also knows as the Oscars!  This star-studded event takes place in Los Angeles on Sunday February 26 at 7pm Eastern, 4pm Pacific Time.

Why should movie stars have all the fun?  Consider hosting an Oscars Party with your family and friends and make it a celebration with the stars in your life!

Party Ideas

1.  Invitations:  If you have the time, make your own invitations with a red carpet or old Hollywood theme.  If you want to purchase premade invitations, many party stores offer options, as well as Etsy.  If you want to email your invites, evite has some cute and easy choices as well - click here to view.

2.  Attire:  Since the Oscars are THE fashion event of the year, host your own catwalk by having your guests dress in finery.  OR have everyone be a critic with the worst fashion faux-pas!  Have your guests vote on their favorites!

3.  Décor:  At the door, roll out the Red Carpet for your guests; they will feel like stars when they enter your party!  Consider having a camera on hand to snap pictures for your own paparazzi, or a Dolby Theater photo booth with lots of props, such as boas and top hats, for social sharing.

Red roses with gold vases along with small candles are the perfect decorations for an Oscar Party.

For other decorating ideas, consider red flowers in gold vases, gold accent pieces such as runners, trays and napkins, and ample candlelight.  Small golden-tone votives set the feel of old Hollywood charm in a festive atmosphere. Old filmstrip reels make great props too.

4.  Drinks:  Get inspired by the silver screen and feature delicious cocktails from famous movies.  The most notable are Vodka Martinis from James Bond movies, White Russians from The Big Lebowski, and Cosmopolitans from Sex and the City.

Depending on the drink you choose, dress it up with ultra cool glasses.  Barware with sparkling gold accents look festive for a glam night.  Crate and Barrel have some great options - the Gala Double Old-Fashioned and the Mingle Bar Glass.  So pretty!

5.  Games:  Consider hosting a pool, where guests pick the winners and contribute a small amount of money, which is then awarded to the winner.  Or create "Oscar Bingo" with fun things to look for throughout the show.

One of our most popular trophies, perfect for an Oscar Party!

6.  Trophies:  Did you know that the famous Oscar Statuette is made in Chicago by one of our suppliers, RS Owens?  Even though this iconic trophy is trademarked and cannot be duplicated, we offer many similar looking Achievement Trophies  for our customers, the most popular of which is the Large Male Achievement Trophy.

As seen in People Magazine, our Small Male Achievement Trophy makes an affordable accessory for your Oscar party and will impress all of your friends.  Host a contest and give it to your winner or use as a decoration to make your party even more festive!  Or put two back to back on your table for the perfect centerpiece.

For even more ideas, check out our pinterest page Oscar Party Ideas. In closing, I'd like to thank the Academy for giving me an excuse to throw a party!

Editor's Note: This post was originally published on February 10th, 2015.  It has been updated for content.

Cheers,
Jessica

Corporate Awards Blog Series

You have your recognition program set up, know what types of accomplishments you want to recognize, know what you want to say on the awards, and your ceremony planned. Now what? You go to our website and are overwhelmed by the hundreds of choices of corporate awards.  I’m here to help! Read my top 5 tips below to narrow your search and to help you choose the perfect corporate award for your situation and accomplishment.

Be sure to make the award match the occasion!

#1: Start With Your Budget.

Know how many people you want to recognize and the cost per person of the award. That can help you narrow your choices. We have beautiful awards in every price range, so even if your budget is small, we’ll create something beautiful for you.  Read tips on Budgeting for a Recognition Program here.

#2: Have The Award Fit The Accomplishment.

What I mean by that is you wouldn’t give an expensive crystal award to someone for a menial accomplishment; that’s saved for those who have gone above and beyond for the organization. Conversely, if someone has worked for your organization for years and years and is celebrating a big anniversary, a $10 gift card doesn’t cut it. Make sure to match the award stature to the accomplishment.

#3: What’s The Message?

If you have a lot of text or a large logo you’d like to incorporate into your engraving, make sure you choose an award that can accommodate it. For example, an engraved plaque has a lot of space for a long message and logo, where as a 4 inch crystal cube doesn’t. Know what you want to say before ordering your award and then make sure the award has enough room for your engraving. (And as always, your engraving is free!)

This beautiful crystal award deserves to be displayed with pride on a desk or a shelf for all to see and admire.

#4: Where Will It Go? Form Follows Function.

Where will your recipient put the award? On a desk? On the wall?  Or on a shelf in the lobby? Is it a gift that will be displayed in the home? These are all things to consider when choosing an award. A sales award may be hung on a wall for all to see; if so, then a recognition plaque may be a good choice. If you are honoring a past president or someone who has given service to the organization, an award that goes on a desk or on a shelf in their office is a winner. If the award is for retirement or years of service, something more functional and pretty, such as an engraved clock or personalized vase, is appropriate.

#5: Personalize The Award.

This is your opportunity to get creative! If your organization is more conservative, stick with a traditional award. But if you’re in more creative place, choose something a little more artistic or funky! There are lots of unusual yet beautiful awards to choose from. If you are giving an individual award, consider the recipient’s personality and have the award match it. For example, if the person loves to fly airplanes, get a crystal plane award. Or if they are a realtor, get a house shaped award. There are lots of choices – get creative and think out of the box!

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need any suggestions or guidance when picking out awards – email is [email protected] - and I'm here to help.  With thousands of choices in every budget, our awards impress and will thrill your recipient!

Cheers!
Jessica

Name tags are a best seller at Trophies2Go, as we create name badges for many organizations across the country.  But what makes name tags a worthwhile investment for companies?  Name tags and name badges are useful customer service tools that can aid customer satisfaction in a number of ways.

5 Ways Name Tags Aid Companies

All the staff at Century Link Field, home to the Seattle Seahawks, wear name tags made by Trophies2Go.

1. Professional: Matching name tags to your company logo reinforces your brand and gives credibility to your employees.

2. Helpful: Name tags help identify employees and distinguish them from customers.  It's easier to get help from staff when they wear this visual queue.

3. Personal connection: when you know a person's name, it makes establishing a relationship that much easier. And in business, people buy from people they like, so creating this emotional connection between staff and customers is important for customer retention.

4. Accountability:  Employees know they have to do a good job when they wear a name tag.  No longer anonymous, employees are accountable for their actions.

5. Recognition from customers: When an employee goes out of their way to help a customer, a customer can leave a positive review if they know the person's name.

Choosing a Name Tag Style

A sampling of different name tag styles made by Trophies2Go.

Businesses of all kinds purchase name tags from Trophies2Go. We have a large selection of personalized name badges for every type of industry.  Popular materials for name tags are plastic and metal, which can be personalized in three ways:

1. Rotary Engraving: The plastic is etched with a diamond tip rotary engraver. The machine grooves the letters out of the plastic, exposing a different color.  This results in 2-color name badges.

2.  Laser engraving:  The plastic or metal is etched using a laser beam.  This method is useful for complicated logos and graphics that require fine details that a diamond tip engraver can't do.

3.  Sublimation: this process uses dye which is heated and fused directly into the name tag material.  Sublimation is the best way to create full color name tags with multiple colors.

Attaching Name Tags to Clothes

There are also many options for attaching name tags.  We offer 3 different styles of backing depending on your needs.

1.  Pin back - the cheapest option, this is the traditional way to attach a name tag, by pinning it to your clothing.  However this can leave holes in fabric and prick skin.

2.  Magnet back - a powerful magnet attaches the name tag through clothes without damaging the garment.   This is the most popular backing option we sell, but it is an upgraded cost.

3.  Alligator clip - this option has a clip back that can attach to a lapel, collar or a lanyard.  This option required a hole at the top of the badge in order to attach the clip.

All personalization, including employee name and job title, are included in the price of every name tag we sell - it's no problem to make each tag different.  To save time and money, batch your name badges together so that you can qualify for quantity discounts; they are cheaper when you buy in bulk.  Also our name tags can be made quickly, as fast as 1-2 days.  Just give our friendly customer service team a call to find out more.

Browse our Name Tags Category to see all of the choices.  Here's to marketing your business and identifying your staff to your customers!

Cheers,

Jessica