Trophies2Go Blog

The best of the best receive this trophy for our industry!

Last week Tom, Lori N. and I attended the 2018 Awards and Personalization Association (APA) Expo in Las Vegas, NV. The awards industry's biggest event, it gives trophy and awards retailers the chance to meet with manufacturers and sales representatives face-to-face.

Industry leaders from across the country meet to network, receive education through seminars, and touch and feel the newest award products and personalization machinery. There is even an achievement gala where the best in the awards industry is recognized with The Gold Obelisk Industry Awards!

Highlights of the Show

A cool new product we saw at the show, its a canvas photo shaped like a home plate!

New Products:  We will be adding many new products to our website soon!  Watch for new Fantasy Football Trophies, new colorful art glass awards, glassware including wine and barware sets, glitter acrylic awards, to name a few.

Education: The APA tradeshow offers interesting and informative education seminars for it's members.  Experts in different facets of the awards industry present on a wide range of topics, from technical training on how to operate equipment and software, to growing sales in your business.  Our graphic designer and laser engraver Lori N attended many classes to improve her technical skills and

Meeting Suppliers: We had great conversations with our key suppliers, including Kathy and Greg from Tropar Manufacturing, Casey, Erick, & Brianna from Simba Cal, Dan from PDU/Cat, and Larry from Crystal Blanc .

Dan L from PDU/Cat, our top vendor.

Networking with Competitors: Yes, we all own awards businesses, and we are technically in competition with each other. But because our industry is so small, and what we do is positive, we have a very supportive and helpful community. The phrase "a rising tide floats all boats" seems to apply in our industry, as when recognition across the country grows, so does our sales. Each awards company seems to occupy an unique niche market so there is business for all.

After Hours:  Since it's Vegas, there's lots of opportunity to have fun with friends! Gambling, delicious food, and schenanigans are always in the cards in Vegas!

Thank you to the APA board members, committee members, and staff for putting on a great show this year.  Also thank you to the Rio for hosting our event.  See you all in 2019!

Cheers!
Jessica

What is a plaque award?  In the recognition world, there are two main definitions of what a plaque is:

An example of a small engraved plaque, also called a plate.

Plaque:  A small etched plaque, usually made of medal, but can also be made of plastic or cast bronze.  These plaques are small in size, usually just a few inches, and attached to an object, such as a frame, piece of artwork, bench, eagle scout project, industrial panel, etc.  Also known as an engraved plate.  These small plaques commemorate a special project, name an artist, explain an artifact, etc.

Plaque:  A larger engraved wall plaque that is a type of recognition award.  Wall plaques are most often made of wood (but can also be made of glass and acrylic, a plastic polymer) and contain a special customized message inscribed on the plaque.  The text and often times organization logo is either etched directly into the wood or on another medium, such as a brass or aluminum plate, which is then attached to the wood.  This is a traditional corporate recognition award that can be hung on a wall and admired for years to come.

An example of a perpetual wall plaque with a header plate and smaller plates for names.

Perpetual Plaque:  Another type of wall plaque, this plaque contains a larger plate at the top (called a Header Plate) which lists the name of the award and often times organization name.  Below are smaller individual plates, often times called perpetual plates, that can list winner's names and dates.  This award is perpetual, meaning that you can add to it over time.  It makes a great way to showcase your businesses "employee of the month" winners, for example.

To see all plaques at Trophies2Go, view our Plaque category, including engraved plates, wall plaques, and perpetual plaques.

Cheers!

Jessica

Less than a week until the biggest football day of the year - SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! Want to enjoy the game, the ads, and the half-time show with friends and family? Then throw a party with a contest!

Football and competition go hand-in-hand and a Superbowl party is the perfect opportunity to share football, food, drinks, and a little friendly competition.

Superbowl Sunday Competitions

Cheering the Hawks on to victory!

Football Pool.  Have party attendees buy squares and then assign numbers to the squares for the score after each of the quarters and the end of the game.

Prop Bet.  Who will win the coin toss?  Which team will score first?  Will Gronk do an end-zone dance?  These are all fun things you can bet on that only require luck!

Chili Cook-off. Have your family and friends bring their chili in a crock pot for blind tasting. Read my past blog on how to host a chili cook off. Don't forget the prizes, such as chili medals, blue ribbons and chili cookoff trophies for your winners!

Fantasy Football Awards.  Superbowl Sunday is the perfect day to award you fantasy football league winner and haze your league loser. Bring your perpetual fantasy football trophy to pass to the champ and an engraved toilet trophy for the league loser.

Other Ideas to Make the Game Festive

A sweet stadium made of snacks, get the idea on Pinterest!

Cute Decorations.  Decorate in your favorite team's colors and include one of our Championship Trophies, that looks like a Lombardi trophy, for your table centerpiece. This could go home with the big winner of your Football Pool.

Snacks: Chips and salsa, guacamole, nachos, cheese or bean dip, garlic bread, and cornbread all go great with chili. Cut up veggies with ranch or even a salad balance out the other junk so at least your guests get a little something healthy.  Check out our Pinterest page for great game day snack ideas!

Dessert: I personally like cookies, brownies, cupcakes - things you can eat with your hands, to keep dishes at a minimum.

For someone who blows up the game, award our popular bomb trophy!

Drinks: Beer, lots of it. Conserve fridge space and have a cooler with ice for the beer.

Awards:  To add some laughs at the party, I’d recommend one of our funnier trophies. Two of my favorites are The Golden Throne and The Bomb Trophy .

The Superbowl is a great excuse to get together with family and friends, and hosting a competition is sure to bring an unique twist to your party. But no matter what, Superbowl Sunday is all about hanging out with family and friends and enjoying the best commercials of the year!

Cheers,
Jessica

With the New Year comes new resolutions, and for many people that means trying to lose weight.  Really the underlying goal is to be healthy, with a balanced lifestyle of eating right and exercising, in order to live longer and feel better!

Since a majority of your waking hours are spent at work, your office can be a help or a hindrance to this goal.  Holiday treats, donuts, birthdays can all derail your dieting efforts.  Instead of an obstacle for reaching your goals, make work a positive, supportive environment for healthy living with friendly competition!  Same with friends...happy hour can decimate a diet.  Establish an weight loss challenge, either at your office or with your family & friends, to motivate not only you but also those around you to break bad habits, lose weight, and live healthier!

How do you set up a challenge?

One great resource is Livestrong's How to Create an Office Weight Loss Challenge.  Some pointers are also below:

1. Set up the parameters.  Set a point person to be in charge of all metrics, yet who won't share the data or judge.  Establish the time frame for how long the competition will last and the weigh-in dates.

Up the stakes for your weight loss challenge with cash prizes and a Biggest Loser Trophy for the winner!

2. Invite participants.  If at the office, advertise around the water cooler, in the gym, at the vending machines.  If doing with friends, send an Evite, Facebook group, or Fitbit group to get everyone motivated.

3. Set the rules.  Usually you measure by percentage weight lost, number of workouts, etc, not pounds lost. You may also want to include no-nos, like diet pills, laxatives, skipping meals, anything that can sabotage your health.

4. Keep up the Motivation.  Create a Pinterest page, Google drive, Facebook group, Snapchat feed or some other shared online location for posting healthy recipes, workout tips, and inspirational messages. Encourage one another to keep going!

5. Reward the winners!  Consider a weight loss trophy to your "Biggest Loser", along with prizes along the way during the challenge.   If you have members buy into the challenge, then you can award prize money along with your award. Consider our "Biggest Loser" scale trophy for your winner!

Best of luck keeping those resolutions and Happy 2018!

Cheers,

Jessica

Mika and I presented Linda with her customer of the year award today!

Today's blog is to celebrate a very special customer, Linda Trinh from Sprint!  Our staff nominated and votes her as our 2017 "Customer of the Year!"

Linda is an Executive Admin for three of Sprint's top executives.  She is a busy gal and well liked by her colleagues!

Our staff loves working with Linda, as she is friendly, positive, and easy to work with.  She was a frequent customer at our Issaquah showroom for many years.

Since we have closed our showroom, Linda says this hasn't impacted her working with us, as ordering from us is as easy as ever.  She just emails us what she would like and we take care of the rest!  She said that she loves working with Mika and Janice on her orders.

And the feeling is mutual!  Here's what our staff says about working with Linda:

Mike says, "Linda is always sweet, understanding and accommodating".

Our 2017 'Customer of the Year', Linda T. from Sprint!

Mika says, "I especially like that Linda kept us as her go-to when she changed jobs from Verizon to Sprint.  Her usual jobs are easy because it’s usually the same thing, but once or twice a year she needs to place a big order and she’s very receptive to suggestions and advise from us.  She is really appreciative of the work we do".

Today we presented Linda with the Trophies2Go Customer of the Year Award at her office in Bellevue, WA.  Thank you Linda and all of our awesome customers for your business!  We appreciate you trusting us with your recognition needs.

Cheers!

Jessica