How to Find the Perfect Recognition Award

"Fun, joy and sharing go hand-in glove with world class quality."- Tom Peters.

If this quote rings true to you and you are a person in a position to recognize others for a job well then read on. There are few things that are as satisfying as recognizing the accomplishments of others and like many other tasks the job of recognition, although it may sound easy, requires good preparation in order to done effectively.

We might first begin with understanding what recognition is. The following list provides examples of different forms of recognition:

* Public or private written comments via e-mail, letter, certificate, etc. * A trophy or plaque or other type of award. * Party thrown in the recipient's honor, or for an entire group that has done a great job * A reserved parking space for a week * Annual recognition breakfast saluting individual and team accomplishments, eg training or certification, project completions, process improvements, etc.

For the purposes of this article, we'll assume that a decision has been made to present an award to individual or group of individuals for a job well done. Now you must find the item which will carry the message that you will want added to convey the appreciation of you, your company, or organization. This probably sounds a little easier than it is, after all if you were making a selection for yourself at least you know your own taste, but here you need to consider not only the recipient of the award, but the company or organization that is providing it. Well here is the good news, today more than ever, there exists a very wide range of awards for you to present, as well as for every taste and budget. So where to begin?

Budget

Probably the best starting point is to decide how much you will have to spend on each award. This approach will allow you to narrow your focus as you try to select from the many types of awards that are available. Keep in mind as you are shopping, that some awards are priced to include the message you will create and for others this will be an additional cost that in some cases may exceed the cost of the award itself. This will vary by award type and retailer, and should be made clear by the retailer. If it's not, be sure to ask before making your selection.

Type of Award

Awards can take many forms, in fact just about any gift imaginable can effectively turned into an "award", but for purposes of this discussion we will focus on traditional awards. That means plaques, trophies, desk accessories, etc., that are designed specifically to allow the addition of a message that you create and the awards retailer will add to the item.

* Plaques - In their most traditional form, a plaque consists of a rectangular shape piece of wood, ususally solid walnut, with a solid brass engraving plate attached to the front. The wood plaque will have various types of edge profiles and the plate may have various types of decorative borders to add style and variety. Usually a plaque will be available in several different sizes ranging from 5" x 7" all the way up to 10" x 13" and larger. This is for a couple of reasons - to address various budgets and, to allow a visual way to communicate importance (bigger=better). As with most consumer products, the number of designs and choices have become almost overwhelming in recent years. The most notable development has been the popularity of "piano finish" woods where the plaque is finish with multiple coats of varnish that are then buffed to a high gloss shine. The wood can be stained to a walnut or rosewood finish, or painted a gloss black. This type of plaque will create a contemporary look that has become very popular. The brass engraving plates have not been forgotten when it comes to adding style and variations. Today's plates have an almost unlimited number of painted designs coating them. When the plate is engraved, the paint is removed and the underlying brass comes shining through. Another traditional plaque variation is to add a clock face to the plaque. Thereby adding value and usefulness to the award. Today's plaques range in price from about $40 to $200 ea. plus the cost of engraving. Less expensive plaques that substitute faux materials for real wood and brass can usually be found at a discount. * Acrylic - As if the number of plaque styles available to choose from is not enough, an entirely new type of award has been on the scene for a while now. These are awards that are made from acrylic and formed into an almost unlimited array of shapes, sizes and colors. These awards are also sometimes painted on one side and the design can be then seen from the other side. When acrylic is engraved, the letters or art being engraved take on a frosted look. To the untrained eye, the appearance is the same as etched glass. In fact, two awards of the same design placed side by side, one made of crystal and the other acrylic, are very difficult to tell apart until you pick each one up - the crystal will be noticably heavier. The addition of brass and or wood to the acrylic design allows for even more variation. Unlike plaques which are usually designed to hang on the wall, the acrylic award was designed with the modern cubical based work place in mind and are therefore ususally designed to sit on a table top. Acrylic awards typically range in price from $30 to $85 each plus the cost of engraving. * Crystal and Marble - Like their acrylic cousins, these awards are usually designed to sit on a table top, in this case for practical reasons - they are heavy! Awards made from crystal and marble are the media called on most often when you want to communicate that the recipient has accomplished something extra special. One look at these awards and the feeling of quality comes shining through. Most often crystal and marble awards are engraved via a sandblasting technique that literally carves your letters and logo deep into the surface, a difference you can see and feel. Although the average price of these awards is a little higher than other alternatives, there is a secret that may make them more affordable than you might think. In recent years, most manufacturers of these awards have removed the sandblasting setup charges that created a "barrier to entry". Additionally, most of these awards are priced to include the cost of the engraving. So be sure to look closely at your final engraved price when shopping, you may find that these awards are more in touch with your budget than you would think. Crystal and Marble awards range widely in price, typically between $50 and $300 ea. including engraving. * Desk Clocks - These are awards that blurr the boundries between awards and gifts. A desk clock award will involve a very attactive desk clock that has been specially designed to hold a brass engraving plate. Typically the engraving plate will be quite a bit smaller than a traditional wood plaque would hold so as not to be so conspicuous. Wood, crystal, brass, and aluminum are all popular materials in desk clock designs and often more than one of the above are used. Styles to suit all tastes are available - traditional, comtemporary, masculine, feminine and more. Desk clocks usually range in price from $20 to $100.

Selection

With so many choices you can see it should not be hard to find an award that conveys the right combination of feeling, style, and accomplishment. When you have finished adding your personal message you will have created a one of a kind masterpiece that will treasured by the proud recipient for years to come. Watch for the next article from this same author with advice on how to create the right message to be engraved in the near future.

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