Awarding Participants & Winners with Unique Recognition Awards

When you achieve something momentous, it deserves to be remembered. Usually the achievement is something memorable, such as the victory of an athlete, the exceptional bravery of a soldier on the battlefield or the contribution of an employee to the company. Such different kinds of achievements cannot be touched physically, which is why it is important to recognize these achievements with something which is physical and which will help to remind people of these victories years later.

As there are many different kinds of achievements and fields, there are also a wide number of ways that people can get awarded for their efforts. While all of these different awards usually achieve a few common goals, such as the commemoration and recognition of a special achievement, helping to motivate the winner for a future victory and also for inspiring others to try and achieve something similar, all of these different kinds of commemoration are different, not just in looks, but in application as well. Some of the more common kinds of recognition awards and their uses and looks follow:

1. Medal: A medal is circular in shape and is made from a specific metal—there are a few different types of metals that are most popular. The medal can also be worn as there is a ribbon or a lanyard attached to the medal itself, which is why they are so often used in sports and the military. When it comes to sports, you will find that there are three different kinds of medals awards are made of: gold, silver and bronze; which are used to denote the first, second and third winner in the sport. This helps to distinguish their level of skill and (of course) their victory. There are many famous medals, such as the Olympic medals, and given that there are so many different kinds of sports, there are many types of medals available.
2. Plaques: A plaque looks like a plate and is made from many different kinds of materials, one of the more popular materials which people use these days for plaques is acrylic. These plaques often carry the name and sometimes the photo of the person who has made the achievement and are mostly used in offices. However, at times, plaques are also used to signify achievements which are made in academic fields as well. The employee or student can place the plaque on their desk and enjoy the continual reminder of their contributions. Plaques can also make for a powerful motivating tool.
3. Trophy: Trophies actually come in many different kinds of shapes, sizes, designs and colors. Most often you will be able to recognize a trophy from the unique design, which is sometimes modeled on a cup or some sort of classic design. The range of looks which a trophy can sport is truly numerous. Compare the Heisman Trophy with the Stanley Cup, both of which are famous trophies, and you will see the huge difference in appearance. Trophies are mostly used in sports and in schools and colleges to mark academic and sport achievements as well.

While these three are the most common forms of recognition rewards you will find that there are many other kinds of awards which are available as well. Some of the other forms which you can find include award pins and badges, and even belts, which are usually given to athletes in combat sports like karate.

If you too are hosting such an event where you need to award someone, you will be able to find shops which can provide cheap medals and trophies by searching online.

In this article, the author has shared his knowledge about trophies, medals, and plaques and the kinds of materials that are used for making the awards.