5 Great Benefits of Giving Out Custom Medals at Your Event

As an event director, the satisfaction you feel when your participants receive their medals and awards is inspiring.

It's possible that completing a 5K was the pinnacle of their 2-year weight loss journey. Or, perhaps they ran to raise money for a charity or in memory of a loved one. Finisher medals are a prized possession and physical reminder of achievement. A great custom medal can also be an effective marketing tool that helps promote your event.

In fact, high-quality custom medals may be one of the most memorable and defining aspects of your event. Check out these 5 great benefits of giving out custom medals at your event:

1. Your Event Stands Out Among the Others

The medals you hand out are one of the best marketing tools you have at your disposal. Creating a beautiful, custom-designed award that looks sharp and wows your participants helps them establish a connection with your event and prompts them to come back to earn more unique medals.

For instance, if the martial arts tournament they participated in last month awarded winners with a simple award ribbon and you're rewarding participants at your event with an ornate, two-tone custom medal they've never seen before, guess which award they're going to want to show off and which tournament they are going to come back to?

2. Increases Name Recognition

This goes hand in hand with point number 1. When participants are proud of their achievement (and the medal they received), they want to show it off. Most events are social, and there are communities of runners, swimmers, and martial artists – whatever your event might be – and they do talk to each other. The better your medal, the more likely new people will hear about your event and want to participate so they can get one too.

3. Adds Professionalism

You don't have to be organizing the New York City Marathon to give your runners an NYC Marathon experience. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through your medal.

Whether you're organizing an event that's still in its early years or something that's been around for decades, providing a quality custom medal that is unique and sophisticated adds a sense of professionalism that elevates the status of your event and impresses your participants.

4. Becomes a Collectable Keepsake

This one is simple: if your medal is captivating, some participants will seek them out and collect them like coins, stamps, or baseball cards. If your medal is too simple, boring, and looks like many other medals out there, do you really think those people will be making a point of participating in your event?

5. Gets Media Exposure and Recognition

Finally, and this ties back to marketing, there's a good chance your event will be covered in local or regional news and across social media. The medals and awards are sure to be highlighted, especially if there's an awards ceremony.

Needless to say, stunning medals get noticed! Positive feedback on your awards equals positive feedback on your event.

The Amazing Benefits of Custom Medals

A common goal of many event directors is to increase registrations and attract sponsors, and offering custom medals is one of the most effective ways to accomplish both.

Ultimately, these five benefits of custom medals help drive registrations for your event. Not only does that mean more revenue, but also more brand exposure for sponsors.

If you want to award participants with an incredible custom medal at your event, check out our experts' absolute best design advice in this FREE Guide.