5 Great Benefits of Giving Out Custom Medals

As an event director, nothing compares to the satisfaction you feel when participants cross the finish line, reach a goal, or make the podium. Custom medals and awards that acknowledge their accomplishment make your event memorable and will be cherished forever.

For example, completing a 5K could be the pinnacle of their 2-year weight loss journey. Perhaps they ran to raise money for a charity or in memory of a loved one. No matter the meaning and inspiration behind each runner, a custom event medal can elevate their experience beyond measure. 

Finisher medals are a prized possession and physical reminder of achievement. Custom ribbons for medals can also be effective marketing tools that promote your event and help increase brand awareness. 

Unique custom medals may be one of the most memorable and defining aspects of your event. Check out these five great benefits of giving out custom medals.

1. Makes Your Event Stand Out

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

For instance, two hockey tournaments give out awards: one gives out a simple stock medal, and the other gives out a one-of-a-kind custom medal; which tournament will they rave about and choose? Most people will factor the quality of the awards into their decision on which event to register for, so make sure your medals are the ones that stand out.

"I had a youth roller hockey participant show me his medal for having won a State Championship for ice hockey (in theory, a much larger accolade), and it was not even close to what we award [from Maxwell Medals & Awards] at multiple qualifying events in our series. That sort of quality goes a long way with participant's desire to participate and treat your events with the respect they deserve."

- Nick Boyarsky, President - Inline Hockey Association of Arizona (IHAAZ Hockey)

2. Increases Name Recognition

Participants take pride in their achievements and the medals they receive, which they often want to showcase. Most events have social communities that share information, both in person and online.

These communities engage in conversations with one another and will talk about the quality of the medals and awards. The more impressive your custom medal is, the more likely they will brag about it, bringing free recognition to your event. 

Unique custom medals help generate buzz, boost positive name recognition, and attract participants.

“Medals are expected now as athletes are making their event choices. In some cases, it can mean the difference between someone signing up for your race or not… We know that our fans/followers anxiously await the medal reveal. Therefore, we strategically release (and promote) the medals during the registration/recruitment period. These social posts receive higher social engagement compared to other types of content.”

-Natalie Casey, Vice President, Communications - Track Shack Events

3. Boosts the Professional Image of Your Event

You don’t have to organize the New York City Marathon to give participants an NYC Marathon experience. One of the best ways to give a high quality event experience is with beautifully designed custom medals and awards.

Whether you're organizing an event that's still in its early years or has been around for decades, a quality custom award can go a long way. Creating custom awards makes your event fun and unique while adding a sense of professionalism that elevates the status of your event.

“At our National Tournament, the stage set up is glorious - several long tables filled with stacks of bronze, silver, and gold medals with red, white, and blue custom ribbons; flying eagles for Spirit Awards; glass plaques to recognize coaches; and, of course, the gleaming trophies to signify team success. The quality of the Maxwell Medals products, along with their fantastic customer service, adds value to what we do at Science Olympiad.”

- Jenny Kopach, CEO, SVP Marketing Communications - Science Olympiad, Inc.

4. Create A Cherished Keepsake

If your custom medal is captivating, some participants will seek it out and collect it like coins, stamps, or baseball cards. Die cast medals are the most popular type of custom medals. They can be made with simple or complex designs and incorporate advanced features like 3D sculpting, cityscapes, portraits, multiple levels, cut-outs, moving parts, and amazing color options.

With unique medals, the award ceremony and your event as a whole become an especially memorable time. Your participants will love adding such an amazing custom medal to their collection that they’ll display and cherish for years to come.

“For more than 32 years, the Firefighter Challenge has been presenting our firefighter athletes with unique medal designs as a means of providing them with a very special keepsake piece. Using the medal, we can integrate, when requested, landmarks in the hosting community of our event. Using the lanyard, we can provide our main event sponsors with recognition.”

- Russell A. Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, First Responder Institute

5. Attracts Media Attention

Throughout your event—before, during, and after—expect organic buzz on social media as attendees, participants, and the local community share their experiences.

Hosting an awards ceremony, where these unique medals take center stage, can also increase the likelihood of gaining media recognition and exposure from local or regional news outlets.

Simply stated: stunning medals get noticed! Positive feedback on custom awards equals positive feedback and promotion of your event.

“Our medals are coveted by runners. One of the most asked questions, as we open registration (a year out), is, "What do the medals look like?" On race day, we are asked about our upcoming medals... There are two running magazines in our area that have stated, “The Peace Officer Memorial Run has the best finisher medals in the San Joaquin Valley." ”

- Ed Edngail, CFO - Police Officer Memorial Run

Maximize These Benefits With Maxwell Medals & Awards

With over 45 years of experience, the experts at Maxwell Medals & Awards know how to design and create custom medals that support these benefits. We specialize in designing and manufacturing unique, high-quality awards that impress recipients and make your event stand out. 

Ready to make your event unforgettable with amazing custom medals? Contact us to get started.