Organising an award ceremony, whether for professional achievements, sporting accolades, artistic and musical performances or charity work can require a great deal of effort to make sure they are a success. Engraved awards are a great way to celebrate and recognise a person’s accomplishments and the feel good factor for all parties concerned can be hugely rewarding.
The budget
How much money there is to spend will generally determine the type of ceremony that will be possible. A full red carpet evening will obviously take a very generous budget, but not all award ceremonies need to follow this pattern, it is quite possible to have a very successful evening held in the local community centre or village hall, even a summer BBQ can be a fantastic event for presenting engraved awards and trophies. Staff canteens, sports clubs or the back room of a local pub can, with a little imagination, be great venues too when the budget is limited. Money is also a big deciding factor on other things such as refreshments, decorations and the number of guests, but a small budget should not affect the reason behind the award ceremony, which is the most important factor of all.
Location, location, location
Choosing the right venue for the available budget also requires other factors to be taken into consideration. How many guests will be attending? Are there catering facilities? Is there a stage or podium? These are just a few of the questions that need to be addressed. If refreshments are to be served then the catering facilities need to be checked. Too large a room with just a few guests will look empty; on the other hand a small venue will limit the amount of guests. An acceptable venue may need to have enough tables and chairs, electrical points, or even an overhead projector and presentation facilities. Parking arrangements and local transport will have to be considered, especially if guests are arriving from quite a distance away. Getting the venue right is probably the most crucial part of organising an award ceremony, ensuring that everyone has an enjoyable time.
Who to invite
The budget is set, the location has been chosen, and all that is needed is a guest list. First and foremost are the recipients, and hopefully their partners. The rest of the guest list will usually include other members of the winning team, colleagues, co-charity workers and volunteers, club and society members. Family and friends may be invited if the size of the venue and budget allows. There may also be a key speaker or special guests invited to present one or all of the awards. It is quite possible for a sports person, for example, to be presented with an engraved award straight after a match or game, therefore an audience of spectators will be present for the ceremony, though maybe not to the celebration afterward! Whoever attends, the event should be upbeat and full of memorable and entertaining moments, while at the same time reminding participants of the reasons that the engraved awards are being presented.
