Presenting Cups as a Symbol of Accomplishment

It’s hard to accurately pinpoint when cups became trophies.  Perhaps one of the most famous cups is the modern day “Loving Cup” of England; which is not so much an award as it is a symbol of love and brotherhood.  The history of the Loving Cup dates back to the middle ages, whereas at that time it was filled with spiced wine and passed around banquet tables, weddings and other feasts for all to drink from.  It is seen to be a charming and charismatic feature of English folklore that symbolizes trust and friendship between all those involved.

It would appear that the life sustaining value of the cup has created a symbol we can all identify with.  The power of the cup makes it the perfect candidate for an icon presented to someone in recognition of their achievement.  Since the first early cups created from mud, wood or stone people have been sharing the contents within as a gesture of togetherness and unity.  From the nobility of Kings on down to the bondage of slaves, when someone passes you a cup it’s almost always an offer of friendship.  So, it’s no wonder cups have made it into the world of awards, trophies and recognition.

One of the most famous cup trophies is the NHL’s Stanley Cup; it’s also one of the earliest to be awarded.  The Stanley Cup is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America.  Donated in 1892 by then Governor General of Canada, Frederick Walter Stanley, and Lord Stanley of Preston.  The cup was awarded to the top hockey team of Canada and continues to be the highest honor in the arena of ice hockey to this day.

Other notable cup trophies include the African Nation’s Cup, the FIFA World Cup, the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the Cricket World Cup, the America’s Cup and the PGA Ryder Cup.  Of particular interest is the fact that most of these previously mentioned awards are team awards, it seems the original gesture of passing the cup from person to person has evolved into a symbol of team achievement.

However the cup trophy is awarded, it’s important to remember the spirit of accomplishment.  Nobody cares more about recognizing success and achievement than Trophies2Go, America’s source for awards!

Trophies2Go began in 2000 with the vision of using state-of-the-art technology to provide exceptional awards and recognition products to customers around the world. And yes, we do have cup trophies such as the symbol that has been passed down for many generations.  Trophies2Go is committed to providing the highest quality products, the best selection, expert engraving, competitive prices, and outstanding customer service.  We specialize in Sports Awards, Corporate Awards, Recognition Awards, Retirement Awards, Corporate Gifts, Plaques, Ribbons and so much more!  We offer an incredible selection of awards and cups in crystal, glass, acrylic, wood, marble, 24 karat gold and an assortment of creative materials.

Visit www.trophies2go.com or call             1-877-926-4700       for all your recognition needs.

Running a trophy shop for 15+ years, I think I have heard it all from my customers.  One of my favorite sayings (that of course comes from males ranging in age from 45-50) is, “when I was a kid, they didn’t give trophies just for showing up…you needed to win something to get a trophy.” That phrase is one of my motivations for what I do.

Just think of what the world would look like if 35 years ago that kid did get some recognition.  He wouldn’t be walking around the rest of his life feeling like he was trying to make up for not winning that championship game.  Large truck sales (the under-recognized man’s self given trophy) would be half of what they are.  Station wagon sales would be through the roof and it would also be OK to wear a pink polo on your golf outing.

What if that same guy was given some verbal or tangible recognition at his first job?  Maybe he wouldn’t have to prove his worthiness by working 60+ hours and making a gazillion dollars.  At least he can now afford to spend $5-10 on aparticipation trophy for his child and give them a token of recognition that he wished he got from his folks.

In all seriousness, what is the harm?  A trophy (or plaque, acrylic award, or crystal award) is a symbol.  It is a symbol of recognition, of accomplishment, of appreciation, of thanks, of completion…of success.  You can spend $5 or$500 with me for that symbol.  You can also spend nothing by telling them in your own words, in an email or by printing out a certificate.  Any of the above is great with me as it makes others feel good about what they have done.  That appreciation and recognition is what I am about and is what drives me.

I am proud to have myself and staff focused on providing your child or co-worker the recognition they deserve.

Our company is about providing meaningful recognition. Often I am faced with the question of “what EXACTLY IS meaningful recognition.” For me, it is the expression of a heartfelt acknowledgement of what someone else has done. While we can only scratch the surface of telling the countless stories that define the term, I am going to start a series of posts that begin to shed light on the importance of meaningful recognition. I welcome your thoughts and feedback in this section. While I attempt to focus on a few of the stories I see, please feel free to share your stories as well.

“The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself…and a Crappy Emcee”

It’s fairly safe to say that presenting an award isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Not everyone has the poise, audacity and spirit to get up in front of an enormous crowd of strangers, fellow colleagues/peers and distribute a speech that is reminiscent to the likes of JFK, LBJ or even Bill Cosby (in his prime that is). Presenting an award takes preparation, know-how, a little bit of natural talent – but most importantly – it takes someone who knows the recipient! It is amazing and dreadfully unfortunate how often this is NOT the case.

How many times at your monthly company luncheons has the CEO went up on stage and butchered the name, background and livelihood of the person he or she is presenting? We see and hear about this occurrence all the time and it’s the unfortunate plight of most business functions. People want and deserve a little recognition with information that is accurate and honest – not some churched up, willywack regurgitation that comes from everywhere but the heart.

At your next award ceremony at quarter’s end, do the right thing, and assemble a cast of presenters who come in contact with the recipient on a regular basis. How about a direct supervisor who sees the work ethic that’s displayed, knows the recipient’s family and friends and understands what exactly his or her job entails? Better yet, how about someone underneath the person receiving the award?

Whoever said that presenters need to be high and mighty and on the upper echelon of the company food chain? Wouldn’t it be better if someone presents an award to a superior or supervisor who best understands the mandatory functions that are being displayed and performed on a day-to-day basis? Morale is crucial at these awards functions and with a variety of people from numerous areas on the company hierarchy; the process just seems to flow a bit smoother.

Let’s face it, sometimes people cringe when the CEO gets up on stage, if they don’t know the individual’s performance on an intimate basis, no matter what circumstances surround the situation. This year, mix it up a little bit and let the “common folk” get in on the action. They may not be the next John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King – but at least they will have first-hand knowledge of the person who deserves the awesome crystal award, acrylic award or plaque (of course provided by Trophies2go.com)!

“Keep It Smooth and Simple”

Why does Dick Clark count down to the New Year every year in Times Square? Aside from the fact that people come to expect it, there are many reasons why he has become the legendary “ball dropper” to ring in the New Year. He is recognizable, witty, intelligent, entertaining, carries poise and charm, is good at interviewing and “off-the-cuff” rhetorical questions, and is good looking at any age. But this article is not about Dick Clark.

Trophies2Go admires Dick Clark as one of the great Master of Ceremonies ever; making a ceremony a success from the Miss America pageant to the Emmys. Without the right guy (or lady) as the Awards Presenter or Master of Ceremonies, many a “shindig” goes down in history as a disaster for reasons that are fairly easy to detect. Amateur presenters sometimes cause audience members to be bored to tears and dreading the next ceremony they have to attend. Reasons that these ceremonies are calamities go back to 5 qualities of a good Awards Presenter.

1- Personality: Nobody likes listening to a dull, boring and spiritless speaker. Hire someone who has been in front of the pulpit before and displays a bit of charisma. If you yourself would like to become a master of ceremonies, start small, and work yourself up to the level of company elocutionist. Someone who is able to deliver punch lines and witty statements through conversing with the participants; or an awards host that offers stories and jokes that entertain the crowd is ideal.

2- Experience: As mentioned, ceremonies are not events that need to be documented, thoroughly researched and processed. But they do need to be performed by someone who has been to this rodeo before. Company get-togethers require a speaker or person hired who has been in the position previously. First timers are frequently set-up for immediate failure, even if they are higher-ups in the company.

3- Organization: Coaches have game-plans, players have strategies and Presidents (well most of them anyway) have staffers who organize and often write material for them. There’s no need for you to go hire your own in-house speechwriter, but get a plan in place as to how you are going to conduct your ceremony. Is it going to be fairly structured? Is it going to be a ceremony where things are fairly relaxed and light? Whatever it may be, get organized!

4- Speed: The Master of Ceremonies keeps things flowing at a slightly less than rapid pace. Ceremonies sometimes have the stigma of going on and on and on, but by setting the tone early the audience will get a feel for how the whole thing flows and be much more apt to enjoy the events.

5- Accuracy: It shouldn’t have to be said, but unfortunately it does. The Awards Presenter needs to have eloquence, by saying the names right of the people who receive awards. Botched names are embarrassing so the awards presenter must practice and research prior to the event. There’s nothing that will cause credibility to shrivel quicker than getting a few choice names wrong on the docket for the evening’s ceremony.

These tips on choosing the best Master of Ceremonies are brought to you by Trophies2Go.com; your industry leader for trophies, awards and tokens of appreciation for all of your awards presentations!

Excitement is running wild here!  We have just received our shipment of exclusive chili cook-off trophies and added many more great cookoff trophies.

To augment our existing chili cook off trophies, we had made a similar version with a black base as well as a much larger version.  These black base chili cook-off trophies are hot (this one is pictured as a perpetual trophy!  Use our large chili cook-off trophy for you champion!

Our chili cook-off trophy category has many options to choose from including chef trophies, bbq trophies, chicken trophies, pig trophies, cow trophies and more.  Let your imagination run wild and have fun!

If you want to search without viewing medals or plaques, click here for chili and bbq trophies.  We also have a great selection of resin chili trophies and a fantastic Barbeque Smoker Perpetual Trophy, too.

At trophies2go, our awards and trophies come with free engraving and no setup fees.  Issaquah Trophy has a great selection of trophy plaques.

Contrary to popular belief, chili recipes did not originate in Mexico, or even Chile, for that matter. They were in fact, a poor dish made by peasants and thought to be introduced by Spanish sailors. Perhaps. No one really knows, but some preachers in the 18th century claimed that chili was the ‘soup of the devil’.

So how did it evolve to become a now celebrated cooking event that is as much of a sport as – well – ping pong? That is, if you even consider ping pong a sport. It was during the Great Depression that chili parlors began popping up in cities all over the country and was a popular dish in the West. Chili joints became the deciding factor between starving and staying alive. Plus, the crackers were cheap.

For those people who have slaved over the stove and created chili masterpieces for a chili cook-off, this competition is more than just bragging rights. It’s all about winning the annual Chili Cook-Off Award. Sure, some people come just to taste the chili, while others are there to promote their chili brands; but no matter whom you are, watching people like master chefs and everyday people duke it out for the prestigious annual chili cook-off trophy is a delicious sight.

Summer is the typical Chili Cook-off season, where many State Fairs feature this ‘hot’ event as part of the week’s festivities. Many people who enter the competition have created their own recipes, while others have carried on family traditions to these events. Yet, no matter where they come from, there is sure to be some good food there. If you are someone that is in the business of handing out one these prestigious awards, thankfully there is a place to find Chili Cook-off trophies, and that is at Trophies2Go. Known for their high quality trophies and awards, they have all the latest contemporary and original chili cook-off awards, as well as many other strange, yet popular events that you may dream up.

At the next Chili cook-off festival, some lucky person will not only have some good food leftover (or maybe not), but will go home with a fun, high quality award from Trophies2Go.com.

How to Avoid Making a Jerk of Yourself at an Awards Ceremony

It was a night Kayne West will likely never forget.  The night he put his foot in his mouth and choked on it.  Actually, it was more like his whole leg, arm and every extremity.  He stole the thunder away from poor, sweet Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards recently, and no one can forget the shame he brought on to himself as being the most crass celebrity of all time.

Although he did apologize, it just brings to light how footloose these award ceremonies have become in recent years.  We’ve seen parts of Janet Jackson we never expected and trip ups by even the most famous of emcees and award recipients.

Maybe it just goes to show – do people have any idea what to say in their acceptance speeches?  Perhaps not.  Here are things NOT to do:

TOP 5 DON’TS FOR AN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH –

1. Ramble on and on

Do you really need to tell your whole life story, or that of your friends and family who the audience has never seen, heard of or care about?  Keep your speech relevant to the event.

2. Avoid Politics and Religion

A huge no-no is voicing your opinion – whether it is for, or against – a particular candidate, politician, belief, religious view or anything controversial that may be susceptible to criticizing later on.

3. Make the Thank-yous to long

While thanking the little people might be nice, you don’t need to mention every single name.  No, really.

4. Be Unprepared

It can be awkward to stand up there and receive an award, especially for someone who is shy or who has never spoken in front of the public.  While it may seem kind of silly to bring a drawn-out speech planned ahead, there are simple ways to become prepared without needing to do this.  Practicing in front of a mirror is a tried and true way to be prepared without the acceptance speech seeming contrived.

5. Tell a dumb story, or two

Along with this, don’t tell bad or distasteful jokes that may offend a certain race, sex or individual.  Don’t tell long stories that will put people to sleep.  It’s best to think of witty one-liners to add a dash of humor to your acceptance speech.  If you do tell a story, keep it short and significant to the occasion or event for which you are celebrating.

Take it from Kayne West, who already knows what NOT to say at an awards ceremony.  Trophies2go.com has everything you need to plan your next recognition award event!  We specialize in award plaques, crystal trophies, acrylic awards and yes, even Oscar replica awards!

I know, I know…as I am writing this, it baseball season hasn’t even started.  New trophies and awards haven’t been released by the manufacturers.  We are in the baseball off-season.  With that being said, I want to take the opportunity to stress the psychological importance of baseball trophies to kids.

Over the years, I get feedback from customers both for and against giving baseball trophies.  I understand that multi-sport kids start accumulating trophies and the power of recognizing their accomplishments gets diluted over time.  While the collection of trophies becomes important to these kids, the impact of receiving a trophy is felt most by beginners.  Using my two girls as an example, they are not well exposed to team sports.  This year, my youngest daughter will likely play t-ball.  Due to her interest (or lack thereof), this may be her only season of playing baseball.  To celebrate the completion of the year and success in learning a new sport and being a part of the team, it is my hope that she will get a trophy.  Even though some other teammates might have received trophies in previous years, this will be a significant symbol of success for my daughter.  To fast forward a couple of years, some kids don’t start playing baseball until they are 8 or 9.  For these kids, I feel it is imperative for them to get a trophy, even if their teammates might be getting their 4th or 5th trophy.  Because of the sense of pride and long-lasting effect of positive reinforcement, the $8-10 investment is well worth it.

Being an awards company, I would love to take a minute to show you some of thebaseball trophies we have to offer.  Our main baseball trophies section has several categories to choose from including; t-ball trophies, softball trophies, baseball medals, baseball resin trophies, baseball gifts (for coaches), and baseball trophies.  We also have a niche website, cheapbaseballtrophies.com that offers our full line of baseball trophies without displaying other awards products.

Please check out our wide array of products and remember, even if your child has started to accumulate trophies, the true impact is in the importance the parents place on the symbol of recognition.  Give them an extra pat on the back and tell them how good of a job they did in learning, sportsmanship and attendance.  These attributes are a great foundation for the kids to learn for future sports and to help them grow and become vital community members

We are ready for the baseball trophy season!

Recently we added 500+ new awards products and I just wanted to share with you several of my favorite new baseball trophies and softball trophies.

• Here is a great baseball photo frame – great for the coach, but cheap enough for the whole team!  Have each participant sign it for a great baseball coach gift!
• How about a soft spinning softball trophy (or soft spinning baseball trophy)?  Great for something different – think of a nerf-like ball.
• There are many new baseball medals in this section.
• And many new unique resin baseball trophies here.

Not interested in baseball trophies, t-ball trophies or softball trophies?  Check out our extensive selection of other sports trophies as well as our full line of sports trophies and awards.

We are ready and willing to help.  If you see something we don’t carry, please let me know.  Click here if you are looking for cheap baseball trophies and here if you want a trophy or plaques in Bellevue or Seattle.