What 99% of Event Planners Get Wrong About Medals

Event planners love medals, and it’s not hard to see why. After all, not only do they help to elevate the participant’s experience, but they also extend the impact of the event and promote your brand. Medals that earn pride of place on the recipient’s wall ensure that the event is remembered well after it’s finished — in some cases, even years.

With that said, it would be wrong to say that every type of medal has such a positive impact. Low quality medals, which can cheapen the feel of the event and are usually quickly discarded, have the opposite effect.

In this post, we’ll run through a bunch of things that most event planners get wrong about medals, as well as offer some tips to ensure you don’t make the same mistakes.

Buying Blank Stock Medals

Many event planners believe that buying blank stock medals is an easy way to keep costs down while still enjoying the benefits that can come from handing out medals. But this is incorrect on two fronts. First, while blank stock medals do make an impression, they won’t make a good impression. It’s arguably better to avoid handing out medals altogether rather than giving a medal that looks and feels cheap.

Second, custom medals are actually much more affordable than many event planners think. At The Medal Factory, our custom-made medals are often cheaper than buying stock designs, and we even offer a free design service that minimises the costs even further.

Ignoring Branding Opportunities

Medals do more than put a smile on the recipient’s face. They can also function as an excellent marketing strategy. Adding branding to your medals is an easy, effective way to get some free advertising. After all, a quality medal will take pride of place in the recipient’s home, and may also be posted on their social media. Medals can also be a conversation starter — if the brand’s name is clearly displayed, every conversation will result in one more person knowing about the brand.

Assuming All Medal Suppliers Are The Same

There are bad medal suppliers, good medal suppliers, and great medal suppliers. By working with the best, you can ensure that every stage of the process runs as smoothly as possible. In contrast, buying from an inexperienced medal company may result in unforeseen issues such as low quality medal materials, poor customisation, and longer-than-expected shipping. In some cases, companies outsource the medal production task to another company, leaving you in the dark if something goes wrong.

At The Medal Factory, we bring our vast level of experience to all our custom medal jobs. The result? A superior, visually appealing medal that makes a great impression.

Choosing Generic Designs

Why choose a generic design when you can do things your own way? Generic designs nearly always fail to make a lasting impression, and they can even work against the event, making it look cheap.

Custom medals, on the other hand, feel unique and special — and that’s exactly the kind of image you want your event to convey. Don’t have any design experience? Don’t worry. At The Medal Factory, we offer a free design service that can help turn a straightforward idea into a world-class medal that demands attention. Simply upload your logo or even a sketch of your idea when requesting your free quote and we'll put together a free virtual artwork mockup, before any payment is required.

Thinking Custom Medals Are a Drawn Out Process

Even event planners who understand the value of custom medals can sometimes opt for generic medals purely because they believe custom medals have significant lead times. That might be true for some medal suppliers, but that’s not the case here at The Medal Factory. We offer rapid turnaround times to make sure you get your medals fast.

We’re always happy to work hard to help event planners meet their deadlines, ensuring that you get quality custom medals as quickly as possible.

Believing They Have To Order Hundreds

Think that you’ll need to order hundreds of medals to give them the custom treatment? Think again. At The Medal Factory, we want as many people as possible to enjoy our affordable, quality custom medals. The minimum order for our medals starts at just 25 medals, ensuring that you can get medals that make a lasting impression even if you’re hosting a small event.

Forgetting About The Ribbon

The medal is the star of the show, but the ribbon plays an important supporting role. Low-quality ribbons can cheapen the whole package, dampening the overall impact of the medal. At The Medal Factory, we make sure that our ribbons are made from quality materials that are comfortable and made to last.

Have a special idea for the ribbon? We can provide custom ribbons that can help take your medals to the next level. Get in touch to learn more about the colours, materials, and printing options we offer.

Failing to Match the Theme of the Event

A medal may be great, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the right option for the event. The best medals are the ones that are in line with the overall feel of the event. They should be thematically in line.

If you’re planning a fun Halloween race, then a standard, more serious medal wouldn’t be appropriate. A dash of fun would make more sense. On the other hand, handing out colourful medals aimed at a teen audience wouldn’t be appropriate for honouring someone for more serious endeavours. If you need any help choosing the right material type and design for your medal, get in touch — we’re always happy to help our customers get the perfect medal for their needs.

Overlooking The Recipient’s Experience

Some event planners assume that simply handing out a medal ticks the box — but there’s much more to it than that. The real value lies in creating a memorable experience for the recipient. The best medals are the ones people are proud to receive, display, and talk about — the kind that turn a good event into a lasting memory.

At The Medal Factory, we make it easy to deliver that kind of impact. We offer 100% custom medals in a wide range of materials, with free artwork design, fast turnaround times, and a price beat guarantee. Whether you need a small batch or a large order, we’ll help you create standout medals that leave a lasting impression — without blowing your budget.