The excitement surrounding sporting events such as little league tournaments and cheerleading competitions concerns not only the action but also the resulting awards ceremony. Watching athletes receive recognition for their work on the field stirs the hearts of practically everyone in attendance, especially proud parents and coaches. If you are organizing a huge sporting event, here’s how to determine your medal and trophy budget in time to set up an order.
How to Budget Awards for an Upcoming Sporting Event
1. Review Turnout Records From Previous Years
Go over athlete counts from your event’s previous years to get a working idea of how many people may compete. Do this as early as possible, such as six months before the event date. If the numbers are uneven, or you anticipate a bigger turnout, create an early, ironclad registration deadline that gives you plenty of time to place medal and trophy orders. Rush orders are always more expensive and risk mistakes you probably cannot correct before the event occurs.
2. Choose Awards Based on Placement
Create a list of your event’s final competitions that result in award ceremonies. There is generally no need to provide trophies or medals for qualifying event rounds. Also, consider how many people will place at each final event—do you want to give awards to the top 10 competitors, or only the top three or four? Remember that medals cost less to produce than trophies if you would like more competitors to place.
3. Consider Customization Options
Keep custom options in mind only if you will distribute participation awards to entire teams since there is no way to predict who will win. Engraved plaques with the name of each player, for example, provide lasting mementos.
4. Compare Expectations With Your Current Budget
Adjust your awards order based on what your budget allows, such as reducing a trophy order for the top 10 players to the top five. You can also designate trophies for the top three or four players and distribute medals or plaques to the players rounding out the top 10 since the latter options are the most affordable. A few careful adjustments make it possible to recognize more players for their achievements.