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How important is employee recognition in your company? How do you motivate your team to focus on the big picture? These are important questions to ask when running a business or being in charge of a small team.

Employee recognition makes a huge difference when it comes to having workers that just get by in their daily tasks or having ones that go above and beyond. When it comes to performance, awards are an opportunity for leaders to reinforce the purpose of the company, which makes employees want to work harder.

Here are four reasons to recognize high-performers at your company with awards:

1. Empower Your Employees

These days, it is hard to find people who have a commitment to solving big problems. When facing challenges, some workers may feel confused by problems, overwhelmed, and stressed.

Rewards can give your workers the confidence required to look for solutions, controlling the situation.

As an exercise, challenge your team members with high-performer objectives. They are opportunities to work for results and add value to the company, which can turn into future compensation in the form of a salary raise or another reward.

You can motivate your workers if you show them that they can achieve anything with their dedication, which allows them to think proactively to solve problems.

2. Rewards Can Make Your Team More Competent And Committed

Social value is one of the most critical factors when motivating people to do anything. How well optimized is the working environment?

When everybody in your team is working, it is much harder for an employee to lack the motivation to perform at the same level. Naturally, the worker will want to outwork other people in his space to get that social recognition.

Of course, competitiveness depends on company culture and values. If your rewards program encourages people to solve problems and work for results, people will focus on those factors.

Whenever you give a reward an employee in public, you will increase that sense of competition that every employee has inside. If you want to get the most out of recognition events, consider setting attainable but challenging goals to keep people engaged.

3. Working Long-Term

When an employee receives a reward, especially if it is an award, they will want to work harder for the company because they are looking to the big picture.

Whenever your company is going through hard times, awards remind employees that they can get over any obstacles. The bigger the reward is, the stronger the motivation will be to repeat that in the future, which leads employees to be more committed to their future projects.

Because of recognition, people feel more inspired to over-deliver at work in both the short and long term.

4. Constant Improvement

The second best way to motivate anybody is to use daily goals where you can constantly measure your progress.

Daily goals and achievements are a reduced version of the employee awards. Luckily, these micro objectives generate enough motivation to make workers accomplish the next day goals. Successful leaders know how to create paths with small goals to lead employees to get a big win in business.

If you are like many business professionals, you are interested in hearing honest feedback from your employees. You know that their true thoughts and feelings about their work, fellow workers, and the company as a whole can have a big impact on productivity.

No doubt you would like to improve the type of feedback you receive from your employees. With everything else on your plate, though, you may wonder where to start.

Not to worry—here are 4 easy things you can do to get the ball rolling today.

4 Ways to Improve Employee Feedback

1.  Establish an open door policy. It is crucial to convey to your employees that they are always welcome to provide feedback. Let them know that even if you seem busy, they should feel free to inquire at any time whether they could have a few minutes to speak with you. Make it clear that this is especially true if they have feedback of an urgent nature or that you may not want to hear, as the feedback that is hardest to deliver is often the most needed.

1.  Listen with your heart. Try to look beyond the actual words. Discern the feelings behind what an employee is telling you. Use open-ended questions, such as: "What happened next? How did that make you feel at the time? How do you feel about it now, after the fact?" When you listen with empathy, your employees will feel safe and will be more likely to provide additional honest feedback in the future.

1.  Follow up on feedback received. While it is crucial to genuinely listen, it is just as important to take action on anything that needs to be addressed. Let your employees know that their concerns matter to you. Assure them that you will look into any issues they report and will take appropriate action. Then keep your word and follow through. Doing so speaks volumes, sending the message that you truly want to receive their feedback.

1.  Take the initiative to solicit feedback. Do not wait for problems to find you. Actively seek feedback by asking for it. If you have already taken the steps listed above, your employees will likely know that you are sincere when you ask for further feedback. You might even consider scheduling a time each week or month to meet with them, letting them know that this time is dedicated to hearing from them.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few of the many things you can do to improve employee feedback. There are many other steps you can take, as well. The important thing is to start right away and adapt as you go along. Rest assured that if you do, your employees will thank you—often times, quite literally.

A timeline of some of the most famous awards created throughout history. Including the NFL's Lombardi Trophy and FIFA's World Cup. As time goes on the glory and the legend of these famous trophies continues to live on in the minds, hearts and dreams of players and fans alike.

Four Important Tips for Closing the Communication Gap between Employees and Managers

One of the most important success factors for any business is efficiency and accuracy in communication. In many businesses, communication problems manifest vertically rather than randomly. It is more common to experience communication barriers between subordinates and their superiors than between employees on the same work level.

When these challenges are present, it becomes difficult for the two parties to achieve the common goals of the organization. While both groups may ultimately be working to achieve the same corporate goals, the operative goals become unsynchronized, threatening the company’s ability to achieve the former. The following tips will help you to identify and close such communication gaps.

Identify the Symptoms

Before attempting to eliminate the perceived gaps in communication, it is necessary to identify the symptoms of such a problem in your organization. The first step involves looking out for some of the commonest signs that the company may be suffering from misalignment.

Companies that have communication problems will exhibit confusion, misaligned priorities, indecisive actions, unclear motives, and overall lack of awareness. Communication gaps normally appear in different ways such as in technology, interpersonal issues, and motivational aspects.

As an illustration, technological gaps that lead to miscommunication are common in organization whose employees have opposing views toward technology. Generation Y employees may easily be drawn to solving problems using technology while, the baby boomers could prefer to do things using the older ways.

When these two groups of employees are working under the same corporate wing, such problems will manifest relatively quickly. The problem will be more pronounced when the hierarchy has theses generational differences. For instance, the workers could be from Generation Y while the managers could be baby boomers who are still unwilling to welcome new technology.

Measure the Gaps in Communication

It is essential to determine the basic characteristics of the communication gaps when attempting to fix this problem. The first step is measuring its size and trend. One way you can do this is by reviewing all the communication that has occurred between the employees and their managers and tallying the number of synchronized communication versus misunderstandings and cross-purposes.

You may also request feedback from the employees and managers without making any attempts that could stifle information as that might lead to less efficiency in the company.

Undertake Resource Assessment

Some causes of miscommunication between employees and their employers can be solved by injecting resources in the right places. For instance, one may easily solve technological gaps by upgrading the available equipment and software.

It is important to identify whether the communication problems are related to acrimonious issues since these cannot be solved using technology. In some cases, the communication problems can be solved by introducing company phones, upgrading the phone software, or fixing the faulty internet signal.

Do not Underestimate the need for Training

One of the reasons why the technological gaps continues to grow everyday between employees is the fast pace at which innovation is happening. Younger employees are quick to pick up the necessary skills and utilize them while older workers are more conservative with their tools.

Every small and midsize company needs a program that runs routine employee workshops where all the workers are exposed to the newest technology especially in regards to communication and efficiency.

Conclusion

Identifying and closing the communication gaps in your organization will streamline most of the company operations. It will improve your organization’s ability to plan and execute key projects.

The first step involves looking out for signs of miscommunication between the workers and the managers from feedback and the communication log. You may then proceed to measure the gap, assess the resources needed and offer the necessary training to workers.

Businesses and companies too often forget about the importance of employee recognition and the effects it can have on employees and job performance. Many businesses think they're saving time and money by skipping out on employee recognition programs, but in the long run, they're actually losing out on time, money, work quality, and employee retention. It's important to take the time to appreciate an employee's hard work in order to better improve the company and business as a whole. Here are five reasons why employee recognition is so important.

Improved Productivity

Implementing employee recognition and reward programs can let them know that the company values their work. Exemplary employees can rest easy knowing their extra effort will not go unappreciated. Through a recognition program, employees will understand what standards they are required to work under and what is considered above average work. Knowing these two keys will improve their productivity and work quality since they will strive to achieve recognition through the program. Companies with no recognition programs will always receive the same lackluster work from their employees since they know that hard work is not being rewarded.

Establishes Teamwork

With an employee recognition program, a sense of teamwork among workers is greatly enhanced. Producing excellent and recognition-worthy work to improve the company and business gives them a sense of unity and need for teamwork. Employees who strive to have their work recognized through the program will also be more willing to help out their co-workers when they need assistance. If there is no recognition program in place, employees will be less willing to help each other out and will adopt an "every man for himself policy" when it comes to workload. Their extra efforts aren't being recognized, so they see no point in assisting their fellow co-workers.

Comfort Within Work Environment

There are a number of ways to show employee recognition and it doesn't have to be necessarily through a program or rewards. It can be through free amenities and services offered in the workplace. If employees have access to these facilities, they will be more comfortable in their work setting. This will help in creating happier employees, which in turn will produce better work. Even through the simple employee recognition program, employees will still find comfort and happiness in the work environment knowing their hard work going appreciated.

Friendly Competition

Implementing a way to recognize your employees can help establish a sense of friendly competition among them. In the bigger picture, this friendly competition serves as a way to see who can produce the best quality work efficiently and consistently. This will perpetuate the quality of work, constantly improving it and the skills of your employees. Be sure to implement the recognition program correctly and let your employees know the standards on which they will be judged upon. Picking an employee at random to be recognized will make them grow bitter towards each other since a lackluster and lazy employee could be recognized over one that goes the extra mile.

High-Quality Employees

It's no secret that the best businesses and companies boast the best and happiest workforce. They also have multiple forms of employee recognition implemented. Employees want to work hard for great companies with excellent employee recognition programs and services. They will compete against other potential employees and produce the highest quality work in order to secure their spot in a great company. Recognition programs will also help your business retain hard working employees since they understand their work is being valued. Workers often leave companies because they feel as if they company doesn't care about them, which makes them feel the same way about the business. They want to move onto better companies.

Want to Boost Employee Morale? Don't Miss These 5 Steps to Energize with Events!

Have you noticed something isn’t quite right in the office? Perhaps morale is down or your employees feel unmotivated by the tasks at hand. Perhaps when you talk to your employees, you hear dissatisfaction, and that is spreading among your teams.

You want to curb employee dissatisfaction and frustration as soon as you can, but it's not always easy to do if you have ignored the problem for too long. That's when it's time to plan an incredible employee appreciation event for your workforce!

If you want to boost productivity and energy all while showing your appreciation for the hard work your employees do every day, then it’s time to intervene and change things up.

What better way to boost employee morale than to plan an unforgettable work event that highlights both your appreciation and the accomplishments of your staff that make your company a success?

Best of all, executing an encouraging, energizing employee event doesn’t take a lot of time or effort, but the pay-off can be huge. Read on to get our top five tips for planning a work event to encourage and celebrate your workforce.

Step 1: Choose an Event Type and Theme

The first step in planning your employee appreciate event is to answer this question: Are there common activities my employees enjoy doing that put them on common ground? Naturally, eating and socializing are two activities that are equalizers, and, in our experience, these ideas are popular because there is a low barrier to entry and they are fun. Who doesn't want to eat free food and build stronger relationships?

In addition, you might think about additional attributes of your workforce. Are they competitive? If so, they might enjoy a Trivia Night, for example.

Here are other options for selecting a unique event type and theme:

• Employee Appreciation Breakfast – Cater a morning meal for your crew.
• Back Porch BBQ – As the boss, fire up the grill at the office and grill employee favorites for lunch.
• Happy Hour – The tab is on the company with this after-work celebration at a favorite local bar.
• Ice Cream Social – Create an ice cream bar with a variety of ice creams and toppings. Invite employees to take a break to socialize and eat a sundae.

The key is to select an event type that will bring your employees together and celebrate them via a kind and thoughtful gesture.

Step 2: Define the Purpose of Your Event

At the end of the party, what are you hoping to get out of it? What do you want your employees to do? How do you want them to feel? This will help determine what you actually do at the event.

For example, here are a few defined outcomes for an employee appreciation party that you may want to consider:

• Employee Recognition – Who are the quiet leaders, the all-star team players, the sales giants, etc. that make your company run smoothly? With this event, make sure you find a way to include and recognize everyone, such as giving out framed certificates or plaques with official achievements and appreciations.
• Boosting Morale – Are your employees feeling overworked and undervalued? If so, you may want to solely throw a great party that reminds them that your company wants to give back to them in a special way.
• Company Achievement – Did your company recently hit a sales goal? Did your organization surpass a fundraising goal? This is your moment to throw an event that recognizes how each person made it possible to get there.

It's possible that your event will have a dual purpose, and you can incorporate this into the flow of your event. It's simply good, however, at the outset, to remind yourself of why you are organizing the event and what you hope to give to your employees or have them take away from it.

Step 3: Decide on the Details

Event details for consideration can be broken down into three categories:

• Budget
• Location
• Activities

First, you'll need to set a budget. The only way to know exactly what you can pull off is to know what you can afford to spend. The budget doesn't matter as much for the amount of money you can spend as it does giving you a limit for spending and planning. You don't want to plan a $100,000 event when all you have available is $1,000.

Be savvy and smart with your budget and you'll be happy and less frustrated with the end result because you don't have to scale back.

Secondly, think about your location. Choose a location that makes it easy for all of your employees to get to – such as an event space at your place of work or close by. This works especially well if your employees commute in to work from other cities. You want to increase the likelihood that your employees will participate in your event by making the location an ideal and convenient one for as many of them as possible.

Of course, be sure to go with a location that fits within – again – your budget. Check into at least three places to get estimates for event space rental and catering. Do a cost/value comparison before deciding.

At the end of the day, however, your office space may be the best spot because it is convenient and a money-saver for your company. You won't have to pay extra for space rental!

Thirdly, consider the kinds of activities that will take place during the event. For example, are you giving out awards at your event? Is your event a team building one in which there are more physical activities? Are you hosting a party where there will be a gift giveaway by your company? In the midst of your activities, how will employees eat and drink? Is there a seated dinner or a snack table? Make sure you are thinking of all of the pieces that need to come together in order to pull off your event.

Step 4: Go into Action

With your plans set and your questions answered, it's time to go into action. You'll need to:

• Name your event.
• Set a date for your event.
• Secure the event space and catering.
• Write, design and send invitations.
• Order flower arrangements
• Order special gifts, certificates or awards.
• Order special swag to give away or any other necessary assets to pull off your event theme.
• Set up a system for measuring success.

It's important to make a list of all the items you'll need to order and to price them ahead of time to make sure they still fit within your budget. Also, factor in enough time to have the items shipped to you. You can't give out awards at an employee recognition dinner if those awards don't come in on time!

Finally, craft a survey as a way to quantify and evaluate the success of your event. This works especially well if you survey your employees in the month leading up to the event. If employees feel more appreciation and job satisfaction after your party via the survey you send them post-event, then you've been successful in meeting your party goals!

Step 5: It's Time to Party

With everything set in place, it's time to show up at your event or party and just have fun with your employees. Everything you've planned culminates into this event -- and it's up to you to be the emcee that cultivates a message of appreciation and pride in your workforce.

It's truly amazing what a few kind words can do to boost employee morale. In fact, research shows that employees are by far more motivated by a boss’s "Great job!" than they are by more money or other incentives. Keep the spirit of this revelation in mind as you plan your employee event and craft the message you will share with them.

At the end of the day, everyone wants to feel valued, included and part of something significant for the greater good. When they don't feel that way, they begin to look elsewhere -- and if you want to keep your staff and reduce employee turnover -- then make sure appreciation, encouragement and public recognition are part of your employee satisfaction strategy for the future!

Now get ready for a great party!

Ready to Start Planning Your Next Workforce Event?

Now you're ready to plan your very own event for your employees. Keep in mind that your employee appreciation event can be as simple or as creative as you want. It really depends on your budget and your sense of what would motivate your employees.

The goal, regardless of what kind of employee event you choose, is to have your employees feeling what can be summed up by the acronym MAUI:

• Motivated to continue working for the company.
• Appreciated for their critical and important work.
• Uniquely celebrated among their peers. Everyone needs to be recognized in some significant way.
• Invested and interested in a future with your company.

Keep this MAUI acronym in mind as you think through your end goals, and keep this quick guide with you as you plan your next employee appreciation event in just five simple steps!

We always appreciate customer feedback, good or bad. It helps us know if we're doing a good job and the areas where we need to improve. When we get a really glowing review, sometimes we like to feature them on Facebook or our other social media channels. Below are just 3 of the latest flattering reviews we've received. 

If you're a customer and would like to give us some online feedback, you can review us on Yelp, Facebook, Google, or send us an email. 

Crystal Awards

Desk Name Blocks

• Engraved plaque awards can be used for recognition, motivation , or a gift 
• Choose from traditional style cove-beveled plaque boards to sophisticated plaque frames and shadow boxes
• These are great for anniversary gifts or for other lifetime achievement awards

Engraved Pens

Employee Recognition Awards

Employee awards show your staff just how much you appreciate their hard work and effort around the office.

Earning awards can make employees strive towards a positive goal and it can improve office morale.

Types of Employee Awards

There isn’t just one type of award your employees can earn. They have the chance to show their commitment in many different ways. 

Some types of common employee awards include:

• Teamwork awards
• Employee of the month
• Sales awards

Glass and Crystal Awards

Glass and crystal awards are impressive and show your employees that their dedication is noticed and appreciated.

Striking glass and crystal awards last for much longer than other types of material and are usually used to craft more prestigious awards. 

Sports Awards

It doesn’t matter whether you use trophies, plaques, or medals, any sports team you support would be honored to have a recognition award for their team spirit and victorious wins!

Recognition awards aren’t just for employees, they can also be used to recognize sports teams as well. 

Acrylic Awards

Acrylic awards make wonderful recognition gifts for business and sales awards. They aren’t quite as expensive as crystal and glass awards, but they are stylish and can be easily engraved with any message you wish. 

Many acrylic awards can also be custom made for any type of occasion.

Custom Made Awards

Custom made awards can be crafted for any special event. 

As an employer, custom made awards show that you really believe receiving the award is a big deal and the employee deserves special recognition, not just a routine pat on the back. 

Custom Name Badges 

For minor awards and office contests, custom name badges and table displays are the perfect gift.

Personalized table displays are also an excellent way to commemorate the number of years an employee has been with the company. It shows that you value your employees like a family and you want to celebrate the time you’ve spent together. 

Academic and Religious Awards

Personalized awards can also be given for academic achievements or for religious ceremonies such as confirmation. 

Contests like spelling bees, art and music concerts, and academic club accomplishments are also suitable occasions to receive a custom award. 

Why Give Awards?

Giving awards of any kind shows appreciation for a job well done. It’s a tangible reminder of hard work and a strong commitment to excellence. Hard work isn’t always appreciated, but when it is, it’s all the more rewarding and satisfying.

• Every situation for reward is a unique one. Not only do the achievements differ, but the people being rewarded do as well.
• A thoughtful approach to what award to give can communicate more praise than even the award itself.
• By knowing what is available, and what is given in a certain situation, you can be sure to maximize the benefit of the reward.

Contemporary Awards

• This award is cut from a mixture of fine clear crystal and black glass and is etched deeply with either a gold or silver accent.
• It is a simple and sleek design which captures the attention of anyone walking by.
• These awards have a lot of room for engraving. This makes it a good choice for special honors being bestowed.

Optical Crystal

• This award is created by sweeping curve lines of optical crystals.
• The design is made by crystal cubes embedded in the award, with a sand etched custom engraving giving it a premium look.
• This is the perfect type of award for saying “Job well done”. 

Crystal Globes

• These awards are stunning and grab the attention of anyone who walks into the room. Great awards for over-the-top achievement.
• The trophy is mouth blown and then cut from crystal by hand. A customized message is then engraved on the base.
• Each globe is slightly unique as the nature of crystal blowing produces stylistic nuances. 

Specialty Awards

• Custom made crystal awards are perfect for garnering the “wow!” effect.
• Using optical crystal, near any design can be achieved. This is particularly good when you are honoring someone in a non-traditional manner.
• There is typically a small set-up fee for new designs.

Engraved Vases

• The fantastic thing about crystal vases is their distinctive shape and unique hand-cut patterns.
• The base is optional when buying these awards and can similarly be engraved with a custom message.
• These are considered elegant awards and are perfect for large presentations.

Goal Setter Awards

• This is an exciting and innovative way of keeping your employees motivated, while also rewarding them for what is being done.
• The award comes with a set of removable “blocks” of crystal which can be added as milestones are reached.
• The award and the blocks are shipped in different packages, which means you can keep surprising the recipient with further additions.

Putting it All Together

• Now that you know, you are empowered to make the best decision in rewarding that special achiever.
• Take time to consider what is the best for the situation. Ask yourself how you can best convey your message.
• Regardless of whether you go with traditional or custom awards, the time and thought put into the decision will be noted.

Rewarding Client Loyalty

Maintaining good relationships with clients is Business 101. There are a variety of methods you can use to show your clients your appreciation for their continued business. Holiday gifts are a time-honored tradition for client appreciation and are typically well-received by customers during the winter holidays. Recognition awards, plaques, and trophy awards are a cost-effective and convenient way to thank clients and customers for their contributions to the ongoing success of your organization.

Possible Rewards For Clients

When providing holiday rewards for clients, you have several options to choose from including:

Reasons To Provide Holiday Recognition

The Effectiveness Of Gratitude

Showing gratitude toward customers increases their positive opinion of your business and may help serve as a buffer against any bumps you may hit in your relationship. A visible reminder of your gratitude, such plaques and awards can help reinforce this positive opinion and keep your business in the mind of customers when they need services or products.

Elements Of A Good Customer Recognition Award

When designing your customer recognition awards, be sure to keep quality in mind. Shoddy or poorly designed awards will leave the customer with a negative impression of your company. Here are a few tips for good award design:

• Legibility. Having an award your clients can read is essential to getting the message across.
• Correct. Misspelling the client’s name can be highly embarrassing and may offend the client.
• Attractive. Your reward should be a plaque, trophy, statue or certificate your clients will be proud to show in their homes or offices.
• Safety. Your customer recognition awards should be made of quality materials and be safe.

Work With A Designer

A company dedicated to creating award statues, plaques, etc. can help you design the right awards for your specific customer base. They can help you avoid common mistakes in design and ensure that you create an award that will be cherished by its recipients.

Incorporate It Into A Loyalty Program

Providing clients and customers with recognition awards over the holidays may be more effective if you roll the awards into a loyalty program. By combining an awards program with a program that provides discounts and special offers you can enhance the effectiveness of both. Gallup Poll research shows that loyalty programs must engage and activate customers to be truly effective. Adding holiday recognitions to the program gives you another avenue to reach your customers.

Cost Effective Recognition

Making a bulk order of custom awards will typically be more cost-effective than just buying a few awards. It will give you the opportunity to reach more customers and discounts may be offered for bulk orders. 

About Edco

Edco provides custom awards, plaques and other awards for various academic, sports and business clients. Located in Florida, Edco has been in the business of celebrating the milestones and achievements of our customers and their clients and partners for more than 40 years.

Define a Promotion Plan

Marketable events exist over a variety of areas, including business events (sales; grand openings; product promotion), social events (parties; reunions), school events, and fundraisers. Each hopes for a slightly different outcome, but the approach is the same for all. Utilizing proper promotional tactics for events can assure that little time or money is wasted in the process.

An effective event promotion starts with a solid plan, so spending some time developing a concrete strategy can save valuable time and money down the road.

• Identify the targets: Include individuals with whom you have previously done business, as well as those who have attended similar events in the past.
• Define the objectives: What are you hoping to accomplish with this event? What are you hoping your chosen targets can bring to the table?
• Construct the tactics: Determine what tactics can effectively combine chosen targets and objectives.
• Organize implementation: Develop a promotional team and assign tasks to each team member.
• Define the timeline: Schedule a starting date and ending date, as well as key promotional dates in between, such as presence at similar events or key dates for posting via online mediums.
• Allocate the budget: Determine how much money can be spent on promotions and distribute accordingly.
• Evaluate the results: Analyze all efforts and determine the return on investment. Use these results for future promotional efforts.

Online Promotion Tactics

As of June 2012, 2,405,518,376 people had access, and were using the internet. Whether for business or pleasure, it’s safe to say that any promotion effort enacted online will certainly have a broad reach.

Online scheduling has replaced traditional calendars, old-fashioned meetings have made way for Skype sessions, and virtual shopping is giving traditional storefront a run for its money. Businesses that recognize the value of online promotion for products and events can stay ahead of competition in the battle for customer loyalty.

Social Media

The unbelievable growth of social media in recent years has forced businesses to reconsider their marketing efforts. Facebook currently has 1.15 billion users, Google+ has 343 million, Twitter has 500 million, and Instagram steadily rising at 130 million. Each of these social media giants has implemented promotion plans for businesses, making it easier than ever to drive customers to an event.  Some tips for promoting an event through social media include:

• Offer a couple of free tickets to the event within a post.
• Post videos of event highlights, including notable speakers or special activities.
• Encourage users by offering coupons or discounts for those who share the event.
• Create a weekly posting schedule so that your event will stay on your customer’s radar.
• Create an event listing on Facebook. Letting users see who is attending as well as post their own comments is an excellent way to keep users engaged and excited.

Email Campaigns

Stay in touch directly with email campaigns; send-out campaign platforms such as Constant Contact or MailChimp to simplify the email process. It’s important to remember the following to create the most effective emails:

• Create compelling subject lines: To avoid an email being sent to a spam filter and never to be seen again, ensure that the subject is personable and to the point; offer a discount or coupon code within the subject to offer as much information as possible before they open the email.
• Include a call-to-action: Make sure the person knows what they need to do and how to act on event coupons or special notices.
• Be thorough: Include all relevant information about the event, so there’s little left unknown. Include the place, time, date, and where/how to buy tickets to the event. Include a link to the ticket purchase site if possible.

Event Website and Registration

Developing a user-friendly website for the event can make ticket purchase simple and also help businesses keep track of ticket sales and attendee contact information. Many event registration platforms also include an email portion that allows businesses to contact users directly via email about any changes to the event or to confirm the ticket purchase.

Sites such as eventbee.com or eventbrite.com can make the ticket sale process easier and can also be connected to social media sites for simplified promotion posting. Creating an event website can greatly improve visibility and promotion towards a targeted audience, while allowing for further social media marketing opportunities.

Promotional Products

Even though online promotional efforts have proven to be effective in today’s fast-paced marketplace, physical promotional productshave always found a place in event promotion success. When investing in giveaways, it’s important to remember the following:

• Choose products that can be used daily, such as pens, cups, cozies, and water bottles. The more useful the item, the more it will be used, and ultimately the more exposure it will receive.
• Choose timeliness to give away promotional items, including during similar events, at related conferences or to businesses which would have an interest in attending the event.
• Assure that all important information is included on the product, including how to register or buy tickets for the event.

Effective event promotion can be accomplished with careful planning, implementation of online resources and creative promotional products. With a little work and a lot of creativity, your event can be a financial success and a cherished memory.

Planning an event? Let EDCO Awards and Specialties help with your marketing efforts. With a wide selection of promotional products available, including pens, key chains, water bottles, mugs, golf tees, flashlights, umbrellas and more, EDCO can help make your event a success!

The Best Places to Work

For the 100 Best Companies to Work For , the organizations chosen must be at least five or more years old and have at least 1,000 employees in the United States. The list is nomination-based, and winners are chosen based on several factors, including:

• A thorough employee survey, which includes the Trust Index-Employee Survey and The Culture Audit. Although the surveys are anonymous, they truly provide the best insight into the company’s employee satisfaction, perceptions, opinions and attitudes. These surveys count for 2/3 of the decision.
• An in-depth evaluation of both surveys, as well as an analysis of company programs and policies according to the Great Place to Work Model.

Most organizations choose to take advantage of the feedback provided to improve their company’s culture for employees, hoping to find a place on the list for the next year. For companies that are looking to improve their workplaces and keep their employees happy, the best way to learn is by example.

The 2013 100 Best Companies to Work For include Google, SAS, CHG Healthcare Services, The Boston Consulting Group, Inc., Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., NetApp, Hilcorp Energy Company, Edward Jones, Ultimate Software and the Camden Property Trust. Here is what makes the top two companies, Google and SAS, so fantastic.

Google
The recent movie The Internship opened America’s eyes to what a fun place to work Google seems to be, but the real reasons for employee satisfaction in this industry giant’s workplace goes far beyond just a fun atmosphere. (Although these onsite perks aren’t bad, either: medical and dental facilities, valet parking, oil change, bike repair, laundry rooms, and free gourmet meals).

• Focused on women’s needs: A good percentage of Google employees are women, and when the HR department noticed a lower retention rate that seemed to center around a too-short maternity leave, changes were made. Rather than a standard 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, Google employees were given five months, with full pay and benefits, and could even divide that time out however they pleased. The focus even extended the new fathers.
• Thought for family: Forbes magazine recently revealed that if a Google employee dies, the company will pay his or her spouse half of the employee’s salary…for a decade. Recognizing the importance of family and showing compassion are two main reasons Google succeeds in keeping its employees happy.
• Investing in employees: Google’s Global Education Leave program allows its employees to take up to five years to further their education, and reimburses up to $150,000 to do so. Google proves to employees that they are believed in, at the same time strengthening the company’s brainpower and skills.

Google is a company of around 45,000 people and worth around $245 billion dollars, making it easy to provide these kinds of benefits. However, there are valuable lessons to be learned that any company can accomplish: recognize the importance of family, show compassion and invest in employee education and training when available.

SAS 
The second best place to work is SAS, an analytical software company in Silicon Valley, California. With over 6,300 employees, and a 5.6% job growth, this company is known for taking care of its employees and recognizing their hard work.

• Putting the people first: When the 2008 recession caused massive job layoffs of SAS competitors, CEO Jim Goodnight held a webcast to all employees that assured them their jobs were safe, but that everyone’s help would be needed to watch spending and push through. SAS is a company that values its employees and shows them that they are considered in decisions. Family members are also included in importance, with an extensive family resource program that includes family counseling, adoption, eldercare and childcare.
• Flexible hours: SAS prides itself on giving employees flexibility on the hours they choose to work. While a 35-hour work week is what is expected, the hours can be accomplished when and how the employee chooses, and the CMO, Jim Davis, pointed out that most work many more hours that required because they “enjoy those hours as opposed to ‘slaving in the office.’”
• Promote pride in work by recognizing accomplishment: SAS takes large measures to recognize employee successes and give credit where credit is due.  In identifying achievement, SAS finds that employees are more likely to take pride in their own work. The company even designates certain areas of their property to individual landscapers, so that they will treat it as their own.

SAS leads by example in its treatment of family members, employee consideration and recognition of employee successes. Other businesses can take these lessons home, finding ways to incorporate family values and showing acknowledgment and appreciation for hard work and success.

Regardless of size or financials, a company can always show its employees how important they are. Whether through considerations for family and personal time or awarding recognition for jobs well done, a company can always find ways to prove to its staff that they are appreciated and understood. 

Find some simple ways to recognize achievement in your organization, with EDCO Employee Recognition Awards. Since 1969, EDCO has provided quality motivation and recognition tools for any occasion. From sports trophies, to corporate awards and promotional items, EDCO carries all types of awards for any organization’s corporate needs. EDCO’s products are fully displayed on its website and can be customized and shipped in a week or less in most cases. 

Ever wonder how artwork is reproduced on glass with such close precision and depth?  Engraving glass is a skillful craft and the industry gold standard is a process called sandblasting.

The term sandblasting is actually quite descriptive of the process itself.  It involves a mixture of air and an abrasive material which is blown at a high velocity toward the material.  The abrasive then etches or cuts away the material surface.  Here at EDCO Awards & Specialties we utilize the sandblasting process for decorating glass and crystal recognition awards as well as engraving on marble and metal trophy components.

Sandblasting has many applications.  Aside from engraving crystal trophies, it is frequently used in the auto industry to remove rust from metal parts and burrs from castings.  Dentists also use a form of sandblasting in production of crowns and bridges to roughen surfaces so cement or porcelain can attach easier.  In the sign business, it is used to decorate messages on a wide variety of products.

Sandblasting items such as glassware is a straightforward process. First you adhere a stencil to the item to be blasted.  A stencil is a mask containing cutout areas of the design and message.  Stencils are commonly made from vinyl, rubber or in our case a photoresist film.  When engraving glass or crystal we use photoresist, a film that is photographically exposed and processed.  Usually black and white artwork is used in the photographic process where a negative is used to selectively allow light to pass through and develop the stencil.  The non exposed areas "resist" the stream of sand while reproducing an image on the crystal surface.  

When the stencil is in place, a steady stream of abrasive particles, such as aluminum oxide, is aimed directly at the item.  The best abrasive varies with the material being blasted and the type of cut desired.  The abrasive particles cut those surface areas not covered by the stencil.  The etching process for "frosting" typically only takes a few seconds, but if depth is desired can take much longer.  Explore our glass awards and crystal awards collections to get a better idea of what sandblasting looks like on trophies.

Three fraternity brothers stand at a counter in a trophy shop, discussing which recognition award to purchase for a new house sponsor.  After a store employee helps the three young men select a particular crystal award, he shows them a handbook that is opened to a page presenting layouts and messages specifically for crystal recognition awards.

Within a few minutes the young men decide that they particularly like a message and layout shown in the handbook.  With little difficulty, the employee substitutes the recipient's name, the date, the fraternity name, etc, for the information displayed in the handbook.  In less time than they expected, the young men selected a gift with a message that they know the recipient will appreciate.

In this example, a gift message handbook helped both the customers and the employee. EDCO Awards & Specialties offers an "idea book" called the Inscription Guide.  We created this guide to help our customers develop great sounding messages to be engraved on our awards, as well as our sales representatives who always strive to create great looking and sounding awards!

While checking out our Inscription Guide, be sure to explore our brand new selection of Employee Recognition Awards.  Recognition awards show appreciation and can help develop positive feelings about the company also improving employee morale and performance at the office.  Start building your awards program today by checking out our beautiful awards selection.  Motivate your staff with our featured awards;  Featured awards are our brand new designs just released for June 2013 and include the Together Recognition Award, Teamwork Art Glass, the Dedication Award and the Teamwork Recognition Award.  All awards are produced from optical crystal and deep engraved with precision craftsmanship.  Your congratulatory message will look amazingly beautiful on any of these high end designs. We ship to the entire U.S. and all awards include a premium quality presentation box.

If you have any questions please call one of our friendly Recognition Specialists today at 800-377-8646.

Glass Awards receive 5-Star Recognition

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – Several glass awards were recently recognized in EDCO Awards & Specialties inaugural recognition of the best quality and design for its corporate awards.

The glass awards receiving the 5-STAR rating demonstrated the best of class in precision craftsmanship.  Awards were closely examined for glass clarity, thickness, edge finish, depth of engraving and accuracy in detail reproduction.  Other elements used for consideration were overall design and the ability to combine media such as wood, steel and colored glass.

Glass awards recognized with this year’s 5-START RATING are:

• Liberty Diamond Jade Glass Award:  From EDCO’s Jade Glass collection, this sleek design attracts the best light with its series of angles and opposing bevels. This corporate award is available in three heights (9, 11 and 13 inches) at a starting price of $69.95 for a single award.
• Flame of Excellence:  Available in two sizes to recognize different levels of achievement, this striking award is constructed of glass, wood and metal.  Low-volume pricing for this award is $79.95.
• Executive Glass Award:  This tall, 12-inch award combines stainless steel, jet black crystal and jade glass.  A single award is available for $159.00. 
• Glass Peak Duet Award:  This 9.5-inch award combines blue and clear optical glass elevated on a brushed silver base.   Single-award pricing is $98.95.
• Ribbon of Success:   New to EDCO’s Jade Glass Collection, this corporate award features a beautiful metal ribbon die-struck with a star pattern that wraps around the length of the jade glass.   Low-volume price is $189.00.
• Expression Art Glass Award:  This 15-inch art glass award features a creative glass rainbow flame.  A single award is available for $149.95.

Each of EDCO’s corporate awards is thoroughly inspected during the quality control process and comes packaged in a premium-quality gift box.   EDCO specializes in delivering high-quality customer service and fast turnaround times, EDCO can provide trophies typically within one week of order and faster for urgent orders.  In addition to Glass and Crystal awards, EDCO Awards & Specialties also specializes in laser engraved acrylic trophies including custom cut and custom printed awards.  The 40 person staff at EDCO is ready and eager to help!  The next time you need a trophy or an award choose EDCO Awards & Specialties and you will be glad you did.

For assistance with your corporate awards order, call EDCO at 800-377-8646.

EDCO expands custom acrylic awards lineup

EDCO has expanded its lineup of custom acrylic awards with five new designs that incorporate customers’ own designs or corporate logos.

• The Perpetual Recognition Trophy, standing 18 inches tall, features up to 24 individual laser-engraved, brushed silver plates, enabling companies to recognize the achievements of top employees for up to 24 years.
• The Grand Custom Acrylic Cut Trophy combines a company’s logo or award design with an ebony base.
• The new Mina Line Custom Acrylic Award, built with the customer’s design and assembled with a piano-finish base in rosewood or black, can be decorated with full color printing or laser etching.
• The Laser Smith Acrylic Award, custom-produced to your exact specifications, uses EDCO’s premium .5" thick acrylic for profiling the top of the award. The base is produced from .75" thick material and offers a wide slanted front which lends itself really well to personalizing each award.
• The Outer Lines Logo-Cut Acrylic Award offers a clean all-acrylic look without breaking the bank. Combining materials such as a .375" thick acrylic top and a .5" thick base, it will bring the WOW! factor and some heft when being presented.

We have a lot of customers who want to design their own awards or have input in the design.   They bring us their design or logo and our skilled designers create a virtual sample before we start production on the actual award. 

With full in-house capabilities, from award design to laser cutting, edging, beveling, engraving and color printing, EDCO can turn around orders in short order, often in as little as three days.

Delivering high-quality, memorable custom awards is where we really excel.

View our complete lineup of acrylic awards.   Most of our standard acrylic awards can be ordered online.  For custom awards or for assistance with your award, call 800-377-8646 to speak with one of our product advisers.

EDCO Awards & Specialties has unveiled 15 new corporate award designs in its Metal and Glass Awards and Art Glass Awards categories.

The traditional thinking in our industry is that customers will buy whatever you are showing.  We challenge that thinking by continuing to expand the product lineup by filling out our corporate awards categories with more creative choices.

The new corporate award designs combine materials like brass with glass, crystal and new shapes and color combinations, some using hand-blown glass.

 In the Metal and Glass Awards category, EDCO released five new corporate awards, including:

• Neo Classic Metal & Glass Award:  Measuring 8 inches high, this award combines an etched glass award with a silver-plated base that reflects light throughout the glass inlay;
• Guiding Star Award:  This limited edition sculpture features a unique metal star frame with a glass inlay;
• Glass Diamond with Brushed Metal Base:  Combines brushed aluminum with clear and blue glass for a designer look;
• Gemstone Brass and Glass Award:   Available in two sizes, this corporate award features a base  finished with brushed gold metal.  The glass inlay is beveled and deep engraved with your custom text and logo;
• Glass Circle with Brass Base:  This simple yet elegant award choice, features EDCO’s premium jade glass circle, slightly beveled and cradled on a brushed brass base elevated by a glass platform.

In the Art Glass Awards category, EDCO unveiled 10 new corporate awards, including:

• Teamwork Art Glass Award:  Measuring 13.5 inches high, this hand-blown color glass sculpture is elevated on a black base with a laser-etched plate;
• Years of Service Art Glass Award:  Measuring 15.25 inches high and artistically constructed from hand blown glass, this corporate award features a laser-etched plate on the base that can accommodate company logos or special art;
• Inspiration Art Glass Award:   This carefully selected art glass sculpture represents inspired success and will make a nice statement at your next awards presentation. Elevated on a black base with your custom inscription and logo laser etched onto a black brass plate;
• Celestial Art Glass Award:  Measuring an impressive 13 inches high, this corporate award is the perfect choice to make a really big splash!
• Vision Art Glass Award:   Standing 16.25 inches tall, this magical art glass sculpture is elevated on a handsome black base with a brass plate, laser etched with your custom inscription and company logo;
• Deco Glass Mosaic Peak:  This corporate award features a beautifully stained glass accent panel and a wide beveled edge.   The sculpture is set off by the black rod iron metal riser that cradles the glass award;
• Excellence Art Glass Award:  This 17-inch black glass sculpture with blue accents is elevated on a piano-finished base. This is the ideal choice for awarding the highest level of achievement;
• Blue Bubbles Art Glass Award:  This fury of rolling patterns is elevated on a glass finished base that features a custom printed plate for your company logo and personalized text;
• Intrigue Glass Award:  This 9.5-inch beautiful art glass sculpture features a black laser etched plate with your personalized congratulatory message;
• Glass Mythic Award:  This hand-blown art glass features rich blue hues suspended in clear glass. Clearly stunning, this recognition award is elevated on a black base that incorporates a black steel plate with laser engraved copy.

The art glass category has grown tremendously.  Three years ago, we didn’t offer any. Now we have 19.  The more unique the piece, the better the response has been by customers who like seeing a theme like “Teamwork” or “Progress” carried through the design.

EDCO offers more than 300 corporate award designs in five product segments:  crystal awards, glass awards, acrylic awards, custom awards and plaques.

View the full lineup of EDCO Awards’ glass awards.  For personalized assistance in selecting your corporate awards, contact the company at 800-377-8646.

EDCO Awards & Specialties has introduced 24 new crystal awards for 2013 as it continues to update and expand its line of corporate awards.

The new awards represent every price point, from $30 to $350, and feature dynamic designs and added color.  We’ve filled out our product lines with new crystal awards that feature interesting new shapes or movement as well several optic awards that combine optical glass, crystal, black glass and colored glass.

Here’s a lineup of the new awards now available among EDCO’s Contemporary Crystal, Optical Crystal, World Crystal Globe and Specialty Crystal Award lines:

New Contemporary Crystal Awards:

• Crystal Distinction Award:  All optic crystal with two colored crystals in blue and jade, and high-quality engraving using sand blasting – an amazing value.
• Atlantis Ellipse Crystal Award:  A geometrically simple yet a stunning combination of clear and blue crystal. Perfect for achievers from all walks of life.
• Ambient Clear and Red Crystal Award:  An original design that will engage your senses with soothing colors and sophisticated looks.  Also available in blue.
• Crystal Recognition Award:  This stylish corporate design engraved with your personalized message is sure to impress its achievers.
• Blocks of Success Crystal Award:  Light penetrating the colorful crystals will reflect beautifully on your engraved congratulatory message.
• Art Deco Crystal Award:  Inspired by the Historic Art Deco district in Miami.

New Optical Crystal Awards

• Rising Diamond Crystal Award:  Black obelisk stand cradles a clear diamond-shaped optic crystal.  The stand engraving is deeply etched and filled with a silver paint.
• Blue Diamond Crystal Award:  Produced from pure optic crystal.
• Crystal Triumph Award:  Handsome sculpture carved from flawless optical crystal.
• Nobility Clear and Black Crystal Award:  The fusion of clear and black crystals, pure in composition and optically perfect.
• Northern Lights Crystal Award:  Produced from optical crystal with sweeping curve lines and a series of crystal cubes embedded in the center of the award.

New World Globe Awards

• Omni Globe Award:  One of the most magnificent awards in our entire collection and so heavy it requires both hands for lifting.  It features a solid crystal globe, with detailed etching, that spins freely in a antique finished metal axis.
• Grande Planet Crystal Award:  Mouth blown and cut by hand from crystal. The crystal globe is perched atop a round base with custom engraving.

Specialty Crystal Awards

• Crystal Maltese Cross Award:  Produced from flawless optical crystal and deep engraved. This is the perfect award to honor distinguished service and bravery of our firefighters!
• Crystal Book Award:  Perfect way to show appreciation to that special teacher.
• Red Crystal Apple on Base:  Perfect award for teachers who made a difference.
• Faceted Gavel on Black Crystal Base:  A fantastic choice for a retiring chairperson.
• Crystal 18 Wheeler Truck Award:  A great award for a truck driver or freight company.
• Beveled Crystal Cross Award:  A beautiful remembrance for service in Christian organizations, churches and private schools.
• Faceted Crystal Football:  Produced from optical crystal and custom engraved to your specifications.
• Large Faceted Crystal Football Trophy:  The ultimate football award.
• Crystal Sailboat:  Produced from pure optic crystal.
• Faceted Crystal Sailboat on Blue Base:  Features a multi-faceted finish as well as a beautiful blue crystal base.

For help choosing the right crystal award for your corporate awards program, call 800-377-8646.