How To Make Sure Your Medals and Awards Arrive On Time

What keeps event directors awake at night? One thing is wondering if their medals and awards will arrive on time for the big day. They know participants are expecting a great reward, and with so much focus on your medals, getting them on time is a big concern. 

Here's what you need to know to ensure your medals and awards arrive on time.

Choosing the Right Medal Vendor Matters

Not all medal vendors are created equal. Choosing the right one is about much more than basic product quality and availability concerns. Yet, even people who’ve been organizing events for years often don't know what they should be looking for in a medal vendor.

The best medal and awards vendors can:

• Help you design and create medals suitable to your needs.
  PRO TIP: make sure the vendor has an in-house design department (versus outsourced designers) to make things move smoothly.

• Assist you in accurately estimating how long the production and shipping will take.
• Help you determine exactly when you need to order so you have them in time for promo shots and other pre-event situations.
• Offer expedited shipping where possible.
• Have processes and procedures in place to ensure your orders are completed correctly and on time the first time.

Getting the Timing Right

There's much more to ordering custom medals than simply picking a design you like online. At a minimum, the process includes:

• Working with your vendor to create artwork and develop a custom design.
• Managing revisions to your design in a timely fashion.
• Getting your custom design approved by key people.
• Finalizing your order and approving the order details.
• Producing your order.
   NOTE: production times vary based on whether your products are manufactured in the United States vs. overseas.

• Shipping and receiving your order.

Each of these steps takes time. The more complex your design or the more people involved in the approval process, the longer it will take. Other factors that may influence order times are:

• The season or time of year
• Weather
• Order size
• Supply chain disturbances

If you order many awards or place your order during high-demand times, your order may take longer to process. If you order medals during periods when bad weather or other supply chain disturbances are in effect, your awards may be delayed during the shipping process.

For example, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the worldwide supply chain experienced significant delays and shortages of materials, equipment, and manpower, causing lead times to increase up to 8 weeks longer than the standard.

Real Life Happens

Unfortunately, delays can still happen even when you place small orders during low-demand periods. Unpredictable and unavoidable factors can cause delays at different points in the ordering process. Items can be damaged, lost, or stolen in transit.

The best way to ensure you receive your medals on time is to order well in advance. Allow plenty of time for design, approvals, production, shipping, and delivery. Plan for unforeseen circumstances like weather-related issues (forest fires, ice storms, etc..), customs clearance delays, or labor strikes.

Work with a reputable medal vendor who will give you accurate information about the time frames that apply to your situation and order your medals no later than the date they advise.