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Bespoke trophies for extraordinary moments

Bespoke Trophies

Brief, Brand and Budget: What We Need to Create Your Custom Trophy

Thinking about designing a custom trophy for your upcoming awards ceremony but not sure what you need to get started? At Gaudio Awards, we take your early ideas and turn them into the most striking, meaningful trophies that your winners will be proud to receive. But we do need to have a clear custom trophy brief, some guidance on award branding, and an honest conversation about your budget before we can get started.

Hattie-Lomax-scaled-1

Hattie Lomax

December 16, 2025

Categories

Trophy Design
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These three elements help us reduce back-and-forth and deliver a dazzling design that’s perfectly tailored to your event. Here’s what we need to create your dream custom trophy…

1) Custom Trophy Brief: Your Vision, Your Rules!

A trophy design brief doesn’t need to be a work of art. Sure, you can come to us armed with mood boards and examples of styles you like – or you can simply give us the event name and date and we’ll do the rest. Here are some of the details you can share to help our team create something truly showstopping:

Event Type

Are your trophies needed for an internal corporate recognition programme or a one-off televised ceremony? Different environments call for different levels of impact, and what stands out on a boardroom table won’t always shine under the stage lights.

Trophy Size

It’s important that we know what kind of size you’re after; whether it’s something desktop-sized or a large-format hero piece. The size of your trophies will influence your trophy materials, what production method we use, and how we’ll ship your awards to you.

Trophy Materials

You don’t need to decide on the final combination of materials for your trophies at this point. But do let us know if you have any preferences, as this will send our designers down the right path from the beginning. 

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Logistics

The date of your event is more important than you might think, as our lead times can vary depending on the quantity and complexity of production. Let us know how many trophies you need and when you’ll need them, so we can make sure we meet your deadline.

Distinguishing Features

If you’ve seen a trophy you love, even if it’s just a sketch or a save on your Pinterest board, feel free to share it with us. This will help us create a design that perfectly matches your vision.

Any Additional Requirements

Do you need your trophies to be as eco-friendly as possible? Will you need to reuse them with new name plates year after year, or will you need a completely new design each time? If there’s anything additional we should know, now’s the time to tell us!

TPI Awards 2025, group shot

2) Branding: The Heart of Your Award’s Identity

Branding plays a powerful role in how your trophies are perceived by your winners. As well as looking impressive, a visually cohesive award helps to reinforce what your organisation stands for and what matters most to you. Here’s why branding is so important:

  • Continuity – even if your event changes every year, having those same branded elements will keep your awards recognisable and cohesive.
  • Brand awareness – a distinctive custom trophy will become a lasting reminder of your event, whether it’s handed out on-stage or displayed in the winner’s office.
  • Positive association – a trophy is a tangible symbol of success, so blending it with your brand will help your winners connect that success with you.

These are the branding building blocks we need to make your custom trophy look and feel like ‘you’:

  • A high-quality vector logo (AI, EPS, or SVG)
  • Your brand colours, ideally with hex or Pantone references
  • Typography guidelines
  • Examples of any existing event collateral, like posters, stage designs, social graphs, or merchandise
Retail Week Awards Event Photos (1)

3) Budget: Setting the Parameters for a Standout Trophy

Talking about budgets doesn’t have to limit your or our creativity. Understanding your budget is all about unlocking the best design options from the outset. It helps our team recommend the right materials and finishing processes to bring your vision to life, without breaking the bank. 

For example, if you love the look of gold trophies, we can explore a range of materials (like gold-plated metal and gold acrylic) that are more cost-effective, but still deliver that same premium finish.

And if you’re not quite sure what your budget should be? No problem. We can help you set a realistic budget based on the style, complexity, and volume of trophies you need.

Independent Podcast Awards - event photo - Trophies

What Happens When We Have Your Brief, Brand and Budget?

Once we have all three elements, your dedicated Account Manager will pass everything along to our design team. From there, our expert designs will develop a bespoke concept along with a digital render to give you a clear and accurate idea of what the final trophy will look like. 

We’ll send you a quote along with the design, and can complete any amends needed until you’re happy with the finished result. Once you give us the green light, we’ll head straight into production!

So, are you ready to bring your custom trophy to life? Submit your brief today to get started!

FAQs

What makes a good custom trophy brief?

A good custom trophy brief outlines the details of your event, your preferred trophy materials and size, and any other practical requirements. You don’t need every detail perfected at this stage, you just need to give Gaudio Awards’ designers enough context to get started. Check out our blog on ‘what makes a good design brief’ for more information.

What if I don’t know my trophy budget yet?

If you don’t know your trophy budget yet, don’t worry! Gaudio Awards can provide you with typical price ranges and material options to help you set a realistic budget. Providing us with a rough ballpark figure is usually enough to help us propose concepts that are achievable and cost-efficient for you.

How long does the custom trophy design process take?

It typically takes between 4-12 weeks to get your custom trophies made, depending on the complexity of the design and the quantity you need. Your Account Manager at Gaudio Awards will advise on a realistic schedule for the design, production, and delivery of your trophies. Read our dedicated blog post on trophy timings to find out more.

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Tel 01242 232 383 Email sales@gaudio.co.uk

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Blank

When you order a blank trophy, it will arrive without any personalised details. The trophy is blank for you to add your own personalisation, or use as a decorative piece.

Personalise Online

Select your layout using the dropdown menu, then enter your details. The live proof shows you an approximate visual of how your trophy will look when it’s engraved. Once you’ve added the details you want and purchased your trophy, we’ll begin manufacture right away.

Please note: The live render is an estimate of how your trophy will look, and the final result may vary in size, colour and placement.

Gaudio Proofing Service

With the Gaudio Proofing Service, simply add your chosen trophy to your cart and checkout as normal. A member of the team will be in touch to collect the required details, and we’ll send you proofs to approve before manufacture. Delivery time excludes proofing.