Welcome back to the Creative Awards blog London. In this week’s blog entry we will delve into a behind the scenes look at how bespoke awards are made and the process behind creating the most exceptional awards for some of the UK’s biggest events and brands. Without further ado, let’s get started.

The particular award that we are using to highlight how our custom awards are made is the Lemon Tree Award. The bespoke award was designed for a professional event that celebrated excellence and the achievements of its employees.

The first stage in creating an award starts by consulting with the client to understand the purpose of the award and a brief is created. Occasionally a client will provide a finalised design that can be used to create the award but most of the time our in-house design teams let their imagination loose and create the spectacular. Each award is a blank canvas ready to be transformed into a one-of-a-kind custom piece. A brief is created where the branding, purpose of the award, budget and timeframe is agreed as well as a range of materials and techniques suggested. Drawing inspiration from each client’s vision, brand and initial ideas the design process is organic with a two way conversation. Various sketches are hand drawn and detailed 3D mock-ups are created using the latest technology and are sent to the client. Once the piece is chosen and finalised, production can immediately begin on the award.

Depending on the award various production techniques are employed. Different materials suit different types of awards and particular textures can be created by contrasting various materials. For example, if a client is looking for an award with an organic natural feel we suggest using resin that lends itself to capturing organic details. Likewise, Perspex acrylic allows for a range of colours, logos and shapes that really allow the award to be customised exactly to the client’s vision.

The quantity, material and design of the award dictate the timeframe in delivering the pieces to the client. Usually, the process of production takes around three weeks. From our central London base we control every stage of manufacture ensuring the highest level of quality and standards and that each team is working to the right spec. In addition to providing a central location in the City of London, we also operate our engraving department from here, so we can process engraving work with the absolute minimum of delay

Once the awards are completed they undergo stringent quality control. By keeping every part of the design, manufacture and quality control in house we can ensure the awards arrive with love and care - exactly how they were produced.

Finally, the awards are polished and packaged securely to ensure that they arrive in perfect condition. Shipping for awards is organised immediately and the awards arrive within an agreed timeframe so that the show can go on.