Some accomplishments have little to do with celebration. A closed business deal, merger, or milestone requires something subtle yet lasting. This is where acrylic tombstone awards fit in. These are known for their upright shape and not just something dull. This award has become a standard when recognizing business accomplishments without turning them into a fanfare.
Shape is simple on purpose. The piece is an upright rectangular-shaped block of acrylic, is heavier on the bottom, and stands upright on a desk or other surfaces. It includes text, dates, or a business name written in neat, engraved letters.
Why the Tombstone Shape Works?
This term “tombstone” originated on Wall Street, where teams handling such matters have used it for many years to close transactions. The shape survived all these years by doing these things well:
- It remains stable on the table or shelf
- It has sufficient space for detailed engravings
- It is formal, without feeling too outdated
- It applies to individuals as well as entire teams
How Do Lucite Embedded Designs Add More Impact?
A plain acrylic block is only half the story. Institutions go a step further with Lucite-embedded awards, in which a physical object is sealed within the clear material rather than just engraved on its surface.
Objects that can be embedded in Lucite blocks include:
- A coin, medal, or company token
- A folded document or a page of a contract
- A sample of a product
- An image or a graphic
The technique of embedding is more complicated than engraving because the object must remain fixed in place and not shift. Done well, the piece becomes much more like a little time capsule when it’s kept on desks for years rather than stored.
Employee Engagement Awards That Go Beyond Recognition
Recognition is not tied to a single event or a milestone. Employee engagement awards operate on a different rhythm entirely. These are not defined in moments; instead, they are designed to keep people motivated from one project to the next. While these awards may look similar to tombstones, the purpose shifts towards:
- Acknowledging continued effort, not a single incident
- Progress through time across the team or department
- Something tangible that will motivate others to achieve it
The tombstone award celebrates an event that has already taken place, while the engagement award keeps the momentum going. Both rely on the same technique, but the intent behind each is different, and that difference should guide design choices, not just the budget.
Choosing the Right Award for the Occasion
Whether it is a business closure, a company anniversary event, or an ongoing recognition program, the format needs to match the celebration in question. An accomplishment that only happens once is a good fit for the tombstone-style award. For repeated use, like an engagement award, awards must be built to last for years.
Awards A Plus works with organizations across the finance, corporate, and non-profit sectors to identify the format that best suits the event.