Company Logo Keychains Packaging Guide: OPP Bags, Backing Cards and Gift Boxes
Table of Contents Packaging is often the last thing corporate buyers consider when designing a custom keychain. However, it completely
Custom medals can be made in almost any shape you need, but the overall shape of the medal will be different.
Medals are most commonly round and square, and these shapes are usually the most commonly used by competition organizers.
Already choose custom medals, so why not make your medals more specifical?
Now, a large number of competitions have begun to choose to cut out and glitter these processes, and to break through the circular limit of some elements, instead of only inside the circle. Look at the picture below, The surrounding mountains and clouds break out of the circle, It’s going to be fun, isn’t it?
The global demand for custom medals spans sports events, marathons, schools, and high-end corporate awards. While production exists on every continent, the industry is highly centralized.
Today, the majority of custom medals used in events worldwide are manufactured in China. Over the past few decades, China has developed a highly specialized metal craft industry capable of producing large volumes of custom medals with consistent quality and competitive pricing.
The global medal manufacturing landscape includes factories in North America, Europe, and other parts of Asia. However, China, particularly regions like Zhongshan, has become the primary source for custom medals due to its advanced production capabilities and established supply chains.
As global demand for sports events continues to grow, the custom medal industry has evolved far beyond simple manufacturing. Today, it is closely tied to running events, marathons, and large-scale sports competitions worldwide.
If you want to better understand how demand is shaped by these events, you can explore this in-depth analysis:
👉 [Custom Medals: The Global Market Trends in Running Events and Sports Awards]
Custom medals are specially designed awards created to match the theme, branding, or purpose of an event. Medal manufacturers offer the ability to customize and personalize medals with different shapes, designs, and features, allowing clients to tailor each award to their specific needs. Unlike generic trophies or stock awards, custom medals allow organizations to include logos, event names, dates, and unique visual elements that make the award more meaningful. Key features of custom medals include custom logos, color filling, soft enamel, antique finishes, and custom-engraved ribbons.
These personalised awards are often produced as sports medals, commemorative items, or recognition pieces that participants proudly keep for years.
Many different types of organizations rely on custom medals to recognize achievement and participation. Common uses include:
Large races often distribute thousands of custom medals to finishers. These medals serve as powerful reminders of the runner’s accomplishment.
Educational institutions frequently award medals to students to recognize academic achievements, sports victories, and extracurricular success.
Graduation medals commemorate students’ academic achievements and can be customized with the graduate’s name and institution, serving as lasting symbols of pride and recognition.
Youth leagues and professional competitions distribute sports medals for athletes who are champions, runners-up, and participants. This includes everything from basketball tournaments to soccer medals for local leagues. Medals are also awarded in a wide range of sports, including baseball, football, hockey, swimming, volleyball, and wrestling. These medals are presented to winners and serve as symbols of victory and achievement in each competition.
Companies sometimes use award medals to celebrate employee milestones, performance achievements, or company anniversaries.
Online fitness challenges and charity events often use custom medals to motivate participants and commemorate their involvement.
Because of these wide-ranging uses, custom medals have become essential elements in modern events and competitions.
In 2025, Asia accounted for 52% of global medal production (roughly 239.2 million units), with China leading the charge. The region of Zhongshan, China, alone is responsible for an estimated 70% of the world’s custom metal crafts.
Why China dominates:
Complete Supply Chain: From raw brass and zinc alloy to ribbon textile mills, everything is localized.
Large-Scale Production: Top-tier factories have a daily output exceeding 30,000 pieces.
Competitive Pricing: Economies of scale allow for significantly lower per-unit costs compared to Western counterparts.
Advanced Machinery: Investment in automation and CNC molding has reduced customization turnaround times to an average of 7 business days.
Interestingly, the global medal manufacturing industry is highly concentrated. While production exists worldwide, a significant share is clustered in a few specialized regions—particularly in China, where mature supply chains and cost efficiency play a major role.
To dive deeper into why such a large percentage of medals are produced in one region and what makes it so competitive, read here:
👉 [70% Of The World’s Medals Come From Here?]
The journey from a digital file to a physical award is a multi-step engineering process:
Artwork Development: Designing the 2D or 3D visual of the medal. Once the design is approved, production begins, moving the custom medal from concept to manufacturing.
Mold Creation: Using CNC machines to carve the design into steel molds.
Die Casting or Stamping: Injecting molten zinc alloy into the mold (die casting) or pressing designs into copper/brass (stamping). The manufacturing process can include techniques such as sublimation engraving and die-striking.
Polishing: Removing burrs and smoothing the surface to a mirror finish.
Electroplating: Adding the gold, silver, bronze, or antique finish.
Enamel Coloring: Hand-filling or machine-injecting vibrant colors into recessed areas.
Quality Inspection: Checking for plating consistency and color accuracy.
Assembly: Attaching custom-printed ribbons and final packaging. Custom medals are often made of two parts: a sublimated insert disc and a solid metal insert holder. Capturing high-quality photos of finished medals is essential for presentation, marketing, and creating memorable moments during award ceremonies or event photos.
Selecting the right medal manufacturers is crucial for ensuring that your event awards meet both quality and timeline expectations. Customers often consider prices and budget when choosing medal manufacturers, looking for options that are both affordable and reliable. Custom medals can cost under $7.50 each, and many companies offer free shipping and no minimum order policies to help customers save money. Customer feedback is also essential, as it helps manufacturers improve the quality of their custom medals and customer service.
Experienced medal manufacturers are better equipped to handle complex designs, including custom insert medals, intricate finishes, or layered award medals.
For large competitions or sports events, it is important to work with manufacturers capable of producing thousands of custom medals within a limited timeframe.
Minimum order quantities vary among factories. Some manufacturers specialize in bulk orders, while others support smaller runs of custom medals.
Reliable medal manufacturers maintain strict quality control procedures to ensure consistent plating, enamel coloring, and finishing.
For sports medals, soccer medals, or corporate award medals, consistent coloring and metal finishes are essential to maintain professional presentation.
International buyers should ensure that their chosen medal manufacturers have experience with global logistics and export processes.
Many organizations choose to work directly with Chinese medal manufacturers because of the advantages offered by the country’s manufacturing ecosystem. It is easy to order custom medals and customize medals with specific designs, such as adding names, dates, logos, or unique artwork, tailored to individual or team achievements. Companies often provide free proofs or renderings of custom medal designs before production begins, along with free design support to help customers create their ideal medals. Dedicated customer service teams are available to assist with custom medal orders through email, chat, and other channels, ensuring a smooth and personalized experience.
Because all stages of production are located within the same industrial clusters, custom medals can often be manufactured and delivered faster than through fragmented supply chains. Many medal manufacturers emphasize fast turnaround, with some providers guaranteeing shipping within 24 to 72 hours, and even offering same-day shipping for in-stock items if ordered by a certain time. For example, PeaKeen is known for affordability and fast turnaround, producing custom medals in just 7-10 business days, making them ideal for schools and sports teams.
Chinese factories are known for accommodating a wide range of customization requests, including unique shapes, layered designs, and custom insert medals.
For events that require thousands of custom medals, manufacturing in China often provides significant cost savings.
Organizations across the world rely on Chinese factories to produce custom medals for:
marathon events
charity runs
sports leagues and soccer medals tournaments
These industries depend heavily on reliable medal manufacturers capable of large-scale production.
The market for custom medals continues to evolve as event organizers look for more creative and memorable awards.
Many competitions now prefer bold designs with layered metal structures. This trend has increased demand for advanced custom medals and sculpted medal designs.
Environmental considerations are becoming more important in manufacturing. Some medal manufacturers are exploring eco-friendly plating and recycled materials for award medals.
As online competitions and virtual races grow in popularity, organizers are ordering custom medals to ship directly to participants around the world. Virtual integration is also becoming trendy with medals featuring QR codes that link to digital certificates or personal race stats.
Niche events, such as charity challenges and hobby competitions, are driving demand for smaller batches of personalized custom medals, including themed sports medals and collectible custom insert medals.
When it comes to custom medals, the way they are presented can be just as important as the medals themselves. Thoughtful medal packaging elevates the experience for recipients, whether they’re crossing the finish line at a sports event, celebrating academic achievement, or being honored for corporate recognition. At our medals shop, we understand that every detail counts—from the design of your custom medallions to the packaging that showcases them.
We offer a wide range of packaging solutions to suit different styles, events, and budgets:
Neck Ribbons: Choose from a variety of neck ribbon colors and materials to complement your custom medals, sports medals, or soccer medals. Our ribbons can be customized with your event logo or artwork, ensuring your award medals stand out at any occasion.
Medal Boxes: Protect and display your custom medallions with our selection of medal boxes, available in velvet, leather, or wooden finishes. These boxes add a touch of elegance and make your medals a keepsake recipients will be proud to display.
Insert Medal Holders: For custom insert medals, we provide specialized holders that can be personalized with your organization’s logo, event details, or unique artwork. These holders are perfect for showcasing insert medals at academic, sports, or corporate events.
Custom Packaging: Looking for something truly unique? We offer bespoke packaging options, including branded boxes, bags, and cases, designed to match your event’s style and create a memorable presentation for every recipient.
The heart of the global medal industry beats in China, specifically in manufacturing powerhouses like Zhongshan. With a robust ecosystem that blends decades of craftsmanship with modern automation, this region remains the world leader in producing high-quality award medals.
By choosing experienced medal manufacturers, like PeaKeen, who understand this global landscape, event organizers can ensure their participants receive a world-class award that truly honors their achievement.
Table of Contents Packaging is often the last thing corporate buyers consider when designing a custom keychain. However, it completely
Table of Contents Fabric keychains are a popular choice for soft, lightweight custom merchandise. Woven and embroidered are the two
No. 5, Tongan Road,
East District Xiaolan Town,
Zhongshan, Guangdong,
China
