In short
- Perpetual shields hold small plates around a central award — ideal for a trophy that changes hands each year.
- Honour boards list winners in rows — ideal for long-running records on a wall.
- Plan enough spaces for years to come, not just this season.
- Keep a record of the wording format so every new plate matches.
Travels with the winner or sits in a cabinet. Suits premierships, champion awards and club competitions.
Stays on the wall as a permanent record. Suits life members, past presidents, academic honours and player of the year.
1Choose between a shield and a board
A perpetual shield usually moves with the winner or lives in a trophy cabinet, so it needs to be portable. An honour board is mounted permanently, so it can be larger and hold more names. Think about where it will live and who needs to see it.
2Plan for the years ahead
The most common problem with perpetual awards is running out of space. Count how many years you want the shield or board to cover and choose a size with enough plate positions. Leaving room to grow avoids replacing a board while it’s still new.
3Set the header and layout
The header carries the club or school name, the award title and often a crest or logo. Decide whether each plate shows the year only, or the year and the winner’s name, and keep that format the same for every entry.
4Record your wording format
Honour boards are added to once a year, often by a different committee member each time. Keep a simple note of the format — how names are written, whether a middle initial is used, the year style — so new plates match the old ones. We can keep your board details on file too, which makes each year’s plate easy to reorder.
5Add the new name in time
Add this year’s winner to your order for the presentation night so the plate is engraved and ready. For honour boards, decide whether plates are fitted at our showroom or sent to you to attach, and allow time for that in your planning.
