Over the last two decades, the recognition field has become a multi-billion-dollar business with over a dozen leading solution providers and hundreds of smaller ones across the U.S. Companies spend billions on service awards and related recognition programs; several best-selling books, most notably Chester Elton, author of The Carrot Principle, and Dr. Bob Nelson, author of 1,501 Ways to Reward Employees, helped draw unprecedented attention to the field and the importance of employee inspiration.