So where do you start?
Get creative with event sponsorship
First, take a look at your past event surveys. Is there something that your event attendees are asking for that is just not possible for you to do on your own? Or maybe it’s something that just easily translates into a sponsorship?
For example, perhaps your attendees need a quiet room where they can get a bit of work done during your conference. With a location like the Sharonville Convention Center, there are several smaller rooms adjacent to the main halls that could be used for this purpose. But it’s also a perfect sponsorship opportunity. You could easily add branding and literature to this room, and it’s a great way for attendees to find out more about the company before stopping at a booth.
However, you do have to remember one thing. Your sponsors may not be so keen to be creative. If you decide to go off-book with your sponsorship packages, be sure to do research (including those surveys). Be ready to show your sponsors that this is a good use of their money and consider combining more traditional sponsorship elements (fliers in the welcome bag, etc.) to help keep sponsors more comfortable with this newer element.
Tie event sponsorship to what your sponsors do
What is the ultimate goal of an event sponsorship? To demonstrate to attendees what a company does.
Let’s go back to that quiet room example. Perhaps you have a possible sponsor that specializes in productivity tools. Why not have this company sponsor that quiet room? Work with them to fill the room with tools to help your attendees work faster and smarter, whether it’s literature with productivity tips or even a trial version of the company’s tool. It will make your sponsor look good and give value to that attendee experience.
Be repetitive
In a lot of cases being repetitive is not good. But in the case of getting your attendees connected to your sponsors, it could be key.
For example, let’s say you have a sponsor for WiFi. Yes, you can have a sign announcing that, but you can do more. Have the WiFi password be the name of the company. On the screen that tells your attendees that they have connected to the internet, include a message about the sponsor company with a link to find out more about their product. That kind of repetition will not annoy your attendees, but it will be enough to keep the company’s name in their heads. And that will be enough to make your potential sponsor jumping to give you their money.
What have you done to maximize your event sponsorships?
