Sponsorship may seem like a simple event term, but it can mean a variety of things. Once you express interest in sponsoring an event, you should receive a sponsor prospectus that includes numerous options to get your brand in front of your target audience. The prospectus acts as a catalog so to speak.
How do you navigate and make the most of these options? Our event team has outlined some tips and tricks to make sure your sponsorship is a success:
The Sponsor Booth: The sponsor booth is what most people think of when they hear the word sponsorship. In a sea of event booths, it is important to stand out. The classic black pipe & drape booth can be easily overlooked at large conferences. If budget allows, splurging on a custom backdrop helps to draw potential leads while better communicating your branding to conference attendees.
Ordering specialty furniture and using spatial design tools like socialtables.com to build out your booth can really shift your space from a sponsor booth to an experience.
Raffles, swag, and snacks also do the trick to get attendees to your booth. To simplify - think about what YOU would be looking for as an event attendee? What would draw you to a particular booth? For a recent event with our client Tatari, we organized an order of custom-pressed juices that attendees couldn’t get enough of
Pro-tip: When organizing swag, make sure you are thinking about your carbon footprint. Sustainable swag is becoming more and more important to conference attendees.
Speaking Opportunities: Unearned or sponsored speaking opportunities are another way to make a splash with your audience. This is your chance to position your company and your executive team as experts in the space.
To execute this correctly, we recommend staying away from product demos or sales pitches. Your topic should be thought leadership based, and work to build your identity as a trusted voice versus pitching your product. If the audience feels like they can learn valuable skills from you, they are more likely to trust your product in the long run.
Signage Sponsorships: If you want to create brand awareness without the same monetary and time investment as sponsor booths or speaking opportunities, most conferences have packages that include your logos on all promotional materials, swag bags, event signage, or interstitial content. This is a great way to connect your brand with a trusted conference name without the large lift of other sponsor opportunities.
VIP Cocktail Hour or Dinner Sponsorship: You are likely looking to sponsor at a particular event because your target consumer and the audience of that conference correlate. Many conferences offer the opportunity to sponsor a deluxe experience like a beverage bar, cocktail hour, dinner or after party for a subset of VIP speakers or attendees. This is a great way to get one-on-one time with the audience that matters most to you.
When planning these events, think about what restaurants or experiences would classify as a MUST DO for your target attendees. These experiences normally come at a premium, but can lead to invaluable conversations and relationships for your organization.
Al La Carte Sponsor Opportunities: Unique or individual sponsorship opportunities are becoming more popular. The ability to be the sole sponsor of a specific item can be a great way to optimize bang for your buck. Examples of this type of sponsorship include event wifi, room drops, hotel keycards, photo booth, lanyards, donut walls, or even puppy therapy (yes that would be our top choice too). These a la carte sponsorships provide a more personal and direct connection to your audience.
If you have specific ideas that you think will elevate the attendee experience, while elevating your event branding, communicate this with the event planning team and they may be flexible to accommodate your ideas!
Event sponsorships come with a lot of timelines, deliverables, and options. If you are working on your 2023 sponsorship plans contact us! We would love to help you make the most of your event budget this year! And if you want to stay updated on industry trends like this, make sure to sign up for our newsletter.
