The key weapon behind a profitable occasion isn’t simply nice audio system, a cool venue, or sold-out tickets. It’s additionally the sponsors who usher in essential income whereas including credibility to your occasion.
When big-name sponsors put their brand in your occasion supplies, they’re basically saying: “This occasion issues.”
We all know this firsthand as a result of occasion sponsorships have been an enormous a part of our advertising and marketing technique. We’ve spent an estimated $500,000 on them, sponsoring every part from intimate trade meetups to huge worldwide conferences.
Our sales space at Chiang Mai web optimization 2024
Tl;dr: For those who’re working occasions, you completely need sponsors like us.
However how do you persuade firms like ours to open their wallets in your occasion? I spoke with Elysa Han, our occasions advertising and marketing supervisor, to be taught what we glance out for in occasion sponsorships.
Contemplate this your insider’s information to profitable occasion sponsors.
For sponsors, each greenback spent on sponsorships is an funding that should ship returns. Right here’s what’s driving our sponsorship selections:
Attempting to find our ultimate prospects — We need to meet potential patrons face-to-face. More and more, we’re on the lookout for the large fish: enterprise-level decision-makers who can log out on important contracts. In case your occasion attracts our goal demographic, you’ve already received half the battle.Creating in-person connections — We crave the qualitative insights that may solely come from somebody’s eyes lighting up throughout a demo or listening to their ache factors straight. Human connections inform us issues that digital analytics by no means may.Construct a more in-depth relationship with our present prospects — Typically our purchasers are within the trade they usually run occasions too. Supporting their occasions brings us nearer.Planting strategic model flags — We’re on the lookout for visibility that makes an impression, not simply huge logos plastered on partitions that nobody remembers.
We’re not routinely selecting the largest or most prestigious occasions. The scale of your occasion issues far lower than the way it aligns with our targets.
Right here’s how we consider occasions to sponsor:
Viewers alignment — We assess each dimension and high quality. Who precisely will likely be within the room? What decision-making energy do they wield? Which industries do they symbolize? Nonetheless, dimension isn’t every part. A smaller occasion with 90% perfect-fit attendees will beat a large occasion with 10% relevance each time.Lead era potential — Much like the above, we’re trying on the high quality of alternatives on the occasion. How seemingly are these attendees to turn out to be our prospects? Are they representing an enterprise-level buyer or are they only newbies to web optimization (and even digital advertising and marketing?)Actual suggestions — Elysa digs by Reddit threads, LinkedIn feedback, and conversations on X concerning the occasion’s earlier editions to search out unfiltered suggestions concerning the occasion. Previous attendees (and even sponsors!) are your most credible or damaging advertising and marketing device.Organizer’s vibe examine — Your response to our questions reveals volumes about the way you’ll deal with the precise occasion. Are you clear about attendance numbers? Do you dodge questions on previous sponsor experiences? Typically the deciding issue is in that second when our occasions staff says, “One thing feels off about these organizers.” In these circumstances, we observe our intestine.
By the way in which, these should not set in stone. There are occasions after we break our personal guidelines too.
For instance, we not too long ago sponsored Nas Summit in Singapore. Whereas it was a large convention, it was an occasion for each present and aspiring content material creators who, on paper, are miles away from our ultimate buyer profile.
The truth is, by our personal calculations, 62% of occasion attendees had been unfamiliar with our model.
So, why did we write the examine?
The principle cause was that the worth proposition was too extraordinary. For a modest funding, we obtained the identical worth as what would have value 5X in different occasions. We had a sales space, social media shoutouts, seen branding (e.g., on the media wall), and even occasion tickets.
Despite the fact that it didn’t match our standards, we couldn’t move up an distinctive supply. So, we turned it right into a model consciousness play as an alternative.
The quickest approach to lose our curiosity is to cover behind obscure claims like “well-attended” or “trade professionals”. We need to see every part laid naked, so inform us:
Actual attendance numbers from earlier eventsDetailed demographic breakdowns that transcend job titles and embrace issues like seniority ranges, firm dimension, and moreCandid recaps of what occurred in earlier editionsClear and complete sponsorship info that spells out precisely what we get for our funding
Elysa additionally likes to hop on discovery calls with the occasion organizers to be taught extra info and get a really feel for the individuals concerned.
What sort of sponsorship info will we need to see? Listed below are the packages we’ve seen to date (which may inform yours):
$2,000 – $3,000 — Solely visible branding (e.g., logos on stage and web site)$5,000 — Visible branding + small on-site sales space$10,000 – $20,000 — Visible branding, larger sales space house, and full attendee registration listing>$20,000 — The entire above, however with an excellent larger sales space house. Additionally features a talking slot. You may additionally get to incorporate your swag within the convention’s goodie luggage.
One factor’s for sure: each sponsorship package deal is simply a place to begin for negotiation. We’ve by no means accepted a sponsorship package deal precisely as introduced, and neither will most sponsors.
Because the organizer, it is best to anticipate that and be versatile. Simply since you’ve structured a sponsorship package deal that approach doesn’t imply it needs to be fastened that approach. Sponsors might have finances constraints and might want branding alternatives which can be completely different from what you’ve considered.
For instance, they could not simply need visible branding but additionally shoutouts in your owned media channels, like the web site, social media, and electronic mail publication. Or they could need their standees to be on stage, along with a large brand.
Or they could need additional shoutouts on stage for his or her model or for attendees to take a look at their cubicles.
For those who’re working your occasion greater than as soon as, the secret’s getting the sponsors to return. That approach, you don’t need to consistently take into consideration buying new sponsors.
However how will we resolve if we need to sponsor the identical occasion repeatedly?
An important issue we have a look at is our staff’s autopsy. Inside days of the tip of your occasion, the on-site staff conducts a brutally sincere evaluation that covers:
Whether or not the attendees matched who we had been trying forWho we talked to and whether or not they had been potential enterprise leads(If we had a sales space) Whether or not the sales space was positioned the place you mentioned it might be, whether or not we bought the promised foot visitors, or had been you caught in a nook the place no one cameWhether our swag was standard or everybody ignored itWhether the occasion ran easily or had tons of logistical nightmares
Right here’s an instance of a report accomplished by my colleague:
If we don’t have an on-site staff, i.e. we sponsored just for model consciousness, then we’ll examine suggestions on social media.
We additionally give a number of bonus factors to occasion organizers who’re proactive. The perfect organizers we’ve labored with:
Ship common electronic mail updates — They replace concerning the progress of their occasions, the audio system they’ve secured, different manufacturers which have sponsored, and many others.Assist us maximize worth — They help with branding, logistics, and different alternatives to extend our ROI.Take full possession — We’ve had occasion organizers willingly supply us reductions for the subsequent version as a result of they had been personally upset they didn’t get us the outcomes they thought we would.
In the end, sponsorships—not only for occasions however for creators too—are all about relationships.
Don’t be stunned after I say this however typically we sponsor an occasion as a result of the organizer is an enterprise-level prospect or buyer. And typically occasions give sponsors reductions as a result of they see them as a long-term associate and need them to return often for all future editions.
Ensuring your occasion is worthwhile is essential. However don’t neglect that relationships run the world. Count on to be versatile and negotiate in the direction of a win-win for each you and the sponsor.
Closing ideas
Securing occasion sponsorships is all about creating mutual worth.
Essentially the most profitable occasion organizers perceive what sponsors are on the lookout for and construct packages that ship actual outcomes. By being clear together with your knowledge, versatile together with your choices, and proactive in your communications, you’ll construct relationships with sponsors that final past a single occasion.
Bear in mind: sponsors like us are on the lookout for ROI, however we’re additionally on the lookout for companions who perceive our targets and are dedicated to serving to us obtain them.
Making an attempt to arrange an occasion as an alternative? We additionally organized our personal convention and wrote up how we did it: