what is presenting sponsor

Types of Sponsorships

by Lindsay Kramer

Published on 18 Mar 2019

Sponsors are the lifeblood of fundraising events. Nonprofit organizations, political campaigns and social movements rely on a variety of funding sources, and often, this includes fundraisers like dinners, performances, exhibitions and galas. Businesses that sponsor events like these can gain brand recognition and industry clout while supporting causes they believe in. Not all sponsorships are the same, and there are multiple types of sponsorships businesses can pursue.

Four Kinds of Sponsorships

There are many different ways to sponsor an event. Some offer unique sponsorship packages like phone charging stations and naming rights for specific products. Generally, opportunities to support nonprofits fall into four broad types of sponsorship.

Financial Sponsors

Most discussions of sponsorships focus on financial sponsors. These are the sponsors that give money directly to an organization and campaign leaders to fund their events.

Media Sponsors

Media sponsors are financial sponsors that secure advertising for an event. This can mean purchasing advertising space on local television or in a local newspaper or publishing content about the event on their own channels, like creating a blog post about the event or cause.

In-Kind Sponsors

An in-kind sponsorship is an arrangement where the sponsoring business provides goods or services in lieu of direct financial support. For example, a restaurant may opt to provide food for a fundraising event.

Promotional Partnerships

Promotional partnerships are similar to media sponsors. The difference between these types of sponsorships is that promotional partners are typically individual figures rather than companies and media outlets. A promotional partner advertises the event or cause to his network.

Presenting Sponsor Definition

Sometimes, an event has multiple sponsors. Typically, the sponsors provide different types and levels of support. The sponsor that provides the greatest amount of support often receives top billing on promotional materials and may be treated as the party “hosting” the event. This sponsor is known as the presenting sponsor.

The presenting sponsor definition doesn't explicitly require the presenting sponsor to be the one that provided the largest amount of financial support, though. Sometimes, the presenting sponsor simply opted into a certain sponsorship package that includes the right to be named the presenting sponsor.

When a sponsor has the right to act as an event’s “host,” that sponsor fits the presenting sponsor definition. Usually, this sponsor is designated in the event’s title and promotional materials. For example, if Spirits Unlimited were to be the presenting sponsor of the annual Ghosthunters Ball, promotional materials may read, “The 11th Annual Ghosthunter’s Ball, presented by Spirits Unlimited.”

Sponsoring an Event

Businesses considering sponsoring events need to carefully consider the kinds of sponsorships available for each event. Sometimes, a cause just doesn't need the kinds of sponsorship certain business types can provide. When a business owner determines that a cause she cares about can use the type of sponsorship her business can provide, her next step is to determine the financial realities and logistics of pursuing the sponsorship.

A financial advisor can help a business owner determine whether she can afford to sponsor an event and how the sponsorship will impact the company’s operating expenses. Other considerations a company’s leadership team needs to make when evaluating sponsorship opportunities are:

• How the sponsorship will impact the brand’s image with its target audience.
• Whether the sponsorship will further the brand’s reach .
• How the sponsorship will impact the nonprofit organization or campaign it's supporting.
• Whether the company is actually equipped to provide the type of support the sponsorship requires.
• Which types of sponsorship best fit the company’s brand .

In some cases, a company can improve its return on investment by providing multiple kinds of sponsorship. In other cases, a better strategy for the business is to focus on one type of sponsorship. And in certain situations, it's in the company’s best interest to pass on a sponsorship opportunity. When an event’s goals or values don't align with a brand’s goals and values, pursuing a sponsorship with the event can actually hurt the brand.

• Arts and Culture
• Sponsorship Update (in the news!)
• Event Sponsorship
• Municipalities
• Naming Rights
• Social Media
• Tuesday Morning Commentary
• SMCC WSC 2012
• Brent Barootes Itinerary
• Industry Specific
• Miscellaneous
• Prospecting
• White Papers: Reports & Studies
• Return On Investment (ROI)
• Sponsorship
• Make a Payment

The Difference between a “Presenting” Sponsorship and an Engaged One

Jul 13, 2021 | Tuesday Morning Commentary | 2 comments

OK, let’s leave the naming rights proposals and packages out of this conversation. That is a whole other subject for another time. I keep hearing from brands that “We need to be in a recognized position.” They want a top tier sponsorship at the event, conference, or with the team or property. They talk about wanting or needing to be a presenting sponsor. I try to tell them what they need is to be noticed, recognized, and remembered. That is not necessarily gained by being the presenting sponsor.

Then I hear from the properties how they need a presenting a sponsor. What they really need is someone to give them money, and to be a great partner who will activate and engage the audience. No one really needs a presenting sponsor. That is just an old-fashioned title or entitlement that we should have moved beyond by now!

A presenting sponsor title is just that. It delivers nothing for the brand or property other than a name placement. No one remembers them. No one says, “Hey, that was a great country concert! I had so much fun. And so fantastic that ABC Company was the presenting sponsor!” No one says, “Hey, I need to get to the liquor store and buy that wine because ABC Winery was the presenting sponsor.” No one says, “I want to go online and check out ABC Swimsuits because I saw they were presenting sponsor at that beach festival.” Sorry, but those things don’t happen because you bought or sold the positioning of presenting sponsor.

Those reactions happen when ABC Company makes the concert more memorable because they gave everyone ponchos when it rained and a coupon for 30% off on western wear at their local store. That is memorable, engaging, and helped to make an experience better! That’s why we remember ABC Company.

We go to that wine store or distribution outlet to buy their wine because we sampled it, or bought it at the event and loved it. We went online to check out a bathing suit because we saw it displayed and fashioned by the staff, volunteers, or whomever at the festival. We saw something we liked, or it enhanced our experience and we wanted to access more of the experience. The sponsorship works when it engages audiences and creates a positive impression of the brand in the mind of the event participant. That’s what drives traffic and sells product. If you want to put up a banner and say you are the presenting sponsor, have at it. That is the “add-on,” not the meat and potatoes of the investment.

Make sure your next sponsorship buy or sale has the meat and potatoes. Make sure it is about engagement, not the fluff or add-on element.

© 2021 All rights reserved.

The same can be said, obviously, for venue naming rights that have zero engagement and/or activation to them. It is also an ego play for many CEOs. Great read as always!

Well noted Josh!

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events.

• Add to Timely Calendar
• Add to Google
• Add to Outlook
• Add to Apple Calendar
• Add to other calendar
• Export to XML

Latest Blog Posts

• Heading in the Right Direction
• One Size Fits All
• Lead Generation
• StumbleUpon

What is a Title sponsor?

Title sponsorship , otherwise known as a “naming sponsor,” “gold sponsor,” or “worldwide sponsor,” holds the highest level of significance when it comes to sports team sponsorships, with the potential exception of the kit supplier in certain sports like soccer. This top-tier position of the title sponsor offers a unique blend of marketing and branding advantages to the brand that assumes this role.

Title sponsorship is a strategic investment that grants a brand a substantial amount of the marketing rights linked to the sports team. From the use of the team’s name and image in communications to promotional activities, the title sponsor is positioned at the forefront of the team’s visibility. This allows the sponsor to leverage the team’s fame and audience reach for optimal brand exposure.

Moreover, in some sports like basketball, MotoGP, F1 , and cycling, the influence of the title sponsor can extend to the name and colors of the team’s liveries or uniforms. This level of branding impact, however, is seen less in sports like football.

Here are some examples of how title sponsorship can be successfully exploited.

What is a title sponsorship and what benefits are linked to this specific program.

• The logo of the title sponsor being displayed on a team’s car, bike, kit, or other official apparel
• The logo being displayed in the team’s printed material, for example on TV backdrops, in magazines and newsletters, on posters and headed paper, and so on
• Title sponsor featuring extensively on sports team ’s website and through its social media channels
• Title sponsor ’s products frequently showcased to the team’s fans
• The reach of the team used to leverage competitions and offers that showcase the sponsor’s products or services
• The title sponsor having access to players, drivers, riders and athletes for events such as trade shows
• The chance to organise hospitality events and B2B opportunities at the event in which the sports team is present or competing

The power of title sponsorship lies in the diverse ways it can be harnessed. The visibility of the title sponsor’s logo on a team’s car, bike, kit, or other official apparel is a given. However, the brand’s visibility extends to the team’s printed material such as TV backdrops, magazines, newsletters, posters, and even the team’s official letterheads.

Furthermore, the title sponsor gains substantial digital prominence through the team’s website and social media channels. The sponsor’s products are frequently showcased to the team’s fans, providing an opportunity for direct product engagement. The team’s reach is also used to leverage competitions and offers that feature the sponsor’s products or services.

In addition to these branding benefits, the title sponsor gains exclusive access to players, drivers, riders, and athletes for events like trade shows. This opens avenues for hosting hospitality events and creating B2B opportunities at events where the sports team is present or competing.

However, managing title sponsorship requires time and expertise, considering the vast possibilities at disposal. This is where experienced sports marketing agencies like RTR Sports Marketing come into play, offering solutions in a straightforward and expert manner.

Title sponsor or presenting sponsor?

For companies venturing into sports sponsorship, understanding the distinction between a title sponsor and a presenting sponsor is crucial. A title sponsor is typically the main partner of a team, while a presenting sponsor is a key partner for an event. Both roles provide similar marketing rights, with minor differences potentially linked to the nature of the activity and the sponsor’s industry.

Despite the difference in names, both types of sponsorship provide marketing opportunities and sponsorship rights that are quite alike. They both offer visibility in terms of use of name or image, prominent positioning of the sponsor’s logo, presence on the team or event’s website or social media channels, and involvement with hospitality packages. Discover What is a Sponsorship Activation .

The importance of sponsorship naming rights

In the high-octane world of motorsports, from Formula 1 to MotoGP, sponsorship naming rights serve as a pivotal component in the marketing mix for brands seekin g maximum visibility and exposure . Such rights are essentially contracts that allow a sponsor to append their name or logo to a sporting event, a team, or even a stadium for a designated period, translating into significant brand recognition.

From an economics standpoint, the value derived from sponsorship naming rights is immense. On one hand, a sponsor injects substantial funds into the team or event, facilitating everything from technological advancements, improvements in racing gear, to overall team operations. This sponsorship dollar influx plays a crucial role in enabling the team or event to maintain its competitive edge and continue offering exhilarating performances to its fans. On the other hand, this association provides the sponsor with extensive visibility to a global audience. As every race unfolds, millions of eyeballs are glued to their screens, following the action-packed contests. This leads to a surge in brand awareness and recall for sponsors, as their logos become indelibly associated with exciting races and famous drivers. The more thrilling the race, the more positive the association for the sponsor, and the greater the potential return on their investment.

With Formula 1 and MotoGP races taking place worldwide, sponsorship naming rights offer international exposur e to a diverse and enthusiastic audience. High-visibility events such as these attract significant media attention, resulting in extensive coverage across different platforms and regions. Each time the sponsor logos get another moment in the limelight, perpetuating the cycle of brand visibility and recognition.

This continuous cycle of exposure also contributes to a longer-term benefit: brand loyalty . Fans of motorsports often develop an affinity for the brands that support their favorite teams or events, which can ultimately drive sales and increase market share for the sponsors.

The complex interplay of sponsorship dollars, sponsor logos, and millions of eyeballs watching races across the globe underscores the vital role of title sponsorship in today’s motorsports landscape. Whether it’s Formula 1 or MotoGP, securing sponsorship naming rights is a strategic move that allows brands to fuel their growth engine while adding value to the fast-paced world of professional racing.

RTR Sports Marketing

RTR Sports Marketing , with over 25 years of experience, is dedicated to helping brands reach their marketing and commercial goals by utilizing motorsports as an effective communication tool. Whether it’s title sponsorship, presenting sponsorship, or sports marketing in general, RTR Sports Marketing is available to help brands navigate and optimize these opportunities. You can reach them via email at [email protected] for more information on how title sponsorship can work for your brand.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

RTR Sports Marketing helps you reach your sports marketing and commercial goals using sports as an effective communication tool. Together, we build winning projects and tailor-made sports marketing strategies leveraging on your brand and the world’s top team, athletes, and events. With passion, experience and enthusiasm we want to help make your sponsorship dream a reality with one of the premier sports marketing companies. To request further information, please use our  contact us page , or call us at +44 (0) 2071939706 : we can find the most effective sports marketing services solution for your business.

• MotoGP Sponsorship
• Formula 1 Sponsorship
• Formula E Sponsorship
• WSBK Sponsorship
• WEC Sponsorship
• MotoGP VIP Village
• Why Choose RTR Sports
• MotoGP Sponsorship Calculator
• A guide to MotoGP Sponsorship
• The cost of Formula 1 Sponsorship
• RTR Sports Marketing LTD
• 25 Sandringham Court, 14 Dufour's Place, London W1F 7SL
• info@rtrsports.com

Table of Contents

What event sponsorship is, 3 reasons why event sponsorships are valuable, 5 ways to find the right event sponsors.

• 6 Tips For How To Make a Sponsorship Proposal

5 Tips for Better Event Sponsorship Packages

3 great event sponsorship package examples, 4 ways to prove roi to sponsors, sponsorship ideas for virtual and hybrid events, how bizzabo simplifies event sponsorship, key takeaways: how to improve your event with event sponsorships, the ultimate guide to event sponsorship.

The numbers don’t lie: Businesses continue to increase their event investments. In fact, 97% of marketers believe that events are the most effective channel for driving business outcomes.

But let’s talk about the elephant on the trade show floor: sponsorship and sponsor ROI. With the rise of virtual conferences and the influx of in-person events, one thing is sure: growth and scalability will rely on event sponsors. 

However, sponsorship remains one of the biggest challenges for the most seasoned event organizers. Although most event organizers say their top priorities right now are attendee engagement and attendance, 29% said they’re prioritizing sponsorships .

If you’re feeling salty, uncertain, or downright insecure about the future of event sponsorship, we’re here to help. In this guide, you’ll learn the following:

• 6 Tips For How To Make a Sponsorship Proposal/a>
• How Bizzabo Simplifies Event Sponsorships

Let’s start with the basics: What does it mean to sponsor an event? A corporate event sponsor is a company that supports an event by providing funds in exchange for something of value. Event sponsorships can include in-kind contributions (e.g., providing a venue, food, or raffle prizes), media sponsorships, and promotional partnerships.

This “something of value” often comes in the form of increased brand exposure, access to attendee data, speaking opportunities at the event, or discounted event tickets.

Ticket pricing strategy have you down? Read In-person, Virtual, and Hybrid Event Ticket Pricing Strategies .

Companies sponsor events in the hope of moving their organizations forward. If your event presents an opportunity for them to do that, you’ll likely be able to secure partners and deliver a stronger experience to attendees. In fact, 33% of businesses spend 21% or more of their total events budget on sponsoring events .

However, not all events will be enticing to potential sponsors. For example, internal events — like sales kickoffs and internal training events — rarely provide enough value to other companies for them to invest in an event sponsorship opportunity . Of course, there are always exceptions. If you have a strategic partner, for example, they may be willing to sponsor an internal event if it helps your company’s reps sell their product better. 

We know the “what” when it comes to event sponsorship. But what about the “why”? Why should you spend time and resources researching, contacting, and securing event sponsors? Is it really necessary?

The answer to that question depends on your organization and the kind of event you plan on hosting. But in general, securing event sponsors is worth the effort for three reasons.

1. Boost Your Event Budget

Running an event is an expensive endeavor. Rarely are ticket sales alone enough to break even — at least not while keeping prices affordable. What’s an event planner to do? Simple: Secure event sponsorships. As the events market continues to grow, ResearchAndMarkets predicts that sponsorship will account for the lion’s share of event revenue this year.

This could be because nearly 58% of event marketers believed their event budgets would decrease in 2021. Couple that sentiment with persistent inflation, a looming recession, and an uptick in layoffs, and it appears this trend will continue for the foreseeable future. If these predictions are true, event planners will be even more hard-pressed to find sponsors to fund their events — whether in-person or virtual.

Securing event sponsorship dollars allows you to plan a financially viable event and keep ticket prices down, ensuring more attendees will be able to come. It also means you can provide discount codes and needs-based tickets to folks from different socioeconomic situations. 

According to events on Bizzabo’s platform, more than 25% of in-person and hybrid events are paid versus only 10% of virtual events. The average ticket price for a paid event is $655, but 50% of paid tickets used discount promo codes, and 75% gave a full discount — that’s a free ticket. 

The more sponsorships you can secure, the bigger your budget will be and the more opportunities you’ll create for top-tier speakers, multiple ticket options, event activations, peace of mind, and so much more. 

2. Level Up Your Event’s Credibility 

Be honest: All things being equal, would you rather attend an event with no sponsors or one that Amazon sponsors? Most of us would probably rather experience the Amazon-sponsored event — even if the same company was putting on both events, featured the same topic, and had the same speakers. 

Why? Because Amazon is one of the biggest companies in the world, and if they decide to sponsor an event, then it must be good, right? 

Although partnering with a company like Amazon may be a stretch, securing known and respected brands in your organization’s field to sponsor your event will lend instant credibility and likely increase registration numbers. 

You also don’t have to shoot for the moon with event sponsors. Look at micro-sponsors that have name recognition but may be easier to secure. Stick to companies with the budget, a marketing team, and the means to sponsor an event of your size and format. 

3. Get Creative With Your Reach 

Lastly, sponsors may be able to provide your event with other benefits and perks beyond just money and credibility. For example, perhaps your event partners with a local restaurant. In exchange for promoting their business to all your attendees, they’ll allow you to use their event space and provide catered lunches.

Another perk that sponsoring companies can provide is increased exposure for your event. If a customer of a sponsoring company is browsing that particular sponsor’s social media feed and sees that they’ve partnered with you. Customers may attend your event because they trust the sponsoring company.

Finding event sponsors isn’t as challenging as it may seem. To secure event sponsorships, you must first find the right companies to partner with. Here are three tips:

1. Know Your Event

First, you must know and understand your event’s particulars. 

• What type of event are you producing? 
• What is your overall vision for your gathering?
• What goals are you hoping to achieve? 
• What sets your event apart from other events on similar topics?
• Who are the people attending your event? 

These are the kinds of questions that potential event sponsors will ask you. Think about these as you work on your event strategy . If you know their answers before you start reaching out to brands about sponsorships, you’ll only spend time contacting companies that align with your event.

Also, if you’re hosting the same flagship event year over year or quarter over quarter, express this to potential event sponsors. A long-term relationship can be very attractive for companies looking for consistent, repeatable event sponsorship ROI. 

“Sponsorship sales is a huge focus for us because that’s repeatable revenue that can be renewed year over year.” Dayna Rothman Author Lead Generation for Dummies

2. Understand Why Businesses Sponsor Events

There are many reasons businesses opt to sponsor events — from lead generation to extending their reach. Here are some things you need to know: 

• Increased social media impressions: Events usually result in hundreds — if not thousands — of social media posts. That means hundreds of opportunities for a sponsor’s name to be shared out to the masses with your event’s hashtag, which means increased followers and brand exposure. 
• Accelerated lead generation: Many companies are excited to gain more potential customers through event sponsorship. Especially if the attendee demographic overlaps with a target customer base, companies see events as an excellent opportunity to grow their sales pipeline and increase the number of potential closed deals. 
• Gaining access to specific demographics: Companies sometimes have difficulty tapping into a certain demographic because of limited resources or a general lack of exposure. However, event sponsorships offer a way to reach a specific target audience that may have been inaccessible otherwise. Companies are especially interested in sponsoring events if the sponsorship can give the brand the exposure it needs regarding a specific demographic.

The more you understand what your sponsors’ needs are, the better you can cater your sponsorship pitch to their challenges to secure a deal.  

3. Identify the Right Partners

Rather than spamming every business you find and presenting them with event sponsorship proposals, we recommend that you first identify the kinds of companies that would be a good fit. Then reach out and interact with only those brands.

For example, a company like McDonald’s might not send the right message if you’re planning a virtual summit for medical and health professionals. But a company like Aetna or Walgreens could be a great fit.

At our 2020 (Almost) HYBRID summit, Leanne Pittsford , founder of Lesbians Who Tech, shared how she has built her reputation and her company on her values. She makes every decision, including sponsorships, on whether the relationship will build trust with her audience and supports her message. She even admits to losing sponsorships because they weren’t a good fit for her brand.

Contacting organizations that don’t align with your event brand or don’t have a history of sponsoring events isn’t productive. Doing your due diligence to find the right partners will also save you time and increase your success rate.

Not sure how to tackle virtual event sponsorships? Download our Virtual Event Sponsorship Guide + Workbook . 

4. Use Online Resources To Find Sponsors

Knowing your event particulars and the kind of companies you hope to partner with is excellent. But you still need to go out and find organizations that fit your criteria. 

One of the easiest ways to do that is to use online resources like SponsorMyEvent or SponsorPitch . These tools make it easy to connect with potential event sponsors and send an event sponsorship agreement if they seem like a good fit. You can also use a tool like Sponseasy to create a sponsorship proposal quickly. 

5. Research Events Similar to Yours 

This last idea is short and sweet but often overlooked. Look up other events similar to yours and to check out their sponsor pages. Suppose these companies were interested in forming event partnerships with those companies. In that case, there is a good chance they’ll be interested in sponsoring yours, too. 

6 Tips For H ow To Make a Sponsorship Proposal

Now that you’ve created a list of potential event sponsors, it’s time to pitch them. Whether you’re emailing potential event sponsors , hoping for an organic connection at a networking event, or reaching out on LinkedIn. These three tips are essential to your success:

1. Research Potential Sponsors More Deeply 

You know that the companies on your list align with your event’s topic and vision, and each has a history of sponsoring events in the past. Now, it’s time to dig deeper.

The more information you have on each stakeholder and company you plan to contact, the better. Before reaching out to a company, research the following: 

• Who is the key decision maker? What is their personality type and their contact information?
• What are the marketing objectives and challenges? 
• How would sponsoring your event can help them meet their marketing objectives?
• Do they have the budget to sponsor your event as you desire? 
• What value would they add to the attendee experience? 
• What are some potential roadblocks that could come up in the process? 

With this information, you can create a customized pitch that will secure your sponsorship more easily. 

“The north star is always the attendee experience. If you’re not adding to their experience, you shouldn’t be offering that sponsorship.” Meg Fasy Founder at eventsGIG and principal at FazeFWD

2. Communicate Value

In the last tip, we mentioned that you should know how sponsoring your event will benefit the company you’re contacting. Knowing this will help you communicate value, which you must do to secure partnerships.

No organization will support your event out of the goodness in its heart. There needs to be an equal exchange of value, and you must communicate this value in your pitch. To do this, make your pitch about the company you’re contacting, not your event, and focus on how the event will benefit them.

Be sure to include the following information in your pitch, too: 

• The number of expected attendees plus demographics
• Brands that have sponsored your event in the past and their success metrics (if applicable)
• Anticipated ROI for sponsors (e.g., potential reach on social, leads generated)
• User-generated content from past events that proves the value and reach
• Testimonials and quotes from past sponsors and attendees

Proving value is difficult enough for live events. But it’s even more challenging for virtual ones. If you’re hosting a virtual event, call out the value sponsors will see if they partner with your event and focus on the benefits of a virtual event. 

For example, the sponsorship prospectus for Open Data Science Conference’s Virtual AI Expo includes a section dedicated to why a virtual expo is an even better investment for sponsors.

Source : ODSC

“Our north star for sponsorship strategy is the ability to showcase the value of our products to attendees through live demos and thought leadership sessions.”  Ashley Jenkins Events manager Miro

3. Ask the Right Questions To Ensure Success

Although you may have done your due diligence in pinpointing the sponsors that align with your brand and event vision, it’s still important to ask some key questions before formalizing anything: 

• How do you see your organization’s mission aligning with our event and brand? 
• What are your core company values and key brand values? 
• What are some key ROI metrics you want to increase through this sponsorship? 
• What are your main goals as an event sponsor?

It’s possible the “right sponsor” may turn out to be the “wrong sponsor,” and these questions can help you ensure that your values and their values are aligned to achieve your event goals. 

4. Include Social Proof

Social proof in the form of testimonials from previous partners can go a long way toward convincing a brand to sponsor your event. Similar to how we all read product reviews before making online purchases, potential sponsors will want to know whether previous partners had a good experience with your brand and found sponsorship to be a worthwhile investment.

If you can, consider going the extra mile and creating full case studies with your top sponsors. A great example of what this might look like is TED ’s case study with long-time event partner Rolex. This asset has helped the annual conference secure other sponsors by showcasing the positive ROI that Rolex has received from the partnership.

“We really try to work with sponsors to achieve their goals while at the same time maintaining editorial independence. A lot of these sponsors don’t just want to have a sponsor sticker slapped onto an event. They want to do something that has a real conversational element to it.” Mike Butcher Founder The Europas

5. Build a Relationship with Communication 

The key to pitching and partnering with sponsors is communication. As you begin to work with sponsors, it’s essential to have a common language. This allows you to align on key business goals and outcomes that make both parties successful.

For example, Vasil Azarov, founder of the Growth Marketing Conference , focuses on building mutually beneficial partnerships and co-sponsoring programs . This includes providing them with an outline of opportunities for additional exposure, collaborating on content like webinars, and leveraging a partner to co-sponsor direct mail campaigns and initiatives on the event floor.

Fostering a collaborative environment also helps to maintain good relationships with key sponsors in current and upcoming events.

“The key element of building a successful relationship is to make sure that you’re leveraging your strength to make it a win for both you and your partner.” Vasil Azarov Founder Growth Marketing Conference

You can also find software to help you communicate with your sponsors and create a seamless experience for them to work with you. For example, Bizzabo offers a partner and speaker management solution , which makes it easier than ever to manage your sponsors. 

Since relationships play a crucial role in securing and maintaining sponsorships, you’d be wise to do everything within your power to optimize the sponsor experience.

“If times are tough and you have to choose which event you’re going to sponsor, and all business aspects are equal, you’ll pick the one where you have a relationship.” Meg Fasy Founder at eventsGIG and principal at FazeFWD

6. Optimize Your Event Website 

Lastly, don’t forget to include sponsorship information on your event website, particularly why companies should consider sponsoring your event. A dedicated page on your site that features past sponsors, past keynote speakers, who sponsors will reach, social proof, and more will offer an additional way for sponsors to feel more confident about the relationship. 

To kick your event sponsorship efforts into high gear, you need to offer different sponsorship packages — there is no one-size-fits-all here!

With the rise of in-person events alongside the continued preference for virtual and hybrid events, your sponsorship packages will need to be even more impressive because it may be harder for potential sponsors to visualize your event and the value they’ll get out of it. Nearly 37% of organizers believe it’s more difficult to provide valuable opportunities for sponsors when hosting virtual events.

Adele Durham joined us on the Event Experience podcast to share some examples of how she’s creating valuable experiences and opportunities for sponsors. Here are five tips to help you craft a sponsorship package that will stand out to your potential partners.

1. Include Different Event Sponsorship Levels

When building sponsorship packages for your event, create multiple sponsorship tiers (at least three), each equipped with different benefits and sold at varying price points. For example, sponsorship levels might look like this:

• The Bronze Package ($1,000) : Your company logo on all event marketing materials, a guaranteed digital sponsor page, a virtual sponsorship gift, sponsor placement in lower thirds, 30-second promo video before the keynote session.
• The Silver Package ($2,500) : Everything in the Bronze Package, plus branded transitions between videos and/or sessions (only 25 available).
• The Gold Package ($5,000) : Everything in the Bronze and Silver Packages, plus a branded virtual lounge named after your company (only 10 available).

The more money an organization pays, the more benefits they receive. You can also create different packages for companies instead of individuals, give discounts when multiple tickets are purchased at once, and more.

Take a look at how Gainsight offered sponsorship tiers at Pulse for Product 2020 :

Source : Gainsight

This strategy has paid off well for Gainsight. In 2022, the company added a fifth sponsorship level for Pulse: titanium.

But don’t limit your sponsorship packages to what’s on paper. You may have a sponsor who wants something unique — like a case study — out of the relationship. Stay flexible and be prepared to entice sponsors on the fence with something outside the box. 

2. Create Unique Opportunities

There are many ways to add value to your sponsorship packages. Here are a few ideas:

• Guaranteeing a speaking slot for the CEO of a sponsoring company
• Allowing partners to put their company names on breakout rooms
• Including a sponsor’s logo on the swag bags given to each attendee
• Having polls or Q&A sessions “sponsored by” a specific company

But to supercharge your packages and entice organizations to spring for more expensive sponsorship options, you need to create unique opportunities.

Here’s a great example of how Adele Durham took her in-person ideas and reimagined how she could provide those valuable experiences to her sponsors virtually.

“We have had food trucks at our award events so that when you’re exiting Cipriani, you can get a grilled cheese and some tater tots on your way out. A huge hit. Okay, you’re not going to be able to do that when it’s a virtual event. So, we looked at giving away Grubhub vouchers. So when the event wraps, all attendees get a $15 Grubhub voucher to get their late-night snack.”

The key is to be creative and consider ways to differentiate from other offerings sponsors might be seeing.

3. Make It Clear

Your event sponsorship packages will only sell if potential sponsors understand exactly what they’ll receive once they make a purchase. They’ll also need to know how to become eligible for each package. Here, clarity is your friend.

Start by spelling out every package benefit, perk, and requirement in crystal-clear language. Potential sponsors should never have to guess at what they’ll receive in exchange for a portion of their company’s budget. This is especially true when selling sponsorships for large sums of money.

This example from SaaStr tells sponsors exactly what they can expect and how much it will cost. It even uses visual examples, so sponsors don’t have to guess or imagine what it will look like.

Source : SaaStr

4. Exclusivity Sells

Want to sell high-end packages like SaaStr ? Make use of exclusivity. 

On the surface, this may sound counterintuitive. If 10 people want to pay SaaStr over $1 million to sponsor the event, why would they only accept six of them?

There are a couple of different reasons.

First, it’s simple math. There’s only so much time in the day and resources on hand. SaaStr (and other companies that offer high-end sponsorship packages) can only provide adequate value to so many sponsors. If they were to let more companies participate, the package wouldn’t deliver as much value.

Second, exclusivity breeds desire. As humans, we always want what we can’t have. And we tend to feel better about ourselves when we have what others want but can’t get. Making your top sponsorship packages exclusive increases the chances people want to buy them.

Another way to use the exclusivity principle is to make certain packages “invite-only.” In other words, companies can’t apply for these limited slots. Instead, they have to be invited to purchase them.

Creating exclusivity is the key — particularly if you’re planning a larger virtual conference . The bigger the event, the more sponsorship dollars you might need. Don’t be too eager to accept every offer; prioritize the best partnerships for you, your event, and your attendees.

5. Make Your Sponsorship Page Enticing and Vibrant

Source : Pulse

Finally, to increase the likelihood that companies will want to sponsor your event, we recommend that you make the event sponsor web pages on your event website enticing and vibrant. Sponsors care about how their brand is represented. Use rich media elements to make the page and the way sponsors are represented in it, visually pleasing.

Pulse does a great job highlighting event sponsorship opportunities. The annual conference for customer success professions has a section showcasing their top sponsors. Each partnering company gets a featured logo, a bio section explaining what the company does (when you hover over the logo), and links to its website and social channels.

Knowing that their company will be featured on your event website — especially if your website receives a lot of quality traffic — may be the perk that convinces a brand to partner with you.

Virtual and hybrid events rely more on technology than in-person events did previously. More than 50% of organizers believe event technology tools will play a key role in connecting sponsors and attendees both virtually and in person. That being the case, it’s important to find an event platform with the features you need to create a great website and an engaging digital experience to attract sponsors.

We’ve given you tips on creating better event sponsorship packages. Now, let’s look at a few examples of event sponsor promotion from brands who have taken these tips and used them well. Get ready to be inspired.

1. re:Invent by Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Source : Data Center Knowledge

Amazon’s re:Invent is a massive cloud computing conference by Amazon occuring every year in Las Vegas that features workshops, keynote speakers, and hackathons. As far as sponsorship opportunities go, Amazon does a great job outlining the exact benefits partners will receive for each of their seven packages and highlighting past sponsor success.

Amazon also does a fantastic job of promoting unique experiences, including access to fun, non-work-related activities like the re:Play after party and a pub crawl.

2. GitHub Universe

Source : GitHub

GitHub Universe is the conference to attend if you work in software development. In 2020, the event was held virtually. On the event’s sponsorship page for that year, GitHub Universe offers detailed demographic information, which includes attendee job types, company types, and location details. This makes it easy for potential sponsors to gauge how aligned a partnership might be. They also include testimonials on the page for social proof. 

3. HubSpot INBOUND

Source : HubSpot

HubSpot’s INBOUND is one of the most anticipated marketing conferences. Founded around the idea of inbound marketing, business professionals from every industry come from all over the world for multiple days of educational sessions, networking, and entertainment.

After pivoting to virtual events during the pandemic, INBOUND was in person in 2022, with prospective attendees given the option of joining virtually if they’d prefer. Ultimately, more than 70,000 people registered for the event, with more than 10,000 attending in person and the rest showing up online. 

In its sponsorship prospectus , HubSpot includes digital mockups that show potential sponsors exactly what their physical and digital opportunities will look like. This is a great example of how to help sponsors be able to visualize what their experience would be like in the event they decide to sponsor an event.

We’ve covered a lot so far in this guide. But there’s one topic we still need to discuss: proving ROI to sponsors. More than half (54%) of marketers express difficulty in proving ROI. How can you show sponsors that partnering with your event is a worthwhile investment? We have a few ideas, which we’ll examine in this section.

1. Show Event Data

When proving value, the first thing you can do is look to data collected throughout your event. If you’re using event management software , you should have a swath of data to help entice potential partners. Of marketers that are currently using event software, 80% of them don’t have trouble proving ROI.

A few metrics to include are:

• How many attendees were at the event?
• How many leads or meetings did each sponsor receive?
• How many attendees registered or attended sponsored workshops/sessions?
• If you’re using a mobile event app, how many in-app impressions did sponsors receive?

The answers to these questions will go a long way in proving ROI, making it easier for organizations to realize sponsoring an event is the right move.

2. Present Event Attendee Demographics

Attendee demographic information can add depth to other data points and assure your sponsor that their investment is worthwhile. If a sponsor sees that your event caters to their target audience, they’ll be much more willing to invest in one of your sponsorship packages. 

And as the industry continues to leverage virtual and hybrid events, event planners are seeing even larger audiences. More than 80% agree that greater audience reach is the most positive effect they’ve experienced from virtual events.

3. Display Attendee Testimonials

Just like sharing positive testimonials from past event partners can help you attract new sponsors, sharing testimonials from event attendees can also provide a qualitative aspect to sponsorship ROI. Allow attendees to leave feedback with the mobile event app (if your event is using one) or in a post-event survey.

This example from the HubSpot INBOUND 2022 sponsorship prospectus shows a detailed breakdown of the attendees that sponsors can expect to see. This level of detail allows potential partners to see if their target audience aligns with yours, making the decision-making process much easier.

Source : HubSpot INBOUND 2022

4. Invest in High-Tech Wearables for Better Sponsorship Data

The best way to prove ROI is to give sponsors instant, accurate data for every lead that engages with their brand at an event. With Bizzabo’s SmartBadge ™ — part of the Klik Experiential suite of solutions — event organizers can capture active and passive attendee behavior data. These badges turn sponsor expectations for rich attendee data and ROI into a reality by transforming a passive accessory into an intuitive, interactive asset. 

Additionally, you can take sponsorship opportunities up a notch with gamification through touchpoints, session attendance, or Klik networking.

Do virtual and hybrid event sponsorships feel like an insurmountable challenge? We’ve got your back. If anything, virtual and hybrid events have actually born creative ways for bringing sponsorships to life. 

If you want to learn more about the following … 

• How to create a sponsorship program for hybrid and virtual events  
• How to ideate and manage creative sponsorship ideas 
• Best practices for creating a new sponsorship program and prospectus

Then check out Sponsorship Hacks in the way that makes the most sense for you:

• Blog article: Creative Strategies for Event Sponsorship in the Modern Events Era
• Podcast: Episode 62: Event Sponsorship Hacks and Creative Strategies
• On-demand webinar: Sponsorship Hacks: Creative Strategies for the Modern Events Era  

Looking for an event sponsorship hack that’ll make onboarding, engaging, and retaining sponsors for future events a walk in the park? 

Partner with Bizzabo!

Simply put, our event experience technology makes life easy for sponsors. For starters, Bizzabo enables sponsors to easily collect and manage leads through smart badges and an intuitive lead capture app, enabling them to launch 1:1 conversations in just a few clicks. Plus, sponsors get near-real-time access to contact information and robust reporting tools that allow them to refine their strategies at the moment and connect with their audience on a deeper level as an event progresses.

At the same time, Bizzabo enables attendees to easily keep track of which sponsors they’ve engaged with, which makes it easier for them to proactively reach out to companies when they need more information or to follow up on conversations they enjoyed.

On top of that, Bizzabo helps sponsors increase event ROI by providing a variety of high-visibility marketing opportunities, including the following:

• Sponsored sessions
• Sponsor spotlights in the mobile app
• Branded offers in the mobile app
• Sponsored splash screens in the mobile app
• Promoted push notifications and emails
• Branded placements on the event website

To learn more about how Bizzabo can help your events team create meaningful sponsor opportunities while making it easier to manage sponsors at scale, attend one of our low-key demo webinars or see exactly what you need to see with a one-on-one demo . 

There you have it: a complete event sponsorship guide. We shared a lot of information, so please feel free to re-read this guide if you need to. 

Want a quick recap of the most important tips, tricks, and strategies? Here are our key takeaways:

• Event sponsorships are valuable because they make your event financially viable, lend credibility, and potentially provide your event with other valuable perks.
• To find event sponsors, know the vision for your event and the benefits you can offer potential partners before sending any of them an event sponsorship letter.
• When pitching event sponsors, research each company you plan to contact, communicate the value they’ll receive, and include social proof.
• Event sponsorship packages are essential. Remember to include different tiers at varying price points so that more companies have a chance to participate. Also, create packages with unique opportunities, make it abundantly clear what each partner will receive, use exclusivity to your advantage, and make your sponsorship page enticing.
• Prove event ROI to sponsors by showing data from your events, presenting audience demographic information, and including attendee testimonials.
• Finally, make sure to include swag in your virtual, in-person, and hybrid event strategies to engage and delight your audience while providing sponsorship opportunities.

Now you have everything you need to contact potential partners and secure event sponsorships. Want to learn more about how we can help? Attend one of our low-key demo webinars or see exactly what you need to see with a one-on-one demo . 

Editor’s Note: This article was initially published in February 2019 and has been updated for quality and relevance. 

You may also be interested in

The Ultimate Guide to Gamification at Your Next In-person Event

Bizzabo Wins Back-to-Back Top Rated Awards in 2024 TrustRadius Reports

How To Use Live Polling to Boost Event Engagement

Enjoying this article.

• Event Software Overview
• Klik Experiential & SmartBadge
• Product Integrations
• Security & Compliance
• Enterprise Event Software
• Insights & Reporting
• Capabilities
• Event Lead Capture App
• Room Block Management
• Event Content
• Event Networking
• Event Marketing
• Audience Engagement
• Onsite Software & Wearables
• Event Live Streaming
• Sponsors & Exhibitors
• Mobile Event App
• Event Registration Software
• By Event Format
• In-person Events
• Virtual Events
• Hybrid Events
• By Use Case
• Conferences
• Field Marketing
• Internal Events
• By Who You Are
• Corporations
• Higher Education
• Associations
• Customer Stories
• Knowledge Center
• Professional Services
• Bizzabo Studios
• Hopin vs. Bizzabo
• Cvent vs. Bizzabo
• Stova vs. Bizzabo
• Resource Library
• Event Success Book
• Event Experience Podcast
• Conference Planning Guide
• AI-assisted Events Guide
• Event Management FAQs
• Become a Partner
• Press & Awards
• Help Us Grow

Maximize your event ROI with Bizzabo

• Brickroad™ – Request management
• Iceberg™ – Market assessment
• Spot™ – Broadcast analysis
• Cakemix™ – Sponsorship valuation
• How we help clients
• Guides & Publications
• Case studies
• Talk with our team
• Cakemix – Valuation solution
• Brickroad – Request management

Sponsorship lexicon and glossary: Understanding sponsorship marketing vocabulary

Blog classics / our best stuff brand strategies revenue generation.

A glossary (or lexicon) is an effective reference tool when working with all aspects of sponsorship marketing. It’s important to understand the subtle differences between the terms to communicate clearly. We put together a long list of frequently used terms in sponsorship marketing. We suggest you take a deep breath, read our list, and research new terms to understand them well.

Bon voyage!

Hungry for more sponsorship marketing knowledge?

Also known as sponsorship exploitation or leverage, activation is the amount paid by the sponsors (brands) over and above rights fees in order to advertise or promote the sponsorship association with the property. Sponsorship activation can also refer to an on-site presence with experiential marketing in the case of an event or a gathering. Activation is known to be one of the key success factors in sponsorship management.

Sponsorship rights fees buy brands a seat at the table, but are generally non-working dollars. Activation investments are working dollars that sweat sponsorship assets to maximize sponsorship marketing ROI . Sponsorship best practices recommend a ratio ranging from 1 :0.5 to 1 :2 of rights fees to activation spend. See also: rights fee

Agency effect

When sponsorship decisions are guided by the management’s interest towards a certain field. This type of behaviour is usually detrimental to shareholders because sponsorship is not aligned with business imperatives.

Ambush Marketing

In ambush marketing , another company, often a competitor, intrudes, thereby deflecting attention to itself and away from the sponsor (Meenaghan, 1996). Some protection can be legally granted to protect the property and it’s sponsors, which is the case with the Olympics. See also: Exclusivity

Articulation

In some cases, there is no natural fit between a property and a sponsor. Articulation is the process by which an association is built via storytelling. The activation is used to communicate the pertinence of the partnership. For example, banks can associate with a sport property because of the shared values like excellence and perseverance. See also: congruence

Assets or Sponsorship Benefits

This refers to the items offered to a sponsor within a sponsorship agreement. There are a number of possible benefits or assets but, visibility assets (which give the sponsor the opportunity to showcase its brand), are the most common. Other asset categories include digital communication tools, interaction opportunities, on-site visibility, promotional opportunities, hospitality and broadcast visibility. The visibility awarded as part of the property’s marketing communication plan is also one of the most common assets offered. It is now possible to calculate the value of sponsorship assets from different sources: social media, digital ads, traditional media and on-site visibility. A sponsorship valuation software can provide market-specific value.

Refers to the attendance, or the number of spectators. Audience can be either direct, people attending an event, for example, or indirect, people watching it on TV. Cumulated audience takes into account multiple visits by the same person. Audience analysis can help rights holders position themselves and be more appealing to sponsors.

Used to designate either a company or a product, a brand is the unique distinctive identification that allows recognition by consumers. Many brands from various industries are active in sponsorship marketing.

Brand Equity

Customer-based brand equity is the differential effect of brand knowledge on consumer response to the marketing of the brand (Keller, 1993). In other words, a brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer. (Seth Godin, 2009) Higher brand equity is a powerful tool against competitions or negative publicity. Sponsorship can be used as a tool to increase brand equity.

Broadcast analysis

The process of tracking and valuing brand exposure across all broadcasts, streams, digital media, and social media channels to capture the entire value of a sponsorship

Category Exclusivity

This refers to the rights granted to sponsors to be the exclusive partner in its business category, for example, as the sole provider of soft drinks. It is common to see category exclusivity applied to the banking sector, telecoms, airlines, timekeeping, technology, etc.

Cause Marketing

A marketing program that strives to achieve two objectives—improve corporate performance and help worthy causes—by linking fundraising for the benefit of a cause to the purchase of the organisation’s products/services. (Menon, 1988)

Cause sponsorship is a powerful tool that allows companies to stand out from the competition because they can establish a unique image for themselves: partnerships cannot be exactly replicated.

Clutter is the result of too many brands within the same property. Clutter has a negative impact on consumer recall because the brand is lost in a sea of other stimuli. Sponsorship professionals often refer to it as a “Christmas tree” or a “pizza”. While increasing numbers of sponsors are generally a positive outcome for teams and events because of the increased sponsorship revenues, this has added a new challenge for brands who are now trying to be recognized in a sea of other sponsors (Gwinner, 2005).

Competitive Advantage

An advantage that a firm has over its competitors, allowing it to generate greater sales or margins and/or retain more customers than its competition. (Source: Investopedia)

Congruence is the pertinence, or the perceived fit between the brand of the sponsor and property. For example, a running show company sponsoring a marathon. Higher perceived fit increases sponsorship effectiveness because the information is best treated by consumers. Synonym: Relatedness, fit

Cost/Benefit Ratio

This is the bottom line of evaluation for sponsors. The rights fees are weighted over the value of overall benefits. Sponsors will receive this precious information with Elevent’s sponsorship valuation tools .

CPM and CPP

CPM (cost per thousand impressions) and CPP (cost per rating point) are both used by advertisers in order to compare media costs. CPM is also used in sponsorship evaluation as a reference to industry standards.

Cross-Promotions

Sponsors joining forces in order to create a promotion around their involvement with the same property.

Difference between sponsorship and advertising

Whereas sponsorship involves a fee paid in advance for future potential communication values, advertising offers a more knowable and more controlled communication. Furthermore, whereas sponsorship requires leveraging (promotional spending in addition to the sponsorship fee) to obtain the greatest value, advertising is often sponsorship’s most valuable leverage (Cornwell 2005).

Digital assets

Series of assets owned by the property online. This includes websites and social media pages. Digital assets are used for digital sponsorship activation .

Event Marketing

Often used as a synonym for sponsorship, it is the communication strategy used to link a brand to an event. See also: Sponsorship

Fair Market Value

The fair market value of a sponsor is a comparable market price for a similar sponsorship deal. This process uses thousands of data points to give you an accurate pricing range of real sponsorship deals in your market, for a similar property.

Gross Rating Point (GRP)

A term used in advertising to measure the size of an audience reached by a specific media or schedule. Specifically, GRPs quantify impressions as a percentage of the population reached rather than in absolute numbers reached. Used by advertisers, this measure can be used as a comparable between different mediums.

Hospitality

Event sponsorship may offer an ideal setting for meeting potential or existing clients, officials or VIPs. Usually in a designated area reserved to guests, services can include food and beverages, tickets, gifts, private tours, meet and greet or parking.

Image Transfer

The mechanism by with image from Brand A will be transferred to Brand B in the consumer’s mind. Image transfer is a common objective of sponsorship: when the brand becomes linked with the event, some of the associations with the event may become indirectly associated with the brand (Keller, 1993). Image transfer can work multiple ways, from the event to the brand and vice-versa, but also between other sponsoring brands. See also: Brand equity, brand image

In-Kind Sponsorship

The exchange of goods or services to cover rights fees, in lieu of money.

Indirect Marketing

This type of communications result in context-dependent associations that are more variable and idiosyncratic than associations developed via traditional advertising messages (Cornwell, 2008).

Interactions

Personal contact between the individuals in the audience and sales reps or promotional agents.

The rights to use the property brand and logo, given to another company in order to produce items for retail sales. This right can generally be granted to the sponsors.

Major Sponsor

Level of sponsorship referring to the sponsors holding the most rights under title and presenting sponsors.

Due to sponsorship’s uncertainty in regards to the amount of visibility received, especially in the case of a live event, properties can offer free time or space, in the case of a program performing under expectations.

Media Equivalencies

Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) is what your editorial coverage would cost if it were advertising space (or time). Based on a media rate card, this measure is used in sponsorship to evaluate the value of visibility.

Media Sponsor

Broadcast, online, print, out-of-home and outdoor media that provide advertising time or space, to a property in exchange for official designation of media partner. Synonym: media partner

Official Sponsor

Under Title, Presenting and Major sponsors. This often refers to the most basic sponsorship status. Bellow officials sponsors, are usually found suppliers and media partners, with substantially less rights than their counterparts.

Option to Renew

Clause within a sponsorship contractual agreement that specifies the terms of renewal.

Philanthropy

Support for a nonprofit organization where no commercial advantage is expected. Synonym: Patronage

Presenting Sponsor

The sponsor that acquired the rights to place the “presented by” “presents” within the name and or logo of the event. For example: “The Napa Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge” or “Hydro Québec presents La Nuit Blanche.”

Primary Sponsor

When a property has no title or presenting sponsor, it is the sponsor with the largest set of benefits.

Property or Rights Holder

This refers to any organization with which a sponsor formally aligns itself as part of its marketing or corporate strategy (Farelly, 2008). Typically, these organizations are sports teams, arts organizations, entertainment events or causes. Synonyms: rightsholder, sponsee.

Right of First Refusal

A legal clause granting the actual sponsor rights of refusal for entering sponsors during the agreement or when the sponsorship agreement is approaching its deadline. This contractual element is an important tool to protect a property from getting into the hands of competitors once the sponsorship agreement term ends.

Sales Rights

Rights to distribute a product or service to the audience of a property. For example, pouring rights refer to the exclusive beer supplier.

Small quantity of a product given to potential consumers for trial.

All elements of visibility bearing the sponsor’s logo. This includes billboards, banners, LED screens, posters, etc.

Sociodemographic Information

Information regarding social and demographic factors. These include age, gender, revenue, schooling and so forth. Is it used by marketers to better define a target segment or to validate that the audience of an event is indeed of interest with regard to their product consumption.

Synonym of property.

An organization that aligns itself with a property in exchange for money (rights fees).

Sponsorship

Defined by Otker in 1988 as (1) buying and (2) exploiting an association with an event, a team, a group, etc., for specific marketing (communications) purposes. Commercial sponsorship fits quite naturally alongside advertising, PR, personal selling and sales promotion in that its basic function lies in achieving a marketing communications objective (Meenaghan, 1991)

Sponsorship effectiveness

Assessment of the performance of a partnership based on a set of KPIs determined with the brand. Industry benchmarks are provided on comparable metrics such as awareness, opinion, brand favorability, purchase intent, NPS, etc. Sponsorship effectiveness measurement can be done both for brands and properties.

Sponsorship Fee

This is money or in-kind value given to the property in exchange for the right to be a sponsor.

Sponsorship levels

Defined as a hierarchical structure of properties operating within the same sponsorship environment. Mostly common in sports context, this refers to, for example, in ascending order, the athlete, the team, the venue, the league. (Dumais, 2011)

Sponsorship Policy

The sponsorship policy outlines the guiding principles used by brands to select which properties to sign as part of a sponsorship strategy . It also serves as a tool to respond to the multiple sponsorship requests that a company receives. The sponsorship policy should reflect the overall communication strategy, goals and long-term vision of the sponsorship portfolio. It is usually accompanied by a series of criteria in order to evaluate sponsorship demands and make a selection.

Sponsorship Structure

This refers to how the sponsorship assets are organized in a hierarchical fashion. Most structures are pyramid shaped, with a few sponsors with the most assets (title sponsor, presenting sponsor) at the top and more partners at the bottom (at a supplier level, for instance).

Sponsorship Valuation

Sponsorship valuation is the dollar value of the assets according to your objectives, value-to-cost ratio and industry comparables. Sponsorship valuation reports are an unbiased and very precise report that can serve as a decision-making tool or a business case within your organisation. Evaluating sponsorship proposals based on media values is just the beginning. The future of sponsorship valuation lies in having an advanced tool that allows you to know how much your assets are worth, whether your objectives will be met and how the partnership in question will fit with your audience.

Sports Marketing

Focuses on the audience’s emotional connection towards the sport. The universal language that is sport is a great vehicle for global brands as they can cross borders.

This is the hierarchical level associated with the rights granted to sponsors. For instance, it is possible to be a title sponsor, presenting sponsor, major sponsor, sponsor or supplier. The sponsorship status may have different names depending on the property.

Strategic Alliance

A close, long-term, mutually beneficial agreement in which resources, knowledge and skills are shared with the objective of enhancing the competitive position of each partner (Spekman et al. 1998). Sponsorship relationships can grow into a strategic alliance and thus, build a true competitive advantage for the brands that cannot be replicated by competitors.

Official provider of goods or services in exchange for designated recognition. This level is usually below official sponsors, and the benefits provided should therefore be lower. Synonym: official supplier

Title Sponsor

When a sponsor’s name is integrated into a property’s name and logo. For Example: The Air Canada Canadian Grand Prix.

Venue Marketing

The sponsorship of a physical site, for instance, tracks, stadiums, parks, public places, etc.

The best newsletter for sponsorship professionals

Join 5,000+ sponsorship marketing professionals who want to stay ahead: sponsorship trends, industry insights and the best content from our blog.

Newsletter Form - page

Ready to make your play.

Title Sponsorship: What to Include? 

by Chris Baylis | February 21, 2024

Why you can trust Sponsorship Collective

• The Sponsorship Collective has worked with over 1000 clients from every property type all over North America and Europe, working with properties at the $50,000 level to multi-million dollar campaigns , events and multi-year naming rights deals
• We have published over 300 YouTube videos , written over 500,000 words on the topic and published dozens of research reports covering every topic in the world of sponsorship
• All of our coaches and consultants have real world experience in sponsorship sales

Table of Contents

Title sponsorship isn’t a topic I’ve delved into often on the blog, and today, I want to change that. After all, some of you reading this right now might have a title sponsorship on the horizon and feel uncertain about how to navigate it.

I’m here to help! This guide will explain title sponsorship in detail, then delve into what to include in your sponsorship property so you can grab the attention of your prospects and move your deal forward. 

What Is Title Sponsorship?

Title sponsorship has many names, including naming rights and presenting rights. The idea behind title sponsorship is selling the sponsor visible property assets, such as a podcast name, festival name, or building name.

That’s the gist of it: naming your sponsorship property after your sponsor.

Why do sponsors invest in naming rights? If you have a high-value property, the sponsor can reap massive exposure. Media publications and websites will pick up on the name and report on it, attendees will post about it on social media, and it will go into the annals of the event’s history.

Besides being highly visible, title sponsorship comes with the most benefits and activations, as it presents many engagement opportunities. 

That’s why naming rights are among the most expensive and valuable assets you can sell a sponsor, regardless of your industry or niche. 

What to Include in Title Sponsorship

Since these are such lucrative sponsorship opportunities, you cannot afford to make mistakes. This section will detail precisely what you need in title sponsorship opportunities.

Name in Wordmark 

Naming rights are the most valuable if you include the brand’s name in your opportunity. 

For example, if a company was called Blue Enterprises and you held an art festival with naming rights, you’d call it Blue Enterprises Art Festival 2023 (or something catchier than that; it’s merely an example).

You don’t want to call it Art Festival 2023 by Blue Enterprises or Art Festival with Blue Enterprises’ logo underneath, as that’s not name in wordmark.

Name of wordmark enmeshes your sponsor’s name with the name of your event, program, or opportunity. 

However, when I explain name in wordmark to many sponsorship seekers, I’m surprised by how nervous it makes them. It surprises me because this is a very common and accepted practice in most marketplaces, so there’s no need to let it intimidate you.

I think the trepidation arises out of the long-term potential or the perceived lack thereof. If you attach a sponsor’s name to your event this year, but you two don’t work together someday, then what?

That’s simple. You just change the name back to what it was originally. It’s not that big of a deal and shouldn’t prevent you from seeking name in wordmark.

If you’re not willing to put name in wordmark, you’re not offering naming or title sponsorship. That doesn’t mean your opportunity is invaluable, but you shouldn’t call it name in wordmark when it isn’t that.

A Multiyear Arrangement

Speaking of the long-term potential of title sponsorship, while some sponsors may peter out after a year or two, most naming rights deals are long-term. 

If you’ve ever seen major brands pen multimillion-dollar deals with sports arenas or other huge events, you know these deals can go on for 20 years or longer.

Your title sponsorship duration might not be exactly that, or perhaps it is! (And if so, more power to you!) However, it should certainly be at least a few years.

Adopting a new name for a property, building, or event takes a long time. A multiyear agreement is the only way to go, with three to five years a good starting point. If you can get a 10-year deal, that’s best, but start with at least three years, then expand on your arrangement from there.

The more involved the naming rights, the longer-term the deal should be. For example, I once spoke to a property that changed the name of the street its corporate headquarters were on, naming them after the sponsor.

That kind of change doesn’t happen overnight, and it would be a pain to turn around and change the street name back in several years. In situations like that, a 10-year deal is all that makes sense, as it won’t be worth the time, expense, and effort otherwise. 

Exclusivity

Another element title sponsorship must have is exclusivity. 

I think most of us assume that because you sign a deal with a sponsor, they’re exclusively your partner. However, you likely don’t abide by the same set of rules if your event, program, or opportunity has two dozen sponsors.

Your sponsor might have other partnerships, or perhaps they don’t. Unless it’s explicitly stated in the contract that they cannot work with others, there is no exclusivity.

In title sponsorship, foregoing exclusivity is a disaster in the making. It diminishes the effectiveness of the naming rights and can create confusion.

What type of exclusivity is right for your sponsorship property?

You might decide on category exclusivity. For example, if your sponsor is an automobile manufacturer, you cannot have any other automotive sponsors under the title sponsorship deal. 

Another type of exclusivity is foregoing competitor partnerships. In these scenarios, you’re usually not limited to sponsors based on category. For instance, if one of your sponsors is a high-end luxury brand, they might not mind if another sponsor is a lower-end automotive brand.

However, you can’t assume or guess what your sponsor will be okay with or even that they’ll have the same definition of exclusivity as you. Inviting other sponsors into the fold through title sponsorship without discussing exclusivity can kill your chances of extending into a multiyear deal.

Have the exclusivity conversation with your sponsor before signing any paperwork. Then, make sure the exclusivity terms are detailed in the contract.

Regular Fulfillment Reports 

If you’re in a three- or five-year engagement with a sponsor, you can’t wait until the end of your working relationship to provide a fulfillment report. 

You must deliver these reports more regularly, such as every year or even twice per year. My preference is quarterly reports but ask your sponsor about an appropriate frequency. 

If you don’t send fulfillment reports often enough, you won’t find out until the end of the working arrangement that you missed out on key deliverables. By then, it’s far too late to do anything about it. Your sponsor might ask for a refund because they paid for W, X, Y, Z, and you only gave them W and Y. 

That’s the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is finding yourself embroiled in a lawsuit. After all, when you sign a sponsorship contract, you agree to the deliverables. 

If you don’t deliver, the sponsor could accuse you of being in breach of contract, and they technically wouldn’t be wrong. 

Frequent fulfillment reports will help you determine what your sponsor likes and what they don’t so you can amend the latter before you enter lawsuit territory.

Activations

Title sponsorship is all about naming rights, but that can’t be all you bring to the table. As I mentioned earlier, the engagement opportunities with title sponsorship are much higher than other types, so skipping the activations is a huge miss.

Name in wordmark is a good starting point but keep going. Ask your sponsor what they hope to achieve through the title sponsorship, then recommend assets and activations, including in-person and digital ideas.

There’s a step in between that: plugging the assets and activations into your valuation calculator to glean the value of your title sponsorship opportunity. 

You shouldn’t give away activations for free because you have a title sponsor. You wouldn’t do that for a cash or promotional sponsor, right? Of course not! It’s lunacy to even suggest it. 

The costs of your assets and activations become part of your overall sponsorship package and can significantly affect the value of your title sponsorship property.

Product and Services 

Title sponsorship sometimes requires companies or organizations (you) to switch to the sponsor’s products and services. 

You might need to use their toothpaste or–more significantly–change your bank or your company’s credit card supplier. You might have to update the food and drink menu or the furniture. It all depends on the sponsor’s industry.

Depending on the scope of the changes required and how easy they are to implement, these changes can be minor or major. 

I recommend always having a lawyer on your side when negotiating with sponsors, especially in title sponsorship, because it’s so encompassing and can involve substantial companywide or organization-wide changes.

A title sponsor doesn’t always require that you implement their products or services, but it’s not uncommon. It can throw you for a loop the first time a sponsor requests this, so I recommend you’re ready if it happens. 

VIP and Hospitality

Hospitality is a major part of title sponsorship, especially in crafting VIP experiences and opportunities. Perhaps the sponsor brings some of its customers, clients, or partners to your event or program. Maybe they ask for access to some of your athletes, thought leaders, or talent.

Sure, these opportunities require more time, thought, and effort but they can yield high-value sponsorship. Don’t leave hospitality and VIP arrangements out of the conversation with your title sponsor while you two negotiate. 

You’ll be glad you mentioned it! 

Tickets, Passes, Giveaways, and Contests

Free passes and tickets are quite common in title sponsorship, especially for employees, shareholders, executives, and VIPs. 

The same goes for contests with the sponsor’s product as prizes and giveaways. Title sponsors often want to get their product situated front and center of your audience, and a giveaway will always be a reliable method to do that.

Contests can also help a title sponsor collect your audience’s contact information, such as a name, phone number, and/or email address. 

Sampling Rights

On a related note, include sampling rights in your title sponsorship or the right to give away a sponsor’s product samples. 

Free samples can introduce your sponsor and their products to new audiences, increase lead generation, and inspire more sales. 

Bottom Line 

Title sponsorship, or naming rights, are far more than a sponsor’s name on a building or street or their logo next to your festival or sporting event. If done correctly, title sponsorship can be a high-value opportunity. 

You must often spend a lot to make a title sponsorship deal come to fruition, including the aforementioned naming changes to a building, updated signage, new event logos, the whole nine. 

The money you can make from these deals due to the high-value assets and activations and the duration of the deal more than makes up for what you spend.

Allow me to make one point clear. Title sponsorship must be customized to your sponsor’s needs. You must still do discovery and plan to have many meetings following that up. Negotiations might take several sessions because these are bulky plans.

If you’re working on a title sponsorship but feel uncertain you’re checking all the boxes, you should book a strategy session with The Sponsorship Collective.

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

Chris Baylis is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Sponsorship Collective . After spending several years in the field as a sponsorship professional and consultant, Chris now spends his time working with clients to help them understand their audiences, build activations that sponsors want, apply market values to their assets and build strategies that drive sales. 

Read More about Chris Baylis

• How to Get 394 Warm Sponsorship Prospects in Your Pipeline - for Free
• Engaging your Board in Fundraising and Sponsorship
• The One Thing Every Sponsor Wants (And Nobody is Doing)

How to Write a Winning Sponsorship Proposal in 2024

If you're in a partnerships or event management role, you know how fierce the battle for attention (and resources!) is. You also know how crucial it is for your business to get the sponsorship it needs.

Writing a compelling sponsorship proposal is your gateway to increasing the positive responses from sponsors – and helping you drive your cause further.

Where do you start, though? What information do you include to ensure prospective sponsors can’t turn you down?

Here's a comprehensive guide on how to secure funding with intelligently-crafted sponsorship proposals.

Before writing the proposal

If you want your sponsorship proposal to be a clear winner, you have to spend some time preparing. Start by thinking about what you can offer to potential sponsors. For in-person events, remember that physical signage, swag, and other elements of your event can be costly to produce.

Social media mentions, access to a delegate/attendee list, and digital signage (as long as your venue has screens) can be more cost-effective draws for potential sponsors.

Research potential sponsors

Before you start your outreach, you want to know as much as possible about the potential sponsors you’ll approach with your proposal. Start by considering who will be the target audience for your engagement and for which companies there is commercial value in reaching your target audience. Then list companies or individuals who might benefit from sponsoring your event. For example, if you’re putting on an event targeting marketing professionals, you might want to invite MarTech companies, creative agencies, or even universities and continuing education providers to participate as sponsors.

To craft the most compelling sales proposal for your prospects, you’ll want to do some research. Who are their target audiences? Have they sponsored similar initiatives previously? What might they want to get out of a sponsorship?

This step might take some time as the answers to these questions will differ for every potential sponsor.

Identify your unique selling proposition

Regardless of the type of initiative you're planning and the cause behind it, you want to make sure your proposal is centered on a unique selling proposition: a simple, comprehensive, and compelling message that will make your proposal stand out.

For instance:

• If you are organizing an initiative for a nonprofit or NGO, your unique selling proposition could be about the reach and exposure your events have had in the past.
• If you are organizing an initiative for a sports team, your unique selling proposition could be about the opportunity to reach a large and diverse audience.
• If you are organizing a festival, your unique selling proposition could be about the cultural and artistic impact of such an event and the kind of audience it will attract.

Align your goals and your sponsors'

Once you know what makes your initiative unique and what your potential sponsors are interested in, it's time to align those goals. What do they expect from the sponsorship? And how can you fulfill it? A partnership built on mutual understanding and trust will benefit both parties, so emphasize that in your proposal.

For example, if you are planning a concert to raise money for a specific cause, you could speak about the impact this will have on the community and how associating your sponsors’ brand with it will help them be more appealing to their customers. In a similar vein, you could talk about the kind of audience your event will attract and how they are a great match for your sponsors’ thus, helping them gain relevant exposure and continue to build brand awareness.

Furthermore, you’ll want to consider how your audience and potential sponsors align – this helps you create a stronger argument for your sponsorship proposal. When your target audience is a match with your sponsors’, the latter will be more likely to pitch in and help you meet your sponsorship sales goals .

You can see Qwilr's Sponsorship Proposal Template below as an example.

Determine the best time to reach out

As with many things, in sponsorship sales, timing is everything. When you reach out is just as important as anything else -- not all timing is equal when it comes to closing sponsorship deals.

If you’re selling sponsorships in a highly competitive environment, it's important to get in before all the funds are allocated to your competitors. And, if you’re selling high-ticket sponsorships, you also need to factor in budget season for your prospects and start helping them plan to invest in advance. If you’re asking for a six or seven-figure sponsorship - it might take months or even years to sell this to a prospect.

The elements of an effective sponsorship proposal

You’ve done your homework and have a list of qualified prospects. Now, it's time to start writing the proposal.

Here are the elements your sponsorship proposal should include:

1. Initiative overview

This section of the proposal should paint a picture of your initiative or event for your potential sponsor and have some clear hooks. Use descriptive language and really set the scene. How many people will attend, what will the vibe be, are you having anything special to eat or drink, and how will your potential sponsor be able to take part in the event?

2. Initiative details & proof points

Once you’ve set the scene (and hopefully given your sponsor some serious enough FOMO that they can’t say no), you want to get into the nitty-gritty. You have already shared the bigger picture, but your potential sponsors must understand all the details about your initiative and logistics. This should include

• Estimated attendance
• Attendee demographics
• Initiative details and logistics
• How tickets or registration will be handled and promoted
• What is the anticipated impact of the event?

You may also want to include some more background on the initiative (assuming it’s not a first-time event), and some info on you and your team’s background when it comes to event planning. To entice sponsors to sign, you may also detail past event successes, including past sponsors and the results they achieved by partnering with you. This will highlight your track record in similar fundraising initiatives and striking sponsorship deals and demonstrate that your past events were successful.

3. Sponsorship packages

Next, you’ll list the various tiers of sponsorship options or “packages,” as we call them. More often than not, organizers offer three tiers of sponsorship levels (or packages.) Each option provides a higher level of visibility for a higher financial commitment.

In addition to the three main tiers - sometimes referred to as presenting sponsor, supporting sponsor, and/or sustaining sponsor, you might have some smaller sponsorships available. For example, if your initiative is a golf outing, you might sell individual sponsorships for each hole as well as the drink cart or even the reception that follows. For a charity ball on the other hand, you might have someone sponsor the beverages, music, desserts, or other interactive elements at the event. These options allow sponsors with smaller budgets to participate and increase the revenue that your team can bring in from having more sponsors.

While cash sponsorships are critical to success, in some cases, sponsors may provide services instead of financial support. This could come in the form of food and beverage, printed signage, photo booths, entertainment, or anything else you might need to make your event a success.

Finally, tell your prospects what happens when they decide to proceed with one of your sponsorship packages. With a Qwilr sponsorship proposal , it’s as simple as one click to choose a preferred package and confirm their commitment. You can even take them straight through to the payment portal of your choice with our integrations.

4. Contact information

Last, don’t forget to include your contact details, such as your name, title, phone number, email address, and possibly your website or a link to learn more about your nonprofit status (if that applies).

You want to make it easy for prospective sponsors to reach you if they have questions or want to discuss packages further. If you can customize sponsorships to someone’s goals and budget - make sure you’ve said so and let people know (maybe through the call to action section above) that you’re open to further discussion or negotiations.

Remember also to include details about your sponsorship process and the next steps. This will help your potential sponsors take action as soon as possible (rather than delay with too much back-and-forth communication).

5. Event one-sheet

Ideally, your sponsorship proposal should also include an event one-sheet: a quick, compelling, and comprehensive overview of the most important details your covers. Your main contact may want to share this sheet with others in their organization who will either attend your event or help execute your sponsorship requirements.

Keep in mind that this one-sheet is often crucial, as it is the first thing potential sponsors may check (and thus, it needs to be flawless.)

Some of the essential details to include in your one-sheet are:

• Event name and date
• Event overview
• Sponsorship opportunities
• Reasoning for sponsorships

Keep things concise and clear for this document. Your goal is to provide an overview of your next event and give decision-makers the necessary information. This is particularly important when looking for corporate sponsorship, as large businesses have to deal with many sponsorship requests and sift through them as efficiently as possible.

Strategies to optimize your sponsorship proposal

Now that you know what should be included in your proposal, it's time to discuss optimizing your sponsorship proposals for maximum success. Here are a few strategies and selling points to consider:

Tailor your proposal to each potential sponsor

Cookie-cutter sponsorship proposals won't cut it -- with lots of events seeking sponsors; you have to make sure your proposal stands out.

You should maintain the ability to customize your proposal for each potential sponsor. This doesn’t mean you have to build every proposal you send from scratch, though! You can use an event sponsorship proposal template as a starting point, or use Qwilr's AI proposal generator , which is free to try. But you also need to tailor your proposal for each potential sponsor so it resonates with them and speaks to their interests. Show them that you know who they are and what they want. In other words, demonstrate the value of the partnership.

You can do this by opening your proposal with a personalized cover letter and highlighting the things that will be most compelling to the individual reading your proposal.

For example, if you are planning a sports event and you reach out to two potential sponsors, one of which sells bakery products while the other sells sports shoes, your unique selling proposition should likely be different. For the bakery products, you could focus on all the event attendees and how the bakery could introduce their products to those who haven’t tried them before. For the sports shoes, you could tap into showing off the shoes as worn by the athletes.

“You want to show your humanity and make an emotional connection because a company is not going to sponsor you; it is a human being in that company that is going to decide to sponsor you.” Linda Hollander, in the SmallBizChat podcast.

Use stories and data

People don’t just remember facts and figures; they remember feelings and stories. So take the opportunity to weave in an inspiring story about what happens when organizations sponsor your initiatives. Make your proposal sound less like a stuffy sales pitch and more like a personal story where your sponsors are the heroes.

Furthermore, supporting your story with data points in your sponsorship proposal will make it more persuasive , trustworthy , and professional. Add relevant facts about your initiative -- the number of attendees, social media engagement, average viewership rate (if applicable), and so on. This will help potential sponsors understand why sponsoring your event is a smart business decision.

Incorporate measurable goals into your proposal

Your sponsors should know you mean business -- so include measurable goals in your sponsorship proposal. Things like brand awareness can be hard to quantify, so even if that’s a part of your angle, find some key performance indicators your potential sponsors can look to so they understand the impact of their spending.

For example, by attaching metrics to each of the packages you offer in your proposal, you give sponsors a way to assess the success of their investment. You can include numbers like number of email subscribers acquired, website visits, advertising impressions, press coverage, etc. This will show them that partnering up with you means results and will increase your proposal's chances of acceptance.

Add visual elements for better engagement

We’ve all heard the expression, show, don’t tell. And it’s true even in a sponsorship proposal. Humans are very visual -- our brains process images some 60,000 times faster than text. Yes, text is important, and yes, if it's done well, potential sponsors will definitely pay attention. But visuals really bring your proposal to life and add more emotional engagement.

Incorporate images, illustrations, videos, gifs (if appropriate), graphs, or infographics -- anything that helps you tell the story of why sponsoring your initiative is a great idea. Visuals will make your content easier to consume and, thus, more likely to be remembered by sponsors considering investing in your event.

If your initiative is new, consider stock photos (with a heavy disclaimer) that illustrate the vibe you’re going for. Or, if you have the budget, invest in some renderings of what your event will look like in your venue (complete with your sponsor's signage or activations in the picture).

How to increase your sponsorship proposal win rates

Writing sponsorship proposals may feel like you must talk about yourself and your project a lot. In reality, however, each custom proposal should put your potential sponsor at the center of your offer.

Here are some elements that will help you achieve this:

1. Offer something that will help them win

When deciding what goes into a sponsorship package, focus on the sponsors you hope to secure. What are they hoping to gain from being a sponsor for your initiative?

For a smaller conference, most will want basic exposure. Offer a package that's focused on mentions of the company and visuals of their logo. Others will want to build their authority as an expert in your field. Give them opportunities to share knowledge as a speaker, master of ceremonies, or even the host of physical spaces for workshops, panels, or networking.

Make your proposal all about them—and remember, you’re offering a platform for their brand to speak directly to an engaged and possibly hard-to-reach audience. Work that as your competitive advantage.

2. Make your prices fair

Fair pricing may be relative. What sounds really expensive to one prospect may be a drop in the bucket for another, so it’s important to do your research when setting prices for sponsorship packages.

Look at other initiatives or events, competitors or even ask people you know what they have paid to sponsor similar events. Using this information, adjust the pricing you hear to cover your offering. For example, if you learn that your dad’s insurance company paid $750 to sponsor a tee at a local charity golf outing in Merion, Pennsylvania, that attracts 500 golfers and 1500 people for a dinner reception, use this data to set pricing for your event accordingly. Maybe your event is just outside New York City at a larger golf course with more people - so you set tee sponsorships at $1750.

3. Decide on numbers and availability

Ideally, you'll offer a range of packages. That also means you’ll need to decide ahead of time how many of each package you’ll need to and want to sell. It’s not unusual to limit the offering for the higher tier packages. In theory, it feels like that might equate to less revenue.

But, by reducing the number of large sponsors, you’re creating a sense of exclusivity and offering a limited number of sponsors a special option - which allows you to sell these big packages at premium prices. This way, big spenders will feel valued, as if they’ve got the best seat in the house.

4. Make it a custom offer

Don’t use the same generic tiered packages for every sponsor you approach. Add in a special section called “Just for you,” where you suggest a special perk that only this sponsor could take part in. Make sure this perk aligns their mission with the theme of your initiative.

This is where you can get creative and encourage your sponsors to add that special spark that will make your initiative stand out.

5. Offer perks before, during, and after the event

Remember to offer your sponsors the ability to get exposure at various times throughout your event as part of your packages.

Before the event launches, the common places to promote your sponsors are on your event invitations, website, as part of your ads, and in your social media posts.

During the event, most sponsors expect to get at least their logo present in the main traffic areas. They might also have a speaking slot at your event or event or a prime exhibitor space.

After the event, you can mention your sponsors once again. Thank them in an email sent to all attendees where you can also share any professional photos from the event.

You may also want to run a post-event survey to collect data and feedback or testimonials about your event which can be a valuable perk that’s very appealing to prospective sponsors.

An example of a high performing sponsorship proposal

Qwilr's sponsorship proposal template is designed to simplify the process for organizations and individuals looking to craft compelling sponsorship offers.

Grab our Sponsorship Proposal Template

Get to 'yes' faster by captivating your buyer with web-based sales assets

For a tailored approach, try our AI Proposal Generator to create a customized sponsorship proposal in minutes.

Leveraging data and analytics in your sponsorship proposal

In the era of data-driven decision-making, using data can significantly enhance the appeal of your sponsorship proposal.

Here's how you can use data to engage potential sponsors and make your proposal stand out:

• Audience insights : Include detailed analytics about your event's audience, such as demographics, interests, and behaviors. This information helps sponsors understand who they will be reaching and how well it aligns with their target market.
• Past event performance : Share data from previous events, including attendance numbers, social media engagement, and any measurable outcomes for past sponsors. This historical data provides a track record of success and can build confidence in your event's potential.
• Market research : Present market research that highlights the relevance and timeliness of your event. For example, if your event is focused on sustainability, provide data on growing consumer interest in eco-friendly products and practices.
• Sponsorship impact projections : Use analytics to project the potential impact of sponsorship, such as estimated brand exposure, lead generation, and conversion rates. This can help sponsors quantify the expected ROI.
• Post-event reporting : Commit to providing comprehensive post-event analytics to sponsors. This can include metrics like reach, engagement, leads generated, and any other relevant KPIs that were agreed upon.
• Leveraging proposal analytics : You can also use popular proposal tools like Qwilr to track engagement with your proposal! Follow up with potential sponsors once you know they've read your proposal or shared it with others. This data-driven approach to follow-up can demonstrate your proactive and results-oriented mindset.

By integrating data and analytics into your sponsorship proposal, you position yourself as a strategic partner rather than just an event organizer. It demonstrates a commitment to delivering measurable results and can set your proposal apart from the competition.

Getting to yes

Using these tips to create and enhance your event sponsorship proposals will help you start to hear yes more. This way, you can achieve your sponsorship and sales goals more quickly and efficiently. Don’t be discouraged if your proposals are occasionally rejected, though. You can learn as much from every no as you do when people say yes.

Take what you learn from each proposal, and your success rate will continue to increase. Persistence pays off when it comes to potential sponsors.

If you need help creating and distributing event sponsorship proposals, Qwilr's online proposal software is here for you. Leverage our many templates to create your perfect sponsorship sales template that you (or your team members) can easily tailor to each individual sponsor.

About the author

Brendan Connaughton | Head of Growth Marketing

Brendan heads up growth marketing and demand generation at Qwilr, overseeing performance marketing, SEO, and lifecycle initiatives. Brendan has been instrumental in developing go-to-market functions for a number of high-growth startups and challenger brands.

What should an event sponsorship proposal include?

A sponsorship proposal should always include a brief description of the event, the target audience and potential visibility for the sponsor, any measurable goals included in each package offered, visual elements to bring your proposal to life, details on how sponsoring your event can help the sponsor reach their goals, fair prices based on industry benchmarks and competitors’ rates, a custom offer tailored for each prospective sponsor. Additionally, it should include perks your sponsors will enjoy (such as mentions ahead of the event, during and after the event) and an FAQ section.

How long should a sponsorship proposal be?

Generally, your sponsorship proposal should not be longer than four to five pages. Ideally, you would also include a one-pager at the beginning (as an overview of the entire proposal.) You want your proposal to be compelling and detailed, but not very long – people rarely have the time to read everything word by word, so you need to hook prospective sponsors with a good one-pager and details relevant to their specific business.

Related articles

• All articles
• Sales management
• Sales techniques
• Sales enablement
• Customer success
• Product updates

How to Display & Add Value to Donors and Sponsors on a Website

Messaging is everything. The way you speak to and about your donors and sponsors is vital. Whether you are hosting a Gala, a small intimate gathering of donors, or some other event, you have to get your messaging right.

Before we jump deep into this topic, we want to give you the opportunity to assess where your messaging is currently at and what you can do to improve it.

By now, your event has probably garnered attention from at least a few well-known sponsors. Congratulations! All the hard work you’ve put into perfecting your sponsorship deck and pitching it to potential partners has finally paid off. You’ve earned credibility as well as some additional funds or in-kind donations to work with.  Now you have to deliver on your side of the deal: adding value for your sponsors . Although their motivations certainly vary, most partners have probably chosen to partner with you for at least one of a few reasons:

• Philanthropy Your event might be closely connected to a cause that’s in line with their mission, so a sponsorship just makes sense. For example, if you put on a successful art festival, it would make sense for some larger art and cultural organizations to sponsor your event. It makes them feel good to invest in something that’s so closely aligned with what they do.
• Brand Awareness Some sponsors may choose to invest in your event for increased or unique brand exposure. If their name and logo are associated with a particular part of your event that’s highly visible to your attendees, then that sponsorship acts as another advertising touch point. It helps them stay top-of-mind with potential consumers, especially over their competitors.
• ROI If your event’s attendee demographic information lines up enough with your sponsor’s target audience, then there’s a pretty high chance that your event could be a good way for them to acquire new customers. These kinds of sponsorships are a no-brainer, because the return on investment is obvious.

Even though the motivation behind sponsorship decisions runs the gamut, one thing must always be true: for an organization to sponsor your event, it has to make good business sense for them. And for a sponsorship to make good business sense, it has to make the sponsor look good.

How to Deliver

Your website is a phenomenal tool to help you keep your side of the bargain and get your sponsors the exposure they were promised. It’s essentially an online billboard where thousands of people each month can be exposed to your sponsor’s brand.  The best part about a website is that you can incorporate your sponsors’ logos at multiple touchpoints—adding credibility to your event and increasing their exposure. Win-win!

1. Prioritize your presenting sponsor

If you’ve secured a presenting sponsor for your event, then you’ll want to have them front and center on your website to recognize their large contribution. One way to do this is by creating a combined logo that appears in the header of your website. This will be the first thing users see when they land on your site, so they always know to associate your brand with your presenting sponsor’s brand.

Plus, if your website features a “sticky” navigation, or one that follows users down the page as they scroll, then their logo will always be visible.

2. Have a well-designed sponsor page

One of the most obvious and common means of promoting sponsors is on a sponsor page. Sponsor pages are necessary and generally part of the package when selling sponsorships to an event. They are also typically some of the most lackluster pages on a website. How many times have you seen a sponsor page where everyone’s logo is a different size and shape? Maybe some logos are in color and others aren’t? It’s very easy for sponsor pages to become really overwhelming, really quickly. And maybe a better question: when have you ever joyously perused a sponsor page? Never because they’re typically so bland, right? Long story short: a successful sponsor page must be well-designed in order to protect your sponsors’ reputations. (Interested in what this might look like on your site? Let’s chat. ) Above all else, your sponsor page should prioritize a clear hierarchy of sponsorship levels and uniform image sizes.  Let’s dive into an example:

Warehouse Theatre’s sponsor page relies on effective design in a few major ways:

• To clearly differentiate each sponsorship tier through large, eye-catching headlines 
• To draw attention to sponsors who don’t have logos, like individuals or family foundations, by listing them in bold yellow text in each category.
• To establish balance by displaying logos as a uniform size

Without effective design, this sponsor page could’ve quickly become a large, unorganized list of sponsors. In addition, consider displaying your biggest sponsors at the top of your sponsor page and with larger, more prominent logos. Giving bigger sponsors more real estate on your website is a great value-add.

3. Think outside the box: create more opportunities to showcase your sponosors

We’ve already pointed out how common “sponsor” pages are on event websites. By now, sponsors have probably grown to expect that level of recognition. However, you can take it a step further by blending sponsor recognition into your site, rather than keeping it secluded on its own page. Sponsored Exhibits If your event features different exhibits, break-outs, or anything else that’s customizable, consider customizing the pages on your site to include a sponsor’s logo. This way, every time a user goes to that page on your website, they associate the event with its sponsor.

4. City Guides & Out of Town Guest Guides

You’ve probably got people coming in from out of town to attend your event. So give them every opportunity to fall in love with your city and extend their trip (and tourism dollars). Creating a place on your website that out-of-towners can go to to find local hot spots, must-see attractions, and everything else they need to live like a local is a great and sneaky way of adding in some extra value to sponsors. Local businesses, restaurants, hotels, breweries, etc. all make for great suggestions to an out-of-towner. Showcase those who you have a sponsorship or partnership with. The euphoria website does this masterfully. They showcase hotel partnerships under their accommodations:

Under the ‘Things to Do’ section, guests can get insights from local media influencers about their favorite things to do around town. If you partner with influencers, this is a great way to give them more exposure and help out your users.

At the end of the day, thoughtful details will help set you apart from other events and organizations that might be seeking the same sponsors. What can you do for your sponsors that other events aren’t doing? If a sponsor has to choose between investing in your event or another event, make sure their choice is clear.  Always hold up your end of the deal—maximize the amount of website real estate you offer your sponsors and always make sure their brand is well-represented.

Start the Conversation

Interested in learning more about how your website can add value to your donors and sponsors?

2020 Digital Marketing Trends

Related posts.

6 Website Mistakes That Will Annoy Your Mobile Users

Your Website, Your Car, and Routine Maintenance

Comments are closed.

• Open Support Ticket
• Knowledgebase

© 2008 – 2024 Engenius Development LLC unless otherwise noted | Privacy Policy

Schedule A Call - Contact

Fill out the form below and tell us a little about yourself. Our team will reach out within 1 business day to schedule a 30-minute call.

• Name * First Last
• What is your position/title? *
• Marketing Strategy
• Lead Generation (Google Ads, Social Media Ads, etc.)
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Website Support
• How much are you looking to invest in your website or digital marketing needs? *
• Any more project details or requirements?
• Google Search
• News article / press release
• From a friend / word of mouth
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Performance Max New Website Form

• Business Name *
• $10,000 or less
• $12,000 to $15,000
• Anything else we need to know about your project? *
• Our Approach
• Website Optimization
• Digital Marketing
• Case Studies
• Schedule a Call

The Ultimate Guide to Event Sponsorship [Types, Examples & FAQs]

Contact our office in beijing.

We're here to help. Please fill out this quick form and we'll get back to you shortly

• What is event sponsorship?

What are the 4 types of event sponsorship?

What do event sponsors get in return, how to find the right event sponsors, how do you determine if an event sponsorship is worth it, how much does it cost to sponsor an event, how much should you charge to sponsor an event, how many followers do you need to start getting sponsors, is it hard to get event sponsorship, what is an example of event sponsorship.

• How Glue Up simplifies event sponsorships?

What is the future revenue outlook for the global events industry by 2028?

Event sponsorship is the backbone of event organizations. It is the fastest-growing form of marketing  in the United States. When done strategically, it offers significant benefits to both the sponsor and the organization–like improving return on investment or opening opportunities for sales.

In this article, we’ll show you the four different kinds of event sponsorships, their benefits to your organization, and how they can increase your visibility.

What Is Event Sponsorship?

Event sponsorship enables sponsors to give some sort of investment in exchange for marketing at an event.

When there’s a good match between an event and a sponsor, you can easily spread your organization’s message without the trouble of planning the event yourself.

Therefore, event sponsorship allows organizations to host bigger and better events faster and at a low cost–a win-win for both parties.

Imagine you're organizing a professional conference for your association or chamber of commerce. You want to make it a remarkable event, but you can't handle all the expenses alone. That's where event sponsorship comes in!

Event sponsorship is when businesses provide financial support, resources, or services to help make your event a success. In return, they receive promotional benefits and exposure to your event's audience. It's like forming a partnership to create something extraordinary!

Imagine you're organizing a technology conference. You reach out to tech companies to sponsor the event. In return for their support, they may have their logos displayed on event materials, get speaking opportunities, or have a dedicated booth to showcase their products and services.

This way, sponsors get valuable brand exposure to a targeted audience, while you get the necessary funds and resources to make your conference amazing. The importance of event sponsorship in the context of professional associations and chambers of commerce cannot be overstated.

In 2022, North American companies alone spent over $24 billion on event sponsorship. This shows the immense value and potential of sponsorships for associations and chambers. By tapping into event sponsorship opportunities, you can create unforgettable experiences for your members, enhance your association/chamber's reputation, and support your member community.

It's not just about the money; it's about building strong relationships and working together with businesses to create extraordinary events.

Depending on the nature and size of the event. sponsorship opportunities come in many forms. But usually they fit into the following 4 categories. 

1. Financial Event Sponsorship

Financial, or sometimes referred to as cash sponsors, continue to be the leading type of event sponsorship. With this one, a sponsor offers money to an event organizer in exchange for promotions or other benefits outlined in their sponsorship agreement.

For large-scale events, you can create individual event sponsorship packages for those who agree to contribute to your organization.

Defining sponsorship level is the first step to take for an event to reach its full potential. Make sure to set ambitious but realistic goals. After that, you can figure out the donors, businesses to tap and select the sponsorship levels.

2. In-Kind Sponsorship

In-kind sponsorship provides goods or services instead of physical currency. Compared to financial sponsorship, it contributes more value to the event. Some examples of it are the following:

Venue Partner

According to a survey report , 72% of event attendees say that an event’s location is a significant factor in deciding whether they will attend the event or not.

Although planning plays a significant part in an event’s success, you have to make sure that your location suits your organization’s brand and caters to the right audience.

With this in mind, choosing the right venue partner is crucial for an event to be successful. It allows organizations to host events at their venue in exchange for a discount or a free rate.

Not only does this type of event sponsorship allow for the venue to gain exposure, but it also gives the organization a great place to host their event.

Prize Sponsors

Prize sponsors choose to donate specific items with their logos for event participants. They are a popular choice when you want to boost engagement in your event.

You may hand these items out as activity-based prizes for winners. However, you should customize them to suit your business needs.

For example, if you are a local gym membership-based organization, prize sponsors may want to donate customized weights or other gym equipment. It keeps your attendees happy while promoting the event sponsor at the same time.

Food Sponsors

An event isn't complete without food. Delectable meals can indeed elevate the attendee experience. You can even boost everyone’s interest by offering free food.

Catering is more expensive due to higher manpower. Therefore, it’s essential to find a food sponsor for your next big event.

It can yield significant results, like increasing event attendance and encouraging mingling among participants.

Digital Sponsors

You can usually find digital sponsors during tech-related events. They provide either an app for the event, poll questions, media walls, or live tweets.

With the recent switch in technology, digital sponsors are becoming increasingly popular in the event planning industry.

People enjoy fast response time and personalization. Event Venues can benefit from digital sponsors as there's a growing trend in digital event spaces popping up across the globe's most tech-driven cities.

Keep in mind that in-kind sponsorships are not limited to these four examples. There are plenty of ways to find the right ones that bring value to both the sponsor and the organization.

"Thanks to GlueUp, we are now able to redirect more of our time and focus on project planning and implementation, developing new strategies, and expanding our business and network, thus we expect even higher growth rate than before."

Tijana Marković

Head of communications, digital strategy, and event organization at bscc, 3. media event sponsorship.

The use of smartphones grows rapidly, which affects the global and localized forms of direct marketing. Technological advancements contribute to the recent shift in the appeal of media sponsorships.

A report says that 78% of the population are now smartphone users–compared to only 17% in 2008.

Due to the surge in digital activity from gadgets, companies are now advertising their events more through media sponsorships, primarily through social media .

Given the budgetary constraints that nonprofit organizations and events tend to face, this type of sponsorship most suits them.

Having readily available media sponsors is key exposure tactics for the advertisement and publicity purposes of smaller companies.

When media sponsors are present, the organizations spend less time and money on the advertisements.

Moreover, they and do not face the difficulty of purchasing the media coverage they often require.

Finding the right media sponsor for your organization is vital when determining the success of this partnership. Similarly, you need to prepare sponsorship packages that show how they can benefit sponsors to attract their interest more.

If you want to be your own media sponsor, Glue Up's CRM software allows you to keep all contact information and activity tracking up-to-date in a single location.

You can send out email campaigns to promote your events with ease using our reliable event management software.

4. Promotional Partners

Compared to media sponsors, promotional partners are individual people who have a large following on social media . They can promote your organization's event to their individual fan base.

Instagram has become a modern approach for brands to promote their products and drive sales. According to the photo and video app company, 60% of people claim they found new products on the platform , while 20% of users browse a business profile every day.

In line with this, research says 81% of consumers say they're more likely to buy products they have encountered on social media.

When it comes down to it, any kind of event sponsorship will be crucial if your organization wants to continue growing and promoting its business. Plus, it’s an excellent opportunity for your organization to reach out to other companies and create lasting connections.

Are you interested in leveraging an event management platform to make it easier for you to get your sponsorships on your web page, emails, and more? Book a demo and get a tour of the Glue Up platform!

Let’s flip the coin and explore the other side of event sponsorship. What's in it for the sponsors themselves? Consider the business conference scenario. In this case, you're not just an attendee, but a key partner making the conference possible.

Why would you want to play such a role? The answer hinges on two primary elements: visibility and reputation. Firstly, sponsoring an event serves as a giant showcase, amplifying your brand's voice to everyone: "Take notice of us! We're formidable!".

A study highlighted that 76% of consumers have a more favorable view of a company that supports a cause they believe in. Imagine your business identity being linked with a prestigious conference or a charity gala. That's a prime opportunity!

Furthermore, event sponsorship provides a unique platform to interact directly with potential members. Imagine having the ability to engage in meaningful conversations with hundreds or thousands of your potential members. That's an impactful strategy!

Another significant aspect? As a sponsor, you get to network with other businesses, creating new avenues for collaborations and partnerships. A revealing statistic shows that 72% of corporate event sponsors are continuously on the lookout for fresh partnership prospects.

However, the most compelling aspect of sponsorship transcends business metrics: it's about contributing to your community. It's about backing initiatives that resonate with your members and community at large. It's about transcending the typical corporate identity and establishing yourself as a responsible and supportive partner in the community.

For finding the right event sponsors, we need to know our event from every angle. Is it a networking mixer or a full-scale conference? What are our objectives? What's the attendee profile? Answers to these questions will guide us to identify businesses that are a natural fit for our event, based on shared goals.

Now, it's time to put ourselves in potential sponsors' shoes. What are they after? It could be lead generation, brand visibility, or access to a niche market segment. The more we comprehend their goals, the more we can personalize our sponsorship proposal to win them over.

Identifying suitable companies is key. Let's say we're organizing a tech forum - Apple or Microsoft might be more interested than, let's say, a fast-food chain. We need to research and reach out to companies that echo our event's theme and audience.

To make our search more efficient, we can leverage digital tools like SponsorMyEvent or SponsorPitch to link up with prospective sponsors. Scanning the sponsor pages of related events can be a goldmine.

If a company has sponsored a similar event, chances are, they might be up for sponsoring ours too. Before we approach a potential sponsor, let's do some recon. Who are the key people involved? What are their marketing goals? Can they afford our sponsorship package?

This reconnaissance helps us tailor a compelling pitch likely to win their sponsorship. And remember, our pitch should be all about them, not us. Highlight the benefits they'll reap from sponsoring our event.

Mention estimated attendee numbers, success stories from past sponsors, projected ROI for them, and glowing reviews from past sponsors and attendees. Let's make sure to ask essential questions to confirm that their values are compatible with ours and our event's.

Just like a home run in baseball, the right event sponsorship can knock your goals out of the park. But before stepping up to the plate, we need to know how to measure success. The secret is in setting clear objectives.

Just like mapping out a journey, we need to know where we're going and what we want to achieve along the way​. We've got various tools in our kit to help us. Pre-event emails can build buzz and gauge interest.

Your sponsors' logos and messages in these emails can be a home run for visibility​. Then there's the power play of social media, where event buzz can spread like wildfire, giving sponsors their moment in the spotlight​​. On-site branding at the event, whether it's physical or digital, provides another winning strategy.

It's like having the sponsors' banners flying high in the stadium, catching every eye4​. Moreover, offering sponsors the chance to share their insights and knowledge can boost their status in the industry, just like a star player sharing tips in a post-match interview​​.

Access to attendee data can be the grand slam that sponsors are looking for, putting them in direct contact with potential customers​​. After the event, the post-event data is like the match replay, offering valuable insights into what worked and what can be improved for the next game​​.

Remember, the key is to align the sponsorship with your goals and the values of your event. Just like a baseball team choosing the right players for the right positions, you need to choose sponsors that fit your event and can help you achieve your objectives.

Now, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer, because the cost can vary widely based on the size, scale, and prestige of the event. From small local gatherings to grand international conferences, the range is broad.

You could be looking at anywhere from $100 for a small local event, all the way up to $1 million or more for prominent events like music festivals or sports events​​. But, let's put our focus back on professional associations and chambers of commerce.

The key here is to remember that sponsorship is an investment, not a cost. Yes, there's a dollar figure attached, but what you're really investing in is an opportunity - to increase your visibility, boost your reputation, and connect with your potential members and business partners.

It's all about finding the right event that aligns with your goals and budget. Here's the deal - the cost of sponsorship is relative to the value you expect to get out of it. If the event aligns with your target audience, and you believe it'll enhance your brand visibility, it might be worth the investment.

It's all about the return on investment (ROI), folks! Remember, your sponsorship journey is a marathon, not a sprint. It's about building long-term relationships and growing together.

Determining the right price for sponsorship involves a number of factors including the size and scope of the event, the audience demographics, the benefits offered to sponsors, and the reputation of the organization.

Keep in mind that sponsorship is not just about money – it's about building a mutually beneficial relationship between your association/chamber and the sponsor.

So, while it's important to cover your costs and make the event worthwhile, it's also crucial to provide value to the sponsor in terms of brand exposure, networking opportunities, and alignment with their target audience.

One more thing: remember that there are tools available to help manage and streamline the process of event management and sponsorship, such as the Glue up which offers features like event attendee analytics, email marketing, CRM , and secure payment processing for event attendees.

On average, sponsors look for about 1,000 attendees at an event or followers on social media channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook to consider a sponsorship deal​​. That's right, just 1,000!

But remember, it's not just about the numbers. It's about the quality of your followers. Are they engaged? Do they share your content? Are they potential customers for your sponsors? If you can say 'yes' to these questions, then you're on the right track!

For you, association managers, directors, and event managers, remember that sponsorships aren't just about funding. They're partnerships that can bring numerous benefits such as increased reach, brand exposure, and potential leads.

Getting event sponsorship may seem like a daunting task, but it's not as hard as you might think. It's all about understanding your event, knowing your potential sponsors, and clearly communicating the benefits to them.

The benefits for sponsors can be many - from increasing their brand exposure, reaching new customers, to aligning with a valuable cause or community. Challenges can arise, like finding the right fit or dealing with changes in circumstances, such as those caused by COVID-19. But with proper planning, research, and a compelling pitch, securing event sponsorship is achievable.

Remember, you're not alone in this journey. Tools like Glue up  can be helpful in managing the process and increasing your success rate. They provide features like event registration , attendee mobile app, and more to help you navigate the sponsorship landscape with ease​​.

Here is one incredible example of a hybrid event that absolutely crushed its sponsorship game. This event started off small, but worked its magic and attracted sponsors like magnets.

Thanks to its brilliant sponsorship strategies, they no longer have to chase after brands; sponsors come straight to them! Feeling motivated? Let's dive in and learn more about its awe-inspiring event sponsorship triumphs.

GitHub Universe

GitHub Universe is a fantastic example of how to do event sponsorship just right! The amazing folks behind the GitHub Universe event really put in a lot of effort to create sponsorship packages that hit the bullseye.

They go above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect! On the GitHub Universe sponsorship web page , they share information about the people who attend their events, their demographics, who they are and what they like.

They also show logos of big companies that are not currently sponsoring the event. However, GitHub Universe would love to have them as sponsors because they might be interested in reaching out to the event attendees.

It's like an invitation for those companies to join in and support the event! It's a super smart strategy that helps them find sponsors who are a perfect match for their event. GitHub is like a master in the art of sponsorship.

Other similar examples are re:Invent by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Gartner Marketing Symposium and Reuters’ MOMENTUM.

How Glue up simplifies event sponsorships?

Glue up’s Event management software (EMS) is a superhero for event planning! It's a one-stop-shop for everything you need to manage an event, making life easier for association managers and directors, and event managers.

So, how does this relate to event sponsorships? Well, Glue up EMS simplifies them greatly! Let's say you're planning an event for your professional association or chamber of commerce. You'll need sponsors for your event, right?

Glue up offers a centralized platform to manage every aspect of an event, including sponsorships. You can keep track of all your sponsors, communicate with them, and even handle data related to them. It's like having an extra pair of hands! Another cool thing about Glue up is that it saves you time.

It automates tasks like registration and ticketing, which leaves you with more time to focus on finding and managing sponsors. Plus, it can even save you money and make your event more cost-effective!

Did you know that the global events industry is booming? According to a report by Research Dive , it's expected to generate a whopping revenue of $1,457.2 million by 2028! That's huge! And guess what? The industry is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.1% during this forecast period.

So, it's an exciting time for event professionals like us! If you're involved in organizing events, this is definitely something to pay attention to.

The increasing revenue in the events industry means there are ample opportunities for associations, chambers of commerce, and other organizations to benefit from event sponsorships and reach new potential members and business partnerships. It's a thriving market that you don't want to miss out on.

Related Content

What are you looking for?

Whether you're looking for specific information, products, or just exploring our digital space, our search functionality is designed to help you find exactly what you need quickly and efficiently.

• Case Studies
• Join a Demo
• Fundraising (53)
• Event Tips (50)
• Event Tech (20)
• Peer to Peer (7)
• Online Fundraising (6)
• technology (5)
• Junior Board (4)
• Social Media (4)
• Event Ideas (3)
• Management (1)

10 Ideas to Include In Your Event Sponsorship Package

Brooke Battle

Recruiting event sponsorships is often key to a nonprofit’s event fundraising success. As a nonprofit executive, you know the competitive landscape and have jumped through the many (and varied) hoops that companies create. In truth, companies are trying to slow down the requests. So, how can your event sponsorship request stand out?   

Overall, the approach below takes into account the company’s perspective. Listen and consider the company’s needs and if there is a way (even small) that investing in your nonprofit event can help them achieve a positive outcome for the company.  

Big ideas to boost your event sponsorship revenue:

• Invite the company without an ask: This requires some advance thinking but, prior to asking for a sponsorship, invite the corporation to the event for free. This could be well over a year before your ask but the cultivation opportunity is worth it. Post event - send a note and a picture of corporate attendees to your point of contact.
• Consider an event program or concept that benefits the company: For example, can you host an event that engages employees in a manner that helps fulfill the company’s corporate responsibility plan - OR - could your event support additional learning or motivational opportunities for corporate employees and thus support human resource needs?  

Ten ideas to include in your event sponsorship package (note: many of these require use of an event fundraising tool like Swell but this can provide examples of how and why it makes sense to invest in technology) :

• Promote sponsor social media channels during the event: Send all guests an email at check-in* (or include in other email correspondence) that thanks a sponsor and provides quick links or ‘like’ options to instantly follow the sponsor’s Facebook or Twitter channel. Report the number of additional fans/followers at the end of the event. *Swell's fundraising software sends an email to guests when they are checked in to the event on our check-in app.
• Provide a sponsorship offer to all event guests during the event that is intended to drive your guests to their business: This could include a coupon or small gift that is emailed or sent via text to guests during the event, preferably just before the opportunity is announced.  *Tech note:  A seamless check-in that gathers every guests' email address is necessary for this but it's an AWESOME perk for a sponsor.
• Include the event sponsor name in the webpage label of your event website:  This is the title that shows in the tab at the top of your web browser and also the title used when an webpage is shared on social media.The webpage label provides maximum exposure for the presenting event sponsor.  *Swell clients do this and sponsors LOVE IT!
• Create a Facebook header image that includes sponsor logos: Offer an event sponsor that place and a certain number of Facebook accounts that will change their header to that image with an estimated reach equivalent. (Those who should change their header image include staff, board, event committee and/or clients of the nonprofit.
• Incorporate the signature sponsor's branding throughout event: Incorporate the presenting sponsors color / branding into your event. This can be as bold as utilizing a corporate sponsor brand color throughout your event information or as simple as selecting a volunteer t-shirt color or table centerpiece that incorporates the color.
• Use event sponsor branding in the table centerpieces: We have an  e-book on DIY and useful table centerpiece ideas. (We’ve attended too many fundraising events!) This valuable and visible element is often overlooked as a strategic element. For sponsors, consider an offer to incorporate their brand into the table centerpieces. This can be a simple and lovely inclusion of their brand color into an arrangement. One centerpiece idea offered in our guide included hats (especially for nonprofits that do workforce development, job placement and anything related to working) including using the many hats that are used by sponsors (chef hat, construction, bank visor, etc).  

Need Some Fresh Ideas

• Highlight the products of your event sponsors: For many companies, one primary goal is to show off their product. Can you incorporate their products into your event? For example, sponsors with clothing / jewelry can be worn by a committee or volunteers. (This can be very striking if managed well -- your committee in all-black accessorized with an exceptional line of scarves or jewelry.) Or, rather than a sponsor product buried in a silent auction can it be highlighted on stage as a gift to the event chairs or a prize for a guest? You can also incorporate sponsor items into a photo booth, even a “thank you” sign in your booth.
• Leverage the event ticket design to thank your sponsors: For your ticketed events, use the ticket itself to promote sponsors.  Include a coupon or offer on the printed ticket that your guests can utilize. This is a great way for your sponsor to advertise and also to track impact. At a minimum, place the sponsor names/logos on the ticket for increased visibility.  *In order to do this, your ticketing/registration must allow you to customize the ticket design.
• Highlight sponsors in your event communication:   Each guest to your event will receive AT LEAST three and likely upwards of 5 emails from you.  Those include a ticket email, donation receipt or purchase receipt, an invitation or a confirmation.  Did you know that the open rate for our clients is over 65%?   Check out this article about email customizations with ideas on how you can support sponsors and your mission.
• Drive traffic to your event website: The online traffic that you create for your event website is valuable and often surprising. Do you announce honorees or other information that non-event guests read? Could you gain a wider audience through content? (i.e. a cooking event could post winning recipes, event photos are always popular.)  (1) Include corporate sponsor logos on all event web pages (2) Measure and report the website visitor traffic to the corporate sponsor.   There are many benefits of an event microsite. 
• Create a fun event for company guests / employees: Take steps to create human resource value for your corporate sponsors via the event. A black tie gala is very different from an outdoor cooking competition but in each case the nonprofit has an opportunity to create an exceptional experience. (1) Do everything possible to obtain the names of corporate sponsor guests. (2) Provide corporate guests with a printed picture and thank you note. (3) A useful gift for the event (i.e. at an outdoor event - special guests might appreciate a small tote with hand wipes, sunscreen, hat, snacks) (4) Group designation / hashtag: Younger guests, in particular, enjoy being part of a group (‘tribe’ is the word used in psychology articles). Can you create a sub-hashtag for your event to be used exclusively by this group? (5) Take a picture of these guests and use it in your program next year.

The features of Swell's system were designed with revenue in mind -- it's not just about managing your event well, it's about leveraging it.     With the right technology, you can change the conversation with your corporate sponsors and stand out from the crowd. 

You might also enjoy the following: 

5 Tips to Rock Your Next Sponsorship Meeting

5 Things You're Doing that Lower Event Revenue

Fundraising Events: How to Decide What Type of Fundraiser to Host

Are you Leveraging Event Emails to Support Your Sponsors and Mission?

Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful peer -to- peer fundraising campaign s. This...

For over 12 years, Swell Fundraising has provided nonprofits with a live fundraising display to...

Golf tournaments are more than just a day on the greens. In our experience, a sunny, spring golf...

About Us Bloomerang Integration Learn more

[email protected]

Recent Blog Posts

How to Set Sponsorship Levels and Benefits for Your Next Fundraising Event

For most fundraising events , the majority of your money should be raised through sponsorships.

Without a strong focus on sponsors, your event will not reach its true potential. If you are setting an ambitious fundraising goal for your event, it will be far easier to reach that goal if you can raise 50%+ of the revenue from large sponsors than if you are trying to raise 100% through individual ticket sales .

The first step to selling sponsorships for you event is to define your sponsorship levels and what benefits are included for each sponsoring company / individual. In defining sponsorship levels, be ambitious but realistic. Look at your donor file and the businesses you are thinking of contacting to understand what levels you can realistically expect to fill.

If, for example, you are holding an event for the first time and your largest annual donor gives you $25,000 per year, don’t set up a title sponsorship for your event at the $500,000 level… you’re not going to get it. On the other hand, many organizations that do have large donors will hold annual galas and price their top sponsorship at $1,000 or $2,500 thus underselling what could be a very lucrative avenue for additional revenue.

Setting Your Sponsorship Levels

When setting sponsorship levels, look at your overall event goal. Assume that you will raise at least 50% of your overall fundraising goal through sponsorships (if not more). Thus, if you want to raise $100,000 from your event, your sponsorship goal should be in the $50,000+ range. Set your sponsor levels accordingly. In this case, you’d want to have a top sponsorship slot of at least $15,000 – $20,000 in order to reach your overall sponsor goal.

Naming Your Sponsorship Levels

Name your sponsorship levels in a way that highlights either your event theme or your organization’s work. For example, if you are holding an event to raise money for a school, you could name your sponsor levels: Scholar, Essayist, Author, Contributor, Friend. If you are holding an event with a garden theme your sponsorship levels could be: Rose, Tulip, Petunia, Daffodil, Daisy. If you can’t come up with anything that ties into your organization or event, you can also use naming conventions like: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze.

Providing Benefits to Sponsors

Each sponsor level should include a distinct group of benefits for the sponsoring company, individual, organization or family. These benefits can include:

Marketing Opportunities – What marketing and advertising opportunities can you offer your sponsors in return for their sponsorship?

• Event and pre-event naming opportunities
• Inclusion in press releases and event programs
• Signage at the event
• Recognition by event speakers from the podium
• Press availabilities
• Recognition on the organization’s website

Event Benefits – What event benefits can you offer your sponsors in return for their sponsorship?

• Tickets to the event and to any VIP receptions at the event
• Reserved tables at the event
• Inclusion of a sponsor representative as an event chair or co-chair

Be creative in planning your sponsor benefits. Not every sponsor will receive all of the benefits outlined above, and obviously the higher a sponsor’s donation is, the more benefits the company or individual will receive.

Sample Fundraising Event Sponsor Package

Most non-profits that are hosting fundraising events will create a sponsorship flier (or include one with their event invitations) that showcases the sponsor levels and the benefits that sponsors will receive at each level. Here is a sample sponsor flier you can modify for your next fundraising event:

47 th Annual Columbia Family Shelter Black Tie Gala

Title Sponsor: $20,000 – Naming rights for the event and inclusion of logo on all event materials – 25′ banner at event – Opportunity for sponsor to speak at event – 20 tickets to event and VIP auction preview

VIP Auction Preview Sponsor: $10,000 – Naming rights for VIP auction preview reception – Inside back cover of ad calendar, and display advertising at event – Featured in newspaper and billboard advertising for event – Logo featured on website for one year on event invitations and materials – 10 tickets to event and VIP auction preview

Presenting Sponsor(s): $5,000 – Full page ad in ad calendar and display advertising at event – Featured in newspaper and billboard advertising for event – Logo featured on website for one year and on invitations and event materials – 10 tickets to event, 6 tickets to VIP auction preview

Excellence Award Sponsors : $2,500 – Naming rights for one of this year’s Columbia Excellence Awards, presented at the event – ½ page ad in ad calendar and display advertising at event – Featured in newspaper and billboard advertising for event – Name listed on event invitations and logo featured on website for six months – 6 tickets to event, 2 tickets to VIP auction preview

Silver Sponsor: $1,000 – ½ page ad in ad calendar and display advertising at event – Featured in newspaper advertising for event – Name listed on event invitations and logo featured on website for six months – 4 tickets to event, 2 tickets to VIP auction preview

Bronze Sponsor: $500 – ¼ page ad in ad calendar and logo featured on website for six months – 2 tickets to event, 2 tickets to VIP auction preview

Partner Sponsor: $300 – Listing in ad calendar and on website for three months – 2 tickets to event

Don’t Just “Hold a Fundraising Event” Maximize Your Next Nonprofit Event and Raise More Money with Less Hassle

Most nonprofits hold at least one fundraising event each year – does yours? Do you feel like your events are far too much work, with far too little revenue? So many organizations are stuck holding events that take up valuable time and resources yet never reach their true potential.

If you are currently holding nonprofit events and want to double or triple the amount you are raising… or you want to launch a new event at your organization and supercharge the fundraising without all the hassle, then I invite you to join us for our newly updated class:

How to Maximize Your Nonprofit Fundraising Events

This 8-week course will walk you through both basic strategies and advanced tactics for supercharging your nonprofit fundraising events. You’ll learn how to raise more money while spending less time and energy planning each affair. We’ll work together to make sure your next event is an outstanding success.

Enroll Today

Copyright © The Fundraising Authority 2023

Login with your site account

Remember Me

Not a member yet? Register now

Register a new account

I accept the Terms of Service

Are you a member? Login now

Event Sponsorship Levels: How to Create Custom Packages and Attract Top Sponsors

Event sponsorship levels represent the difference between a money-losing event and one with a positive ROI. Savvy event marketers take the time and try to build sponsorship packages that appeal to their prospects’ needs. They know that offering sponsorship tiers is essential in building sponsorship packets. Why? Because, for starters, people need options. Like typical software subscriptions offer levels, your event sponsorships should provide sponsorship tiers. Find out more about how and why to create sponsorship levels, what kind of benefits you should offer sponsors, and how to create a compelling pitch that resonates with your prospects.

What Are Event Sponsorship Levels?

Sponsorship levels describe the varying degrees of support and recognition a sponsor can receive from you in exchange for a fee. The more meaningful benefits you provide at each sponsorship tier, the higher the price to the sponsor. The top level of support receives top billing at the event, along with the most significant and meaningful opportunities to engage with the audience before, during, and after the event. Lower sponsorship tiers provided decreasing levels of support accordingly.

You can build your event sponsorship levels in a way that aligns with your event and the access you want to provide. Remember that prospective sponsors will be comparing event sponsorship packages, so what’s most important is ensuring that the relative value and cost make sense financially.

The Benefits of Event Sponsorship Levels

The most important reason to offer structured sponsorship levels for events is that it establishes relative value for your prospects. Grocers often carry low, middle, and premium-priced items, like a gallon of milk, specifically to help prospects see the value of mid-priced items. They know that mid-priced will outsell the others, so having a premium price makes the mid seem like a value, which is why premium-priced is sometimes so much more. The low price helps establish the baseline so customers can decide whether to upgrade. Creating sponsorship tiers also forces you to strategically review what value you can bring and how that value should be split between sponsorship levels.

Less reliance on ticket sales

One way to build resiliency around your events is to create additional revenue streams like merch, VIP experience, and, of course, sponsorship tiers. By diversifying your income sources, you lessen the financial risk and reliance on ticket sales alone. If you can increase your overall revenue, the target number of visitors you need to break even drops. Plus, revenue from sponsorship levels is generated and paid in advance of the event, so you know where your revenue stands before the event even starts.

Provides Consistent Revenue

Sponsors can become valued event partners. When you can provide measurable value, sponsor partners will return, possibly even at a high sponsorship level. If your event helps them exceed goals, sponsors will want to protect their territory and keep their place to freeze the competition. Category exclusivity should only be provided for top-tier sponsors, who won’t want their competitors to take their place in subsequent years. As such, follow up after your event to discuss the wins with your sponsor partners. After a positive experience, they are more likely to sign a longer-term deal to remain a sponsor, which brings you consistent revenue.

Accesses New Audiences

Another strategic benefit of sponsorship levels is that they can help you attract a more diverse range of sponsors, as lower sponsorship tiers offer an entry point that may better appeal to prospective sponsors not previously on your radar. Event marketers sometimes get so focused on their specific audience niche that it’s easy to overlook adjacent audiences that would benefit from the event and its content. These under-the-radar sponsors can offer many benefits, including the chance to become higher tier, longer-term sponsors, and the potential for audience expansion they bring.

Increase sponsor visibility

Sponsorship levels force event marketers to evaluate what the event offers sponsors strategically. Creating multiple levels deepens your understanding of the value of each asset as you work to put the assets into sponsorship tiers. By thinking about the relative benefits to a sponsor, you can more easily see how the relative value of the sponsorship increases with each tier. Events with sponsorship levels are easy to spot. When you visit a trade show or event and see “presented by” with a prominent logo, you can safely assume you’ve identified a presenting sponsor at the highest level. Top-tier presenting sponsors are the ones with their names on arenas and jerseys, and they even have their logos on all tickets and some merchandise. Attendees would be hard-pressed not to recognize the presenting sponsor at an event.

How to Create Levels of Sponsorships for an Event

Creating sponsorship levels is a thoughtful, strategic process. It deserves you and your team’s full attention, as it represents a significant opportunity for you to build a recurring, secondary revenue stream. To begin, start with a list of all the assets you have available or are willing to offer, from logo placement to email drops.

Next, check out sponsorship packages for events in and out of your category. Look at the type of sponsor assets they offer and decide if you’re willing to provide something similar. For instance, some events offer (limited) access to the database of attendees, others don’t.

Talk to past sponsors of your event or contacts who have sponsored other events. Ask what assets are most important to them and how they measure success. Update your master asset list accordingly.

Now, evaluate your assets to ensure that you can efficiently deliver as promised. For instance, don’t offer something logistically challenging to execute or add significant costs you can’t quickly recoup.

Once you’ve created a list of potential assets, evaluate them in aggregate. Ask yourself, “If we sell all these assets, will we still retain the integrity of our event?” No one wants to be accused of creating an event that appears to be nothing more than a pitch fest. Yet, sponsors need to see value in order to come back. Evaluate where you think that balance is.

Create preliminary sponsorship levels by sorting your assets into at least 3 tiers. The highest sponsorship tier should get the best assets, but every jump should feature something desirable.

Setting Your Sponsorship Levels

Get strategic with your sponsorship levels. You want to clearly demonstrate the value at each level as you move up from lowest to highest. When setting your sponsorship levels, consider the value you can bring. Your market can significantly influence the value of your sponsorship. Sponsors are interested in making a good impression on your audience and ultimately turning them into customers. So, the number and composition of attendees matter, as does the amount of media money you spend on promoting the event before, during, and after. A conference filled with CEOs or buyers can be more attractive to a sponsor than a roomful of entry-level employees unless their product is specifically targeted at that market.

At some events, speakers can sell from the stage (make a specific offer to your audience). Other shows prohibit doing so. Allowing a speaker to sell can positively influence the value of your sponsorship, as a small number of sales on-site can potentially result in a positive ROI for your sponsor.

While awareness is a nice-to-have, most sponsors must present a business use case that more concretely shows that supporting your event will result in a positive ROI. As a result, you need to develop opportunities for sponsors to meet their goals, so they will return year after year.

Naming Your Sponsorship Levels

Clear outperforms clever. You can name your sponsorship level anything you’d like, but the naming conventions should clearly reflect the “good, better, best” concept. That’s why many sponsorship levels use relatable titles like bronze, silver, gold, and platinum, or even 1-star to 5-star.

Providing Benefits to Sponsors

The possibilities for sponsor benefits are endless. Remember the primary goals of your potential sponsors and then consider how you could help them achieve those goals. The type of benefits also depends on your event, but options include:

• Presenting sponsor with acknowledgment on all marketing materials, on signage, and at the event
• Official Press Release inclusion
• Opportunities to speak at keynote or breakout sessions
• VIP access for sponsor guests (seating, upgraded merch, hospitality, etc.)
• VIP experiences (senior-level roundtables, 1:1 with speakers, happy hour, dinners, etc.)
• Exclusive email to attendees
• Social media posts, live interviews at event
• Room drops (multi-day conferences)
• Branded swag
• Distribution of marketing materials or demo booths
• Access to preview or post-event content
• Attendee discounts for those who engage with the sponsor

Remember, it’s not about the cost of your sponsorship assets that matters; it’s the value. Sponsors are more willing to engage when you can deliver high value at a perceived low cost.

Tips for Successfully Pitching Your Sponsorship Levels

Developing your sponsorship packet is just the beginning of the process. Pitching potential sponsors is a sales job that requires a commitment of time and resources. Like any sales outreach, it includes:

• Identifying the “low-hanging fruit”: companies that would benefit the most by sponsoring your event
• Building a contact list of targeted potential sponsors
• Creating a compelling introductory pitch message and subsequent follow-up messaging customized to the contact
• Following up on a cadence until the target says no, yes, or refers you to someone else is a significant effort that deserves the attention and commitment of resources to ensure

You can successfully pitch your sponsorship levels by showing prospective sponsors how your event can help them meet their marketing and sales goals more easily and effectively than other events or marketing options.

Understanding the Needs of Potential Sponsors

Pitching a sponsor requires more than just emailing your sponsorship packet. The best sponsorship salespeople will research the prospect’s business in advance, listen to their needs and then guide them to the most appropriate level, showing how the sponsorship can help them meet their needs.

You can optimize your pitches by categorizing your prospects into ABM (Account-based marketing) segments. You can assume that prospects in a particular business vertical or sector share commonalities, such as similar target audiences, overcoming the same pain points, solving related challenges, and even facing similar buying cycles. By segmenting your sponsor targets, you can “customize” your messaging for all the prospects in a segment at once.

Crafting a Compelling Pitch

Making the sponsor pitch all about you and your event is tempting. However, the highest-converting pitches are all about the prospect. They weave a story about how the prospect’s ideal audience is primed to look for solutions like theirs at the event and that your event will provide the ideal opportunity to convert these prospects into customers.

Compelling pitches clearly communicate the benefits of each sponsorship level and how the benefits grow from level to level. They show how your sponsorship solves your prospects’ most significant challenges and provides access to them.

The best pitches are also aspirational. They use inspiring, compelling language to help the prospect imagine precisely how the sponsorship can transform their business results.

Using Data and Testimonials

How can you prove the value of your sponsorship? The best way is through data from past events and, ideally, testimonials from previous sponsors. This “social proof” is worth its weight in gold as it demonstrates the value you provide, the ROI that similar sponsors have realized, and, ideally, how easy your organization is to work with.

Over time, you can gather additional data and testimonials to build into future sponsorship pitches. If possible, assign a team member to get video testimonials from on-site events where happy sponsors can share their delight about the event.

Follow-up Strategies

Discuss effective follow-up strategies after the initial pitch. Provide tips on maintaining communication, addressing concerns or questions, and closing the deal.

Rarely will you get a “yes” at the time when you pitch. Ensure you don’t leave your meeting without clear next steps on what the prospect needs to do to move ahead. Do they need more information from you? Will they want a digital copy of the deck to share with other stakeholders? Who makes the final decision, and when will they decide?

After the meeting, email a thank you to the attendees with an outline of the next steps and answers to their questions. Then, follow up relentlessly against the deadlines they provided. If they engage you in a meeting, they owe you an answer, yes or no.

Sponsor dollars help mitigate the risks of creating events by giving event planners an additional revenue stream. However, successful sponsorships need strategic development and sales support for optimization. Creating sponsorship levels will ensure that your team has strategically considered the value you can offer sponsors. Sponsor tiers give prospects a method of comparison to help them make a choice. But that’s only the beginning. You need to commit resources to help identify, attract, pitch, and close sponsor prospects.

Sponsorships are just one way to grow your event ROI. Discover the many other ways that A2Z Events management software can help event managers increase profitability.

Thanks for subscribing!

We’re excited to share the best of A2Z Events with you soon!

Related Event Planning Articles

The Ultimate Guide to Event Sponsorship

Event sponsorship is a great way for companies to receive support from another company in terms of funds and advertising. Event sponsorship can help make your event even better in so many ways! There are various strategies your businesses can take to go about event sponsorship; in this blog we’ll cover all there is to know about sponsorship, from the different types to their value and how to get one for your event. 

What Is Event Sponsorship?

Companies of all sizes host events all the time, all over the world. When you’re looking for a little extra financial assistance, look into event sponsorship! Event sponsorship is defined as an outside company that supports your event with funds, in exchange for brand exposure, discounted tickets or being able to speak at the event. When a company agrees to be a sponsor for an event, the hope is that their company will also move forward in terms of success. 

This guide will help you navigate your way through achieving an event sponsor. 

4 Types Of Event Sponsors 

There are different types of event sponsorships that you can choose for your business. These include financial sponsorships, in-kind sponsorships, media event sponsorships, and influencer and content creator sponsorships. Let’s look a little more in-depth on what these sponsorships entail! 

1. Financial Sponsorship

Financial sponsorship is the leading type of sponsorship when it comes to events. When a company decides to sponsor your event, it is ultimately going to benefit both parties in the end. Your event will have the funds to make a great event, and the sponsor company will get exposure in return! You are also able to create tiered event sponsorship packages that companies can choose from. The packages can range in price in exchange for more or less event benefits. Lower priced packages will have smaller compensation benefits and higher priced packages will have larger compensation benefits. 

2. In-Kind Sponsorships

These types of sponsors are ones who provide services, experiences or goods rather than funds. Some examples of in-kind sponsorships include: 

• Sponsoring food for the event
• Venue halls or rooms
• Prizes and giveaways
• Sponsored merchandise

A company who decides to sponsor your event can usually choose which type they want to be, and any kind of contribution they give will only benefit your event!

3. Media Event Sponsorship

Almost everyone has a smartphone now, meaning that the way companies market to their audience has changed. Social media apps, no matter which ones you use, have ads. If your company chooses to become a media sponsor, you have the option to create ads and marketing, all tailored to your target audience. This type of sponsorship is great for smaller companies as they gain great exposure this way! Email marketing also falls into this category, as you are able to send out an email blast about any upcoming events, product launches or demos right to your target audience. 

4. Influencer and Content Creator Sponsorship

Influencers are a huge part of social media marketing and how companies make their money. These influencers have a large presence on social media and their followers are loyal! According to Forbes , 81% of consumers are going to buy a product if they see it on social media. Influencers and content creators make up such a large presence on social media and partnering with them can be great for your company and will create a lasting impression for your audience. Influencers also have followers from all around the world, so partnering with them will bring awareness to your company on a global level. 

Why Event Sponsorships are Valuable to Everyone

Now that you know the types of event sponsorships, it’s important to know some event sponsorship benefits . Many elements need to come together perfectly to make a great and memorable event. When it comes to securing an event sponsor, you want to make the right choice and it will be beneficial for a few reasons. 

One of the most important aspects of a successful event is the budget . An important question to ask yourself at the beginning of the planning process is how much money in the budget is dedicated to the sponsorship itself? If your company needs help with the funds, reaching out to a sponsor can benefit both parties. Keep in mind that your company has a budget, and being up front with your sponsors when you pitch to them will make your company seem honest and reliable. 

• Pair With Reputable Companies

In searching for event sponsors, it’s beneficial to seek out companies that have solid values and reputable morals . Those values and morals will mirror back to your company, leaving customers with a feeling of trust when regarding your company. Pairing with a company who prioritizes philanthropic efforts, for example, will show customers that your value aligns with those as well. 

• Increased Exposure 

Event sponsorship is beneficial for both parties involved. When you partner with an event sponsor, you will see an increase in exposure and an influx of new consumers, especially through social media. And the sponsoring company will receive exposure from people attending your event. Getting your company’s name out there in the world is great for everyone involved! 

Read and Learn: What our Survey Data Revealed About What Attracts the Most People to Events

How to Find an Event Sponsor

When beginning your search for finding an event sponsor , you will want to consider a few factors. 

• Understand Your Audience 

Knowing what your audience wants from your company and your event is crucial to finding the right sponsor. Looking for sponsors who align with your audiences will make the process easy. 

• Target Similar Industries

Companies who are looking to be event sponsors are more likely to partner with a company that targets a similar audience. Tech companies who reach out to other tech companies are like a meeting of the minds, bringing together new and fresh ideas with the added benefit of increased industry exposure.

• Do Your Research

Choosing a company you partner with for any event is no easy task. It’s an important decision that not only affects your company, but also the guests who attend your event. This is where thorough research plays a part. Through Google, you can find different event sponsors that fit your company’s needs and budget. You can then evaluate and compare your options to select one that best suits your event. 

• Have Your Pitch Prepared

When the time comes to pitch to a potential event sponsor, keep a running list of talking points you want to include in your pitch speech. Make sure you have your expectations clear and precise, but also listen to what the potential sponsor wants in return. If your company hasn’t created sponsorship packages for them to choose from, there may be some give and take between the two companies. Keep in mind that negotiating is a part of the corporate world, so be ready to negotiate your prices. A proposal template is a great tool to have when pitching to potential sponsors, but don’t forget to ensure it’s customized for the company you’re presenting to!

6 Creative Ideas for Sponsor Activation 

Once you’ve locked in a sponsor for your event, it’s time to start thinking of collaboration ideas. There are a range of options you can choose from that apply to a number of industries and businesses. Thinking outside the box for new and fresh ideas can be helpful to draw in new customers that may not have known about you before. We’ve gathered 4 different and creative ideas for you and your sponsors! 

1. Utilize Branding  

When it comes to branding for your event , it's important to prioritize showcasing your sponsor’s brand along with yours. Prepare different branded materials that you can showcase during your event; this could mean on billboards, event programs, t-shirts or water bottles. In a thank you to the event sponsor, you may want to send them a swag bag full of branded goodies. Branding can also take place on social media by running campaigns with your sponsor. Both online and offline sponsorship branding have benefits that will grant extra exposure for both businesses. 

A great way to promote your sponsor at the event is allotting them space to display a booth! If your venue space allows, have your sponsor set up a promotional booth to display anything they’d like involving their business. This will further the exposure they get and will in turn lead to more business for them! 

3. Networking Lunges/ Breakout Rooms

A great way for your sponsor to get more involved with your event is to have them host a networking lounge or breakout room for attendees! A breakout room or networking lounge is a great way for attendees to take a break from the event and take time to get to know other attendees and make new connections. If your sponsor hosts one of these, they can have workers in their company get to know attendees as well, spreading the word about their business! 

4. Create Content via TikTok 

Everyone knows how much TikTok has exploded onto the scene in the last two years. As long as both companies have an account that can be tagged as well as sending consumers to your event link, utilizing this platform is a smart choice to reach new audiences. You can use it to advertise your event ahead of time with your sponsor, or create fun content during the event with your sponsor. Whether you want to do a trending dance or do a Q&A session, your company will be able to reach millions and the engagement between both companies and consumers will skyrocket! 

5. Swag Bags 

Swag bags are a great way to thank your attendees for coming to your event, and an even better way to feature your event sponsorships! They can be filled with branded merchandise from your event sponsor (hint - maybe even one of their recently launched products). 

6. Contests 

Making events fun for customers is beneficial for everyone involved! Holding contests during the event for your customers to win prizes will create a buzz throughout the event. Your company and your sponsor can combine funds to provide both small and large contest prizes, ranging from a fun experience or even a trip. Partnering with a company who wishes to provide an experience or trip as a prize will be memorable for all of the attendees and will be fun for everyone!

How to Repurpose Content from Sponsorship

All throughout your event, be sure to take pictures and videos of the highlights! Using these pictures and videos will help to promote any future events you may host! People who were not in attendance at the event will see how much fun was had and will sign up for the next event! Another use for these pictures is to show the event sponsor how their name and brand was used within the event. It shows the event sponsor that their funds, or in-kind donations went to a good cause and were used correctly. The event sponsor is most likely going to sponsor more events for your company in the future!

Providing ROI For Sponsors 

When a company sponsors an event, their main goal is to try and reach their target audience as well as gain a new following. After the event is over, reaching out to the attendees for feedback will only help with the ROI for event sponsors . 

1. How Event Sponsors Will Benefit From An Event

When investing your money into an event, your company wants to ensure that their money is going to a good cause and being put to good use. As the company that is hosting the event, your main objective after the event is over is to provide the sponsoring company with pictures, feedback and event analytics to show how successful the event was. Once the sponsoring company sees how successful the event was, they will know that their funds were used wisely and everyone at the event enjoyed themselves. 

2. Getting A Proper Headcount of Attendees

If you, the sponsoring company, decides to be an in-kind sponsor, getting the accurate information regarding the number of attendees will be super beneficial to you. If you are donating food or products to the event company, you don’t want to deliver too many items and then possibly have them go to waste, because now that is money coming out of the company’s pocket. By keeping the lines of communication open between the two companies, you will be able to get an accurate headout of how many people are attending the event and send over the correct amount of items. 

3. Allow Sponsors To Engage With Attendees

When attendees of the event can interact with the sponsors on a personal level, they will be more inclined to remember the event sponsor. Putting a face to a name makes all the difference in the world, when the main line of communication is usually email. Human connections can go a long way in the corporate world, and having employees from the sponsoring company attend the event and meet the attendees will be beneficial to everyone involved. 

Effective Ways To Engage With Sponsors

If you need a little polishing on your events to turn them from ordinary into extraordinary, don’t be afraid to ask for a sponsorship! There are a few key ways that you can engage with sponsorships to make the partnership beneficial for both parties. 

1. Understand Their Needs

When you present your sponsorship to a potential partner, understanding that in order for them to agree to a sponsorship it needs to be beneficial for them as well. Ensure they find value in the sponsorship by presenting them first with the benefits they can receive if they agree to a partnership with you, such as the amount of potential new customers who will be exposed to their business. 

2. Align Your Goals

When you communicate with a potential sponsorship partner, make sure to find out what their goals are. Once you know their goals, you can present your sponsorship as a great opportunity for them to reach their business goals, too. 

3. Treat Them Like Partners 

The best kind of business relationships are ones where both parties can come together with respect to reach common goals. When working with an event sponsorship partner , teamwork is everything! You want to make sure your partners feel like you’re working as a team together and not just providing funding for your event. Find out all you can about their business, goals, and even let them have a hand in some event of the planning to make them feel like part of your team. 

4. Find the Right Speech and the Right Time

Approaching a sponsor to fund your event can be intimidating, but with a solid plan of action it can be a piece of cake. When you speak with them, make sure to highlight all the potential benefits, including the exposure their business would get, how much revenue you made from previous events, and the new opportunities that could arise for them if they join you as partners. You also want to highlight why your event would be a great opportunity for them by studying the target audience and doing other important research. 

In order to develop a long lasting relationship with your event sponsors, don’t forget to express your gratitude to them! If your company executes a great event, and it was an overall success, let the event sponsor know that- saying thank you goes a long way in this industry! A thank you note, either hand-written or digital with pictures or videos of the event sent to your event sponsor will let them know how truly grateful you are for all of their help and support of your event. 

Tips for Getting Event Sponsorships

• Be Specific About Your Goals 

When beginning your search for an event sponsor, be sure to have a list of goals you wish to achieve during and after the event. Explaining these goals to potential event sponsors will let them know how their funds or donations will be put to good use. After the event concludes, sending your event sponsor metrics and data from the event and how you met or exceeded your goals will ensure that their funds were used correctly. 

• Use A Digital Tool To Find Sponsors 

You may not know where to start when looking for an event sponsor, or even what kind of sponsor you may want, using a digital tool will help to jumpstart your search! 

• SponsorPitch - Search through thousands of sponsors, pricing and previous deals to find the right sponsor for your event! Data for your potential sponsors is right at your fingertips! 
• Sponsor My Event - No matter what type of event you may be hosting, Sponsor My Event helps you connect with the perfect sponsor for your target audience! This tool even connects you to sponsors within your area! Listen and read testimonials from companies who have held events with the help of sponsors, thanks to this tool! 
• Be Open-Minded 

You may have your ideal event sponsor in mind, but they might not be able to help with sponsoring your event. As you pitch to potential sponsors, keep in mind that they receive hundreds of emails a day, asking for the same thing. Don’t become discouraged if you don’t hear back from some of them. Keeping an open mind and remaining optimistic about achieving sponsors will help to keep the planning process running smoothly. 

Sponsor Analytics

Now that you are on your way to finding the best event sponsors for your event,you are ready to measure your success! Using event analytics will help your company to better understand the performance of your event after and its ROI. In Hubilo’s event analytics platform , you are able to see the success of the event engagement and even pass this information onto your sponsors. Event analytics can be held pre-event with registration tracking, during the event when monitoring attendee behavior and post-event for bringing all the metrics together! 

And there you have it, an entire guide on all things event sponsorship! Not only will bringing in an event sponsor provide valuable benefits for the event itself, but it will also in turn provide value for attendees. Finding a suitable event sponsor for your event that aligns with your company and message is equally as important as well. So long as you provide a partnership where the sponsoring company can benefit as well, then you’ll be on your way to a successful event!

Related posts

Stay connected with us..

Discover how Hubilo's Webinar+ can help you 2X your pipeline

Who are you

How to Present Sponsorship Opportunities

Trying to get a sponsorship for your sports organization can take a lot of effort and diligent work. It requires your club to outline what types of sponsorships are available, how much money it needs to raise, and what types of businesses to target.

Once those details are set, the real work begins. You need to create a proposal letter and packet to outline who your organization is, why it’s seeking sponsors, what the money will go towards and the various types of sponsorship packages available.

After you create those materials, it’s time to present all of this information to potential sponsors. To make sure your club is getting the most out of its pitch, get tips on how to present your sponsorship opportunities.

Do Your Research

Before presenting your sponsorship opportunities, you need to know more about the businesses you are pitching. Using the list of companies you want to target, dig deeper into who the companies are, what their mission and values are, and what types of sponsorships they’ve awarded in the past. 

According to BizBash.com , your organization should also determine what interests or causes the companies support and what their business goals are. Learn more about selecting opportunities here .

Find the Right Person to Reach Out to  

When you reach out to companies, it’s important to find the right contact at each business. You want to make sure you are communicating with the decision-maker at each company. According to NPEngage.com , you want to look for individuals at each business who work in branding, marketing, sponsorships, business development or communications. These departments typically work with sponsorships.

Time Your Pitch Right

It’s important to present your sponsorship opportunities at the right time. You want to make sure you pitch the opportunities far enough in advance for businesses to be able to make a decision and get approval for the funding. If you wait until the last minute or don’t give companies enough time to consider the sponsorship, even if they’re interested in the opportunity they might have to decline the offer.

Reach Out Via Multiple Channels

When reaching out to potential sponsors it’s important to be persistent and creative when contacting decision-makers. According to NPEngage.com, it can take three or four attempts before you’re able to connect with an organization. Because of this, use different channels when reaching out to contacts, such as phone calls, emails, mail, and in-person visits. Additionally, tryouts may be an excellent opportunity to pitch in-person. Here are tips on how to turn your next tryout into a sponsorship opportunity .

Know What the Sponsor is Looking For

When you make contact with the potential sponsor, it’s important to learn more about the company before you present sponsorship opportunities and make an official pitch. Instead, during the initial phone call or interaction, use the opportunity to ask questions that will give you more information to add to your sponsorship proposal letter and packet. According to SponsorshipCollective.com , some questions to ask a potential sponsor can include:

• Who is your target audience?
• How do you work with sponsors?
• What are the most important elements of a sponsorship proposal?

Once you gather this information, you can tweak your proposal to customize it to what the potential sponsor is looking for. This allows you to address the specific company’s needs and interests to make your proposal more attractive.

Send the Proposal

After customizing the proposal for each individual sponsor, it’s time to send it off. Include your proposal letter and packet, and make sure it is addressed to the correct contact at each company. 

Appearance counts on these materials, so make sure they look professional. The letter should be written on the club’s letterhead and the packet should be printed on nice paper and be bound professionally. Mail the package in an envelope that allows you to protect the materials so they arrive undamaged and address it directly to the contact at the business.

After sending over the proposal letter and packet, wait a few days after it’s scheduled to arrive and then follow up with the potential sponsor. This is your opportunity to ask if the contact has any questions about the proposal and clear up any confusion. 

The follow-up conversation is also a chance to expand on the benefits to the sponsor. While your packet outlined the costs of the sponsorships and what’s included in it, you can use the conversation to address other benefits, such as brand awareness, product placement, growing their place in the community, and more. 

Trying to land a sponsor for your sports club can take a lot of effort. However, the work put into creating the proposal letter and packet and making an effective pitch can be worth it when your organization is able to gather sponsorships and fund necessary programs and initiatives for your club.

Webex Events is also available as part of the Webex Suite.

WebexOne registration is open! Join us October 21-24, 2024 at The Diplomat Beach Resort in the Miami area. 🎉 Register Now >

Event sponsorship

Event sponsorship levels: Do tiers help attract event sponsors?

Should you offer sponsorship levels? Learn what sponsorship levels are, the pros and cons, and how to modernize your sponsor tiers for best results.

Updated on: Jun 2, 2023 | 5 Min Read

About the author

Lisa has been in the event marketing field for over 16 years and is the Sr. Field Marketing Manager at Webex Events (formerly Socio). She is passionate about producing events that create engaging, unique and inclusive experiences.

Just because the masses have always done something a certain way, doesn’t mean that’s the best way to do it.

If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re putting together sponsorship packages for an upcoming event. Or maybe you’re wondering how and where to start and if offering packages are even effective. You might also be a seasoned event professional who is rethinking your event strategy to better meet sponsor needs as the broader event industry shifts its practices.

Sponsorship strategy is key to generating enough revenue to prove ROI and join forces with valued, long-term partners . But not all is glamorous in the world of event sponsorships. It’s competitive and complex!

Simply throwing together a three-tiered package might not be not enough to attract and land the right sponsors who will make an impact on your event and your revenue goals.

So you might be asking…

Are tiered event sponsorship levels outdated? Are they still even effective? The answer is yes—and, perhaps surprisingly, also yes!

While event sponsorship tiers  are still effective and attractive to potential partners, they sometimes miss the mark. Not all sponsors are created equal. It takes a little creativity and planning to hit the bullseye with your sponsorship offerings, and in this article, we’re going to show you exactly how to do it.

But it’s worth it! Sponsors can boost your budget, provide you with additional exposure opportunities, and boost your event’s credibility.

Should you create sponsorship levels? If so, how do you tailor them for best results? This article will discuss event sponsorship levels, the pros and cons of offering sponsor packages, and how to level up your sponsorship offerings to seal the deal with prospects. Let’s go!

What are event sponsorship levels, and how do they work?

Event sponsorship levels give brands varying options and benefits to choose from, depending on their financial commitment. You can offer tiers so sponsors have more control over their choices and budget. It also makes it easier for you to scale and plan when you’re not dealing with the hassles of customization for each sponsor.

Virtual and hybrid events have also expanded the possibilities and ways that event organizers can add value to sponsorships. Brands might feel hesitant to invest in virtual events, yet they offer sponsors more opportunities with features like banners within the event tech platform, push notifications, sponsored classes and games, video rooms for networking and demos, and more. Use your tiered packages to communicate this value to potential sponsors.

Tiered sponsorship packages (plus a real-world example)

Event managers typically offer three or more sponsorship levels. The standard gold, silver, and bronze sponsor packages are a common approach that’s well-known in the industry.  

Offer at least three sponsorship levels or tiers to give brands some flexibility to choose what serves them. Some might not need all of the benefits of your highest tier, but they still want to get involved.

Below is a typical sponsorship level package offering. The higher the tier, the heftier the benefits and the investment. You could also add a 4th tier, or offer packages that can hold an unlimited number of sponsors.

Gold 🥇 – $15K – 2 packages available

• Large  virtual booth              
• 5 push notifications          
• Splash screen              
• 30-second video promo                
• Up to 3 game challenges            
• Up to 3 video rooms                
• 3 banner ads                 
• Up to 3 profile links              
• Up to 3 profile downloads

Silver 🥈 – $8K – 5 packages available

• Medium  virtual booth              
• 3 push notifications          
• 15-second video promo                
• Up to 2 game challenges            
• Up to 2 video rooms                
• 1 banner ad                 
• Up to 2 profile links              
• Up to 2 profile downloads

Bronze 🥉 – $3K – 15 packages available

• Small  virtual booth              
• 1 push notifications          
• 1 game challenge           
• 1 profile link             
• 1 profile download

What are the experts doing?  Webex Events customers and platform experts discuss attracting and landing the right sponsors in this on-demand virtual event, Event Revenue and Sponsorship ROI webinar . Learn how to increase sponsorship ROI and structure your sponsorship levels for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events.

Event sponsorship levels: the pros and cons  

We covered sponsorship levels and what they typically entail.

But we still haven’t answered the question, “Should you even offer sponsorship packages?” If you’re wondering how to answer this, first, you need to know the pros and cons.

Pros of offering sponsorship levels

There are many advantages to offering sponsorship tiers.

A clear path to ROI

It’s easier to estimate and scale revenue when you know exactly how much revenue will come in. Creating a fixed number of packages for a fixed cost keeps you more in control and able to measure your success and event ROI . When you’ve got large amounts of money coming in from sponsors, you also don’t have to be so reliant on ticket sales to fulfill your quotas.

Creates a feeling of exclusivity

Event organizers offer sponsorship packages in limited quantities to create a feeling of exclusivity and compel sponsors to take action because they’re competing with other brands for the same opportunity.

As humans, we want what others can’t have because it makes us feel special. It’s why manufacturers like BMW made only 983 of its BMW 1 Series M Coupe in 2011—and sold out of its entire fleet. Exclusivity builds the value of an item.

Use features like the size and placement of banners, and sponsor involvement in event aspects such as food and entertainment to entice brands with exclusive offers. The more “cool” or exclusive a package feels to sponsors, the greater chance they will pay for it.

On the flip side, if you offered too many packages at each sponsorship level, the perceived value would decrease. If everyone else can have the same thing, why would you pay a lot of money for it? Plus, you don’t want too many brands promoting themselves all over your event. It’s best to limit them so your attendees don’t feel bombarded with sales messages.

Sponsor inclusivity

More packages mean more participation. A smaller brand might not be able to participate in your platinum level but offering a bronze level gives them the opportunity to leverage events for business growth. Offering low-level package features such as a small virtual booth and a branded profile with links can provide a lot more exposure for small businesses than they’re used to.  

Simple and straightforward

Fixed packages keep event planning simple. You don’t have to deal with ad-hoc requests or a lot of questions from sponsors.

Cons of offering sponsorship levels

While the above advantages to the tiered approach sound attractive, they can also deter potential sponsors. Here’s why:

Mismatch of sponsor needs

What if a sponsor wants all of package one but only half of package two? Also, some sponsors might not want to pay for a package that includes features they won’t use.

 Vanity sponsor benefits

Sometimes event organizers throw in “vanity benefits” such as company name or company logo placement or profile images. Sponsors would expect some of these to be standard features, not additional benefits for choosing more expensive packages.

Wouldn’t adding more features make your packages more attractive? Not necessarily.

Adding these “vanity benefits” as benefits of a particular package could make it look like you’re stuffing the benefits just to make them look more attractive, which could be a turnoff to brands.

Guessing at features

When you offer packages, you’re guessing at your sponsorship’s goals and budget. How do you know what features your sponsors like the best? How do you know what type of promotions they’re looking for?

Should you offer sponsorship levels?

At this stage, you’re probably wondering whether or not you should go ahead with sponsorship packages.

Sponsorship levels can be helpful, but they also can be a stumbling block. It depends on your unique situation.

What if a prospect wants half of the silver tier benefits and half of the gold tier benefits and additional unlisted features? Will you turn them away? Hopefully not, if they have the potential of becoming a valuable partner!

Let’s say your sponsor is interested in digital promotions  during only one day of your event. Or maybe they want to partner with you, but they won’t benefit from some of the features in your packages.

Standard tiers also lack a clear ROI. While standard tiers make it easy to calculate the money in vs. money out, it’s not easy to track results from something like a sponsor’s logo on a printed banner.

Virtual events  have also become popular in the last couple of years, but brands are hesitant because they don’t always see the value in sponsoring them. These sponsors might be more interested in innovative and creative features that are not typically part of a standard sponsorship package. Brands also want to see results, especially before getting involved with virtual events.

Webex Events + virtual events = sponsor success

Webex Events solved this problem by helping event managers convince brands of the value of sponsoring virtual events with robust data and engagement features.

Webex Events partnered with Vetsource  after they needed to pivot their in-person events to virtual due to the pandemic and raise revenue via sponsors. The conference exceeded sponsorship revenue expectations and brought in $14,000 more than their last in-person event.

Vetsource leveraged Webex Events to provide event sponsors with exciting and innovative features and activities to promote their brands. They also used Webex Events’ Data Dashboard as a value-add to provide sponsors with post-event data on banner impressions, clicks, profile views, and more.

How to level up your sponsorship offerings

How do you level up your sponsorship offerings and satisfy prospects?

Below are some solutions on how to structure packages to satisfy brands looking to sponsor your event.

You can still offer sponsored tiers but consider introducing other options to make your packages more innovative and personalized, and that speak to the sponsor’s real need ( A healthy ROI ).

Here’s how to do it.

Customize it

Offer customizable solutions that can help sponsors get more visibility and track ROI.

Use your standard packages as a base to start from and allow sponsors to choose from additional features to create a custom package. Or, for high-value sponsors, offer an enterprise-level option where sponsors can customize their offerings 100%.

Don’t go in blindsided! Before you customize, you should understand the brand’s goals and desires. Consider meeting with high-value sponsors beforehand and asking them questions. Create customized packages with the sponsor’s values in mind.

Offer a-la-carte benefits

Customized packages will require you to create a-la-carte benefits sponsors can choose from. This model is for sponsors who have specific goals and need more flexibility with features before they commit.

In addition to your packages, or as a completely customizable option, offer a menu of items to choose from in different categories (personalized promotions, social media promotions, signage, exhibits, networking, push notifications).

Need some inspiration?   This virtual event sponsorship guidebook  includes 36 event sponsorship ideas for virtual events.   

The 2023 guide to event sponsorship

Deliver a positive sponsorship ROI and offset your event costs.

Package it differently

The three-tier column layout with checkmarks for each benefit might be a little outdated for some sponsors. Change it up!

Instead of showing packages with each benefit checked off according to the tier, create one piece of collateral that explains the benefits all sponsorship levels receive. Then, show additional add-ons that are available.

Here’s what an opening page might look like that highlights the top benefits all sponsors will receive regardless of which package they choose.

Show them the money

What are sponsors really looking for? It’s all about the ROI.

Besides deciding on the event sponsorship strategy, it is vital to have the right data to make potential sponsors feel confident that they will enjoy a healthy ROI and achieve their business goals.

This is where event management software is key. Present sponsors with historical event data to show them the potential ROI of their promotions.

Webex Events makes event sponsorship management simple and effective

Want an easy and efficient way to attract and manage sponsors, and create innovative sponsorship opportunities?

Webex Event’s modern event management platform  offers different solutions for event managers, including state-of-the-art event sponsorship management.

Below are some of the features Webex Events offers potential sponsors to entice them to partner with your event:

• Sponsor & exhibitor profiles
• In-app visibility
• Sponsored push notifications
• Next-generation lead retrieval
• Sponsor interactive maps
• Live display : showcase your sponsors
• Sponsor ROI metrics
• 1:1 Video rooms
• Additional sponsorship opportunities and features

With Webex Events, create a next-generation event sponsorship package that allows your sponsors to predict their potential gains more easily and participate in innovative, modern promotional campaigns.

Webex Events is also fully customizable and works for any event from annual conferences, nonprofit fundraising events, and trade shows, to internal corporate events , virtual events, product launches, and more.

Want to modernize your events and level up your sponsorship offerings?   Start building your event for free on Webex Events and learn how it can help you attract, land, and manage your event sponsors.

Related Posts

Event management process: 5 steps and stages to launching an event

Tips for building your virtual, in-person, and hybrid sponsorship tiers, drive sponsor & exhibitor engagement and roi with socio’s sponsor showcase and booths, take your events to the next level.

The future of events is here. Discover why event organizers trust Webex Events to power virtual, in-person, and hybrid event success.

How to Get Sponsorships: The Complete Guide

As a dedicated event planner, you understand the significance of securing funding for orchestrating successful events. Recognizing this, you see event sponsorship as a pivotal element in obtaining the necessary resources to create remarkable experiences for your attendees.

Navigating the realm of event sponsorship can be challenging, especially if you’re new to the process. You are tasked with determining the right contacts, crafting appealing sponsorship packages, and assessing the need for sponsorship. These are critical considerations in your journey.

To assist you in your event planning endeavor , we put together this comprehensive guide to event sponsorships. This guide delves into various aspects of event sponsorship, from understanding its different types to identifying suitable sponsors for your event.

What is a Sponsorship?

A sponsorship is when a company commits money or resources to a nonprofit event or program in exchange for specific promotional benefits.

In exchange for supporting the nonprofit, the company gets their name and logo on things like:

• T-shirts or wearable swag
• Other marketing and communications collateral

The business objective of sponsorship is to reach a specific target audience and to earn a “halo” for supporting a good cause. By aligning themselves with purpose-based organizations, sponsors give their businesses a competitive edge that goes beyond product and price. It’s marketing, but more socially responsible.

Sponsorship is win-win and work-work. Both the nonprofit and the for-profit benefit from the partnership, but success depends on them working together to ensure the other’s success.

Types of Sponsorships

Depending on your needs, there are several different types of sponsorships that can help you with your next event:

• Financial or cash – This is the most common type of sponsorship where cash is exchanged for benefits, perks, or publicity.
• A venue partner
• A prize sponsor
• A food sponsor
• A digital sponsor (social media filters, apps, media wall, etc.)
• Media event – Helps provide support for promoting your event. Event sponsorship can be a media outlet giving a free advertisement or they can give money to help fund your advertising.
• Promotional partner – Similar to a media event sponsor, except in this case, it’s an individual boosting your event through their own channels. For example, a social media influencer could be a promotional partner.

An Example of a Sponsorship    

If you’re looking for an example of sponsorship in action, take a look at the Boston Marathon, which is run by a nonprofit organization, the Boston Athletic Association or BAA. The event has a number of longstanding corporate sponsors, including running shoe maker Adidas.

Like I mentioned, a great sponsorship benefits both the nonprofit and the sponsorship partner. So what does that look like here?

The BAA benefits by:

• Receiving millions of dollars from Adidas and other corporate sponsors
• Raising the profile of their event as a world-class marathon by aligning themselves with brands (like Adidas) that are relevant household names

And how does Adidas benefit from the sponsorship?

• They get access to avid runners who are the perfect customers for Adidas shoes and gear

Being associated with such an important and famous event gives Adidas a favorable connection with thousands of runners and millions of spectators – both along the course and watching at home on television.

Is the partnership win-win for both partners? Absolutely. Do the BAA and Adidas have to work hard to ensure each other’s success? You bet.

One thing you don’t need to succeed with a sponsorship is a large athletic event like the Boston Marathon or a global shoe company like Adidas. There are many sponsorship opportunities with organizations of all sizes and types.

How to Get a Sponsorship: 8 Key Tactics  

Before you start securing a sponsorship, keep these 8 key tactics in mind:

• Research potential sponsors. Look at your existing supporters. Evaluate each one to see if their goal and interests align with your values and audience—or if they could help you find other new sponsors.
• Tell your organization’s story. What makes your organization special? Define your key pitch elements and weave them together to tell a story that will appeal to potential sponsors.
• Marketing and promotional collateral
• Branded videos
• Social media content
• Event swag and goodies
• Reach out to established companies. Partner with established companies that have a positive reputation, have built trust and can boost your organization’s profile .
• Use data to legitimize your pitch. Data is everything. Don’t forget to take those important insights from your audience and feature them in the pitch.
• Find the right contact. Make sure you know who the right contact is. Often, this can be someone in the marketing department.
• Build a connection over time. A good relationship always starts with a strong foundation. Take time to get to know your potential sponsor and build a connection over shared values and concerns.
• Follow up. Whether it’s a problem of timing or funding, sometimes a “no” is just a “no for right now”. It’s worthwhile keeping these contacts on hand to follow up with in the future.

How to Find a Sponsorship With an Asset Analysis

Your first step is to do an asset analysis of your organization, events and programs. Look for assets that would be valuable to a potential business partner.

These may include:

• A successful fundraiser (e.g., walk, run, gala, etc.).
• A large donor [or membership] base.
• A large, engaged following on social-media sites.
• A targeted group of supporters [or members] that are women, Millennials, moms, parents, men, pet owners, and so forth.
• A large employee base.
• A visible, busy, or sought after building or location.
• A strong, well-recognized brand that people know and respect.
• Vendors that value their relationship with you.
• A strong, emotional mission. Do you serve kids? Do you save puppies from the pound? Do you help wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan?

One of the most valuable assets you can have is an existing connection to a company. I like to say that a company in hand is worth two waiting in the bush!

Maybe you have a CEO that personally supports your cause, but hasn’t involved her company. Or perhaps your organization has a long-standing vendor relationship with a company that would be open to a fundraiser.

Nonprofits don’t usually know where to start when it comes to selling sponsorships to businesses. That’s because they have their sights set too high and miss the low-hanging fruit!

Read More:   Everything you Need to Know About Virtual Sponsorship for Nonprofits

How to Get a Sponsorship: Defining Your Audience

As I mentioned, a winning sponsorship benefits both the sponsor and the nonprofit. But there’s another part of that equation: a great sponsorship also rewards your audience. And knowing your audience is key to snagging that perfect sponsor and delivering a successful event.

For your sponsors, your audience is your most valuable asset. All you need to do is frame your audience in the right way. By doing so, you’re showing your sponsor the breadth and depth of exposure their brand can get from the partnership. I recommend reviewing your data to draw out information that can qualitate what makes your audience so special.

You can investigate areas like your:

• Social media analytics: Metrics like impressions, engagement, and reach are important here. If you have a strong social following or high engagement with your content, show this to your sponsors.
• Demographic information: Use information like age, location, occupation, education, etc. to segment your audience into valuable groups.
• Membership engagement surveys: Engagement surveys can be a great source of data. They can reveal your audience’s interests, needs, and wants. Use this information to position your sponsorship pitch and show how a sponsorship would be a great match.
• Google Analytics : Page visits, website traffic, and popular pages are all examples of the kind of information you can find through Google Analytics that can sculpt the profile of your audience.
• Post-event surveys :  Another kind of survey, but this hones in on what has made your past events a success. Use this information to understand what your audience likes and how your sponsor can provide value.

Sponsorship Pitches: Everything You Need to Know   

Consider this your crash course in delivering a successful sponsorship pitch. Armed with the right knowhow and tools, your pitch will have you well on your way to securing a great sponsorship!

I’ve broken down the process to make it digestible. In this section, I’ll cover:

• Key Components to Include

Who to Pitch to

Tips and tricks for pitching.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Key Components of a Sponsorship Pitch

A good sponsorship pitch is about helping your prospect understand your organization in a way that resonates with them. Include essential information, but with the angle of how a partnership will benefit them and align with their values.

I recommend including these elements:

• Your programs and services
• Your mission statement and values
• Data about your following/supporters/donor base including demographics
• People or vendors who support you
• Events from years before
• Stories about your impact, etc.
• Information about your event or what is getting sponsored
• What you need from your sponsor (ie the type of sponsorship you’re looking for)
• Benefits for your potential sponsor
• Your sponsorship tiers
• History of sponsorship (past and present)

To successfully pitch a sponsorship opportunity, you have to know who you’re dealing with. I’ve found that decision makers can be lumped into one of these three groups: Thinkers, Feelers and Deferrers. Most people are a combination of all three, but one style usually dominates.

Thinkers are my favorites because they are most like me! They want to hear the rationale, the logic behind a sponsorship and why it makes sense for their business. They like facts, figures, research, statistics, data and any other analytical information to drive their decision.

If you’re pitching a Thinker on an event sponsorship: Talk about how many people attended the event, the split between men and women and their favorability toward sponsors.

Feelers are moved more by narrative and emotional appeals and will respond better to appeals centered around the mission of your organization, how the consumer experience will be enhanced and how employees will derive more meaning and fulfillment from their jobs.

If you’re pitching a Feeler on an event sponsorship: Talk about the emotional connection people have to the event and how it will tangibly impact your mission.

Deferrers follow the lead of others.  Show them what the companies they admire or compete with are doing and how they can join the “cool kids.” Credibility and reputation are important to a lot of people. But for these prospects, it means a whole lot more.

If you’re pitching a Deferrer on an event sponsorship: Talk about the other companies that are sponsoring the event and the high profile leaders that will be attending.

Whether you’re dealing with a Thinker, Feeler or Deferrer, there are certain tips and tricks that are important to keep in mind:

• Your #1 goal is to be prospect-centric. Always be prepared to adjust your messaging with prospects to meet their needs, interests and goals. Not all sponsors commit because of the marketing benefits. Stay focused but flexible.
• Asking your prospect about his business.
• Offering incentives
• Giving their company a competitive edge by raising its social good profile
• Increasing brand exposure through event publicity and reaching a new audience with your event attendees
• Boosting employee morale through philanthropic involvement
• Don’t give them an excuse to say no. Only mail your prospects crucial information. Call them back in a timely manner. Design your sponsorship packages with creativity and flexibility. Make it so your prospects completely forget that final, irrevocable word.
• Make a plan with a timeline. Your sponsorship won’t happen with one call, or one email, or one meeting. You need to plan for sponsorship success and how each interaction will bring you closer to your goal. Even better: keep track of how long it takes to secure a sponsorship, so when you go after your next one you know what it takes.

Ready to secure more sponsors? Download our free sponsorship letter templates to set your nonprofit up for success!

Who to Reach Out to First

Nonprofits often ask me what kind of companies they should target for sponsorship.

“Oh, that’s easy,” I say. “The company that will say yes!”

Of course, some businesses are more likely to say yes than others.

Part of the puzzle of a successful sponsorship pitch is knowing who to reach out to first. In this section, I’ll break down each type of contact, covering:

Who are they?

Why do they matter.

• When to reach out to them

The Bull’s-Eye: Supporters

The bull’s-eye is your sweet spot and where you should aim. The companies within the bull’s-eye are existing supporters of your organization. These companies already give you money. The CEO may be a major donor, or the company might be a sponsor or underwriter of a program or event. This company is a friend, supporter, and an ally with whom you can kick off a partnership.

Companies that are supporters are already on your side and open to experimenting and taking risks because they know and trust you. You’ll need this. First tries are rarely perfect, and these partners will have the patience and forgiveness you’ll need to safely try, and try again.

When should you reach out to them?

Reach out these people first! During my 20 year career working in nonprofits, I always had one goal on my first day at a new job: to find out what companies my new employer already knew. These companies were the foundation for everything that followed. Always start with the people you know and you’ll never hear “No”!

The Inner Circle: Contacts

The first circle outside the bull’s-eye is populated with what I call contacts. You know these people and they know you. But they’re different from bull’s eye supporters for one key reason: they haven’t given you any money.

These people are excellent secondary prospects. Why? They’re familiar with your organization. Examples of good contacts are your organization’s vendors. If you work at a large nonprofit you probably spend a lot of money with several vendors that can either join you in a cause-marketing program or introduce you to a company that can. Another example of contacts is your board members’ contacts.

After you’ve reached out to bull’s eye contact, turn your attention to your contacts. I once landed a meeting with a major convenience store chain because when I mentioned the owner’s name to a board member she exclaimed, “I live next door to him!” It’s best to work from the inside out. Begin with companies within the bull’s-eye, execute a program or two, and then shop your success and experience to the next circle of prospects that will need more convincing than your generous supporters did.

The Outer Circle: Suspects

The companies in the next circle aren’t even prospects. I call them suspects—that’s how weak their connection is to you. These companies have no connection with your organization. They don’t know you and you don’t know them.

Why are they important?

This is the hardest circle to work, but it also has the most potential because 95 percent of companies are neither supporters nor contacts. If selling were as easy as pitching supporters and contacts, organizations wouldn’t need you! Remember, just as the second circle is harder to work than the bull’s-eye, the outer circle is the most difficult of all.

Work the inner circles first. You’ll gain valuable experience and references. You’ll need these when you approach suspects.

You might be thinking you can just start at the outer circle and make cold calls. Not only is this not very fun, it’s not very effective either. It sometimes works—like finding a needle in a haystack. But when you’re stuck at the outer ring where it’s cold and lonely, a better option is to revisit the basics (e.g., cultivating individual major donors, adding influential members to your board, building your brand , etc.) so one day you can score a sponsorship bull’s-eye.

Sponsor Management Tools: How a CMS Makes Sponsor Management Easy

A contact management software (CMS) is a great way to keep track of all your prospective sponsors and any interactions you have with them.

If you’ve never used a CMS before, or are reluctant to use the one you have, let me be clear on the importance of having one. Your CMS can help you sell more sponsorships and raise more money for your organization. Period.

What is a CMS? A contact management software (CMS), is essentially a database for storing and finding contact information, tracking information, and linking all communication that is associated with your contacts. It’s a rolodex brought to the next level.

The sooner you view your prospect management software as the valuable, money-making sidekick it is, the sooner you’ll be embracing a valuable member of the team. Here are some tips:

• Whatever software you use, develop a system. For easy scanning and research, I used to segment prospects into two groups. I labeled current sponsors as “Prospect +” and unaffiliated companies as just “Prospects.”
• As I worked in a hospital with a lot of vendors, we segmented them differently. Vendors that were also sponsors we labeled “Vendor A.” Vendors that were good candidates for sponsorship we labeled “Vendor B.” Vendors that were not good prospects were labeled “Vendor C.”
• Having a system will allow you to identify your best prospects. If I had a new event with sponsorships, I’d start with supporters and work my way outward, as I suggested in the section above.
• Record everything. Any communication with or intelligence collected about a prospect is promptly recorded. Sent a sponsorship letter ? Left a voicemail? Log it. Saw a recent story online on a company’s new product line? Paste the link into the prospect’s note. Little bits of info may mean nothing at the time, but a string of information viewed together may reveal a good approach, or may even point you to another prospect.
• Let the software do the work. Leave reminders, calendar updates, to-dos and institutional memory to the software–backed up, of course! But the software is only as good as the person using it. Garbage in. Garbage out.

6 Common Questions About Securing a Sponsorship

I get a lot of questions about the best ways to get through to prospects. There’s email, social media, but the best and most common is to contact via phone.

Gearing up for your first call? Here are my recommendations.

• Should I leave a message? It depends on your own personal style and what works for you. One of my team members never left a message because he thought it would dissuade a prospect from picking up the next call. I’d leave a short message explaining why I was calling plus a couple benefits of what I was offering. That way, the next call wasn’t a cold call. And sometimes people even called me back!
• How should I deal with gatekeepers? Make them your friends (you might even send them some swag over the holidays). Remember, gatekeepers want something too. Sometimes a friendly voice is what’s saving them from boredom or an otherwise crappy job! Other times it’s talking to someone who has similar challenges in their life (juggling work and kids, a long commute, etc.).
• When should I stop calling? If they are a bonafide prospect, persistence is key! Of course: never be so persistent that they tell you to get lost. But if you think you’re a good match, call them occasionally to pitch them on new programs, invite them to events, etc. It can take years to convert a prospect into a sponsor. But it will pay off!
• Keep it short. There’s nothing worse than a long email. Keep it to 150 words or less. Put yourself in their shoes. How do you feel when someone sends you an email that you have to keep scrolling through to finish. Did you want to get another email from that person?
• Bullet everything. Attach nothing. To make it easier to scan your email for key info, bullet, bold, underline the things you want your prospect to read and remember. Also, everything you want your prospect to see should be in the email itself. Avoid attachments.
• Use email to accelerate and entrap. Like you, I use email to get information to prospects quickly. Email can also entrap a prospect. When I call a prospect about sponsorship, they’ll say “I never got the info.” “Really?” I’ll say. “I’m resending the info right now. Do you have it open so I can walk you through the sponsorship?” Yep, I love email. It’s like an electronic speed trap for prospects.

Presenting the Perfect Sponsorship Pitch 

Being asked to present your sponsorship proposal in person or virtually is a good sign that your prospect is interested in partnering with you. If your presentation is good, you’ll have a new sponsor.

This is an opportunity not to be squandered! Not only does it give you an opportunity to engage with your prospect in real time, it’s the perfect opportunity to answer their questions and dissuade any doubts. There’s also a good chance other key decision makers will be on hand for your talk.

If you find yourself in this situation, here are some things to keep in mind when speaking to potential corporate partners:

• Create your sponsorship package. Build all your sponsorship packages from the ground-up. Swap things in and out based on the prospect’s needs, interests and budget. You want to make sure there isn’t just one option for them to approve or deny.
• Dress the part. A professional appearance sets the right tone for business presentations—plus you’ll have a better chance of earning their trust and business!
• Make your potential sponsor the focus. Start by talking about your prospect, the proposal, their competitors, and how you plan to help them accomplish their goals. By the time you get around to talking about yourself, you’ll have their attention and interest.
• Keep your PowerPoint clean and concise. My simple rule: only use a slide when you can’t say it with words. This will limit your slides to pictures, video and the occasional graph. That’s it. Remember, YOU are your best visual aid.
• Build your presentation around your strengths. Not all of us are marked to be great speakers, but as communicators we all do something well. Maybe you’re concise, inspiring, or a great storyteller. Make that your focus.
• Tap into the power of team speaking. You might be the right person to kick-off the presentation, but maybe a fellow team member is better suited to explain the specifics of your organization. A mix of speakers shares the chore of speaking and adds variety.
• Follow the 50/50 rule. Your speech should be balanced between new material and a (pre)review of what you’ve already said. A (pre)review can take many forms. “This point is important…”, “The three areas we’ll cover…”, etc.
• Channel your inner Jimmy Fallon. Be engaging, funny, conversational, empathetic and clever. In short, think of your presentation as a sort of a mini-talk show. You’re the host and you have an audience to woo, move, impress and, yes, entertain.
• Prepare in advance. Good public speaking isn’t about reading your notes. That doesn’t mean you can’t have them — they show that you’ve prepared. But listeners’ expectations are focused more on eye contact, improvisation, and, if possible, conversation.
• Put a sock in it. Mark Twain said “Few sinners are saved after the first twenty-minutes of a sermon.” Respect your prospect’s time and deliver a compressed, relevant, powerful pitch. Then shut up and sit down.

How to Get Sponsored: Closing the Sponsorship Deal

Closing a sponsorship deal isn’t easy, especially these days when companies are scrutinizing everything and watching every penny.

Here are some tips on how to close the deal.

• Be helpful. Companies are busier than ever. And while a sponsorship with you is a great opportunity, their success doesn’t depend on it. Offer to lend a hand whenever possible. For example, if filling a gala dinner table seems daunting, offer to call key members of their senior team on their behalf.
• The best things in life are free. Find alternatives to financial sponsorships through options like cause marketing or probono sponsors (e.g. media sponsors). When it comes to cause marketing, the company can share the opportunity to support your nonprofit with its employees and customers. This then becomes your source of sponsorship dollars.
• Increase the touchpoints. Whenever you’re working with a business on a sponsorship, look for ways to make it less transactional and more meaningful. For example, invite the business owner to visit your nonprofit or to attend a special event as your guest.

Finally, don’t forget the mission of your organization. I say this because I used to get so caught up in the marketing I would forget to stress the amazing work my organization was doing!

Maybe this sounds like you. We’ve trained ourselves to sell the benefits of sponsorship so much we sometimes forget our mission! In the world of corporate sponsorship , that’s one benefit we can’t forget to feature.

Your organization is doing great work, so make sure your prospect knows this. Because after all, the entire reason for getting a sponsorship is to create a greater, more meaningful impact together.

The reason you’re targeting this prospect is because you have shared interests and values in mind. Keep this in mind with everything you do. That way when you secure the right sponsorship, you’ll be sure that that partner is a good (no, perfect ) match.

This article was written by Joe Waters ( Selfish Giving ), Cause Marketing expert and speaker, writer, consultant and online trainer. Joe has raised millions of dollars from local, regional and national corporate partners. He’s also the author of three books: Fundraising with Businesses, Cause Marketing for Dummies and QR Codes for Dummies .

Image sources: Sponsors Welcome and Crowdsourcing and Funding – courtesy of BigStockPhoto.com

Related Fundraising Articles

Donor Engagement Strategies to Level Up Your Nonprofit + Donor Engagement Plan Checklist!

How to Get Funding for a Nonprofit: Tips on Tapping into 12 Top Funding Sources

How to Step Up Your Donor Cultivation Strategy: 14 Useful Ideas

The Membership Growth Report:

Benchmarks & insights for growing revenue and constituents.

• Virtual Classroom

Boost your reach, engagement, qualified leads, and pipeline with the help of AI, to create webinars that attract, engage, educate, and resonate

Make your VOD content accessible anytime, anywhere, with secure, flexible, vastly scalable video hubs

Create, manage, monitor, measure and repurpose with AI all your events in one place, and make each one an affair to remember

Keep employees upskilled, uplifted, and up to date with tools that help improve focus, engagement, and outcomes

Education suite

Media & telecom suite, developer suite.

Propel your marketing programs forward with Kaltura’s AI-infused webinars, events and community hubs

Elevate your corporate narrative with impactful events, interactive workshops, and dedicated video portals, easily managed with the help of AI

Keep customers & partners informed and upskilled with webinars, virtual & hybrid events, and knowledge hubs

Open up a world of content for your employees with always-on training sessions, events and company video portals

Keep students switched on and educators tuned in with LMS video, virtual classrooms and campus events

Wow viewers with top video quality, multi-device support, and endlessly scalable streaming platforms

The results are in! The top 8 internal events and communications trends of 2024

Learn how to implement our proven strategies for engaging digital experiences that shine.

Need help? Have questions? Want to know more? It’s all in here

We partner with the best to give you even more!

Turn your webinars into lead-generating machines!

Check out our on-demand ‘deminar’ and learn how to reimagine your webinar program by turning your content into evergreen, attention-holding demand generators.

W ho we are, what drives us, and our vision for the future of digital engagement

Who took home the gold in Kaltura’s 2024 Digital Engagement Awards?

Get a glimpse inside our Kaltura Connect roadshow event where we presented awards to our forward-thinking customers for their outstanding accomplishments in pushing the boundaries of digital engagement.

• Get free trial

How to Get Sponsors For An Event Successfully in 2024

Looking for a sponsor for your event our guide will help you secure the right partners, covering everything from identifying prospects to closing the deal..

When planning an event, the sky is the limit until the budget comes up. While a fully immersive, hybrid event with major speakers, break-out sessions, and fun giveaways would be effective, it’s outside the realm of possibility for many companies to pull off on their own. Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone.

If the scope of your event has grown past what you can support, sponsorships are the perfect solution. This year alone, brands invested over $60 Billion in event sponsorships. By offering a tailor-made marketing opportunity to influential companies in your area or niche, you can bring in the funds you need to create the event of your dreams.

However, approaching potential sponsors is a delicate art. If you’ve never secured a sponsorship before, it’s difficult to know where to start. That’s why we’ve compiled this step-by-step guide, complete with tips and tricks to find the perfect partner for your next event.

How event sponsorship works

A surefire way to raise capital and add to the prestige of your event is by bringing on sponsors . An event sponsorship is a symbiotic relationship between companies and an event. Ideally, they are mutually beneficial and can lead to long-standing partnerships.

The idea behind a sponsorship is simple. A company will give you money to put on your event, and in return, they will receive branding opportunities within the event and reach your audience. You can bring on multiple sponsors to gain more funding, and sponsors can receive anything from a place at your event to a shout-out on social media.

Why do companies sponsor events?

Modern sponsors are not interested in simply writing a check and having their logo displayed at the event. They want to see a tangible return on their investment. There are a variety of reasons why a company might sponsor your event, including:

• Brand visibility – Your event will bring in a targeted, engaged audience that otherwise might not engage with a sponsor company
• Audience engagement – Events provide a unique opportunity for direct interaction with potential customers. Sponsors can engage with attendees in a more personal and memorable way, fostering stronger connections and relationships
• Lead generation – Every attendee at your event is invested enough in your niche to dedicate their time and energy to it. This means that leads garnered through event sponsorship are far more likely to convert
• Content creation – Any footage from your event can be repurposed into content for your sponsors. This could take the form of speaking engagements, product demonstrations, vlogs, and social media mentions
• Networking – Sponsors can use events as a way to connect with other businesses and influencers in their industry (such as your own company)
• CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) – Sponsoring an event shows a company’s commitment to social responsibility and community involvement, improving its public image and reputation

You must understand these motivations, as meeting your sponsors’ expectations is key to maintaining relationships.

How to successfully get sponsors for an event

By following these steps, you can take your sponsorship proposal from conception to completion.

Step one: define your event’s value proposition

You already know what your event has to offer for you and your attendees, but to attract the perfect sponsors you need a unique value proposition just for them. Before you approach anyone, make sure you:

• Identify your audience – Know your demographic and have a psychographic profile for your expected attendees, so sponsors can see how you overlap with their target audience
• Outline your event goals – Every company you reach out to has its own unique brand image to uphold. By explaining the goals of your event you can highlight how you’ll bolster that image
• Highlight benefits – Figure out how your event can cultivate brand exposure, lead generation, and social media visibility

Once you’ve defined these points, you will be prepared to answer any questions a potential sponsor might throw at you.

Step two: create a sponsorship package

Come up with clear deliverables and offerings, such as logo placement, speaking opportunities, and social media shoutouts. Organizations want to know exactly what they’re getting in return for their investment. Decide with your team what each of these tangible offerings should be worth.

By breaking down your offerings into tiered sponsorship packages, you can attract a wide range of sponsors. Small businesses might be interested in a smaller dollar amount for fewer perks, while major corporations will require more benefits for their time.

Even with these packages in place, it’s important to allow for some flexibility and customization. The goal is to fit your event into any sponsorship and content strategy , making it as simple as possible for companies to get on board.

Step three: Find potential sponsors

Based on the offerings you’ve devised, find potential sponsors who have the most to gain by supporting you. Maybe you have an existing relationship with a company and can connect with them on a personal level.

Alternatively, several online hubs are designed to connect companies with events, including:

• SponsorMyEvent
• SponsorPark
• OpenSponsorship
• SponsorPitch

However you find potential sponsors, they should:

• Align with the event’s theme
• Share a core demographic
• Have a brand identity that can be supported by your event
• Have a track record of sponsoring similar events

You should target several companies of all different sizes to fill out each of your sponsorship tiers. Sometimes the company that is most excited about the opportunity will surprise you, so be willing to think outside the box.

Step four: reaching out

Draft a compelling sponsorship proposal highlighting your value proposition and the benefits of sponsoring your event. Personalize each proposal to the specific sponsor, addressing their goals, audience, and brand image. Be sure to include details on the sponsorship packages you have created, as well as any other unique opportunities you can offer.

To stand out, consider including some video content from previous events, or testimonials from happy attendees and previous partners and sponsors.

Follow up with a phone call or email to gauge their interest and answer any questions they may have. The key is finding a balance. Keep them engaged without becoming overbearing or pushy.

Step five: negotiate and finalize the agreement

Once a sponsor has shown interest, it’s important to negotiate the terms of the sponsorship agreement to ensure that both parties are satisfied. Be prepared to provide data and statistics on the expected attendance, demographics, and social media reach of your event to demonstrate its potential value as a marketing opportunity.

Be open to different sponsorship options and try to find a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties. Once an agreement is reached, make sure to have a signed contract outlining all of the details to ensure a successful partnership.

5 helpful tips for approaching a potential event sponsor

Ultimately, your pitch could mean the difference between a lasting sponsorship and a burned bridge. Let’s zero in on some of the most effective tips and best practices for turning potential sponsors into trusted partners.

Tip one: do your research

Large companies receive countless proposals for event sponsorships. To stand out and secure funding, you need to understand the companies you’re contacting.

For example, one company might spend most of its sponsorships on sporting events or charitable causes. If you reach out to them about a tech-focused event, you’re likely to get a no. Find out which organizations could benefit from supporting your event and personalize your pitch to each of them.

Tip two: craft a compelling proposal

Never approach a potential sponsor empty-handed. Prepare a detailed sponsorship proposal that includes:

• Event objectives
• Audience demographics
• Clearly defined benefits for the sponsor
• Different sponsorship levels and packages

You can spice up your pitch with video testimonials, case studies, and statistics from previous events. These will showcase a proven ROI and show off the potential impact of their sponsorship. Even if you don’t have previous success to work with by highlighting the unique audience or theme of your event.

Tip three: focus on the benefits

Show off your professionalism and skill by presenting the benefits to sponsors in an engaging way. Consider creating a short, polished video with eye-catching visuals and success stories from previous sponsors.

This strategy doesn’t only communicate the plethora of benefits to working with you, but it also presents you as a reliable partner. You can show that you care about their success as much as your own and have the resources to pull off an impactful event.

Tip four: offer unique opportunities

Many companies receive sponsorship requests for the same types of events. To stand out from the competition, offer unique opportunities for sponsors to get involved. This could include exclusive branding opportunities, networking events with other sponsors, or VIP experiences.

Additionally, consider offering customized sponsorship packages tailored to the specific needs and goals of individual companies. This not only shows that you’ve done your research, but it also allows sponsors to feel like they’re getting a personalized and valuable experience.

Tip five: follow up

If you don’t hear back from a potential sponsor, don’t assume they’re uninterested. Remember, even with the potential benefits, they don’t need to sponsor an event as much as you need a sponsor.

Follow up with them after a few days to remind them of your proposal and to see if they have any questions or concerns. This shows that you are serious and committed to securing their sponsorship. It also gives them a chance to look over your proposal without it getting lost in the shuffle.

Meet Kaltura Events – the #1 virtual events platform

No virtual event is complete without the perfect event platform. Find out why companies all around the globe trust Kaltura to host their video content and events.

Kaltura Events boasts several features that will be invaluable to both you and your event sponsors. Drive real value for your sponsors with dedicated virtual sponsor booths with 101 chat functionality, video content for repurposing on social media and in future pitches, easily add sponsors’ logos to the streaming portal, and track audience engagement and other valuable statistics on the go.

While looking for event partnerships, don’t neglect the most important one, your event platform. To create impactful virtual events that help both you and your sponsors reach their goals, check out Kaltura today.

• Content Marketing
• virtual events
• corporate events

Was this post useful?

• Yes, thank you!
• Not so much

Thank you for your feedback!

Bianca Belman-Adams

Event Management

Building effective relationships with your event sponsors and exhibitors.

26 Jun 2024 | Heather Pryor | 3 minutes

Sponsors and exhibitors are a critical part of an event’s financial success equation. Securing more sponsors and increasing the revenue generated requires teams to work more efficiently and incorporate smart strategies. 

Event sponsors’ own shifting budget limitations and priorities can make the process more difficult. According to a Boldpush State of the Event Industry report, nearly a quarter of sponsors are looking to spend less on events this year, and a third have delayed signing up as sponsors for financial reasons.

To retain and gain sponsors this year and beyond, organizations must create compelling packages and establish powerful relationships. Read on to discover best practices for securing sponsors — even reluctant ones. 

Creating Compelling Sponsorship Packages

The ultimate goal of every event sponsor is to generate leads, but each organization’s preferred method for doing so differs. Develop a range of sponsorship packages that accommodate the ways your sponsors may want to present their products and services:

1. Offer New, Unique Ways to Help High-Paying Sponsors Stand Out

Sponsors don’t want to feel like they’re in a losing battle of capturing attendees’ attention. Consider creative new ways for your top-tier exhibitors to get visibility. Are there certain activities they could sponsor outside of sessions? How about unique spaces outside of the exhibit hall where they can present their offerings? 

2. Create Networking Spaces

Dedicate time and space for your sponsors to meet with attendees. For example, allocate a few rooms for sponsor meetings. Doing so helps sponsors feel more confident they will be able to hold conversations and advance their business away from the exhibit hall hustle. 

3. Give Sponsors a Sample of Potential Data

Be sure to illustrate what past sponsors have gained from your events, and consider presenting customized material that speaks to their goals. Highlight exactly what lead capture technologies you’ll be using and their benefits. Share how and when you will make that data accessible to sponsors.

4. Adjust Your Pricing Strategy

Instead of just a flat rate, consider offering pay-per-impression, pay-per-lead, or bundle pricing. Discounts and greater perceived value can convince budget-minded sponsors to sign. 

5. Optimize Your Package Tiers

Clearly communicate what sponsors can expect from each sponsorship tier, including the benefits and costs associated with each tier. Consider discontinuing and adjusting past unpopular tiers. Outline how each tier will meet your sponsors’ specific needs.

6. Sell Sponsors on Advertising

Create an advertising plan to present to potential exhibitors early on. Include an outlined audience for emails, social, and website visibility (e.g. full virtual booth, logo inclusion) available before, during, and after your event.

Building Strong Relationships With Event Sponsors

Crafting an enticing product offering is just the beginning of creating a mutually beneficial relationship. Building rapport and trust is crucial for sustainable sponsorship success. Event teams should keep the following principles in mind throughout the process:

• Communicate often
• Follow up promptly
• Host dedicated activities or events for sponsors and exhibitors 
• Be flexible
• Show appreciation
• Award innovative booths, presentations, or partnerships
• Ask for and apply feedback
• Engage with sponsors on social media
• Involve sponsors in your event planning process 

Finally, make the contracting process simple for your sponsors. The more difficult it is for them to get involved, the less likely they are to sign on. Scalable, easy-to-use platforms like RainFocus can help you manage contracts, track sponsor tasks, and ultimately make sure your sponsors get the quality leads they want at your event.  Learn about RainFocus exhibitor activation here .

HealthWell Foundation headquarters and hotline will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2024, in observance of the holiday and will re-open on Friday, July 5, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. We encourage you to continue to use our Patient , Pharmacy and Provider Portals during this time. If you have a question that cannot be answered by visiting the portal, please send an email to [email protected] . We appreciate your patience and look forward to serving you. The HealthWell Team

HealthWell Foundation Announces Presenting Sponsorship for the 2024 Healthcare Advocate Summit

GERMANTOWN, Md. — July 2, 2024 — The HealthWell Foundation ® , an independent non-profit charitable organization that provides financial assistance for underinsured Americans, is honored to announce that it has partnered with the Healthcare Advocate Summit team as a presenting sponsor of the fourth annual Summit to be held in Las Vegas, NV, September 3-6, 2024.

This three-day event includes HealthWell-moderated panel sessions, as part of a comprehensive agenda featuring advocates and community professionals whose goals are to put patient needs above all else. The Summit brings together stakeholders within the medication access, physician, pharmacy, navigation, foundation, and reimbursement space committed to mitigating the challenges patients face in accessing proper medical care. This is a must attend event for anyone involved in the patient health care journey.

HealthWell is also proud to sponsor the two-day networking lounge and to exhibit during the Summit. To view the preliminary agenda and learn more about the 2024 Healthcare Advocate Summit and why you should join the over 1,000 expected registered attendees, visit:  https://www.healthcareadvocatesummit.com/ .

“As we prepare for our fourth annual Summit, we are honored to once again have the support and partnership of the HealthWell Foundation,” said Elizabeth Johnson and Melissa Paige, Co-CEO’s, Healthcare Advocate Summit. “HealthWell’s vision to ensure that no patient goes without critical medical care simply because they can’t afford it is an inspiration to the advocacy community. By strengthening our collective resources, we will be able to identify deficiencies in accessing proper medical treatments and implement strategies to improve access across the patient continuum of care.”

“We are proud and honored to demonstrate our support for the Healthcare Advocate Summit for the fourth consecutive year,” said Alan Klein, Chief Development Officer, HealthWell Foundation. “With its comprehensive agenda and networking opportunities, the Healthcare Advocate Summit provides a fabulous platform for best practice sharing, brainstorming, and continuing education for patient advocates across the health care spectrum.”

To learn more about HealthWell programs and our robust disease fund portfolio, visit our website at  HealthWellFoundation.org . Visit the Conference  section of our website to learn about future industry and disease-specific venues where you can connect with the HealthWell team.

About the HealthWell Foundation A nationally recognized, independent non-profit organization founded in 2003 and a resource to the White House Cancer Moonshot, the HealthWell Foundation has served as a safety net across over 90 disease areas for more than 930,000 underinsured patients. Since its inception, HealthWell has provided over $4 billion in financial support through more than 1.5 million grants to access life-changing medical treatments patients otherwise would not be able to afford. HealthWell provides financial assistance to adults and children facing medical hardship resulting from gaps in their insurance that cause out-of-pocket medical expenses to escalate rapidly; HealthWell assists with the treatment-related cost-sharing obligations of these patients. HealthWell ranked 23rd on the 2023  Forbes  list of America’s Top 100 Charities and was recognized for its 100 percent fundraising efficiency. For more information, visit HealthWellFoundation.org .

Federal Poverty Level Calculator

• Continential U.S.

Your yearly income is % of the Federal Poverty Level.

There was an error calculating your Federal Poverty Level. Please check that your inputs are valid and try again.

Our Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Calculator is for determining your eligibility for financial assistance programs offered by The HealthWell Foundation.

Herb Chambers set to sponsor Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular 

BOSTON (WHDH) - There is a new sponsor for the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular in 2024 as the Herb Chambers Companies gets set to present this year’s celebration. 

Speaking with 7NEWS, Herb Chambers himself said the experience will feel like home. 

“Across the country, everybody is celebrating the Fourth of July,” Chambers said. “But I don’t think anybody does it like Boston.”

“I grew up in Dorchester and, if you grow up in Boston, the Pops and the holiday celebration on the Fourth of July is the epitome of anything that happens, to me, in the city,” he said. 

Chambers said his company has been involved with the Pops for over 30 years. Being a US Veteran makes the Fourth of July celebration more special for him. 

“I also spent four years in the Navy as an enlisted man,” he said. “It’s a very emotional thing and I’m one of these people that, when I go and a parade and I see them carrying the American flag at a parade, I start to cry.”

With just days left until this week’s celebration, Chambers said he is excited to be a part of the big show. 

“I’m very, very excited about the cannons, the music, the fireworks and the salute to America,” he said.

Chambers also expressed his gratitude to the late businessman and philanthropist David Mugar who, 50 years ago, restructured the fireworks spectacular into the event that it is today. 

The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will be broadcast on 7NEWS. The show is produced by and also airing on Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg Radio. 

Musical performances begin at 8 p.m. Fireworks will begin over the Charles River at 10:30 p.m.

(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

• 7WEATHER: Terrific Tuesday
• Judge delays Trump’s hush money sentencing until at least September after high court immunity ruling
• Police investigating stabbing in Taunton
• Boston police searching for woman in baseball bat assault in Roxbury
• Many Massachusetts beaches closed ahead of July 4 celebrations
• 51 sugar gliders headed to Massachusetts after rescue in Puerto Rico

Indian Sci-Fi Epic ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ Bows in Third Place Worldwide as ‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ Lead International Box Office

By Naman Ramachandran

Naman Ramachandran

• ‘Heartstopper’ Breakout Rhea Norwood Talks Season 3’s ‘More Mature Themes’ and West End Debut as Sally in ‘Cabaret’: ‘I Got Very Nerdy About It’ 16 hours ago
• Steve McQueen’s World War II Drama ‘Blitz’ to Open 68th BFI London Film Festival 2 days ago
• Facebook and Instagram’s ‘Pay or Consent’ Advertising Model Under EU Scrutiny 2 days ago

Indian sci-fi epic “ Kalki 2898 AD ” made a third place debut at the worldwide box office in a weekend led by “ Inside Out 2 ” and “A Quiet Place: Day One.”

Disney’s “Inside Out 2” collected $165 million worldwide, including $57.4 million in North America, in its third weekend of release and now has crossed a $1 billion gross, according to numbers from Comscore. Paramount’s “A Quiet Place: Day One” debuted with $98.5 million, including $53 million in North America, releasing across 60 territories.

Related Stories

Why the academy museum’s antisemitism criticism is overblown, 'the acolyte' costume designer on that new sith master mask, the witches' coven robes and more, popular on variety.

While the stars are A-listers immensely popular with Indian audiences, “Kalki 2898 AD” had to contend with another opiate of the masses – cricket. June 27 was the semi-final of the Men’s T20 World Cup, where India defeated England, and Saturday, June 29 was the final, where India beat South Africa. “Kalki 2898 AD” managed to overcome these challenges and was the highest grossing film in India.

In the U.K., the four-day total for “Kalki 2898 AD” was £888,603 ($1.1 million).

Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” enjoyed a worldwide weekend of $23.4 million in fourth position internationally, and now has a total of $332 million after four weekends on release, according to the Comscore data. Rounding off the worldwide top five was “Despicable Me 4” with $13.8 million internationally for a total of $25.3 million.

More from Variety

Paul mescal’s ‘gladiator 2’ rocks cineeurope with epic new footage as paramount execs tease the ‘biggest action sequences ever put on film’, summer movie season testing 3d cinema’s recoverability, ‘seal team’ star david boreanaz teases next project: ‘i am watching a lot of ‘the sopranos’ right now’, sony pictures classics, filmnation execs among dozens of industry figures who showed off soccer skills at tribeca festival’s charity tournament, youtube tv needs more than the nfl to combat cord-cutting blitz, ‘smile 2’ trailer: an evil curse haunts a pop star in paramount’s horror sequel, more from our brands, rfk jr. doesn’t deny alleged sexual assault of babysitter: ‘i am not a church boy’, ‘spy kids’ filmmaker asks $8.9 million for a snazzy waterfront home in texas, new york mets introduce $5 food and beverage promotion, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, beverly hills cop: axel f review: the heat is lukewarm in netflix’s 30-years-later sequel, verify it's you, please log in.

Big Twelve Conference

Football 7/1/2024 12:00:00 PM

Totino's joins 2024 Big 12 Football Media Day as Presenting Sponsor, Participating Big 12 Student-Athletes Announced

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Wild Card with Rachel Martin

• LISTEN & FOLLOW
• Apple Podcasts
• Amazon Music

Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.

Lena Waithe's religion is 'The Wizard of Oz.' Here's what she learned from it.

Rachel Martin

Lena Waithe shares why her least favorite thing is being wrong. Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Palm Springs In hide caption

Lena Waithe shares why her least favorite thing is being wrong.

A note from Wild Card host Rachel Martin:

Lena Waithe knows what she wants. She wants people to look outside of their own lives to try to understand other people and the choices they make. Her TV shows and films are these powerful little empathy engines.

Waithe became the first Black woman ever to win an Emmy for comedy writing on the show Master of None . She's also the creator of the comedy series Boomerang and Twenties . She wrote the film Queen & Slim and was a producer on the movie Dear White People .

But for me, Waithe's real triumph is The Chi . The show takes place where she grew up on the south side of Chicago. It's about Black people living at the margins of society with little to no room for error. It is also about family and loyalty and joy. I love this show because every character is given their full humanity. You cannot put anyone in a tidy column of good or bad or say, "This person is worthy of respect and this person's not." People are complicated, beautiful and broken, and Waithe doesn't want you to look away because if you do, you're going to miss the truth that she's putting out into the world – which is that judging people is harder when you start to understand them.

The trailer for season 6 of The Chi .

This Wild Card interview has been edited for length and clarity. Host Rachel Martin asks guests randomly-selected questions from a deck of cards. Tap play above to listen to the full podcast, or read an excerpt below.

Question 1: When did you feel like you found your people?

Lena Waithe: Michael Svoboda – who was a writer's PA on The Game when I was an assistant at Girlfriends – he and I just really vibed. And he was just like, "Yo, I got a writer's group that I do where we sit and write original pilots that we're working on to kind of help us get some stuff done." And I walked into that writer's group and I just like found all these amazing people that I'm still tight with today.

Rachel Martin: Tell me how that jibes with your hometown Chicago and your experience there, because it sounds like your people were writers. Did you not have that in some way in Chicago?

Waithe: I was a bit of an oddball in Chicago because I was obsessed with TV, obsessed with movies. Like, people go to the movies and watch TV shows – it's a pastime. And I think my family could tell it was more than that for me – I would be just enthralled by it and be thinking about it.

Bowen Yang thinks being present is overrated

Like, I have like a Wizard of Oz tattoo. I have Judy Garland. I have the lion. I have the scarecrow. I have all of it, because that movie was more than a movie for me. It was almost like a Bible to life.

It's like – you always think there's something out there that's better than where you're at right now. But the truth is, when you go out there and get to the Emerald City and meet the wizard, you realize it's not really what you thought it was. And then all you long for when you're in the Emerald City is to go where?

Martin: Home.

Waithe: Exactly. And it's a lesson none of us really learn, still. You know, we still are trying to go, like, "I gotta get to the Wizard – if I could just get to the Emerald City, everything will be fine."

And then you get there, you're just like, "I'm still not fine." And so I think the big reason why Wizard of Oz is such a religion and a reminder for me is that there is no Emerald City that will feel like home.

Martin: Was that sad for you? Was there a grief attached to that?

Waithe: No, it helped me to slow down. Because the truth is, there's always something you want. And that's fine, you know, you need that thing to make you want to go. But you got to remember that it'll be nice if it happens. It'll be cool. But you don't want it to be a thing that, if you don't get it, you can't find happiness.

Question 2: What makes you irrationally defensive?

Waithe: Irrationally defensive? (laughs) Oh my gosh.

I don't like to be wrong. My least favorite thing is getting something wrong. And that can be in many ways, you know, it'd be a relationship, you know, some trivia, you know what I mean?

Martin: I love that those were in the same breath..

Waithe: I know it's like relationship, like Taboo, you know what I mean? I'm not good at not being good at things. So I can get defensive when I'm not like succeeding at something.

Martin: When's the last time you were wrong about something?

Waithe: Oh, recently. I thought a particular actress was in Game of Thrones . And she wasn't, and I was so ticked because I was like, "Are you sure that's not her?" And I looked it up too. I was like, "Let me see, let me see!"

Why Jenny Slate sometimes feels like a 'terminal optimist'

Martin: Right, of course! Because you believed with every fiber of your being that she was in Game of Thrones .

Waithe: I really did. That's what I'm saying. Like, I was so not happy about that in that moment because I never get that stuff wrong, but it's okay.

Martin: We're going to forget you were wrong about that one. No one has to know.

Waithe: Now everybody knows.

Question 3: What's your best defense against despair?

Waithe: Ooooooh. I love this Baldwin quote. He says to Nikki Giovanni in a beautiful conversation that they're having where she thinks she's a pessimist. And he says, "No, you're a realist. You're cool, but you're not a pessimist." He's like, "Because you're alive." And I think my biggest defense against despair is the fact that I'm alive. Is that I'm here. And even though it can feel like a curse, it is the greatest gift to be Earthside at this time.

And you can't run away from despair. You can try. I love that Solange song, "Cranes in the Sky," because it's all about ways in which we try to run away. So you can try to shop it away, smoke it away, you know, like sex away. You can't.

The music video for Solange Knowles' song "Cranes in the Sky."

Martin: So in the particular, when it has come for you, do you just sit there and like say an affirmation? Like, "I'm alive?" You look in the mirror, you pinch yourself like...

Waithe: No, I'm a sleeper. I'll try to sleep it away. I try to watch The Comeback , you know, which is my favorite go-to.

Martin: Really? That brings you back from the brinks of despair?

Waithe: No, it just reminds me of a character that is so flawed. But yet, I love and root for so much. Like, Valerie Cherish is a game changing character for me. When I watch that show, I can't help but look at Valerie Cherish and go, "Alright. I'm alright, I'm okay, I'll be alright," You know – that character and that show, The Comeback , ladies and gentlemen, go find it.

Martin: Despair beware!

Waithe: When you are in despair, go watch the first season of The Comeback , okay? And you will be like, "What am I experiencing? And I feel better now cause I'm laughing and also like completely have secondhand embarrassment."

• lena waithe