Sponsor Challenges: Here’s What They Want and Need

In what sense do sponsors want to be involved?

Throughout the world, we see logos of sponsors everywhere. From the red carpet to the baseball field. There is a lot of value in sponsorships. However, nothing is easy, and sponsorships are no exception.

Sponsors Want to Be Back at In-Person Events

Nondues revenue, generated primarily by association events and sponsors, was a mainstay before the pandemic. Virtual offers were tried by many sponsors, but their results were lacking-causing them to be wary of them.

81 percent of survey respondents said they would like to sponsor in-person meetings, according to a new survey by Partnership Professionals Network and Dynamic Benchmarking.

We have nostalgic memories of past conferences, as well as the realities of what virtual conferences were like. Perhaps that is part of the reason for our desire for face-to-face meetings.

What They Want With Decreased In-Person Attendees

The sponsors of your event want to make connections with the attendees. As a result, they can generate leads and build brand awareness higher up in the acquisition funnel. Sponsors are looking for a more targeted audience since in-person attendance is down compared to pre-pandemic. Sponsorships may not be noticed by every attendee, unlike big events with thousands of attendees. Sponsors may have the opportunity to connect with fewer attendees, providing them with the opportunity to gain new leads and raise brand awareness.

How To Communicate With Sponsors About Their Goals

In today’s market, sending a proposal blindly to someone’s email, hoping they open and read it, then requesting a check, is no longer enough. The only way nonprofits can raise serious money from sponsorships is by being much more strategic than when it happens by accident. Where do you start?

• Get in touch before you send your proposal. You should disclose to them that you’re putting together an upcoming event and would like to speak with them about partnering. This can be done over the phone or in person. It is more likely that they will accept the proposal once you have permission to submit it. Put in the work. Learn what matters to the company, how long they have been in business, and what kind of sponsorships they’ve done before.
• Briefly describe the proposal in your email. Using “maybe” and “if you can” isn’t the time to use these words. Be clear about what you want, and be sure to attach the proposal as a PDF to make it easy to view. If you have responded to your questions in step one and provided a valuable recognition opportunity centered around the company in step two, your chances of being accepted are significantly greater!
• Don’t stop communicating after you get the yes. Send them a list of the next items you need, how soon you need them, etc. Ensure that they have a wonderful experience by making it as easy as possible for them. Make it easy for the company to upload their logo, pay online, etc., by offering an online commitment form. Use only paper commitment forms if you must, and ensure the sponsor has provided all the details.
• Following up after an event is important. You can send them a photo, statistics about the event, etc. If they couldn’t attend, let them know how it went. Make sure that they understand how valuable their investment was to you and them. Do not disappear and forget about them! Make sure you keep the company contact in the loop and send quarterly updates about your work – you will be 10x more likely to land the next sponsorship.

Year-Round Content Options to Target Their Audience

Creating brand awareness and generating leads does not end when the event ends. Sponsors are looking for ways to provide value to their target audiences through content sharing.

Standards for content should be established by associations to ensure the content is valuable to members, not just a sales pitch. It is becoming increasingly common for sponsors to create content themselves and find ways to share it outside of trade associations. When they discover other avenues to share content, they may not return to associations.

Regardless of whether there is an event or not, partnering with sponsors is beneficial for them. Those companies make it a point to make their content available for their audience to view. In this way, they gain brand awareness and can gain quite a bit of business as well.

Great Sponsor Ideas for Year-Round Exposure

If you are wondering how event sponsors can provide unique experiences for your attendees, reduce event expenses, and broaden the reach of your event, let me help.

1. Sponsored Merchandise

Sponsorships of branded merchandise such as lanyards, pens, and water bottles, which attendees might need during the event, are classic sponsorship opportunities. Sponsors can connect with attendees through virtual events by delivering merchandise directly to their doors, which delights attendees with merch.

2. Sponsored Livestreams

It’s possible to extend your reach and impact your bottom line by using live video. Livestreaming video increases a person’s likelihood of attending that same event the following year by 30%. As part of a sponsorship package, brands can offer live streams as an opportunity to engage with niche audiences. As part of a sponsorship package, brands can offer live streams as an opportunity to engage with niche audiences.

3. Sponsored Entertainment

Bringing big-name talent to your event is great for attracting brands on your wishlist, and attendees love special guests like musicians and comedians. Ensure that you include details about the talent and entertainment along with the key benefits and opportunities for sponsors in your sponsorship proposal.

Sources:

https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/5-reasons-to-sponsor-your-event-ds00/

https://associationsnow.com/2022/02/what-do-your-sponsors-really-want/

https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/sponsorship-packages-ds00/

https://gtrnow.com/virtual-and-in-person-event-sponsorship/

https://www.oneninedesign.net/blog/sponsorship

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