Posts in category: Blog Article

Small Event, Big Sponsorships, with a quick story about a meeting I had a few weeks ago with one of my longtime sponsorship clients who represents a very large utility company. This client and I have been working together for almost 10 years, so we have developed a really honest working relationship. He was sharing with me some of his frustrations with some events he was sponsoring, and I started to see a pattern emerge with those events. He was feeling as though these events were creating tedious and unnecessary extra work for him which was creating frustration and a sense that the sponsorships were becoming way more trouble than they were worth.

Now before I get into this I want to make clear that I strongly believe that when a brand or company decides to sponsor an event it is imperative that they actively participate in the sponsorship activation in order to protect and get the most out of their investment. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make it as easy as possible on them! Helping your sponsors get the most out of their sponsorship is one of the best ways to make sure you get them to resign next year! You want them to know that you consider them a partner and are working for their success as much as your own. Here are my top three ways that small events (and large ones) can help ensure that their sponsors renew.

1. Make sure to onboard your sponsor as soon as they sign with your event. You may of heard of “on-boarding” in regards to employees but it applies to your sponsors as well. Have a set system in place for when your sponsor signs up with your event even if you have had them before. At our agency we make sure that we e-introduce the sponsor to their contact and send them document that includes all the asset due dates, file types and sizes needed as well as any other pertinent info that they may need. You want to make sure that you give them plenty of time to collect and get you everything you may need. Nothing is more frustrating to a sponsor than getting an email a week away from a deadline that says we need your ad ASAP when they weren’t aware of a deadline. Remember the phrase “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine”. Making sure the sponsor has all the info upfront will make it easier on you AND them, it most likely will also ensure that you get all the assets you need at the appropriate deadlines.

2. Maintain Contact throughout the year. I don’t know about you but being in the world of event’s I always have those social media “friends” who only contact me when they want tickets to something. Don’t be that friend! Don’t just reach out to a sponsor when you want their money…they can see through that, I promise. Not only do you want to onboard them when they do signup but you want to maintain contact through the year and make sure to remind them of upcoming deadlines so that they don’t miss them and also check-in with them to find out if you can assist them in helping make their sponsorship more successful. This ensures that they use all of sponsorship tools at their disposal and that they know you are there to help.

3. Always do a sponsorship recap. This is something that I constantly preach to my clients. It is essential that you not only show proof of your performance but also debrief with your sponsor so that you know what did and did not work. I will tell you that the events we work with that do sponsor recaps resign at 75% higher rate then those events who do not. This is something that I have found most small events do not do and it’s a major misstep because you need to look at a company’s sponsorship of your event as an investment and it is up to you to show them that they made a good investment. Many companies have to prove to their higher ups why certain marketing initiatives worked or didn’t work and if they have nothing to show for their investments or if you leave it up to them to do the research then it’s easier for them to just say no to next year. I go back to being the “friend” who just shows up when they want something…if you don’t follow up with your sponsors after the event and find out what they think worked or did not work, then how will you know what you need to adjust for next year or if you are in a position to ask for more? You must connect BEFORE you ask for money, you can’t just disappear and resurface when it’s time for renewals because then it’s too late to fix any issues that might have arose.

Circling back to my meeting with the utility company, if these three elements were followed it would have made his job much easier and made for a much happier sponsor. Making it as easy as possible for a company to be a part of your event is a competitive edge that smaller events can capitalize on. I am very aware that it takes more time and effort but all three of these steps can be systemized and if done properly they will increase your renewal rates which in turn will cut down your overall work because you won’t have to prospect for a brand new roster of sponsors every year.

This article was written by Teresa Stas and was originally published in the International Festivals & Events Association “i.e.: the business of international events” quarterly magazine May 2019.

The premiere association supporting and enabling festivals and events worldwide. For more information on the IFEA, go to: www.ifea.com.

In this edition of Small Event, Big Sponsorships, I want to cover the three main types of sponsors that you will deal with: Super Fans, Community Contributors, and Business Decision Makers. Understanding the different sponsor types will not only allow you to adjust your prospecting approach, but also help you find your sweet spot when it comes to successfully producing your small event.

First, let’s look at these sponsor types, then I’ll explain how you can apply this understanding to successful prospecting.

1) The “Super Fan.” This is someone who has sponsorship decision-making power and loves your event or what you stand for. Here’s an example of a Super Fan. A commercial contractor sponsors a 10K race, not because it’s a good fit for his company, but because he has a passion for running and wants to be a part of the race. He isn’t making a sponsorship decision based on generating a strong return on his investment; he is basing his decision on his personal emotions about the event.

You’ll see this a lot with events that have board members or committee members whose companies help sponsor the event. These board or committee members have a personal commitment to the event and are willing to help sponsor because they want it to succeed.

2) The “Community Contributor.” This is one of the most common types of sponsors for smaller events. These are the sponsors who like to support their community and believe it’s good business to back community events through in-kind or cash sponsorships. Most Community Contributors have budgets set aside to sponsor events that they believe align with their values and the communities where they work.

Community Contributors are your local banks, real estate agents, mortgage lenders, grocery stores, or others who have a successful local business and are connected to the community. These sponsorships may not always seem like the most logical supporters for the specific type of event, but they still want to be a positive part of their community. They recognize that this supportive community image can produce a strong ROI (return on investment) over time.

3) The “Business Decision Maker.” These businesses choose to sponsor an event because they expect a measurable ROI. They look at their sponsorships as an investment. They have measurable goals that they expect the event sponsorship to help them reach. They usually have a marketing team behind them and are very clear on the target audience and patron that they want. This type of sponsorship is typically tied to bigger dollars and generally targets larger events. Examples of this sponsor type would be national brands such as credit cards, vehicle brands, and beverage companies.

Understanding the Why’s of Sponsors

Understanding your prospective sponsor is key in knowing how to approach them. You need to recognize the “why” behind their sponsorship decisions so that you can better determine where your event fits in. If you are a small event, you probably rely heavily on Super Fans and the relationships that are built with you and your team while producing the event. Community Contributors are another big supporter of small events, and if you aren’t reaching out to them, you should.

Community Contributors are great sponsors for smaller events because this is where they thrive. Find those business within your area that sponsor other community events, or those who do local radio and television advertising. When you’re watching TV, listening to the radio, or pass a billboard, write down every local advertiser you run across. Also, check out local events and see who sponsors them. This is where you will start to find those Community Contributors.

Community Case Study

Last year we worked with a first-time event — a free community block party expecting 1,000 attendees or less. This event had quite a few expenses that had to be covered, like the stage, talent, and security. Our team was tasked with producing $15,000 in sponsorships. While this wouldn’t be that much to secure for a larger event, it was a lot for a small, first-time event that had no history of success.

To effectively pull this off, we focused on the Community Contributors. We researched and approached those businesses who were serving the area where our event was going to take place. When we approached these community businesses about sponsoring, we pitched the block party as the beginning of a free community event. We also stressed that we couldn’t do it without the help of local business leaders like them, and that their sponsorship would positively resonate with all those attending.

Now I don’t want to tell you it was easy or a slam dunk, because it wasn’t. We had to do a lot of reaching out and received many referrals from our Super Fans. But it worked. Not only did we hit our goal, we actually raised closer to $35,000! It was all done with local community businesses in a town that only had a population of 8,000 people. Now, in full disclosure, we did secure $7,000 in sponsorships from two national brands tied to the beverages that were being served at the block party. (This is something I always recommend.) Still, most of the money was local.

As a small event, you may feel a bit lost when trying to figure out who to approach for sponsorship. My advice is to first understand the type of sponsor you are reaching out to and plan accordingly. You can’t approach them all in the same way, but you can most definitely approach them all!

Please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have questions or suggestions for future topics!

This article was written by Teresa Stas and was originally published in the International Festivals & Events Association “i.e.: the business of international events” quarterly magazine May 2019.

The premiere association supporting and enabling festivals and events worldwide. For more information on the IFEA, go to: www.ifea.com.

Most events need sponsorship sales in order to succeed and grow but getting sponsorships can be a little tricky when you’re dealing with smaller numbers of attendees. If done correctly, however, Small and mid-sized events can successfully find sponsors and generate a decent revenue from their support.

Guess what? These small events still make money from sponsorships.

My goal with this column is to share ideas, case studies, and tips that will help smaller events find, build, and land sponsorships that will not only help them secure revenue, but grow their event.

First though, let me share with you a story from one of our clients.

Case Study: Texas Music Takeover

Texas Music Take Over is an organization that works with Texas-based musicians to bring tours and shows to international locations such as London, Australia, and Ireland. This not only promotes the Texas music scene internationally, but it also gives musicians the opportunity to perform in areas they probably wouldn’t normally get to play.

As you can envision, building out these kind of international events costs a significant amount. Just imagine the travel budget for approximately 20 people each trip! Here’s the kicker. These events are in venues that can only host a maximum of about 500 people.

Circling back to my story, Amy – the director of Texas Music Takeover – was reminiscing about the very first event she did in London. She booked the acts, hopped the pond, and landed in a venue. As Amy sat in the green room, she found herself on the verge of a panic attack, knowing she had poured her blood, sweat, tears, and money into it, but having no idea if it was going to be a complete flop. (I’m sure everyone in the event industry has had this feeling on more than one occasion!)

Then Amy heard a knock at the door. It was one of the venue’s personnel telling her the show had just sold out! Instead of jumping up and down over the success of her slam dunk, she started crying uncontrollably, releasing all the stress, fear, and anxiety that had built up worrying that her event might fail. She even had to kick everyone out of the green room so that she could pull herself together and finish out the night!

I loved that Amy shared this story of vulnerability with me because it was one that I could relate to. In fact, it’s one that most events can relate to! Here is the kicker though. Once you have a successful event, the need for sponsorships comes right up on its heels.

In Amy’s case, that first successful trip has now evolved into four week-long trips with five shows each and is adding a U.S. tour as well! Of course, all of these elements need support from sponsorships. But these shows are not large festivals or even shows with 1,000 people. These are shows that have 100 to 500 attendees each.

Two Essentials for Successful Small Event Sponsorships

So how do you sell sponsorships for events that have attendance numbers under 5,000? I’m going to be up front with you. It’s not always easy. As I’m sure you already know, there are many elements to selling sponsorships, but two that are essential for small events are creativity and the ability to super serve your sponsor.

For Amy and Texas Music Takeover, a big part of their value for sponsors is the access that they have to artist influence. Her attendance may not be huge, but the influence that these artists can provide to sponsors is of major value.

Does your event have access to influencers? Is this influence something you can provide a sponsor, such as through a social media? To clarify, I’m not just talking about a logo post and “shout out” to your sponsor. I’m talking about exclusive and creative content.

An example of using influencers and exclusive content is a pop-up concert that Amy’s team did with DFW airport. They had a few of the artists perform at the airport for unsuspecting bystanders, then posted the videos on their social media. This content was exclusive to DFW’s socials and something that DFW could not have done without the event’s support. For a sponsor, this kind of reach has nothing to do with the amount of people in the venue, and everything to do with the influence of your event brand and the people they are targeting.

Look for opportunities that lie outside of the attendee numbers. These types of opportunities will excite sponsors and get them interested in what your event can offer. A simple example of a creative asset for a small event that we’ve used several times is a digital photo booth that uploads to social media and has brand logos and hashtags. These are always a hit and can extend your sponsors’ visibility outside of the event. Every time someone takes their photo with the digital photo booth, it will upload with a brand logo or hashtag that is visible to that attendee’s social network.

Let’s work the numbers. Say you have an event where 100 photos are shared on networks, and each of those guest’s social media network averages 350 people. Even if only 10 percent of those 350 people see the photo, you have created “endorsed visibility” to 3,500 people who probably weren’t at your event.

What do I mean by “endorsed visibility?” It’s the idea that if a friend is sharing a brand or product favorably, they are seemingly endorsing that brand. People are more likely to buy or partake in a brand that is endorsed by a friend than by an advertiser, so endorsed visibility can be more powerful than advertising!

I have lots of other suggestions on ways to generate sponsorships for your small or midsized event that I can’t wait to share with you over the next year! In my next column for IFEA we will look at some small events and how they brought in some big money.

This article was written by Teresa Stas and was originally published in the International Festivals & Events Association’s “i.e.: the business of international events” quarterly magazine February 2019.

The premiere association supporting and enabling festivals and events worldwide. For more information on the IFEA, go to: www.ifea.com.”