Posts in category: Blog Article

I am passionate about sponsorships and I love how they can enhance an event in both experience and of course in revenue. I really believe that any good event should be able to find a sponsor or sponsors but it’s a competitive world out there so here are the basics to start with.

A is for Attendees: Knowing the data of your event will not only help you sell sponsorships but it will help you find the right sponsors. What are the demographics of your attendees? Age, Income, zip code, interests…the more knowledge you have for your event the better. You can get this info from your tickets, socials and even by survey at your event. There is also lots of new tech that can help in that area that you can look into.

B is for Business: Sponsorships can be a major business expenses so remember that although your event might be a non-profit, DO NOT treat those sponsorship dollars like a donation. Businesses are buying a product (your event) and you need to deliver that product with the utmost professionalism and deliver what you commit too.

C is for Closing: Closing a sponsorship can be hard. I have had sponsorships that took me almost 3 years to actually close but when it happens it’s exciting. If you get a “No” and you believe that a business would be a perfect fit…don’t give up. I find that if I invite the prospect to your event and give them a chance to see how great it is they tend to be more willing to look at the opportunity again. Also, some of my smallest sponsorships grew into my biggest ones with time so always look at how your sponsors can grow within your event.

And of course….the 1, 2, 3’s

1. START EARLY: You need to start early when it comes to prospecting Sponsors it can be a lengthy process to get a meeting with a potential sponsor and once you get a sponsor to say yes it can take time to actually get the agreements finalized. I start a year out when it comes to my events.
2. GOAL: Know what your sponsors goals or initiatives are…I can’t stress this enough. One size does not fit all when it comes to sponsors so know what they want! Not all sponsors will be interested logo placements or banners. Take the time to gain insight into why they’ll want to sponsor your event.
3. RECAP: Don’t just disappear after the event…makes sure to sit down with your Sponsor and go over what they found to be successful and what could have been done better. This is also the time when you should prepare a recap of the sponsorship and the event. This keeps the door open for the following year and also allows you to get valuable feedback.

Based on a recommendation from a colleague, I have been taking an online business course taught by Kevin Redmon of Shaw Academy. I can honestly say that I wasn’t expecting much from an online, self paced class but it surprised me. It has made me re-work my way through some basics business “rules” that I just take for granted. Although the course is one geared to new business owners it has a lot of basics that applied to the fundamentals of Sponsorship Sales which I think is a really important topic.

When you have landed that appointment with a new Sponsor or even an old one, here are some key fundamentals that you should have built into your presentation.

First things first…your presentation should have structure. This structure should consist of a beginning, middle and end…easy enough right? So what do you put in these three parts?! Well that’s the fun part!

The Beginning: According to Redmond, “you should begin with the end in mind.” What is it that you want out of this meeting? What action are you asking the Sponsor to take? Knowing the answers to these two questions will help make sure you know where you are going from beginning to end on your presentation.

When writing the beginning of your presentation make sure to include an overview of your event and make sure that it is clear and concise…Sponsors do not have a lot of time and they don’t want to have to work for their answers. Give the “Why” of your event, explain where your event currently and what the foreseeable future plans are for the event. A simple story or some background on the event can be helpful but get to the point and make sure to show how your event is moving toward growth.

The Middle: The middle should consist of what you are offering your Sponsor, how your Sponsor could be an asset to your event and why you think it would be a mutually beneficial relationship. Remember that Sponsors want to be a part of events who work with them like partners…what can you do for them? Why are you worth the money? They want to know that you are looking out for them just as much as you are looking out for your event.

The End: The end is where you will cover the specifics of your presentation that need to be addressed. How you would you execute the proposed sponsorship? What does the timeline look like? And of course the most important part is the pricing. This is also where you would allow for questions, comments and feedback.

Two additional tips to keep in mind:

1. Go into your meeting knowing what is important to your potential Sponsor…you should have identified their needs prior to the pitch meeting. For example, it’s a waste of your time and their time if you walk in with a a plan to pitch them the title sponsorship of a country music festival and you don’t know until you get there that their corporate initiative is to work with Sports events. Or perhaps you wanted to pitch them the branding name of a stage but their goal is to have a booth that will generate sales leads. You need to know what they want BEFORE you pitch. I like to set up a intro call or face to face meeting where I can outline the event but more importantly ask them what they want out of a sponsorship and what is the most important assets to them. Then I put together a plan that meets their goals.
2. Above all else, make sure the Sponsor is the right fit for the event…forcing it may work for a year but it won’t be a constant…find partners that MAKE SENSE to your audience and for your event. It’s a much easier sale if its something that fits!

When it comes to giving a sponsorship pitch there are lots of things that a potential sponsor may ask you, but I can pretty much guarantee you that these 5 things will be at the top of their list. Make sure you are prepared with the answers so that you can give a confident and successful pitch.

1. THE THREE W’S

What, Where, and When? These may seem very basic but you would be surprised at how many events don’t have these three things lined out BEFORE they approach a potential Sponsor. Even if you are doing an event for the very first time you need to start with WHAT your event is, WHERE your event is being held and WHEN is your event being held. Even if the specific date and time is still a bit up in the air give them an outline they can work with. Sponsors base their spending on what their marketing or charitable initiatives are and knowing when your event will happen plays a big part in their overall plan.

2. WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE

Without your audience there is no reason for a Sponsor to be involved with your event. So be clear about who comes to your event. This includes who you target, for example “Women 18-34 who live in Portland, Oregon and love to cook” and who actually attends. Be armed with as much info as you can get about your audience…this will be very important to your potential Sponsor.

3. WHAT ARE YOUR NUMBERS?

Sponsors want to know your past attendance numbers, your expected attendance numbers and what a sell out is for you. Now I’m not saying you need to tell your potential Sponsor that you only sell 200 tickets when a sell out is 700 but you need to show that their is potential to grow to bigger numbers. In the same vain if you consistently sell out your event then this is very attractive to a Sponsor as well! Another note to take away…don’t oversell yourself….remember that your Sponsor will be at the event they will know if you 100 attendees or 1000.

4. WHAT DO THEY GET?

Don’t show up to a pitch without a clear breakout on what they will be receiving in exchange for their sponsorship dollars. Don’t make them guess or use “insider terms” on what items are. If they get commercials then tell them how many and where they will run. If they get banners or display areas they need to know where they are located, the size of the space. Be clear and be straight forward while also pointing out how each one of these items is a benefit to them.

5. THE COST

Sponsors are not going to ask you for the money…you have to ask them. Tell them what your Pitch will cost them. Known Sponsorship Adviser Linda Hollander was quoted saying “They don’t call you to ask how much money you want. A Sponsor once said to me, If I don’t see a menu of prices, I throw it out.” In my experience you don’t necessarily have to price out each asset but you must have it priced out and know what the hard costs are.