Planning events isn’t easy, let me tell you. As any seasoned event planner knows, lining up the right sponsors is crucial for conferences and events to truly shine. Sure, sponsors provide vital cold hard cash to pull off an event, but they bring so much more to the table if you build the right partnerships. Talk about tapping into their networks, name brand recognition, inside connections…the resources that take your event from “meh” to “wow!”
But how do you build those fruitful partnerships that get sponsors genuinely excited to get on board? What can you offer them beyond a logo on the conference banner in exchange for all that additional value? Read on as we dish out the secrets conference organizers need to truly capitalize on partnerships and guarantee their next event will be their biggest and best yet, leaving attendees talking for weeks after. This isn’t your grandma’s sponsorship strategy, so buckle up!
What Makes Your Shindig Shine?
You must know your strengths before making that sponsor pitch! Take a good hard look in the mirror and ask – what makes my conference off the chain compared to the snoozefests out there? Are we talking about a small, tight-knit group of industry influencers all in one room? Epic after parties with viral potential? The most on-trend speakers who draw crowds like moths to a lightbulb?
Whatever it is, make sure your event aligns with what that sponsor is slinging. Does their target demo eat up every crumb your conference is serving? Are they all about those buzzwords like “community-driven,” “experiential,” “thought leadership content”? Speak their language loud and proud!
Once you figure out why your attendees eat up conferences like yours for breakfast while others put them to sleep, you can explain to sponsors all the perks and exposure opportunities they’ll score. Trust me, when you lead with that value prop, partners will be banging down your door rather than you begging them to take your calls. For more tips, check out sites like veoevents.co.uk or others for all the details. Now that’s leverage,!
Cut Out the Dead Weight
Not every Tom, Dick, or Harry slapping down a check deserves to sponsor your hype fest. Do your research and cherry-pick only the companies that really get your attendees fired up. Peep who sponsor similar shindigs in your scene. Scope out brands drooling to get their claws into the exact audience you draw. Getting fewer sponsors who actually care beats a long list of random people there for the Instagram clout. It’s quality over quantity all day!
Pimp Out Those Sponsor Packages
Don’t go flashing that stale sponsor prospectus in their faces. Tailor your sponsor packages to what these partners are really angling for. Signature cocktails served up by their mixologists? VIP access to the speakers? An experiential activation with social media photo ops? Maybe a main stage product demo if you really want to blow their minds! And don’t sleep on those digital sponsor perks either – jack their logos and hashtags all over your social media, website, and mobile app. They eat that up!
Make Your Event Glitter And Gleam
Wow your sponsors by blending cutting-edge event tech into this biz! Digital platforms nowadays let you spotlight partners in dope new ways before, during, and after the main event. We are talking virtual exhibit booths, gamification through mobile apps, and analytics galore. When your sponsors see their logos beaming on live interactive floor maps and custom leaderboards, they’ll know they signed on with a CREW who brings the HEAT when it comes to events!
Make Them Feel Special
Look, we both know money changes hands with sponsorship. But leave your sponsors feeling all warm and tingly by keeping communication as sweet as honey. Give them sneak peeks into your plans, get their input, and remind them how hype you are to partner! Trust me, these brands get invited to every party in town. So you must stand out with that red carpet treatment if you expect them back next year!
Show The Receipts
When it’s all said and done, dazzle your sponsors one last time by showing off just how well their money got played at your party! Flaunt those attendee engagement metrics, social media numbers, and leads generated at their booth. This isn’t their first rodeo, so they’ll respect you coming correct with the data. And when sponsors know you drive results while throwing one huge event? Consider those partnerships locked down tight for your next world takeover!
Conclusion
Look, throwing a conference that makes sponsors drool over future partnerships isn’t easy. You have to put that work in – do your homework on what makes your attendees bounce off the walls while aligning sponsors hungry for those exact folks. Spend just as much sweat crafting those bespoke perks for partners as you do on the swag bags! And don’t just count checks – nurture real relationships based on trust and results. Because the second the lights go down post-event isn’t when you eject that sponsor from your contacts. You keep blowing up their phone with attendee engagement metrics and visions for next year’s even bigger partnership! Rinse and repeat annually until your conference becomes the must-attend hot spot for their target audience. Follow this blueprint, and just watch those sponsors flood your VIP section year after year!