2020 Guide to Event Sponsorship
This guide is for anyone who wants to approach event sponsorship with an eye on innovation and a strong foundation of sound professional advice.
Download NowThere are all kinds of sponsors available to collaborate with you on your event. However, in return for their investment, they have high expectations that are often quite unique.
Over the long term, sponsors don’t just want the promise of a pleasant partnership. They expect to be treated like VIP guests — and they want data to prove they made the right choice when they chose to partner with you.
This guide is for anyone who wants to approach event sponsorship with an eye on innovation and a strong foundation of sound professional advice.
Learn how to:
- Bring creativity and innovation to your approach to sponsorship in order to secure deals with the right sponsors
- Build a relationship with each sponsor based on mutual admiration and respect — plus a lot of data
- Nurture your sponsor relationships over the long term, even as the very nature of sponsorship evolves
Preview
Event sponsorship was once so simple. Big-name brands and local businesses would happily chip in to subsidize an event and reap the rewards of attention and goodwill.
Sponsorship has transformed into one of the most intimate types of partnership two businesses can have. The first business – your event – offers people an unforgettable experience. And the second – the sponsor – helps make that experience happen in ways much more complex than ever before.
Larry Weil is the Sponsorship Guy. And with nearly two decades of experience and over 4,000 brand and industry contacts, it’s a title he’s proudly earned. He says, “It used to be a pretty simple answer. Most people think of sports sponsorships like McDonald’s and the U.S. Olympic team, or Bud Light and the NFL. But there’s much more to it than that.”
Today, there are all kinds of sponsors available to collaborate with your event. And in return, they have high expectations that are often quite unique. Your ability to offer innovative solutions, provide substantial returns, and prove them is what makes you a valuable partner to event sponsors.
Over the long term, sponsors don’t just want the promise of a pleasant partnership. They want to be closely involved in orchestrating a precise experience. They expect to be treated like VIP guests. And they need data back to prove they made the right choice when they chose to partner with you.
To create an effective, lasting event sponsorship strategy, you need to be prepared not just for today, but tomorrow. Read on for a strategic overview to ensuring creativity, legitimacy, and professionalism in your dealings with sponsors. And learn how, even as you read this, the realm of event sponsorship continues to transform.