How to Get Event Sponsorship: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know - The Sponsorship Collective

A sponsor is a company that supports a particular event. This support is usually through the funds or in exchange for something treasured in the market. This something treasured often can be brand exposure, attendee data, or brand promotion during the event. This concept of sponsorship is not applicable for the internal affair of the company as they would not be enticing for sponsors in such cases.

It is a pure business-to-business deal that is beneficial for both parties. Sponsors also get an opportunity to move forward with their business and showcasing their products or services in front of global audiences. So if your event has the potential to grab more attendees, then you get an opportunity to have a good sponsorship for an event.

2 Types of Event Sponsorship

There are different ways that you can get a sponsorship for an event; as per the event requirement and event goal, you can opt or send a proposal for event sponsorship to the sponsors. Primarily there are four types of event sponsorship. Check the event sponsorship types in detail below.

2.1 Financial Event Sponsorship

Many of the event organizers look for financial event sponsorship. This type of sponsorship is purely a deal of money, and sponsors support their funds for the event.

2.2 Media Event Sponsorship

Media sponsors support the event by advertising it on different platforms. The sponsors purchase the event advertising spaces on multiple platforms. It helps the event to get publicized on TV, newspapers, webinars or publishing event marketing content through blogs and social media platforms.

2.3 In-kind Sponsors

These are the sponsors that may sponsor services or goods for the event. For example, if there is any fundraising event and you are looking for food support for that event. In such a case, sponsors can provide food for the event. This type of sponsor comes from the food/restaurant industry.

2.4 Promotional Partnership

This event sponsorship is similar to a media partnership with a slight difference. Here the sponsors also advertise the event, but they are not an individual company. But they will promote the event on their network platforms.

So these were some of the types of event sponsorships. Now let's move towards the benefits of event sponsorship.

3 Event Sponsorship Benefits

Multiple studies on event sponsorship have concluded that support from the brand/ professional event partnership will improve the event brand curiosity among the people. It can also push the sales to the following levels.  Different studies stated that over 80% of the event attendees feel optimistic about the brand and likely to buy from them post events.

Both sponsor and event organizers get benefits from event sponsorship. Sponsors get recognition, brand promotion, and the opportunity to reconnect with their existing customers. At the same time, organizers can use the sponsor's brand name to catch the eyes of the target audiences towards the event.

Event organizers can utilize the multiple event marketing strategies sponsored by the sponsors. Further, they get to use the event partnership to promote their event across various demographics.

Below we will see why companies seek event partnership opportunities. Let's have a detailed look at the measurable and immeasurable event sponsorship benefits.

3.1 Return on Investment

As we have said, event sponsorship is a pure business deal, so getting investment is essential. Event partnership helps businesses to get recognized in different demographics with their multilayered event marketing strategies. Suppose the company aims to increase the specific geographic sale or plan to put feet into a new geographic region. In that case, they always like to sponsor local events.

This event sponsorship marketing strategy increases their target sale and works as the best strategy for improving ROI. Hence, many of the companies look for event sponsorship opportunities.

3.2 Audience Insights

Any in-person, virtual event, or hybrid event helps to understand the target audience and their preferences. This demographic data of audiences from events are good to nourish other business marketing campaigns. It helps to analyze which segment or type of event is getting more ROI.

3.3 Product/Service Highlighting

Sponsors can promote their existing brand, business, product, or services.  Being an event organizer, you too can use such events to launch a new product or brand and get noticed by the largest audiences across the globe. If it is a virtual event, the chances of the brand getting recognized worldwide increases.

Event sponsorship can place your event on top of things. Hence, getting the proper backing for an event is a significant task.  It often seems like an inaccessible option, and many of the event organizers used to find it tough to get sponsorship for an event. This struggle was due to the unfamiliarity with the benefits of event sponsorship. 

The modern era has changed opinions across the globe on event sponsorship and has showcased it as an opportunity for brand marketing. It is no more begging for event funds now, whereas it is considered an opportunity for a sponsor to showcase their brands. Many brands look for event sponsorship opportunities that will help them reach their brand name across the globe.

Here in this detailed event sponsorship guide of 2021, you will learn the types of event sponsorship, event sponsorship benefits, and everything around event sponsorship. It is essential to know the different sponsorship types & their packages.

Knowledge about precise strategies for event sponsorship marketing is essential for successful events. You would better understand the prominence of event sponsorship with some positive event sponsorship examples. So let's start learning the concept of event sponsorship from various aspects.

1 What Is Event Sponsorship?

3.4 Brand Building/Credibility

Events are most recognizable if they are associated with some brand. People will notice the event marketing content early when organizers put the sponsor's logo in the marketing content. This way, event organizers' brand credibility is also get enhanced.

Next, the event media coverage is the next prominent measure that gives a way to reach out to those millions of target audiences out there. Hence, getting sponsored for an event and covered by the media are the two best aspects in increase brand credibility.

3.5 Access to Ideal Customer Profile Data (ICP Data)

Being a sponsor of the event, the company can track and access the ICP's data. Audience data can get through event registrations, post-event surveys, feedback, and multiple event marketing tactics. This data gathering is a significant helping factor to reach the target audience's across the globe.

3.6 Reconnection with Existing Customers

If the sponsor is a well-known brand already, then they get a chance of reconnecting with their existing customers. This event sponsorship opportunity also improves the chances of created new customers. So we can say this as the target audience engagement strategy for the current customers.

7 Event Sponsorship Examples

There are numerous examples of successful event sponsorships, but we will keep it short here for models.

The first event sponsorship example is Coca-cola & Olympics games. Coca-Cola has been a renowned brand for years, and the event partnership between Coca-Cola and the Olympics is since 1928. In their recent collaboration in 2016 during the Rio Olympic Games, they run a campaign. The campaign was of two TV commercials, including the archived footage from previous and current games of top athletes. This way, Coca-Cola reached millions of audiences through the commercial and raised its brand credibility.

Next, we have an example of a blog and a food company. “BlogHer” is an online network of female bloggers, whereas Sara Lee, the owner of Hillshire Farms" and "Jimmy Dean," the food companies. In 2010 both the blogger network and the above mentioned food companies decided to organize an event where attendees get to participate in the cooking demonstrations and tastings. This innovative way of supporting the women blogger network event also helped Sara Lee directly connect with the event attendees and promote food products.

These are some of the well-known examples of successful event sponsorship. So it is a win-win situation for both event organizers and event sponsors. Sponsors get to promote their products or brand. Organizers get more attendees and recognition for their brand or services. 

8 Event Sponsorship Packages

A sponsorship package is an agreement between the event organizers and sponsors. Hence, offering attractive sponsorship packages is the subsequent innovative work you need to do while targeting event sponsorship. The sponsors must get convinced about why they must choose your event to support others in the market. Your sponsorship packages must have good offerings. It must be flexible with customization options. This way, the sponsors choose what they want from your event.

Keep the facts about the event objective, event audience, and event outcomes clear. Offer a good package; include sponsors in the event planning. Showcase your brand and convince them why the sponsors must choose your events over others. The sponsorship packages differ as per the type of sponsors and event. Hence work on getting creative ideas for event sponsorship packages.

9 Event Sponsorship Conclusion

We have seen here how event sponsorship is essential for any event. Getting support from a renowned brand is helpful to catch the eyes of the target audiences. Offering the best sponsorship packages would lead to long-term relations between sponsors and event organizers. Hence getting sponsorship for an event is essential. 

Next, move towards some frequently asked questions to answer essential questions relating to event sponsorship.

FAQs

1 How to request sponsorship for an event ?

First, introduce yourself and the work you do. Give quick words about the upcoming event and its mission and attendee details. Convince the target sponsors why they are best suited for your upcoming event.  Describe what the sponsors will get from the event. Offer convincing event sponsorship packages.

2 What are the benefits of event sponsorship ?

Event sponsorship is beneficial for both sponsors and organizers. Both can collaborate and work together for an event to increase the brand credibility. Reaching out to the target audiences through events is beneficial for both. Direct interaction with the attendees increases the sale and helps to get more business leads.

3 Why is event sponsorship important for the brand ?

Events sponsorship helps the brands in multiple ways. It allows them to interact with new audiences and reconnect with their existing ones. It takes their brand credibility to the next level.

4 What is event sponsorship marketing ?

Event sponsorship marketing is the marketing strategy in which the brand supports various events across the globe. The brand helps in terms of financially, advertising, or supporting the event through its services. This way, the brands get in the good books of their target audiences, and this helps the brand increase their brand awareness and, at last, the business sale.