One question I get asked often is, “how do I get businesses to sponsor my event?”
Over the years, I’ve worked with several brands and businesses to help form creative collaborations for a variety of events.
There are many reasons why businesses, brands and individuals will agree to sponsor an event; the event might align with their values or help them reach a certain goal, the event may put them in front of an audience that’s been particularly hard to reach, or the event supports a cause they care about.
Can you think about what might attract a business to support your event?
The Benefits of Event Sponsorship
You might already have an idea about what the benefits are of having event sponsors. Here are a few that have seemed to stand out the most.
- Event sponsorship allow you to build community and collaborate with businesses, brands and people who align with your event vision.
- Event sponsors have the ability to add value to your event and your attendees. They can offer unique experiences, product samples, demos or fun installations like art, charging stations, and lounge areas.
- Sponsors can help supplement certain costs by backing your event financially. This gives businesses the opportunity to become presenting sponsors or title sponsors giving them the most visibility.
Whatever you do, you want to make sure you create a win-win experience for your event and your sponsors. Consider all the ways you can deliver value to your sponsors and not just what they can do for you.
7 Steps for Securing Event SPONSORSHIPs
Finally, here are the steps you’ve been waiting for. It’s really simple. You just have to put in some work. As you begin make sure you know what your goals are for the the event, and for reaching out to sponsors.
1. Make a list. Get your team together and make a list of brands, businesses and people you want to collaborate with. Do a brain dump, start picking out people who stand out and align with your vision for your event. Consider reaching out to your current network and the network of friends and colleagues.
2. Ask. Yes, it’s that simple. If you don’t ask, you won’t know, and you won’t get anywhere. The worst that can happen is that a potential sponsor says “no” or “not now”. The idea here is to put out feelers, start connecting with the brands and businesses who best match your criteria. Follow them on social media, start letting people know you’re looking for sponsors. Tap into all your resources including your email list, networking groups, and social media.
3. Write that letter, or email, and get the conversation started. Once you’ve reached the right person, begin to build rapport with them. Be transparent about what your needs are, find out what their goals are, and share why you see them as a potential event sponsor. Let them know what you have to offer and how their participation in your event can benefit them, too.
4. Send out a sponsorship package or proposal. After you’ve hashed out all the details and have a good understanding about how each party will support the other, create a custom sponsorship package or proposal. You may already have some template packages, and it’s important to be flexible and make adjustments on a case-by-case basis. Be clear on what the goals and objectives are, what the investment is, what the benefits are, the activation process and how performance and progress are evaluated.
5. Follow up and follow through. Reach out ahead of time and keep nurturing those relationships. Allow time for any questions, start the process early and stay on task. Creating a timeline for yourself and for sponsors helps ensure you’ll have everything you need to move forward.
6. Activate. Now that you have your contracts signed and agreements in place, sponsorship activation is the next step. Start spreading the word about how your sponsors are involved, deliver on your promises and have fun. Encourage creative collaborations with your sponsors to get the best experience across the board. Your project timelines will be useful here in creating key messages, posting schedules for social media, gathering assets, creating promotional codes, and so on. Remain organized and attentive to get the most out of your partnership before, during and after your event.
7. Evaluate. It’s important to hold a post event evaluation meeting with your sponsors. Give each other the opportunity to discuss what worked and what can be improved. At the same time share reports for what you tracked as well as any attendee feedback from post event surveys or word of mouth. The more detailed information you provide, the more your sponsors will want to work with you again in the future. They want to know their investment, whether time, money or products, paid off.
If you have any questions about event sponsorship please email celebrate@angelagraceevents.com or leave a comment below.
Your Turn: Download Our Free Sponsorship Email Template
We know that getting started is half the battle. Although asking and reaching out to potential sponsors is simple, it can be scary. We have a solution for you!
Download our Event Sponsorship Letter Templates to help get you started. Let us know how it goes!
Angela Quisumbing is a multi passionate mompreneur. She is the CEO + Event Strategist for Angela Grace Events where every day and everyone is a reason to celebrate. She is also the host of the Facebook live show, Angela Grace Celebrates Live where she features tips, industry experts, and tools to help you plan and promote a successful and memorable event. She’s also an aspiring speaker and a self-proclaimed advocate for lifelong learning.