How

to get sponsorship for an event in malaysia

How to get sponsors for an event. How to ask for sponsorship for event. List of sponsors for events in malaysia.

The numbers don’t lie: Businesses continue to increase their event investments.
In fact, 97% of marketers believe that events are the most effective channel for driving business outcomes.

But let’s talk about the elephant on the trade show floor: sponsorship and sponsor ROI. With the rise of virtual conferences and the influx of in-person events, one thing is sure: growth and scalability will rely on event sponsors. However, sponsorship remains one of the biggest challenges for the most seasoned event organizers. Although most event
organizers say their top priorities right now are attendee engagement and attendance, 29% said they’re prioritizing sponsorships for 2023. If you’re feeling salty, uncertain, or downright insecure about the future of event sponsorship, we’re here to help. In this guide, you’ll learn the following: What Event Sponsorship Is 3 Reasons Why Event
Sponsorships Are Valuable 5 Ways To Find the Right Event Sponsors 6 Tips For How To Make a Sponsorship Proposal/a> 5 Tips for Better Event Sponsorship Packages 3 Great Event Sponsorship Package Examples 4 Ways To Prove ROI to Sponsors Sponsorship Ideas for Virtual and Hybrid Events How Bizzabo Simplifies Event Sponsorships Let’s
start with the basics: What does it mean to sponsor an event? A corporate event sponsor is a company that supports an event by providing funds in exchange for something of value. Event sponsorships can include in-kind contributions (e.g., providing a venue, food, or raffle prizes), media sponsorships, and promotional partnerships. This “something
of value” often comes in the form of increased brand exposure, access to attendee data, speaking opportunities at the event, or discounted event tickets.

Ticket pricing strategy have you down? Read In-person, Virtual, and Hybrid Event Ticket Pricing Strategies. Companies sponsor events in the hope of moving their organizations forward. If your event presents an opportunity for them to do that, you’ll likely be able to secure partners and deliver a stronger experience to attendees. In fact, 33% of
businesses spend 21% or more of their total events budget on sponsoring events. However, not all events will be enticing to potential sponsors. For example, internal events — like sales kickoffs and internal training events — rarely provide enough value to other companies for them to invest in an event sponsorship opportunity. Of course, there are
always exceptions. If you have a strategic partner, for example, they may be willing to sponsor an internal event if it helps your company’s reps sell their product better. We know the “what” when it comes to event sponsorship. But what about the “why”?

Why should you spend time and resources researching, contacting, and securing event sponsors? Is it really necessary? The answer to that question depends on your organization and the kind of event you plan on hosting. But in general, securing event sponsors is worth the effort for three reasons. 1. Boost Your Event Budget Running an event is an
expensive endeavor. Rarely are ticket sales alone enough to break even — at least not while keeping prices affordable. What’s an event planner to do? Simple: Secure event sponsorships. As the events market continues to grow, ResearchAndMarkets predicts that sponsorship will account for the lion’s share of event revenue this year. This could be
because nearly 58% of event marketers believed their event budgets would decrease in 2021.
Couple that sentiment with persistent inflation, a looming recession, and an uptick in layoffs, and it appears this trend will continue for the foreseeable future. If these predictions are true, event planners will be even more hard-pressed to find sponsors to fund their events — whether in-person or virtual. Securing event sponsorship dollars allows you
to plan a financially viable event and keep ticket prices down, ensuring more attendees will be able to come. It also means you can provide discount codes and needs-based tickets to folks from different socioeconomic situations. According to events on Bizzabo’s platform, more than 25% of in-person and hybrid events are paid versus only 10% of
virtual events. The average ticket price for a paid event is $655, but 50% of paid tickets used discount promo codes, and 75% gave a full discount — that’s a free ticket. The more sponsorships you can secure, the bigger your budget will be and the more opportunities you’ll create for top-tier speakers, multiple ticket options, event activations, peace of
mind, and so much more. 2. Level Up Your Event’s Credibility Be honest: All things being equal, would you rather attend an event with no sponsors or one that Amazon sponsors? Most of us would probably rather experience the Amazon-sponsored event — even if the same company was putting on both events, featured the same topic, and had the
same speakers. Why?
Because Amazon is one of the biggest companies in the world, and if they decide to sponsor an event, then it must be good, right? Although partnering with a company like Amazon may be a stretch, securing known and respected brands in your organization’s field to sponsor your event will lend instant credibility and likely increase registration
numbers. You also don’t have to shoot for the moon with event sponsors. Look at micro-sponsors that have name recognition but may be easier to secure.
Stick to companies with the budget, a marketing team, and the means to sponsor an event of your size and format. 3. Get Creative With Your Reach Lastly, sponsors may be able to provide your event with other benefits and perks beyond just money and credibility. For example, perhaps your event partners with a local restaurant. In exchange for
promoting their business to all your attendees, they’ll allow you to use their event space and provide catered lunches. Another perk that sponsoring companies can provide is increased exposure for your event. If a customer of a sponsoring company is browsing that particular sponsor’s social media feed and sees that they’ve partnered with you.
Customers may attend your event because they trust the sponsoring company. Finding event sponsors isn’t as challenging as it may seem. To secure event sponsorships, you must first find the right companies to partner with. Here are three tips: 1. Know Your Event First, you must know and understand your event’s particulars. What type of event
are you producing? What is your overall vision for your gathering? What goals are you hoping to achieve? What sets your event apart from other events on similar topics? Who are the people attending your event? These are the kinds of questions that potential event sponsors will ask you. Think about these as you work on your event strategy. If you
know their answers before you start reaching out to brands about sponsorships, you’ll only spend time contacting companies that align with your event. Also, if you’re hosting the same flagship event year over year or quarter over quarter, express this to potential event sponsors. A long-term relationship can be very attractive for companies looking
for consistent, repeatable event sponsorship ROI. “Sponsorship sales is a huge focus for us because that’s repeatable revenue that can be renewed year over year.” Dayna Rothman Author Lead Generation for Dummies 2. Understand Why Businesses Sponsor Events There are many reasons businesses opt to sponsor events — from lead generation to
extending their reach. Here are some things you need to know: Increased social media impressions: Events usually result in hundreds — if not thousands — of social media posts. That means hundreds of opportunities for a sponsor’s name to be shared out to the masses with your event’s hashtag, which means increased followers and brand exposure.
Accelerated lead generation: Many companies are excited to gain more potential customers through event sponsorship. Especially if the attendee demographic overlaps with a target customer base, companies see events as an excellent opportunity to grow their sales pipeline and increase the number of potential closed deals. Gaining access to
specific demographics: Companies sometimes have difficulty tapping into a certain demographic because of limited resources or a general lack of exposure. However, event sponsorships offer a way to reach a specific target audience that may have been inaccessible otherwise.

Companies are especially interested in sponsoring events if the sponsorship can give the brand the exposure it needs regarding a specific demographic.
The more you understand what your sponsors’ needs are, the better you can cater your sponsorship pitch to their challenges to secure a deal. 3. Identify the Right Partners Rather than spamming every business you find and presenting them with event sponsorship proposals, we recommend that you first identify the kinds of companies that would be
a good fit. Then reach out and interact with only those brands. For example, a company like McDonald’s might not send the right message if you’re planning a virtual summit for medical and health professionals. But a company like Aetna or Walgreens could be a great fit. At our 2020 (Almost) HYBRID summit, Leanne Pittsford, founder of Lesbians
Who Tech, shared how she has built her reputation and her company on her values.
She makes every decision, including sponsorships, on whether the relationship will build trust with her audience and supports her message. She even admits to losing sponsorships because they weren’t a good fit for her brand. Contacting organizations that don’t align with your event brand or don’t have a history of sponsoring events isn’t productive.
Doing your due diligence to find the right partners will also save you time and increase your success rate. Not sure how to tackle virtual event sponsorships?
Download our Virtual Event Sponsorship Guide + Workbook. 4. Use Online Resources To Find Sponsors Knowing your event particulars and the kind of companies you hope to partner with is excellent. But you still need to go out and find organizations that fit your criteria. One of the easiest ways to do that is to use online resources like
SponsorMyEvent or SponsorPitch. These tools make it easy to connect with potential event sponsors and send an event sponsorship agreement if they seem like a good fit. You can also use a tool like Sponseasy to create a sponsorship proposal quickly. 5. Research Events Similar to Yours This last idea is short and sweet but often overlooked. Look up
other events similar to yours and to check out their sponsor pages. Suppose these companies were interested in forming event partnerships with those companies. In that case, there is a good chance they’ll be interested in sponsoring yours, too. Now that you’ve created a list of potential event sponsors, it’s time to pitch them. Whether you’re
emailing potential event sponsors, hoping for an organic connection at a networking event, or reaching out on LinkedIn. These three tips are essential to your success: 1. Research Potential Sponsors More Deeply You know that the companies on your list align with your event’s topic and vision, and each has a history of sponsoring events in the past.
Now, it’s time to dig deeper. The more information you have on each stakeholder and company you plan to contact, the better. Before reaching out to a company, research the following: Who is the key decision maker? What is their personality type and their contact information? What are the marketing objectives and challenges? How would
sponsoring your event can help them meet their marketing objectives? Do they have the budget to sponsor your event as you desire? What value would they add to the attendee experience? What are some potential roadblocks that could come up in the process? With this information, you can create a customized pitch that will secure your
sponsorship more easily. “The north star is always the attendee experience. If you’re not adding to their experience, you shouldn’t be offering that sponsorship.” Meg Fasy Founder at eventsGIG and principal at FazeFWD 2. Communicate Value In the last tip, we mentioned that you should know how sponsoring your event will benefit the company
you’re contacting. Knowing this will help you communicate value, which you must do to secure partnerships. No organization will support your event out of the goodness in its heart.
There needs to be an equal exchange of value, and you must communicate this value in your pitch. To do this, make your pitch about the company you’re contacting, not your event, and focus on how the event will benefit them. Be sure to include the following information in your pitch, too: The number of expected attendees plus demographics
Brands that have sponsored your event in the past and their success metrics (if applicable) Anticipated ROI for sponsors (e.g., potential reach on social, leads generated) User-generated content from past events that proves the value and reach Testimonials and quotes from past sponsors and attendees Proving value is difficult enough for live events.
But it’s even more challenging for virtual ones. If you’re hosting a virtual event, call out the value sponsors will see if they partner with your event and focus on the benefits of a virtual event. For example, the sponsorship prospectus for Open Data Science Conference’s Virtual AI Expo includes a section dedicated to why a virtual expo is an even
better investment for sponsors. Source: ODSC “Our north star for sponsorship strategy is the ability to showcase the value of our products to attendees through live demos and thought leadership sessions.” Ashley Jenkins Events manager Miro 3. Ask the Right Questions To Ensure Success Although you may have done your due diligence in
pinpointing the sponsors that align with your brand and event vision, it’s still important to ask some key questions before formalizing anything: How do you see your organization’s mission aligning with our event and brand? What are your core company values and key brand values? What are some key ROI metrics you want to increase through this
sponsorship? What are your main goals as an event sponsor? It’s possible the “right sponsor” may turn out to be the “wrong sponsor,” and these questions can help you ensure that your values and their values are aligned to achieve your event goals. 4. Include Social Proof Social proof in the form of testimonials from previous partners can go a long
way toward convincing a brand to sponsor your event. Similar to how we all read product reviews before making online purchases, potential sponsors will want to know whether previous partners had a good experience with your brand and found sponsorship to be a worthwhile investment.
If you can, consider going the extra mile and creating full case studies with your top sponsors.
A great example of what this might look like is TED’s case study with long-time event partner Rolex. This asset has helped the annual conference secure other sponsors by showcasing the positive ROI that Rolex has received from the partnership. “We really try to work with sponsors to achieve their goals while at the same time maintaining editorial
independence. A lot of these sponsors don’t just want to have a sponsor sticker slapped onto an event. They want to do something that has a real conversational element to it.” Mike Butcher Founder The Europas 5.
Build a Relationship with Communication The key to pitching and partnering with sponsors is communication. As you begin to work with sponsors, it’s essential to have a common language.
This allows you to align on key business goals and outcomes that make both parties successful. For example, Vasil Azarov, founder of the Growth Marketing Conference, focuses on building mutually beneficial partnerships and co-sponsoring programs. This includes providing them with an outline of opportunities for additional exposure, collaborating
on content like webinars, and leveraging a partner to co-sponsor direct mail campaigns and initiatives on the event floor. Fostering a collaborative environment also helps to maintain good relationships with key sponsors in current and upcoming events. “The key element of building a successful relationship is to make sure that you’re leveraging your
strength to make it a win for both you and your partner.” Vasil Azarov Founder Growth Marketing Conference You can also find software to help you communicate with your sponsors and create a seamless experience for them to work with you. For example, Bizzabo offers a partner and speaker management solution, which makes it easier than ever
to manage your sponsors. Since relationships play a crucial role in securing and maintaining sponsorships, you’d be wise to do everything within your power to optimize the sponsor experience. “If times are tough and you have to choose which event you’re going to sponsor, and all business aspects are equal, you’ll pick the one where you have a
relationship.” Meg Fasy Founder at eventsGIG and principal at FazeFWD 6. Optimize Your Event Website Lastly, don’t forget to include sponsorship information on your event website, particularly why companies should consider sponsoring your event. A dedicated page on your site that features past sponsors, past keynote speakers, who sponsors
will reach, social proof, and more will offer an additional way for sponsors to feel more confident about the relationship. To kick your event sponsorship efforts into high gear, you need to offer different sponsorship packages — there is no one-size-fits-all here! With the rise of in-person events alongside the continued preference for virtual and hybrid
events, your sponsorship packages will need to be even more impressive because it may be harder for potential sponsors to visualize your event and the value they’ll get out of it.
Nearly 37% of organizers believe it’s more difficult to provide valuable opportunities for sponsors when hosting virtual events. Adele Durham joined us on the Event Experience podcast to share some examples of how she’s creating valuable experiences and opportunities for sponsors. Here are five tips to help you craft a sponsorship package that will
stand out to your potential partners. 1. Include Different Event Sponsorship Levels When building sponsorship packages for your event, create multiple sponsorship tiers (at least three), each equipped with different benefits and sold at varying price points. For example, sponsorship levels might look like this: The Bronze Package ($1,000): Your
company logo on all event marketing materials, a guaranteed digital sponsor page, a virtual sponsorship gift, sponsor placement in lower thirds, 30-second promo video before the keynote session. The Silver Package ($2,500): Everything in the Bronze Package, plus branded transitions between videos and/or sessions (only 25 available).
The Gold Package ($5,000): Everything in the Bronze and Silver Packages, plus a branded virtual lounge named after your company (only 10 available). The more money an organization pays, the more benefits they receive. You can also create different packages for companies instead of individuals, give discounts when multiple tickets are purchased
at once, and more.
Take a look at how Gainsight offered sponsorship tiers at Pulse for Product 2020: Source: Gainsight This strategy has paid off well for Gainsight. In 2022, the company added a fifth sponsorship level for Pulse: titanium. But don’t limit your sponsorship packages to what’s on paper.
You may have a sponsor who wants something unique — like a case study — out of the relationship. Stay flexible and be prepared to entice sponsors on the fence with something outside the box. 2. Create Unique Opportunities There are many ways to add value to your sponsorship packages. Here are a few ideas: Guaranteeing a speaking slot for the
CEO of a sponsoring company Allowing partners to put their company names on breakout rooms Including a sponsor’s logo on the swag bags given to each attendee Having polls or Q&A sessions “sponsored by” a specific company But to supercharge your packages and entice organizations to spring for more expensive sponsorship options, you need
to create unique opportunities. Here’s a great example of how Adele Durham took her in-person ideas and reimagined how she could provide those valuable experiences to her sponsors virtually. “We have had food trucks at our award events so that when you’re exiting Cipriani, you can get a grilled cheese and some tater tots on your way out. A huge
hit. Okay, you’re not going to be able to do that when it’s a virtual event. So, we looked at giving away Grubhub vouchers. So when the event wraps, all attendees get a $15 Grubhub voucher to get their late-night snack.” The key is to be creative and consider ways to differentiate from other offerings sponsors might be seeing. 3. Make It Clear Your
event sponsorship packages will only sell if potential sponsors understand exactly what they’ll receive once they make a purchase. They’ll also need to know how to become eligible for each package.
Here, clarity is your friend. Start by spelling out every package benefit, perk, and requirement in crystal-clear language. Potential sponsors should never have to guess at what they’ll receive in exchange for a portion of their company’s budget. This is especially true when selling sponsorships for large sums of money. This example from SaaStr tells
sponsors exactly what they can expect and how much it will cost. It even uses visual examples, so sponsors don’t have to guess or imagine what it will look like. Source: SaaStr 4. Exclusivity Sells Want to sell high-end packages like SaaStr? Make use of exclusivity. On the surface, this may sound counterintuitive. If 10 people want to pay SaaStr over
$1 million to sponsor the event, why would they only accept six of them? There are a couple of different reasons. First, it’s simple math.
There’s only so much time in the day and resources on hand. SaaStr (and other companies that offer high-end sponsorship packages) can only provide adequate value to so many sponsors. If they were to let more companies participate, the package wouldn’t deliver as much value.
Second, exclusivity breeds desire. As humans, we always want what we can’t have. And we tend to feel better about ourselves when we have what others want but can’t get. Making your top sponsorship packages exclusive increases the chances people want to buy them. Another way to use the exclusivity principle is to make certain packages “invite-
only.” In other words, companies can’t apply for these limited slots. Instead, they have to be invited to purchase them. Creating exclusivity is the key — particularly if you’re planning a larger virtual conference. The bigger the event, the more sponsorship dollars you might need. Don’t be too eager to accept every offer; prioritize the best partnerships
for you, your event, and your attendees. 5. Make Your Sponsorship Page Enticing and Vibrant Source: Pulse Finally, to increase the likelihood that companies will want to sponsor your event, we recommend that you make the event sponsor web pages on your event website enticing and vibrant. Sponsors care about how their brand is represented. Use
rich media elements to make the page and the way sponsors are represented in it, visually pleasing.
Pulse does a great job highlighting event sponsorship opportunities. The annual conference for customer success professions has a section showcasing their top sponsors. Each partnering company gets a featured logo, a bio section explaining what the company does (when you hover over the logo), and links to its website and social channels. Knowing
that their company will be featured on your event website — especially if your website receives a lot of quality traffic — may be the perk that convinces a brand to partner with you. Virtual and hybrid events rely more on technology than in-person events did previously. More than 50% of organizers believe event technology tools will play a key role in
connecting sponsors and attendees both virtually and in person. That being the case, it’s important to find an event platform with the features you need to create a great website and an engaging digital experience to attract sponsors. We’ve given you tips on creating better event sponsorship packages. Now, let’s look at a few examples of event
sponsor promotion from brands who have taken these tips and used them well. Get ready to be inspired.
1. re:Invent by Amazon Web Services (AWS) Source: Data Center Knowledge Amazon’s re:Invent is a massive cloud computing conference by Amazon occuring every year in Las Vegas that features workshops, keynote speakers, and hackathons. As far as sponsorship opportunities go, Amazon does a great job outlining the exact benefits partners will
receive for each of their seven packages and highlighting past sponsor success. Amazon also does a fantastic job of promoting unique experiences, including access to fun, non-work-related activities like the re:Play after party and a pub crawl.
2. GitHub Universe Source: GitHub GitHub Universe is the conference to attend if you work in software development. In 2020, the event was held virtually. On the event’s sponsorship page for that year, GitHub Universe offers detailed demographic information, which includes attendee job types, company types, and location details. This makes it easy
for potential sponsors to gauge how aligned a partnership might be. They also include testimonials on the page for social proof. 3.HubSpot INBOUND Source: HubSpot HubSpot’s INBOUND is one of the most anticipated marketing conferences. Founded around the idea of inbound marketing, business professionals from every industry come from all
over the world for multiple days of educational sessions, networking, and entertainment. After pivoting to virtual events during the pandemic, INBOUND was in person in 2022, with prospective attendees given the option of joining virtually if they’d prefer. Ultimately, more than 70,000 people registered for the event, with more than 10,000 attending
in person and the rest showing up online. In its sponsorship prospectus, HubSpot includes digital mockups that show potential sponsors exactly what their physical and digital opportunities will look like.
This is a great example of how to help sponsors be able to visualize what their experience would be like in the event they decide to sponsor an event. We’ve covered a lot so far in this guide. But there’s one topic we still need to discuss: proving ROI to sponsors. More than half (54%) of marketers express difficulty in proving ROI. How can you show
sponsors that partnering with your event is a worthwhile investment? We have a few ideas, which we’ll examine in this section. 1. Show Event Data When proving value, the first thing you can do is look to data collected throughout your event. If you’re using event management software, you should have a swath of data to help entice potential
partners. Of marketers that are currently using event software, 80% of them don’t have trouble proving ROI. A few metrics to include are: How many attendees were at the event? How many leads or meetings did each sponsor receive?
How many attendees registered or attended sponsored workshops/sessions? If you’re using a mobile event app, how many in-app impressions did sponsors receive?
The answers to these questions will go a long way in proving ROI, making it easier for organizations to realize sponsoring an event is the right move. 2. Present Event Attendee Demographics Attendee demographic information can add depth to other data points and assure your sponsor that their investment is worthwhile. If a sponsor sees that your
event caters to their target audience, they’ll be much more willing to invest in one of your sponsorship packages. And as the industry continues to leverage virtual and hybrid events, event planners are seeing even larger audiences. More than 80% agree that greater audience reach is the most positive effect they’ve experienced from virtual events. 3.
Display Attendee Testimonials Just like sharing positive testimonials from past event partners can help you attract new sponsors, sharing testimonials from event attendees can also provide a qualitative aspect to sponsorship ROI. Allow attendees to leave feedback with the mobile event app (if your event is using one) or in a post-event survey. This
example from the HubSpot INBOUND 2022 sponsorship prospectus shows a detailed breakdown of the attendees that sponsors can expect to see. This level of detail allows potential partners to see if their target audience aligns with yours, making the decision-making process much easier. Source: HubSpot INBOUND 2022 4. Invest in High-Tech
Wearables for Better Sponsorship Data The best way to prove ROI is to give sponsors instant, accurate data for every lead that engages with their brand at an event. With Bizzabo’s SmartBadge™ — part of the Klik Experiential suite of solutions — event organizers can capture active and passive attendee behavior data.
These badges turn sponsor expectations for rich attendee data and ROI into a reality by transforming a passive accessory into an intuitive, interactive asset. Additionally, you can take sponsorship opportunities up a notch with gamification through touchpoints, session attendance, or Klik networking. Do virtual and hybrid event sponsorships feel like
an insurmountable challenge? We’ve got your back. If anything, virtual and hybrid events have actually born creative ways for bringing sponsorships to life. If you want to learn more about the following … How to create a sponsorship program for hybrid and virtual events How to ideate and manage creative sponsorship ideas Best practices for
creating a new sponsorship program and prospectus Then check out Sponsorship Hacks in the way that makes the most sense for you: Looking for an event sponsorship hack that’ll make onboarding, engaging, and retaining sponsors for future events a walk in the park? Partner with Bizzabo! Simply put, our event experience technology makes life
easy for sponsors. For starters, Bizzabo enables sponsors to easily collect and manage leads through smart badges and an intuitive lead capture app, enabling them to launch 1:1 conversations in just a few clicks. Plus, sponsors get near-real-time access to contact information and robust reporting tools that allow them to refine their strategies at the
moment and connect with their audience on a deeper level as an event progresses. At the same time, Bizzabo enables attendees to easily keep track of which sponsors they’ve engaged with, which makes it easier for them to proactively reach out to companies when they need more information or to follow up on conversations they enjoyed. On top of
that, Bizzabo helps sponsors increase event ROI by providing a variety of high-visibility marketing opportunities, including the following: Sponsored sessions Sponsor spotlights in the mobile app Branded offers in the mobile app Sponsored splash screens in the mobile app Promoted push notifications and emails Branded placements on the event
website To learn more about how Bizzabo can help your events team create meaningful sponsor opportunities while making it easier to manage sponsors at scale, attend one of our low-key demo webinars or see exactly what you need to see with a one-on-one demo. Key Takeaways: How To Improve Your Event with Event Sponsorships There you
have it: a complete event sponsorship guide for 2023. We shared a lot of information, so please feel free to re-read this guide if you need to. Want a quick recap of the most important tips, tricks, and strategies? Here are our key takeaways: Event sponsorships are valuable because they make your event financially viable, lend credibility, and
potentially provide your event with other valuable perks.
To find event sponsors, know the vision for your event and the benefits you can offer potential partners before sending any of them an event sponsorship letter. When pitching event sponsors, research each company you plan to contact, communicate the value they’ll receive, and include social proof. Event sponsorship packages are essential.
Remember to include different tiers at varying price points so that more companies have a chance to participate. Also, create packages with unique opportunities, make it abundantly clear what each partner will receive, use exclusivity to your advantage, and make your sponsorship page enticing.
Prove event ROI to sponsors by showing data from your events, presenting audience demographic information, and including attendee testimonials. Finally, make sure to include swag in your virtual, in-person, and hybrid event strategies to engage and delight your audience while providing sponsorship opportunities. Now you have everything you
need to contact potential partners and secure event sponsorships. Want to learn more about how we can help? Attend one of our low-key demo webinars or see exactly what you need to see with a one-on-one demo. Editor’s Note: This article was initially published in February 2019 and has been updated for quality and relevance. Organizing an event
can be challenging as you need adequate funds to get all the logistics in order. Besides, you must develop ideas and activities to keep your audience engaged.
Lack of funds compromises the customer experience, while low engagement can turn off your audience. But there is a solution — Event sponsorships. Sponsors fund your events, offer in-kind benefits such as food, prizes, and host activities to engage your audience. It’s a win-win for both parties. But, to get the sponsorship, there is a lot you need to
learn, and we will help you with that.
The right sponsorship can support your event finances, boost event visibility and help you develop good connections with the sponsors for future opportunities.
Event sponsorship is when an organization or an individual offers assistance to an event in exchange of something invaluable. You can get sponsors for any kind of event — hybrid, in-person, or virtual. A sponsor can be a brand, non-profit, agency, or individuals such as social media influencers. Event sponsorship is a win-win strategy for both parties;
the organizer gets financial or some other kind of support while the sponsor gets more visibility. One of the greatest examples is Coca cola’s sponsoring 2016 RioOlympics. Instead of displaying their brand in the game, they went a step further with their #ThatsGold one-year long social media campaign. The campaign aim was to widen the Olympics
reach to the general public and deliver a message — Gold is a feeling. Gold moments are the ones that bring everyone together. The campaign worked as it generated more than 30 Million views while it was active. When your event is backed by well-known brands you get eyeballs from their network. This gives your event more exposure, increasing
your chances of getting more attendees. We have summarized some of the major benefits of having an event sponsor: When well-known brands sponsor your event, it increases your credibility among your target audience. Your audience is already familiar with these brands, and if they find out they sponsor your event, it will incentivize them to attend
the event. Apart from your promotional strategies, you will generate more eyeballs when your sponsors share your event in their network. This can even help you generate more leads from their network. So, it’s a win for you as you can tap into your sponsor’s network. Sponsorships increase awareness of your event and, by extension, the awareness
about your brand and your product and services. When renowned sponsors back you up, other people or brands will be more willing to sponsor your events in exchange for something valuable. You can choose from different sponsor types while pitching your event to the target sponsors.
From finance sponsorship to venue, you can choose the sponsorship based on your event type, venue, budget, and goals. We have picked the most popular type of sponsors in the following section: Technology sponsors are tech brands who offer gadgets for your event in exchange for publicity. For instance, Apple can provide iPads for a big event or
Boat can lend speakers. The whole crowd watches speakers, performers, or event managers use these gadgets and become aware of their functionality. Energy and sustainability sponsors make your event more eco-friendly. Eco-friendly events include recyclable event badgers, paperless agendas, digital promotions, etc. If you want your event to be
fully sustainable, you can pitch to partners with sustainability certificates. Outreach and media sponsors advertise an event. They expand media coverage to get more eyes on the event so you don’t have to spend additional money on marketing. They write articles and publish event updates on social media platforms. In turn, they get promoted through
the event. The sponsors offer you a venue to host your event. The location of your event matters, especially if it’s a physical location. If you are hosting a virtual event, you can ask event marketing platforms such as Nunify, Airmeet, or Zoom to sponsor your event in exchange for their brand promotion. You can ask for prize sponsorships if you have in-
event games and other fun activities. These sponsors arrange the goodies packages to give to the winners. Often these packages contain the sponsor’s name and logo, and it’s a good way to generate long-lasting awareness for your sponsor. For in-person events, food and drinks are a must, and you can have sponsorship for the same. Promotional
sponsors are often individuals – content creators and social media influencers. Due to their impact and social media following, you can partner with them to promote your events. For example, if you’re hosting an event on a social media summit with many industry leaders, you can contact creators in the same niche and ask them to promote your
event. In exchange, you can pay them or talk about them at your event. Offering sponsored merchandise is among the most common types of sponsorship seen in the events. Do you remember those branded pens and notepads at a conference meeting? Well, that’s a merchandise sponsorship. The tourism and transport sponsors support travel
arrangements for the event. They assist guest speakers, VIPs, and other important people to reach their destinations. They take care of flights, stays, and visits while marketing their brand. Finding the right sponsor for your events can break and make your event. Here’s how you can find the perfect sponsor for your events: Work on your sponsor’s
ideal persona which is similar to your target customer persona. Answer the following questions to find your ideal sponsors: Which industry do they belong to? How do they benefit you? How will they add value to our events? It helps narrow down your ideal sponsors so you personalize your pitch and bag the right sponsors without wasting resources.
Your sponsor needs to know all the event details to decide. Some of the questions you should answer include: When and where is the event taking place? What’s the theme of your event?
Is it a workshop, a summit, or a conference? How many attendees are you targeting? What’s the current number of registrants?
What type of attendee profiles are expected to come? Are you inviting more than one company from the same vertical/industry or is it exclusive to one? You must have all these details documented to show to your target sponsors. It will enhance transparency and reduce the time to close the deal. The first thing any sponsor would ask you is, what’s in
it for me? You must have a solid pitch to answer all of their questions. Some of the most common questions you should answer include the following: What will sponsors receive from the event? How will you promote their brand in your event? What will bring the most value for them? Now, most event organizers use sponsors’ brand names and logos.
That is one way to increase their visibility. But you can go beyond that and involve them more in your events: Offer sponsored breakout rooms for virtual events such as summits and conferences Set up sponsored booths for in-person events such as trade shows and exhibitions. Offer sponsored sessions → Invite your sponsor to talk to the attendees to
fill the gap during intervals or technical issues. Include your sponsors in your event promotion strategy. Once you have all the details mapped out, it’s time to reach out to your sponsors.
But where do you find them, and how do you approach them? There is a marketplace that helps event organizers to connect with the right sponsor. You can even choose the best companies to approach for sponsorship through these marketplaces. Some of the most famous marketplaces are: To be a part of the marketplace, you must register as an
event organizer and post your event details. After that, you can contact your target sponsor and initiate the conversation. The marketplace helps you manage all the sponsors, from communication to the final transaction. Reach out to your target sponsors, communicate your sponsorship package and evaluate the progress in one platform. Another
marketplace is Fanoema.io, where you can reach out to target sponsors. The best part is that this marketplace has the highest open rate, which means you can easily reach your sponsor and close a deal with them. Another approach is to reach out to your target sponsors via email or social media. Let’s discuss how to reach out on social media
channels such as LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.
The first step is to find sponsors that would be relevant to your event. You can decide which social channel to use based on your event type. For instance, if you’re hosting an event whose target audience is B2B, then LinkedIn or Twitter should be your go-to channel.
For e-commerce brands, Instagram would be best. No matter which channel you choose, never send your pitch right away. That won’t work as your target sponsor might not know you, and their chances of accepting your pitch are close to zero. Here are some tips for writing cold DMs to get a response from your target sponsor: Be clear about your
intention before you reach out to people.
Research your target sponsor. Don’t copy-paste templates. Focus on adding value to stand out in your recipient’s DMs. Talk about the benefits they’ll get out of this sponsorship. Let’s talk about reaching out to your sponsors through cold email outreach.
Email outreach begins with finding an active email address to target sponsors.
There are two ways to collect the email address: Check out their LinkedIn profile LinkedIn is one of the first places you should use to get an email address. Often many professionals have made their email addresses public, which you can find in the ‘Contact info‘ section. If it’s not there, check their ‘About‘ section. Couldn’t find email through
LinkedIn? Email finder tools can help. There is an email finder tool that’ll help you give the email address of your target sponsor. To do that, you must have their name and the organization they currently work in. Any additional information would be useful too. Once you have that, you can put this information in any of these tools: Hunter.io Snov.io
Apollo.io Find that lead Prospect.io Once you get their active email address, the next step is to reach out to them. To ensure you get a response to your email, you must perfect your sponsorship pitch. Pitching an event to potential sponsors is about communicating why your event is a great fit for the sponsor and what value you offer in return.
Here is how you can nail your event sponsorship pitch: Begin with introducing yourself, your organization, and the event. Provide all the details about yourself so that the respected party knows who you are.
If you don’t introduce yourself clearly, there might be a window for interpretation, which can affect your credibility. So, make sure your email includes the following: Your name Your organization name Your désignation Details about your events. Talk about why you reached out to them After the introduction, shift your focus from yourself to the
sponsor. Talk about why you decided to choose them over other sponsors. Did you attend an event sponsored by them? Did you hear good things about them in your network? Are they the right fit for your brand? This step is crucial as it will show your interest and readiness to have them as your sponsor. The more personalized you make this section,
the more the recipient will be eager to read further. Include social proof to build your credibility This is important as you need to build trust with the target sponsors, and testimonials, reviews, number of attendees, and past sponsors can help you build that trust. Talk about the kind of events you have organized in the past and what was the
attendance and engagement rate. All this helps increase your chances of closing the deal with the target sponsor. Don’t forget to add the sponsorship package – Your golden ticket A sponsorship package is a golden ticket to help you close more deals. It’s a document, PDF, or slideshow that shows what the sponsors will get if they partner with you. It
also includes all the event details the sponsor needs to know to make their decision. You won half the battle if you have a compelling sponsorship package. Close by thanking them and asking for a follow-up Always thank the recipient for their time and end with a clear call to action. Often the CTA is to discuss the sponsorship opportunity further. But,
you can also ask them to check out resources to know more about you and your offer.
It will familiarize them with your brand which increases your chances to hear back from them. Clear CTAEvery successful cold email has a very clear call-to-action.It has to be specific and succinct.Use hard enters and spacing to make sure it stands alone in the body of the email. It should be effortless to find and understand the ask.Be bold, but don't
overreach.