Planning a first-class event is the first battle, the next is actually funding it and making it a reality. For this, it is highly likely that you will need some strong support from event sponsors. Event sponsorship can come in many forms- from free catering to cash investments.
Sponsorship is only earned by how well you can display the value of your event to your sponsor. Your proposal needs to make a great impression from minute one. With so many events competing for a limited amount of sponsorship money, it’s critical to create a persuasive pitch.
1. Why Should it be Your Event?
Sponsors have a limited amount of time to evaluate a huge amount of proposals. This means you need to grab their attention within the first few seconds. If your proposal doesn’t immediately align with their objectives, they’re likely to disregard it straight away.
Establish credibility immediately and give prospective sponsors a reason to continue reading. Don’t waste their time by starting off with every detail of your event but at the same time don’t use vague buzzwords to try and get their attention.
Instead, quickly convey the “why” of your event: the primary reason your event exists. Is it to educate an audience on a new technology? To raise money for charity? Whatever your “why” is, make sure it is immediately clear in your proposal.
After this, make sure include extra information. Such as how long your event has been around, how many people attend each year, and what challenges you help attendees solve.
2. Your Data Means Nothing
Sponsoring an event is a business decision. If your proposal doesn’t paint a vivid picture of how your prospect will see a return on their investment, they’ll be quick to consider the next offer instead.
You may think your data clearly communicates the value of sponsoring your event, but numbers alone aren’t enough.
Think about the way you’re presenting your data. For instance, let’s say you wanted to communicate the average revenue of the companies and organisations your attendees represent. A bar chart might seem like a great idea at first, but a pie chart can communicate the purchasing power of your attendees more effectively.
If you’re using an event app, be sure to show the success of past sponsors. ROI is easily shown through graphs which are downloadable directly from the CMS of your event app.
Test different types of data visualisations and layouts to find the clearest, most compelling way to communicate your event data. A sponsor should be able to glance at your data and immediately see the message you’re trying to convey.
3. Your Offer isn’t Flexible
Sponsorship packages have been the gold standard for decades. But nowadays their ability to help you win sponsorship is decreasing.
The chances of you selecting the perfect mix of assets for a sponsor are very small. So instead of offering sponsorship packages that limit choices, give them a menu that allows them to mix and match to find a deal that best suits both parties.
That said, there are situations where providing sponsorship packages can be helpful. For example, they can help your sponsors know if your event is within their budget — which can help get smaller sponsors to commit quickly. But if you decide to include packages, make sure to let interested prospects know that custom sponsorships are also available.
If you are using an event app, make sure you promote sponsorship opportunities in your proposal. An event app offers lots of options for sponsors, particularly using CSS.
