As an organization that hosts events, you know just how much planning – and heart – goes into bringing your events to life. You also know obtaining support of sponsors is critical to your event success. While your sponsors’ goals may differ – financial support, investing in the community or raising awareness for a cause – one thing remains the same: events are a great way to not only reach, but genuinely connect and build relationships with their target audience.
How to keep your event sponsors coming back for more
Get your sponsors on board this year (and next!) by sharing your event’s ROI and incorporating a few of these donor-rich ideas:
- Provide unique sponsorship opportunities. While a logo on event banners and marketing materials (lanyards, name badges, tablecloths, etc.) is usually a given with sponsorships, many sponsors want unique ways for their brand stand out. Consider designing sponsorships that align with your sponsor’s specialty. Let your supporters sponsor the live streams or WiFi, take care of the fees for public safety services, provide food or water (don’t forget the napkins!), cover the band’s fees, or pay for the t-shirts. They can also add to the fun and the event’s theme with branded items like sunscreen or sunglasses at a festival, hand sanitizer at a conference, or sport bags at a race.
- Be proactively supportive. Whether your sponsors are first-time patrons or they’ve been around the block a time or two, don’t underestimate the power of providing tips on ways to optimize their sponsorship (like inviting their staff to the event to interact with attendees). Be proactive by sending sponsors a list of FAQs, as well as stats on last year’s attendees so they know what to expect. Most of all, be available to sponsors and their teams on the day of the big event!
- Say thank you. It’s one of the simplest but most important aspects of your event – thanking your sponsors. Whether you send them a heartfelt thank-you email with photos from the event, give marketing gifts like a sweet snack in custom packaging, show your appreciation with a simple note or stay top-of-mind with a customized calendar with next year’s event highlighted, your sponsors will appreciate the gesture and you’ll gain an even more positive reputation as an event organizer.
Hosting a top-notch event and keeping your sponsors coming back for more is a win-win-win: good for the community, good for your organization and good for building awareness and improving reputation for event organizers and sponsors alike.
