Tips for Designing Event Sponsorships that Sell

Sponsorships are often a crucial fundraising component to an event and if leveraged correctly can not only help boost your revenue but also reduce expenses, provide additional value to your attendees or elevate your brand by the association.

Sponsorship securement, negotiations and execution are all complex and strategic components of event planning that require tactful preparation as well as adaptability in implementation.

A Sponsorship Deck or Sponsorship Proposal is a pitch document designed for a potential sponsor to provide an overview of the event and set a starting point for negotiations. In creating your Sponsorship Deck, there are several categories of content sponsors will be looking for as well as some optional components to consider to upgrade your Deck (and ultimately your chance of securing the “Yes…we’re in”).

-The Basics on Your Event – Include your event name, date(s), times and location

-Your Event Description – Paint a clear and vivid picture of the format, concept and history of your event. Explain the vibe you will be creating and why this event is going to be hotter than the WAP video (…or classier enough to host Kate Middleton).

-Your Branding (if available) – give a visual representation into the event marketing look. Don’t let this hold you up if it is still in the works but you should make sure your Deck is aesthetically designed.

-Demographics – Let the sponsor know statistics on past attendees of for first-time events explain your target audience. Corporate sponsors will want to be sure these align with their target market and often need to show this information to higher ranks in the company for approvals.

-Marketing Plan (if applicable) – Outline how and where you will be promoting the event and your strategy for making it a success for both you and the sponsor. This is most common in public events.

-Benefactor ­(if applicable) – Explain how funds will benefit the community or your charity partner.

-Sponsorship Descriptions ­– include what they get and what they need to give you…don’t worry, we’ll discuss this more…

-Next Steps ­­­– Provide a registration form, a link to an online portal or contact information for who they connect with to reserve their sponsorship or ask questions.

The above are items that should be consider for inclusion in every Sponsorship Deck. But now let’s go over the types of Sponsorship Decks.

-One-Offs or Individual Deck – a deck individually created for one type of sponsorship. For example, instead of sending your Beer Sponsor a full menu of sponsorships that wouldn’t really apply to their needs, you might want to send a packet with just the information on this specific style of sponsorship.

-Generic or Full Deck – a complete menu listing of various sponsorships available at the event covering a range of exposure levels and investments. For this style of packet, including a chart can be helpful for giving an easy-to-understand breakdown of the level variations.

SPONSORSHIP DESCRIPTIONS

The meat of your Deck will be outlining the partnership(s) you are proposing to the Sponsor(s). Remember that sponsorships can take many forms and to consider Cash, In-Kind and Combination formats. Take time outlining these packages and get creative with the type of exposure you can offer. Most sponsors will be looking for more innovative benefits in their package than just “I pay you $10,000, and you put my logo on a poster.” Think experiential…what areas of your event can you give a sponsor dedicated exposure that will get them high visibility.

Here are some categories of exposure beyond “logo inclusion” to consider when outlining your sponsorship benefits:

-Customized take-homes/favors/freebies

-Photo opps/sets

-Specialty effects like gobos, laser shows

-Speaking time

-Tickets/tables/suites

-Personal experiences like meet & greet access, exclusive tastings

-Activation space

-Unique signage recognition like stage banners or decals

-Product features like sole beer sold

-Digital advertising

-Category exclusivity

After compiling your Sponsorship Deck, make sure to run through this cross-check process to make sure you’re best prepared to seal the deal.

-Have I covered all of the Who, What, Where, When and Whys?

-Have a painted a clear picture of the event?

-Am I offering unique exposure to the sponsor(s)?

-Am I clearly explaining the value provided and selling sponsorship at my event as a top-notch opportunity?

-Is this information easy to understand?

Always remember yourself, and remind your potential sponsors, that Sponsorship Decks are the beginning of a conversation. Be prepared to be adaptable in the negotiations, creating customized packages specifically tailored to the needs of a sponsor’s brand.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jenna Thompson

Jenna is a mountain based Yogi with a love for veggie focused foods. When she's not in Warrior Pose you can find her spending time with her Avalanche Rescue Dog Luna with a Matcha Latte in hand!