Collaboration between an event organizer and event sponsors is a perfect example of “unity is strength.” It is essential to understand how to create mutual value, ensuring the right benefits for both parties in relation to the event.
When organizing an event, there are countless details to manage, and no matter how perfectly you plan, you still need funding to bring it to life. Setting ticket prices too high is risky and ill-advised, as it can discourage attendance. The most effective solution is to find a partner to fund your event, in exchange for something: primarily visibility.
We’re talking, of course, about event sponsors: your strategic allies in creating a memorable event.
But how do you convince sponsors to invest in your event?
Here’s how the Win-Win strategy applies.
Event Sponsors: The Winning Strategy for Everyone
Engaging sponsors is a strategy that benefits all stakeholders. Think of it not just as a “win-win,” but a win-win-win: the organizer wins, the sponsor wins, and the participants win — because the collaboration helps deliver a better experience for them, too.
To secure the funding you need, it’s essential to communicate clearly all the advantages of cooperation to prospective sponsors.
Some tips to make your event more sponsor-attractive:
- Introduce yourself in detail: Provide a thorough presentation of the event — cover dates, location, draft programme, and confirmed / potential guests.
- Offer multiple sponsorship options: Clearly show different sponsorship tiers and pricing — differentiated by level of visibility and benefits.
- Promote the event: Use a well-planned marketing strategy ahead of time — leverage social channels and creativity. For example, if your target audience is younger, create a TikTok challenge, aim for virality, and offer incentives (event tickets or sponsor-provided prizes).
- Focus on data: It’s much easier to convince event sponsors when you can show stats from past editions: attendance figures, growth trends, social media engagement, and other metrics relevant to the type of sponsor you’re targeting. Bloomerang+1
- …and future data too: Make sure you will collect data during the event and, after it ends, provide sponsors with a comprehensive report showing that their investment was the right choice — persuading them to collaborate again in future editions.
Choose the Right Technologies
A high-quality event platform (such as LetzFair) is an ideal tool when organising in-person, hybrid, or fully virtual events.
LetzFair offers many features and also the ability to collect and analyse data — filtering by numerous criteria of interest. For example, it records registration data and metrics such as average time spent at a sponsor’s booth, offering sponsors measurable visibility. letzfair.com
Other features that help convince sponsors to fund your event include:
- Surveys and questionnaires: Collect visitor opinions and brand-awareness data related to sponsors.
- Push notifications: Promote sponsor-driven initiatives before, during, and after the event.
- Digital stands: Allow sponsors to set up virtual booths where they can host info, videos, links, photos — securing visibility before, during and after the event.
- Integrated e-commerce: If sponsors wish to sell products or services during the event, the platform supports it.
Conclusion
In summary: convincing event sponsors to finance and partner with you is a true win-win strategy (and often win-win-win) for all stakeholders involved.
But to establish such a partnership, you must clearly communicate the visibility and value the sponsor will receive by participating in your event.
Data will help you — both past performance data and the ability to collect and share event metrics with sponsors. Equally important are features that enable sponsors to boost their brand awareness among attendees.
As noted before, LetzFair enables all this and much more.
