This week, I polled my LinkedIn community about sponsorships. Specifically, what keeps sponsors coming back for more, when it comes to their support of events?

One of the things I work on most with Clients is refining their sponsorship decks. As event organizers, we know that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to designing sponsorship packages, but it can feel exhausting trying to create custom sponsorship packages for each event or potential partner.

In getting down to the nitty-gritty of event sponsorship, it appears that two of the more popular offerings that I see in sponsorship decks, speaking opportunities and experiential or activation opportunities, are all but inconsequential to our potential partners.

What keeps sponsors coming back for more, then?

The overwhelming majority voted that relationships are what keeps them coming back, followed by exhibit opportunities, and then experiential which, when you think about it, are just another built-in way to build relationships.

Increasingly, I also see sponsors asking for a list of contact information of attendees. And guess what, sponsors? That’s illegal under GDPR.

How can event planners make sure their sponsors get a return on their investment, without jeopardizing attendee privacy?

Offer opportunities for your sponsors to truly connect with attendees in a non-threatening, non-sales way. This comes down to designing your programming with breaks and human-to-human connection in mind. For a small tweak, this may mean allowing your attendees to eat lunch before your keynote speaks instead of a simultaneous lunch and program. For a larger idea, you could designate one of your sponsors, or more of your sponsors, ‘networking hosts,’ and create networking opportunities throughout the week in conjunction with sponsor goals.

What should I include in upcoming sponsorship decks?

According to Bizzabo, 53% of organizations spend more money on sponsoring and attending events, (Forrester, 2024) while 47% of organizations spend more on hosting events than on sponsoring/attending events. (Forrester, 2024)

Custom packages will continue to be the winner, in my opinion, but making sure to focus on active sponsorships vs passive sponsorships will give you a chance to build the relationship, dig deeper about what your sponsor is looking to achieve and the resources at hand, and hopefully increase the chances that you’ll work with them in the future. This can include the opportunity to host an ancillary event, session, happy hour, or career fair during your event.

Want to learn more about budgeting for conferences and events for sponsorships and more? Read my blog on planning an impactful event on a budget for your next small business event!

Want to get in on future polls? Follow me on LinkedIn!

Resources:

• Bizzabo Blog