The right ideas = the right sponsors. And having strong sponsor support can mean the difference between a good event and a great one. After all, with the right sponsors, you’ll not only receive financial support but also:

• Establish valuable partnerships
• Enhance your brand visibility
• Add credibility to your event

And so much more!

Of course, it can be tricky to get the right sponsors. But if you offer the right incentives, your chances multiply! So let’s explore 66 creative event sponsorship ideas that will help you secure sponsorships for events of all kinds.

How Do You Ask a Company To Sponsor an Event?

But first… how do you find your sponsors? If this is your first time, don’t worry—it’s not so hard once you know how to ask for sponsors for an event. And if you’ve got quite a few sponsorships under your belt, you might find something new to consider! 

Follow these simple steps to increase your organization’s chance of securing sponsorships:

1. Identify your needs

You might start by asking: how do I find sponsors for an event? Instead, try asking yourself: what part of my event requires financial support? 

Maybe it’s venue rental, marketing expenses, speaker fees, technology requirements, accessibility support, or catering costs. Make a list of what you can cover and what you need your sponsors for, and then…

2. Determine what you can offer

Make sure you learn what sponsors hope to achieve through your collaboration and define your offerings.

According to a 2022 survey by The Partnership Professionals Network and Dynamic Benchmarking, one reason sponsors’ objectives aren’t achieved is because associations don’t know sponsors’ goals. In fact, only 21% of sponsors achieve their objectives “most of the time”!

So how do you make sure your sponsors are in that 21%? Generally speaking, by offering to become sponsors, companies seek to:

• Create business development and growth
• Foster brand exposure and differentiation
• Be portrayed as thought leaders

To help your potential sponsors achieve these goals, you could:

• Feature sponsors’ educational content in your event
• Offer lead generation opportunities
• Organize networking lounges

And more.

3. Create sponsorship levels

Got your offerings ready? Great. Start categorizing them into different sponsorship levels. This allows sponsors to choose the option that aligns best with their marketing/business objectives and budget.

For events like conferences, trade shows, or festivals, sponsorship levels can include benefits like:

And tons of others.

4. Build your sponsor package

With your sponsorship levels ready, you can now price and build your sponsor package.

So how should you price your package? You want to look at:

• Your organization’s needs
• What your sponsors can afford to pay
• What competitors are offering
• What the overall cost of your event is 

Every event is different, but make sure you’re meeting industry standards!

To add even more options for sponsors, you could also offer à-la-carte benefits. These allow companies to sponsor a specific element of your event. 

5. Find potential sponsors

If you’ve organized events with sponsors before, make sure you look into your current sponsors first. If not, take a look around your space. What are sponsors for similar events? Which potential sponsors are out there still?

Think specifically about how you can appeal to the sponsors you’re considering! 

Got your list of sponsors? Awesome. Now, you can…

6. Collect contact information

Try to start with the person responsible for handling sponsorships at your company of choice. After all, you don’t want to spend time crafting emails just to have them land in the wrong inbox!

Often, you want to reach out to someone from the marketing department. Some job titles to look out for include:

You could look into the company’s website to see if there’s any contact information there. If not, Google and LinkedIn are your friends! You can also use tools like Hunter.io to find the email of the person you’re trying to reach.

7. Send your first touch

It’s time to make a good first impression. Craft a compelling sponsorship proposal email or letter that communicates:

• What your event is about
• The sponsorship opportunities available

And most importantly: the value and benefits sponsors will get in return for their support.

Ideally, you’ll have all the details of your sponsorship package ready on your website or in a PDF. You can link potential sponsors to that site or attach the file in your email. In either case, your email should clearly communicate the benefits of sponsoring your event.

8. Follow up

Obviously: don’t send and forget! Once that first email’s out of the way, make sure you have a follow-up system to secure sponsor support and keep leads hot.

You should give potential sponsors ample time to review your proposal. This means several days to a week, tops. After that, you can follow up with a phone call or another email to discuss the opportunity further. You could address potential objections in this second email as well!

9. Communicate, communicate, communicate!

Maintain open lines of communication with potential sponsors throughout the whole negotiation process. If they come back with a question, try to address it as soon as possible—ideally, within 24 hours.

At the same time, don’t overcommunicate. If you’ve already followed up twice and haven’t received any responses, chances are they’re not interested. That would be the best time to call off the chase! Bombarding potential sponsors with tons of calls and emails will just make you seem desperate and unprofessional. Worse, you’ll burn a bridge with those companies by doing so.

What To Offer Sponsors for an Event: 12 Benefit Ideas

So how do sponsors benefit from events? Well, sponsors see many benefits when sponsoring events. 

Consider incorporating the following sponsorship benefits ideas to make your packages compelling:

Opening/closing ceremonies

Feature sponsor logos during the event’s opening and closing ceremonies. For a step up the sponsorship levels, you could also invite a sponsor’s representative to speak during these sessions.

Signage

Display sponsor logos on banners, posters, and directional signage throughout the event venue. Going virtual? Feature your sponsor logos on banner ads!

Event badges

Include sponsor logos on event badges or lanyards provided to attendees.

PR/media coverage

Include sponsors in press releases, media interviews, and event-related articles.

Reception

Provide sponsors with an exclusive opportunity to address attendees or host a branded reception.

Marketing collateral

Display sponsor logos on both online and offline marketing collaterals. These could be event brochures, flyers, the event’s landing page, and so on.

Session introductions

Boost their brand exposure by allowing sponsors to introduce speakers or sessions.

Social media

Feature sponsors in pre-event, during-event, and post-event social media posts and campaigns.

Certificates

Recognize sponsors with certificates of appreciation or achievement.

VIP events or benefits

Provide exclusive access to special events or benefits for sponsors and their guests.

Gift bags

Include sponsor-branded items or promotional materials in event gift bags. That way, your attendees will have a physical reminder of your sponsors even after the event is over!

Website

Showcase sponsors on your event website! You could feature their logos, company profiles, and links to their websites.

26 Event Sponsorship Ideas for Events of All Kinds

Hosting an in-person, hybrid, or virtual event? This is a great opportunity to get creative! But if you’re having trouble getting started, these 26 out of the box sponsorship ideas will help attract your ideal sponsors:

Workshop sponsorship

If you’re organizing a workshop or if it’s part of your event, you could partner with companies that offer products or services relevant to the workshop’s theme. Sponsors could show their expertise by:

• Introducing and explaining the workshop
• Providing educational resources
• Having a representative run the whole workshop
• Sponsoring payment for a workshop speaker in their network

Awards sponsorship

Are you hosting an award show? Having sponsors can help underwrite the cost of the awards. In return, your sponsors can present the awards to gain visibility during the ceremony.

Event technology sponsorship

You could partner with tech companies to boost engagement for your event. In return, offer them branding or feature their logos in:

• Social media wall
• Cell phone charging lockers
• Interactive theme gaming (like Jeopardy!)
• Your mobile event apps

Psst—EventMobi sponsors some associations every year. Get in touch if you think you’d be a great fit. We usually work with associations that support event and meeting planners and organizers!

Media sponsorship

For media coverage, reach out to media outlets or publications targeting your event’s audience! In exchange for their promotion, provide sponsors with advertising space or exclusive interviews.

Expert speaker sponsorship

For companies interested in establishing their thought leadership, you could offer:

• Speaking opportunities
• Prominent branding during sessions featuring sponsored speakers

Stage sponsorship

Provide sponsors with brand exposure throughout your event by featuring their logos on your event stage or naming the whole stage after them. As a highly visible sponsorship opportunity, a stage sponsorship can be how to get corporate sponsors for an event!

Research sponsorship

Does your event feature groundbreaking research? You can partner with organizations interested in making a difference! Provide them with opportunities to take part in, facilitate, or present research findings.

Booth sponsorship

Your sponsors could exhibit their products or services in a designated booth area! Go above and beyond and provide them with branded signage, promotional materials, and lead retrieval systems.

Registration area sponsorship

The registration area is a great way to introduce your sponsors. Display your sponsors’ logos and branding while attendees check in and get event materials. 

Lounge sponsorship

Offering comfortable lounges for attendees? You could provide sponsors with the opportunity to brand and decorate these spaces. Bonus points if they provide food and beverage options.

Wifi sponsorship

Ever logged in to a branded Wifi network at an event? Your attendees will thank you for the connection, and your sponsors get event-wide visibility! 

Merch sponsorship

You don’t have to shoulder the cost of merchandise production yourself. Collaborate with sponsors to create branded merchandise, such as T-shirts, tote bags, or water bottles.

VIP sponsorship

Offer exclusive benefits and experiences to sponsors, such as access to VIP lounges, reserved seating, or private networking events.

Happy hour sponsorship

Happy hour and cocktail receptions are great for networking and sponsor branding. Allow sponsors to host a session so they can network with attendees and gain exposure.

Keynote sponsorship

Work with your sponsors to support keynote speakers! In return, offer them branding opportunities during these presentations.

Contest/giveaway sponsorship

Partner with sponsors to create engaging contests or giveaways. You can even use their products or services as prizes.

Charging station sponsorship

Events can be a battery drain! Set up charging stations throughout the event venue, branded with your sponsor’s name or logo.

Accessibility sponsorship

Collaborate with sponsors to provide meaningful accommodations! They could cover the cost of sign language interpreters, closed captioning services, or assistive devices. This is a great opportunity for potential sponsors to show their commitment to accessibility. 

Q&A sponsorship

Here’s a chance for companies to directly interact with attendees: sponsoring Q&A sessions or panel discussions. Offer a moderation role to your sponsor for some valuable face-to-face time! 

Lanyard or badge sponsorship

Display sponsor logos on event lanyards or badges worn by attendees.

T-shirt sponsorship

Offering T-shirts to staff or attendees? Collaborate with sponsors to produce event T-shirts featuring their logos!

Venue sponsorship

Need a venue for your event? Partner with companies interested in hosting your event and offer them branding opportunities throughout the venue. 

Brand activation sponsorship

Boost your sponsors’ brand exposure with booths, exhibitions and interactive experiences.

Social media sponsorship

Even if you’re in person, don’t forget about social media! Connect with influencers so they can feature your event in stories, posts, and activate their audience in support, pre-, during-, and post-event. 

Volunteer sponsorship

Allow sponsors to support and engage with event volunteers to show their commitment to community involvement. They could sponsor a branded pizza party, volunteer gifts, or a green room snack station.

Program sponsorship

Offer sponsors the opportunity to advertise in the event program! They could also have a dedicated section to show their products or services.

5 Association Event Sponsorship Ideas

Associations have specific needs and benefits to offer sponsors! When you’re planning your next association event, consider these 5  unique sponsorship ideas for association events:

Mentorship program sponsorship

Partner with companies that prioritize professional development, or are leaders in your space. They could offer mentorship opportunities to association members.

Certification program sponsorship

For sponsors interested in supporting certification programs, you could offer them branding opportunities during certification ceremonies or training sessions.

Member perks sponsorship

Engage sponsors to provide exclusive discounts, perks, or benefits to association members. This is an easy way to highlight their commitment to the industry!

Annual conference sponsorship

Hosting an annual conference? You could offer sponsors branding opportunities, speaking slots, and networking events. For the right sponsor, you could even let them sponsor the whole event.

Special events sponsorships

Develop sponsorship opportunities for your association’s special events, such as networking mixers, gala dinners, or educational workshops.

10 Virtual Event Sponsorship Ideas

Looking for sponsorship ideas for your virtual events? Look no further. And psst: these work for your hybrid events, too.

Webinar sponsorship

Your sponsors could present webinars on relevant topics. If you’re using an event management platform like EventMobi, you could also:

• Highlight your sponsors with banner ads and sponsored messages during these sessions
• Create sponsored live polls

Online certification sponsorship

Partner with sponsors to support online certification programs! You could offer them branding opportunities during certification courses or exams. Alternatively, you could look for a learning management system sponsor to host your certifications and courses.

Virtual booth sponsorship

Wondering how to display sponsors for an event when it’s virtual? Provide them with virtual exhibition booths! Here, they can showcase their products or services, interact with attendees, and collect leads. You could offer 1:1 video meetings for their booths as well!

Gamification sponsorship

Gamification is great to engage your attendees while offering sponsors brand exposure at the same time! With an event management platform like EventMobi, you could promote your sponsors through gamification by:

• Offering branded challenges
• Staggering gamification points to match sponsor investments
• Using scavenger hunts to deliver leads to exhibitor and sponsor pages

Sponsored refreshment gift cards

Offer sponsors the opportunity to provide attendees with virtual refreshment gift cards! It’ll let your virtual attendees feel like they’re getting hor d’oeuvres delivered directly to their home or office. Besides visibility, this helps create a positive association for brands as well.

Sponsored contests

Engage sponsors by creating sponsored contests or competitions during the virtual event. You can use their products or services as prizes.

Virtual community space sponsorship

Establish a virtual community space where attendees can network, connect, and share ideas. With EventMobi, this space could offer sponsors:

• Branded live stream sessions, webinars, and live product demos
• Dedicated sponsor Video Libraries
• Virtual Exhibitor Booths complete with 1:1 Video Meetings
• Sponsored event game challenges
• Banner ads and sponsored messages

Virtual event app sponsorship

A mobile app makes virtual events easy to navigate and keeps attendees connected. With EventMobi, you could help boost sponsors’ visibility through your event apps by:

• Using banner ads to highlight your top-tier sponsors
• Promoting networking with virtual exhibitor booths
• Leveraging live polls and surveys to gather feedback
• Introducing sponsors through Sponsor Profiles
• Connecting sponsors with attendees through 1:1 Appointment Booking

Social media filter sponsorship

Social media filters are an easy way to promote your event while featuring your sponsors! Collaborate with sponsors to create branded social media filters or frames to use during the virtual event so your attendees can rep your event in style.

Virtual happy hour sponsorship

Just like with an in-person event, sponsors could host happy hours or networking sessions for virtual events from the comfort of their own spaces. 

Trade Show Sponsorship Ideas

Trade shows provide valuable opportunities for businesses to showcase their products and services. Take a look at these two event sponsorship ideas for trade shows:

Trade show session sponsorship

Allow sponsors to present educational sessions or workshops. Provide branding opportunities during these sessions to help your sponsors demonstrate their relevance to the industry.

Trade show technology sponsorship

Collaborate with sponsors specializing in event technology solutions. They’ll have a chance to present their products and services to exhibitors and attendees.

6 Sponsorship Ideas for Fundraising Events

Fundraising events rely heavily on sponsor support. To best secure sponsorships for your fundraising events, consider these sponsorship ideas:

Auction item sponsorship

Invite sponsors to donate high-value items or experiences for fundraising auctions. Then you can provide branding opportunities for these sponsors during the auction.

Silent auction sponsorship

Get sponsors to cover the costs associated with organizing a silent auction. Offer branding opportunities during the auction and recognition for their support.

Gift matching sponsorship

A matching gift program is an effortless way for nonprofit donors to maximize donations! You could partner with companies that offer gift matching programs to multiply the impact of donations received. Best of all, this will also encourage your audience to donate to your cause.

Volunteer recognition event sponsorship

So many fundraising events wouldn’t be possible without volunteers. Why not collaborate with sponsors to host a special event or ceremony to recognize and appreciate event volunteers?

Donation station sponsorship

Your attendees need a place to actually donate to your cause. Give sponsors the chance to brand and support donation stations at your fundraising event!

Cause marketing sponsorships

Your cause is worthwhile, and you can find sponsors who know that too! Cause marketing allows your organization to connect with a corporate partner who wants to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility. 

How to Thank Sponsors for An Event: 5 Ideas

Expressing gratitude to sponsors is crucial for building long-lasting relationships! Here are a variety of ways to show your appreciation:

Personalized thank-you letters

Send personalized letters to sponsors to thank them for their support. Take the time to highlight the impact their sponsorship had on the event’s success in these letters! If you want to go the extra mile, handwrite them and get them signed by your organization’s leaders.

Fulfill on sponsor benefits

Your sponsors have held up their end of the bargain, so make sure you put together a sponsorship fulfillment checklist and start checking off those boxes! Keeping sponsors in the loop at every step is another great way to build trust, and you can sweeten the pot with analytics (E.G. how many people liked a sponsored post, viewed a banner ad)

Reception thank you

Host a special reception or dinner to thank sponsors. This is an opportunity for them to network with other key stakeholders as well!

Post-event report

Track and report on the ROI of your event and sponsorship efforts. This helps sponsors know how their support has paid off and can encourage them to collaborate with you again. 

Some event management platforms allow you to track and report on your analytics. EventMobi, for example, offers different ways to measure your event analytics like:

Whether your event is virtual, hybrid, or in person, your sponsors will have a clear idea of the benefits of your partnership.

Extra benefits for repeat sponsors

Offer additional perks or benefits to sponsors who consistently support your events, such as discounted sponsorship rates or priority access to future opportunities.

Get Your Dream Sponsors With These Creative Event Sponsorship Ideas

By now, you should have all the tools you need to:

• Effectively approach potential sponsors
• Create attractive sponsorship packages
• And offer compelling benefits that align with sponsors’ marketing objectives

If all goes well, you’ll form strong relationships with sponsors who can provide ongoing support for your organization’s events!

To best offer sponsors what they deserve, you need a versatile event management platform like EventMobi. Every year, EventMobi helps thousands of attendees meet & engage with awesome sponsors, in-app and on the event floor. We offer…

…and everything else you need to create sponsor value that will help your events flourish.

The post 66 Creative Event Sponsorship Ideas to Help You Secure Your Ideal Sponsors appeared first on EventMobi.

Your sponsor levels should speak to your sponsors’ needs. One way to do that is to research your sponsors (and your competitors!) and come up with event sponsorship levels that are made just for them.

But let’s be real, figuring out sponsorship options can feel a bit overwhelming. What benefits should you offer? How much should you charge? How many should there be?

In this post, we’re going to break down the ins and outs of sponsorship levels—what they are, whether you should use them for your event, and how you can create levels of sponsorship effectively. Let’s dive in.

What Are Sponsorship Levels?

Sponsorship levels provide potential sponsors with options to support your next event.

That could mean they receive more benefits for more money; they could be themed for different types of sponsors (eg. media, venue); or they could be off-the-wall creative.

For events like conferences, trade shows, or festivals, sponsorship levels can include benefits like:

And tons of other boons.

For nonprofit events like a charity run or a gala, sponsorship levels can include donor networking opportunities or exclusive access to events. 

Ask First: Do I Have to Have Sponsorship Levels?

Hold up: not every event needs sponsorship levels!

Managing levels of sponsorship can take a lot of time and energy from your team, so ask yourself these questions first:

• How big is your event?  Sponsorship levels may be more suitable for larger, more complex events with a range of potential sponsors and stakeholders. Plus, you need an audience big enough to attract sponsors!
• Do you have different types of sponsors?  If your event attracts sponsors with different needs and goals, creative sponsorship levels can provide them with benefits tailored to their needs.
• Do you have the capacity to manage tiers? Consider whether you’ll have the time and resources to implement sponsorship levels. You’ll need to fulfill benefits for each tier, manage and track sponsor agreements at each level, and more.
• Are you bringing value at every tier? Ensure you can offer unique value at every sponsorship level, and make sure you can deliver on the promises made to sponsors.
• Can you meet your event’s needs without sponsorship levels? You might not need sponsor levels if you have a small event or a big one with a small range of sponsors. Or your sponsors may prefer having tailored sponsorship packages for their investment.

To summarize, whether you need sponsorship levels will depend on your goals, your event’s size and scope, your resources, and your sponsors. Think about what’s involved in having basic sponsorship offerings vs. levels or custom packages, and which will fit your sponsor profiles more.

The Benefits of Event Sponsorship Levels

Okay, so we know we need sponsor levels. Your sponsors are ready to feel special and gain extra value—and your event has tons of needs to fulfill.

What’s in it for you? Here are the common benefits:

Generate more revenue through upselling

Say you’ve worked with a sponsor who’s totally invested in your mission. If you build out a tiered sponsorship level package, you give them the opportunity to invest more in your event—and get even more out of it. That’s an A+ for both parties.

Lighten your team’s workload

There are two ways sponsor levels help you ease the stress of event planning. First, you’re not running around creating custom packages for every single sponsor—you’ve got a plan! Second, it gives you more ways to have your sponsors help you run an awesome event. For example, what if you had a sponsor responsible for your networking programming?

Better sponsor relations

Everyone likes to feel seen. When you craft sponsorship levels that are made directly for your target—or existing—sponsor types, you make it easier on both of you to have a relationship that works. It’ll make pitching sponsors easier, and they’ll also know they’ll be taken care of and understood when they sign on.

Increase sponsor visibility

Your sponsor levels should offer benefits that get sponsors directly in front of the audience they’re trying to reach. Do you have a stage that’s all about marketing nonprofit events? Make sure a nonprofit advertising agency has the chance to sponsor that stage!

Give sponsors the VIP treatment

Sponsors that invest at higher levels can have unique perks, such as dedicated speaking time to event attendees and access to VIP areas of the event. This can make sponsors feel valued and appreciated, which can help to build stronger relationships and loyalty over time.

How to Create Sponsorship Levels

You’re ready to build out your sponsorship levels, put together your sponsorship packages, and start converting sponsors.

Here are the 9 steps that will help you create your sponsor tiers, monitor them, and improve them for the future.

1. Evaluate current sponsors and identify potential sponsors

Before looking for new sponsors, you should first look into current sponsors and their contributions to past events. This can help you understand the benefits sponsors are looking for, which allows you to improve your event sponsorship levels to attract new sponsors.

You should also take a look around your space. What are the sponsors for similar events? Which potential sponsors are out there still?

2. Figure out sponsor needs

Once you’ve identified the targeted sponsors for your event, you can start figuring out and categorizing their needs and goals. Learn what sponsors hope to achieve through this collaboration and what benefits are most important to them.

Survey sponsors, check out competing sponsorship levels, and look at sample sponsor packages from outside your space—you never know where inspiration will strike.

3. Assign resources to fulfill sponsorship agreements

Before reaching out to sponsors, make sure you know if you have the resources to fulfill your offers. Make someone your sponsorship lead, responsible for fulfilling any and all obligations that come with signing on a new sponsor—especially the big ones.

4. Identify the benefits for each level

Start categorizing your benefits into your sponsorship levels. Make sure you clearly define and communicate these, and make them look absolutely irresistible. If you decide to offer à-la-carte sponsorship packages, start writing these down too.

5. Name your event sponsorship levels

You can use the good ol’ tier names (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) or come up with new ones depending on your event. Events with creative sponsorship levels may even attract the attention of more sponsors.

Say you’re organizing an annual fundraising event called the “Stars of Hope” Gala. The names of the gala sponsorship levels could stick to this theme. 

Here’s an example: Supernova Supporters ($50,000), Glittering Galaxies ($25,000), or Guiding Lights ($10,000). Or you can name your fundraiser sponsorship levels based on planets or solar systems. For example: Big Dipper Sponsors, Milky Way Sponsors, and Andromeda Sponsors.

6. Price your sponsorship levels and create your sponsorship package

Pricing your sponsorship levels is the trickiest part of the process. You’re going to want to look at your organization’s needs, what your sponsors can afford to pay, what competitors are offering, and what the overall cost of your event is. Every event is different, but make sure you’re meeting industry standards!

7. Reach out to sponsors and follow up with good leads

After creating and designing your sponsorship package, you can start contacting sponsors. As mentioned, make sure you reach out to your current sponsors first. And don’t send and forget: create a follow-up system to secure sponsor support and keep leads hot.

8. Deliver on your promises

It’s time! Your sponsors have held up their end of the bargain, so make sure you put together a sponsorship fulfillment checklist and start checking off those boxes. Keeping sponsors in the loop at every step is another great way to build trust.

9. Report on the results

Track and report on the results of your event and sponsorship efforts. This helps sponsors know how their support has paid off and can encourage them to collaborate with you again. 

Some event management platforms allow you to track and report on your analytics. EventMobi, for example, offers different ways to measure your event analytics like:

• Meetings booked
• Banner views and clicks
• Company page views
• Live poll and survey results
• Session data for sponsored programming
• Gamification participation
• Video views

Whether your event is virtual, hybrid, or in person, your sponsors will have a clear idea of the benefits of your partnership.

Get Inspired: Event Sponsorship Level Examples & Ideas

Need some inspiration to get going? Check out these event sponsorship level examples. The first example features a virtual conference with meaningful sponsorship level names. The second one is a personal finance annual event that also includes an à-la-carte benefits package.

Event 1: GitHub Universe 2020

GitHub Universe 2020 is a virtual conference that brings together tens of thousands of people to explore the future of software development, and the tools that will help us get there.

The full experience offers attendees three days of discovery and 50+ hours of content, with executive keynotes, speakers from prominent software companies, workshops, entertainment, and lots of opportunities to network in between.

Sponsorship levels for this event:

Event 2: FINCON 2023

FinCon is an annual event for personal finance content creators and influencers to connect with other bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, authors, advisors, coaches, and freelancers who create new media about financial topics. The vast majority of creators also attend to connect with brands for influencer or affiliate partnerships.

Sponsorship levels for this event:

À-la-carte benefits:

• Pro Networking table where companies can meet 1:1 with Pro Pass attendees: $2,500
• Brand Studio (to record content with creators and influencers): $1,000/30 minutes
• Host or plan your own dinner/event in conjunction with FinCon: $8,500

Next Steps: Design Your Own Sponsorship Package With Creative Sponsorship Levels

Having sponsorship levels tailored to the needs of your sponsors can benefit all parties involved. With the right sponsor levels, you can attract a wide range of sponsors. In return, sponsors can increase their brand exposure, generate leads, and build strong relationships with attendees.

Every year, EventMobi helps thousands of attendees meet & engage with awesome sponsors, in-app and on the event floor. We offer…

…and everything else you need to create sponsor value that will keep your revenue streams steady.

Additionally, if you’re looking for more sponsor-related information, check out these resources:

• How to Design Event Sponsorship Packages Too Good to Pass Up. Create event sponsorship packages that entice potential sponsors to commit to your event.
• 66 Creative Event Sponsorship Ideas to Help You Secure Your Ideal Sponsors. Check out this comprehensive list of event sponsorship ideas you can add to your sponsorship levels.

The post How to Create Sponsorship Levels & Lock in Sponsors [Examples!]  appeared first on EventMobi.

Before you partner with businesses to make your event a success, your sponsors should know who you are, why your event matters to them, what’s in it for them, and how they can help—all from your event sponsorship packages.

Use this pricing template to simplify the event sponsorship package design process.

Get the Template

What Are Event Sponsorship Packages?

Event sponsorship packages, or sponsor packs, are collections of marketing services and benefits offered by an event organizer to potential sponsors. They typically include various sponsorship tiers or levels, each with distinct benefits designed to attract sponsors of different sizes and budgets.

How to Create Event Sponsorship Packages

Sponsors have always been a crucial source of revenue for events. However, with so much competition for attendee attention, it’s crucial to show that you’re offering competitive and valuable in-person, virtual, and hybrid event sponsorship package options.

To start, think like a sponsor! That means considering what goals your event sponsors might be hoping to achieve by supporting your event, including:

An event sponsorship package is essentially your “pitch” on why potential sponsors should choose your event over other events or channels in which they could invest their budget. It’s critical to understand the goals of any existing and potential new sponsors so you can align your packages with those objectives.

Now more than ever, sponsors are looking for customized event sponsorship packages with the best ROI possible. No matter their more specific event goals, most sponsors are looking to unlock two main benefits from your partnership:

• The ability to establish connections with attendees
• Opportunities for maximum brand exposure

Considering these benefits, you’ll want to offer as many opportunities as possible for direct interactions between sponsor representatives and attendees. You’ll also need to provide sponsors with high-visibility opportunities to incorporate their brand messaging into your event content wherever possible.

If you address all of these needs in your event sponsorship package offerings, you’ll be guaranteed to yield excellent event revenues and loyal sponsors who return year after year.

What Should a Sponsorship Package Include?

There are many options when it comes to building a sponsor pack! To help guide your decision-making, you could follow one of two models:

1. Tiered Sponsorship Model. This is the traditional approach where a variety of features are included in the event sponsorship package offerings, depending on the sponsorship level.
2. À La Carte Sponsorship Model. This approach is commonly used to serve sponsors with specific needs or goals—being able to customize their event sponsorship package is essential to win their support.

Regardless of your model, all event sponsorship packages should include:

Starting with those points, you can then decide whether to use a tiered model or à la carte. We’ll review these different approaches in greater depth in the following sections.

How to Set Up Sponsorship Packages Using the Tiered Model

A tiered sponsorship model has a clear structure to follow. When you’re creating your sponsor deck, you can easily present the tiers in ascending order, from least to most expensive.

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how to build a tiered sponsorship model (that includes event technology features!):

Step 1: Create sponsorship levels.

Common sponsorship tier labels include Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Exhibitor, but you have lots of creative freedom to name the levels so that they fit your event theme or brand. Use your sponsorship levels to make your event seem fun and appealing to sponsors!

Remember that both your in-person event app and virtual event space provide plenty of opportunities for visual cues to signal sponsorship levels. When creating your tier levels, it’s a good idea to think about what sorts of badges or ribbons you can use to highlight each level of sponsorship. For instance, your event agenda may list the sponsors with a different colored star corresponding to each company’s tier level.

Tiered sponsorship packages allow sponsors to choose a level that best fits their budget and goals. Remember to include a range of options for both large and small sponsors! As you assign your sponsorship levels, be mindful to offer increasing value with each tier.

Step 2: Decide quantities per tier.

The next step is to determine how many event sponsorship packages of each tier level you need to sell to achieve your event revenue goals.

The more limited the quantity, the more you can charge for the sponsorship package. This exclusivity will also encourage sponsors to commit earlier so you’re able to better predict your revenue and plan your event.

The same principle applies to sponsor tier features—especially high-value offerings like prime scheduling slots for branded content.

When it comes to virtual events, your most popular sessions are equivalent to the trade show floor space that draws the highest foot traffic. If only your top sponsors are allowed to contribute to a keynote panel discussion, for example, exhibitors will rush to claim your premium event sponsorship packages!

Step 3: Distribute sponsorship benefits per tier.

The higher and more exclusive the tier, the greater the number of high-value benefits. Rank your benefits by value, and add increasingly more benefits as the tiers ascend. This step will allow sponsors to choose the tier that works best for them, increasing your overall opportunities for sponsorship.

To offer additional value, go beyond the standard tiers by offering custom sponsorship opportunities. Tailored packages may include sponsored networking events, VIP experiences, or opportunities for sponsors to provide educational content.

Ideas for À La Carte Sponsorship Packages

The à la carte sponsorship model is an alternative model for sponsors seeking to achieve specific goals or outcomes, such as attendee engagement or brand exposure. Consider structuring your à la carte sponsorship offerings based on the event’s lifecycle stages, like this:

Pre-event sponsorship options

Involve your sponsors in your marketing communications to build excitement before your event! Promote your sponsor using:

• Logos. Include the sponsor’s logo on your event registration page and any marketing communications promoting the event, such as registration invite emails.
• Social media. Post social media shout-outs to thank and promote sponsors ahead of your event. Make sure your attendees know which event features are made possible thanks to each sponsor!
• Speakers. Highlight your sponsors’ speakers! Building hype encourages session attendance on the day of your event.

• Giveaways. Everybody loves a prize! Your sponsored giveaways can help promote registration and build excitement for the event. For a virtual event, you can always mail physical prizes to online participants together with swag bags—or they can be rewarded through digital coupons, gift certificates, and discounts.

Highlight sponsors during the event

There are so many ways to promote your sponsors during your event! Try these methods to heighten your sponsors’ visibility:

• Banner ads. Use an event sponsor banner to highlight top-tier sponsors on the mobile event app and virtual event space home screen. It’ll be the first thing every attendee sees! You may also offer sponsors the option to hang a physical banner at your venue.
• Directions. Incorporate the sponsor’s logo into the show design by creating floor tiles for high-value sponsors with arrows pointing toward their stand. Then attendees will know exactly where to go!
• Sponsor profiles. Create dedicated sponsor profiles where you can feature the sponsor’s logo and information on your event app and virtual event platform.

• Signage. Place the sponsor’s logo on any printed and/or digital marketing materials or signage displayed in the event registration area or venue.
• Alerts. Send targeted alerts or push notifications with the sponsor’s logo included.
• Live polls. Running live polls during your event? Try highlighting the sponsor’s logo on the results window.
• Resources. Your event attendees are itching to learn more, and your sponsors have the info! Include links to downloadable resources provided by the sponsor, such as brochures or product collateral.

• Gamification. Structure your challenges so that attendees need to visit sponsors’ exhibitor booths (either physically or online) to collect codes. Award extra points and prizes for more in-depth interactions with sponsors.
• Appointment booking. Enable sponsors to connect with attendees via sponsored group discussions, private chats, and 1:1 meetings. Bookings are easy when they’re built into your event app! 
• Exclusive sessions. Help sponsors create a more personal connection with attendees by hosting breakout sessions for targeted groups, either on-site or in interactive breakout rooms online.

Post-event opportunities for sponsors

Although your event may be over, there are still ways to promote your sponsors. Experiment with these post-event sponsor opportunities:

• Follow-up communication. You’ll be emailing your attendees with post-event surveys and other information, so why not include the sponsor’s logo and mention them in your message?
• Volunteer thank you party. If you have volunteers, your sponsors could fund a post-event get-together where you show your appreciation for their time.
• Video library. Incorporate sponsor content into an ongoing library of on-demand video content. You could embed links to their virtual booth or website and then add contact information in the session description.

Event Sponsorship Examples

Now that you know what goes into the two main types of event sponsorship packages, how do you put one together so you can start promoting it? You can try out both models (and even see examples!) by downloading these free templates:

À La Carte Pricing Template

Tiered Pricing Model Template

Level Up Your Sponsorship Packages with Event Tech

When curating irresistible event sponsorship packages, offering unexpected value can help attract and build relationships with your ideal event sponsors. 

One of the simplest ways to do this? Using the latest event tech to build impactful packages that sponsors can’t resist! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Offer virtual and hybrid event sponsorships. With virtual and hybrid events and event spaces, sponsor visibility can go digital! Consider benefits like sponsored sessions, digital banners, or branded virtual lounges.
• Leverage tech to connect. Use event technology to provide unique opportunities for sponsor engagement and visibility. Send push notifications in a mobile event app, leverage sponsored polls during sessions, or gamification features that drive attendees to the sponsor’s virtual or physical booths.
• Measure and share analytics. Sponsors want to see the return on their investment. Event technology makes it easy to track and share detailed analytics, which allows you to provide sponsors with tangible insights into their impact and reach.

If you’re looking for an event platform that can support your sponsorship strategy at every step of your event journey, EventMobi offers all of the above and more! Using EventMobi’s hybrid events platform, you can implement your digital event sponsorship offers and provide in-person support to your sponsors, with the post-event analytics to match.

Struggling to offer real value to your event sponsors?

Watch the EventMobi Product Tour to see how to increase sponsor engagement at every stage of your events and ensure exhibitor ROI with a lightning-fast Lead Capture App.

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How to Find the Right Event Sponsors

Equipped with top-tier event sponsorship packages, it’s time to go out and find your sponsors! Keep the following tips in mind to find sponsors that are right for your event and organization.

• Look for sponsors that align with your event’s theme, audience, and values. For example, if you’re organizing a tech conference, tech companies might be interested in your event sponsorship packages.
• Research each potential sponsor thoroughly. Understand their objectives, their target audience, and what they usually sponsor. It may also be beneficial to review their past sponsorships, their presence on social media, and any recent news about them to get an idea of their interests and reputation.
• Personalize communication. When you approach potential sponsors, make your message about them and how the sponsorship packages for your event can benefit them. Show how your event aligns with their goals and can offer valuable exposure to their target demographic.

How to Pitch Event Sponsorship Packages

Pitching your event sponsorship package effectively is crucial for securing sponsorships. Here are the steps to ensure a successful pitch:

1. Prepare a compelling sponsorship deck. A sponsorship deck, or sponsorship packet, is a presentation that highlights the benefits sponsors will receive from partnering with your event. It should include information about the event, audience demographics, sponsorship tiers, benefits of each tier, pricing, and examples of sponsorship packages from previous events.
2. Tailor your pitch. Customize your pitch to reflect each potential sponsor’s goals so you can show them exactly how your event will help achieve their objectives.
3. Highlight benefits. Clearly outline what’s included in each sponsorship tier. This could range from logo placement on promotional materials to booth space at the event to speaking opportunities to social media mentions.
4. Provide a clear call to action. Make it easy for potential sponsors to take the next step. This could be a meeting to discuss the event sponsorship packages in detail, a link to a registration form, or contact information for further inquiries.

Remember to follow up after your pitch, thank the potential sponsor for their time, and be prepared to negotiate the details of the sponsorship package.

Also, consider offering digital event sponsorship packages for sponsors who wish to reach out to your online audience! This can be especially useful if you run a year-round event space, so sponsor engagement isn’t tied to specific events—just to how engaged your community is.

Next Steps: Designing Your Event Sponsorship Packages

By now, you should be well-equipped with the best strategies and tips to take your event sponsorship game to the next level. You know how to approach potential sponsors with the right pitch and create compelling, customizable event sponsorship packages that cater to their unique marketing objectives.

Remember that the secret to crafting an attractive sponsorship package lies in alignment—aligning the sponsor’s goals with the benefits you offer. Whether it’s through brand exposure, audience engagement, or valuable networking opportunities, ensuring your sponsors find the value they’re seeking is paramount.

With the rise of virtual and hybrid events, event tech has become a mainstay of the event industry—especially since in-person attendees at hybrid events rely on event apps to stay engaged and informed. As you may have noticed from the list of à la carte sponsor features above, many sponsor benefits apply equally to the in-person mobile event app as to the virtual event platform.

With the best event sponsorship packages at your disposal, you’re poised to form strong and enduring relationships with sponsors. These partnerships will not only provide critical support for your current event but pave the way for ongoing collaboration, bolstering your organization’s events now and in the future.

Want to learn more about increasing your event’s sponsorship opportunities? Check out these resources:

• 66 Creative Event Sponsorship Ideas to Help You Secure Your Ideal Sponsors. Not sure what to include in your event sponsorship packages? This article will equip you with a wide variety of ideas so you can secure your ideal sponsors.
• How to Create Sponsorship Levels & Lock in Sponsors [Examples!] For more in-depth information about how to create sponsorship tiers, check out this resource.

Looking for new ways to give sponsors a reason to return to your events, year after year?

Book your demo of EventMobi today to see how you can use a single, powerful platform to increase sponsor engagement and ensure Exhibitor ROI.

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The post How to Design Event Sponsorship Packages Too Good to Pass Up appeared first on EventMobi.

• Financial: The most widely-known type of sponsorship is a company donating money to fund an event. In exchange, the event organizer helps promote awareness of the sponsor by including their branding in marketing and event materials.
• In-kind: The sponsor will donate goods or services to your event, instead of providing funds. For example, a catering company might provide food and drinks, helping you reduce spending in this area.

While sponsors clearly provide valuable support for your organization’s events, establishing a successful partnership can be difficult. Not only must you identify businesses that are willing to sponsor you, but you must also find one that makes the process easy.

In this guide, we’ll cover six signs or characteristics of effective corporate event sponsors. Whether you’re hosting a product launch, school fundraiser, trade show, or another event entirely, we’ll help you identify sponsors that are sure to support you. Let’s dive right in!

1. Alignment of Values and Goals

Ideally, your sponsor won’t just partner with you for the marketing perks. They should genuinely care about your event’s success and want you to meet your goals. Therefore, seek sponsors that align with your mission, values, or goals for a smoother partnership.

An effective sponsor will align with either your overall or event-specific goals. For example, if your event’s purpose is spreading the word about your product, you may have trouble finding a sponsor specifically interested in promoting your new product. However, if your business’s mission is to bring sustainable goods to consumers, you can more easily identify organizations with similar ideals and reach out to them for sponsorship.

2. Financial Reliability

Since most corporate sponsorships provide monetary support, your partner should be financially reliable. Usually, that means you’ll look out for consistently profitable businesses with positive cash flow. You can usually discover this information in financial statements corporations publish for their stakeholders.

This isn’t to say that small businesses are not valuable partners—just because a business isn’t able to provide a large amount of funds doesn’t mean you should overlook their support. In fact, if your organization or event is on the smaller side, you may have difficulty securing a sponsorship from a large, well-established business.

Design sponsorship packages that accommodate many sponsorship levels to invite support from organizations of all different sizes. For example, you might create the following packages:

• Bronze: If an organization provides the equivalent of $1,000 in sponsorship, you’ll include their logo on your event site.
• Silver: If an organization provides the equivalent of $5,000 in sponsorship, they’ll get all the benefits of the bronze package, a social media shoutout, and a speaker slot on one of the event’s panels.
• Gold: If an organization provides the equivalent of $10,000 or more in sponsorship, they’ll get all the benefits of the lower packages, as well as its branding included on all event materials and a thank-you in the end-of-event speech.

With sponsorship packages and tiers like these, you can accept support from organizations no matter their size and profitability. Remember that the key is reliability, so make sure businesses you partner with have a positive reputation in their community and the greater industry.

3. Clear Communication

Think about the last time you worked with an uncommunicative vendor. Maybe a caterer took a while to get back to you about meal options for your event, or a performer showed up late and didn’t let you know. Not only is this unprofessional on the vendor’s side, but it’s stressful for your event staff.

While sponsors don’t have a traditional vendor relationship with your organization, a lot of communication still needs to take place for a successful partnership. For example, you’ll need to discuss:

• Details of the sponsorship
• Event information, including schedule, target audience, and more
• Marketing strategy
• Sponsor engagement opportunities, such as panels and product demonstrations
• Event planning progress, including any roadblocks

As you begin connecting with potential corporate sponsors, look out for how communicative they are. Does the main point of contact respond promptly? Do they schedule regular check-in meetings to ensure the partnership is going smoothly? Do they update you on any obstacles they’re experiencing on their end?

Transparency is an important component of any partnership—both organizations need to feel that the other is acting in their best interest. With clear communication, you can avoid misunderstandings and frustration in the event planning and sponsorship process.

4. Audience Alignment

Another common way for businesses to support the events they’re sponsoring is by promoting the event to their unique audience. This allows your organization to connect with more individuals who may buy your products, donate to your mission, or support your organization in other ways.

However, not everyone will be interested in your event or your organization—for example, if your association is hosting a conference to help medical professionals network, local homemakers probably won’t be interested. That means you need to work with a sponsor whose audience is similar to or includes yours.

Look for partners whose audiences align with yours in:

• Demographics
• Location
• Income level
• Lifestyle
• Interests

When your sponsor helps you promote your event, their audience will learn more about your organization and what you do. Having shared audience characteristics improves your chances of securing more registrations for your event and makes it easier for you to engage attendees with what you’re doing.

5. Strong Marketing Strategies

It’s not enough for a potential sponsor to have an audience that aligns with yours—they also need robust marketing strategies to maximize their outreach. Ideally, your sponsor should take a multichannel approach, sending promotional messages through these channels:

• Their website
• Email newsletters
• Social media
• Direct mail
• Text messages

Check out the sponsor’s digital marketing efforts and evaluate how effective they are based on how frequently they send messages and the levels of engagement they receive on social media platforms. After you’ve formed a partnership, you may ask them for a look into their marketing data to help you pinpoint which channels will be most effective at securing registrations for your event.

Not all sponsors will include marketing as part of their support, but the most effective ones will, as they understand how thorough promotion can only benefit your event.

6. History of Corporate Social Responsibility

Securing sponsorships can be more difficult for associations, nonprofits, and other mission-driven organizations, than for other entities. Since your organization doesn’t operate in the for-profit sphere, sponsors may stand to gain less from a partnership with you than with another business.

That’s why one of the signs of an effective event sponsor is a history of corporate social responsibility (CSR) or activities and initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to improving the business’s community. For example, Ben and Jerry’s supports a variety of movements that seek to eliminate injustices in its communities.

According to FundraisingIP, here are three top CSR programs businesses may implement:

• Matching gifts. In this program, the business matches donations its employees make to mission-driven organizations, usually at a 1:1 ratio. For example, if an employee donates $10, the company will donate $10 to the same organization.
• Volunteer grants. When an employee volunteers a set number of hours at a nonprofit, the business will donate to that nonprofit. For instance, the policy might be that after an employee volunteers for 30 hours within a calendar year, the company donates $50 to the nonprofit.
• Sustainable business practices. These practices vary from business to business but may include offering holistic compensation, respecting work-life balance, staying open to feedback, and reducing negative environmental impact.

Previous successful sponsorships are another marker of CSR. In particular, keep an eye out for businesses that have worked with organizations or on events similar to yours. For example, if your school is taking Funds2Orgs’s suggestion and hosting a shoe drive fundraiser, you would look for businesses that have previously partnered with schools or supported drive-style events.

When researching this information, directly checking the company’s website is a great place to start. Companies participating in CSR are usually proud of it and feature related information about their policies, previous partnerships, and more. For instance, in addition to outlining its values on its website, Ben and Jerry’s also includes links to its foundation, which provides grants to fund organizations across the country that are working for progressive social change.

When soliciting sponsorships, research businesses that are local to your organization, work in a similar vertical, and have previously partnered with similar organizations to yours for the best chance of identifying valuable potential partners. As you begin interacting with them and sending sponsorship proposals, remember the key characteristics above to help you decide if the partnership is worth pursuing.

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