Guest Post by Roberta Vigilance
Securing sponsors for events can save event planners, promoters, authors, and other professionals tens of thousands of dollars and more. 90% of securing sponsors is being passionate about the event you are planning. The other 10% is knowing what language to use, how to approach the sponsors, how to write the event sponsorship proposal, and how to build value for the brand sponsors.
Events take place every day — from seminars, fashion shows, book launches, talent shows, contests, award ceremonies, tours, birthday parties to fundraisers for causes such as hunger, breast cancer, education, homeless pets, and more.
Events can cost anywhere from three thousand dollars up to one million dollars and more.
People have learned over the years that securing sponsors is a smart and strategic way to implement events they are passionate about simultaneously save money, and with a little guidance you can too.
Securing sponsors is a give and take relationship bartering; trading value for value.
Connect Brands to Your Event
The sponsor is giving you money, products, services, or images (celebrities) to either cover or cut your event’s cost. In return for taking the sponsor money, products, services or images, you will give the sponsor specific benefits. The main benefit, however, is connecting their brand with your event’s audience. By doing so, you are allowing your sponsors to come up close and personal with your event audience either through placing banners at your event, developing an email list of your event audience, or providing other benefits the sponsors may need and desire.
Place Their Brand in Front of a Target Audience
This may sound as though you are allowing your sponsors to advertise in front of your event audience, but really what you are doing, and the sponsors know this, is placing their brand in front of a pure target audience. Because of you, your sponsors are fully aware of who they are placing their brand in front of.
Be Passionate
Remember the first thing to securing sponsors is to be passionate your event, this will give you the encouragement to close the deal and to keep moving forward when one door closes.
Know Your Audience
Some other key aspects of securing sponsors for events is to know your event audience, who are you planning the event for; is it for children? Who will be attending your event; is it their parents? What products or service do you believe they need and can afford?
Help Sponsors Achieve Their Goals
These are some questions you need to know the answers to before contacting any company for a sponsorship. You also need to know how your event will help the sponsors achieve their goals. What are you offering your sponsors in exchange for what they are giving you; a meet and greet with every individual at your event or introduction to a new market.
Think about your audience needs, what makes them happy, or live longer and healthier. Your answers will help you approach the right sponsors.
Be Honest
Do not make promises to your sponsors you know you cannot keep. Be honest. If something unforeseeable happens contact your sponsors asap. Ever heard of the saying, treat others like you would like to be treated; this goes for sponsors also.
Respect Sponsor Time
Another very important aspect of securing sponsors for your event is to respect the prospective sponsor time. After you’ve researched what companies you want to contact for sponsorship, have your speech ready. Briefly introduce yourself and the reason you are calling. Best wishes with planning your sponsored event and securing sponsors!
Securing sponsors for events can save event planners, authors, and others thousands of dollars.
Click To Tweet
Roberta Vigilance is a book author and event sponsorship consultant. Her motto: Plan Events. Secure Sponsors. For more information about her services and book (How to Secure Sponsors Successfully), see http://www.eventsandsponsors.com.