CHOOSE AN AUDIENCE AND FOCUS
The first step to identifying where the true potential of the best event for your business lies, is by understanding who the audience of the specific event will be. Ask questions as to who previous attendees are, and go further by looking for job roles, locations and whether or not they are recurring guests. Also, focus on what you are looking to tell your audience through your sponsorship. Are you looking to physically engage or speak to them, benefit from brand awareness or strengthen your CSR goals? Pick an audience and your desired outcome, it will help focus in on what the best event and format aligns with your marketing goals.
CHOOSE THE BEST LEVEL OF SPONSORSHIP
Different levels of sponsorship offer varying degrees of visibility and association with the event. Assess the packages available, and look closely at the benefits.
Whether it’ s being a title sponsor, sponsoring specific categories or speaker slots, or contributing at a smaller scale, make sure you are choosing the best fit that aligns with your first outcome of goal and audience.
If you are looking to position yourself as an over-arching thought leader in the sector, title sponsorship would be a great place to start, or if you are more product based maybe look at a drinks reception sponsor where you get a specific, high traffic time during an event to showcase what you do – and the best bit about events – you can showcase HOW you do it!
MAKE THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITY
The event should provide the platform, the audience, the media partnership and the opportunity for you to engage with your audiences in a way that you aren’t
able to on your own. They bring together people, who ordinarily, wouldn’t necessarily all be in the same place at once and then it’s sprinkled with reason and the common purpose of the event (which every event should have!)
However, it is the role of the business to bring their best foot forward. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of an event but come prepared. Ensure you use the time effectively to maximise your in-person exposure. Your sponsorship has put your business front and centre of the minds of everyone in attendance – so make sure they know who that is and get networking!
BE PART OF THE FULL CAMPAIGN
Often it is key decision makers within a business who sign off and agree the sponsorship, whether that is the Business Owner, Marketing Director or Head of a
particular department. However, they are not always best placed to be the right individual to then deal with the sponsorship commitments. Ensure that you delegate upon agreement internally on who’s responsibility it will be to drive, and measure from your own ROI, the event sponsorship.
You don’t want to see great opportunities for editorial comment, enhanced benefit options or increased exposure being missed because the sponsorship hasn’t been delegated correctly. Don’t miss out on those key benefits and engage your marketing and PR team members from the start.
FOLLOW UP & REAP THE BENEFITS
Event Sponsorship isn’t selling. The event sponsorship gets people to know you exist, then gets people to think about your business more, and then it makes people far more likely to respond to the sales reach outs. Event sponsorship is pre-selling. It builds real life relationships, it builds familiarity, it’s building trust and credibility – things we know play a massive role in a sales decision. By the end of the event sponsorship, your business will be more aligned to a core sector, value, topic and audience. The event has raised your profile, so make sure in the following months you make the most of it and see the connections and brand awareness make a positive impact on your business.
If you would like more information on how your business can benefit from Event Sponsorship please get in touch today – Nina Holmes, Event Director, nina.holmes@newsquest.co.uk