Sponsors are essential for any successful conference, but how do you convince them that your event is worth their investment? You need to show them the value of your conference in terms of exposure, engagement, and return on investment. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling sponsorship proposal and report.
Before you approach potential sponsors, you need to do some research and find out who they are, what they do, and what they want. You want to align your conference goals, theme, and audience with their brand, mission, and objectives. You also want to understand their budget, expectations, and preferences. This will help you tailor your pitch and offer them the most relevant and attractive sponsorship opportunities.
A sponsorship package is a document that outlines the benefits and costs of sponsoring your conference. It should include a clear and concise overview of your conference, such as the purpose, date, location, agenda, speakers, and attendees. It should also highlight the different sponsorship levels and options, such as logo placement, booth space, speaking opportunities, social media mentions, and attendee data. You should also include some testimonials, case studies, or statistics from previous sponsors or events to showcase your credibility and impact.
What is described here is not a sponsorship package, but instead a sponsorship pitch deck. A sponsorship package is an individual package a sponsor can buy. The package describes all the visibility that is included in the given price so that the sponsors have a clear idea of what to expect in return for the investment.
Your value proposition is the main reason why sponsors should choose your conference over others. It should answer the question: what's in it for them? You need to communicate your value proposition clearly and convincingly in your sponsorship proposal and report. You should focus on how your conference can help them achieve their goals, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, building relationships, or enhancing reputation. You should also use metrics and examples to demonstrate how your conference can deliver on these outcomes.
This should be the beginning of the sponsorship pitch deck. The place where the potential sponsor understands why they should sponsor.
One of the best ways to show your conference's value to sponsors is to track and measure your results and share them with your sponsors. You should define your key performance indicators (KPIs) and use tools and methods to collect and analyze data before, during, and after your conference. Some of the common KPIs for conference sponsorship are impressions, reach, engagement, conversions, and satisfaction. You should also solicit feedback from your sponsors and attendees to gauge their satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.
A sponsorship report is a document that summarizes the results and outcomes of your conference sponsorship. It should include a brief introduction, a recap of the sponsorship objectives and activities, a presentation of the data and metrics, and a conclusion with recommendations and next steps. You should also include some visuals, such as graphs, charts, photos, or videos, to make your report more appealing and engaging. You should send your sponsorship report to your sponsors within a few weeks after your conference and thank them for their support.
Showing your conference's value to sponsors is not a one-time thing. You should aim to maintain a long-term relationship with your sponsors and keep them updated and involved in your future events. You should also express your appreciation and recognition for their contribution and seek their feedback and suggestions for improvement. You should also look for ways to add value to your sponsors, such as introducing them to potential partners, inviting them to exclusive events, or featuring them in your newsletters or podcasts.
The goal of each sponsorship is to create a win-win-win situation. A win for the sponsor, a win for the organizer and a win for the attendees. As such every event organizer must make sure that sponsors not only seek visibility but truly contribute to the success of the event by providing an added value for the audience. Only then the sponsorship will be perceived as something positive by the attendees and the sponsor will create a lasting memory (aka a good conversion rate and ROI).