Key Takeaways: Securing and nurturing corporate sponsors can make your conference possible while also creating long-term business relationships.
- Choose sponsors that are relevant to your audience and event theme.
- Be transparent with sponsors about attendee numbers, demographics, and event details.
- Promote sponsors visibly through branded merchandise, signage, and event materials.
- Maintain the relationship beyond the event for future collaborations.
Hosting a conference event is one of the best ways to gain more exposure for a business, especially if it is a new one. However, the problem with this is that start-ups don’t always have the biggest budget available to them. A great way to overcome this issue is by getting corporate companies to sponsor your event – but it is not always the easiest thing to attract these companies. To ensure you do this well, have a look at some of the tips below to help you secure some corporate sponsors for your event.
Find Relevant Sponsors
One of the key things to remember is that you will want to find sponsors which are relevant to the event you’re holding. It is great being able to get a sponsor to agree in coming and helping your event, but if they have nothing to do with the industry then it will be a waste of time for both you and the sponsor. Therefore, you should try and search for sponsors which are specific to the demographic that you expect to be attending the conference.
- Target companies that align with your event audience and industry.
- Provide clear data on attendance and demographics to build trust.
- Highlight sponsors through promotional products, signage, and visibility.
- Build long-term partnerships by following up after the event.
Clearly Outline the Details of Your Conference
When you are in the process of reaching out to sponsors, it is very important that you are completely transparent about the specific details of the event. The sponsor will need to know the number of guests you have confirmed, forecast of additional guests, the demographic of guests, the venue and the date. This way, after the event is over, the sponsor will not be able to complain about anything you said being untrue.
Promoting Your Sponsors
Once you have secured the contract from your sponsors, the next step is to make sure your sponsors are adequately promoted at the event. The specifics of this usually differ from sponsor to sponsor, but you would typically be expected to make sure their brand is clearly visible at the event. A great choice is to use promotional products, such as wristbands, t-shirts, hats or sunglasses which have the company’s logo on them. These can either be handed out to attendees or worn by the staff at the event.
Maintain the Relationship After the Event
Sponsorship for the conference is obviously great because it allows you to run the event, but another additional bonus is that it allows you to develop a business relationship with the company. There is a common saying that ‘it is all about who you know’, and if you are a start-up business, having some corporate connections within your industry can be great for helping your business develop.
Boost Sponsor Visibility at Your Conference
Give sponsors the exposure they expect with custom wristbands, lanyards, and promotional products that put their brand front and centre.
