10 Proven Ways To Find Corporate Event Sponsorship

Getting corporate sponsorship for your event is a great way to help you meet your financial goals and gain credibility. That said, approaching brands and getting them to agree to your sponsorship request can be pretty challenging. Here is a well-detailed guide on how to find and convince corporate sponsors.

What is corporate event sponsorship?

Corporate event sponsorship is when a company supports an event, usually by providing funds, in exchange for publicity, goodwill, and access to attendee data. The event sponsors also get their name and/or logo on event materials and signage to increase brand visibility. From a business standpoint, companies only sponsor events that put them in front of their target market so that they can move their agenda forward, so your event must present an opportunity for them to do that. When approaching companies for sponsorship, ensure that their mission and values align with those of your company. They should also be well recognised in the community and have a genuine interest in your cause.

How to pitch your event to corporate sponsors?

Sponsors have as much power to break an event as they have to make one. Therefore, before you start sending proposals to brands, you must be certain that they will be a good fit for your type of event. To avoid wasting time sending proposals to uninterested sponsors, conduct research on potential sponsors using these questions as your guide.

• Is your target audience the same?
• Do their brand values complement your event?
• Have they sponsored similar events before?
• Are you comfortable having their organisation linked to yours and vice versa?
• What type of sponsorship are you looking for?
• What type of sponsorship do they offer?

Once you find a few suitable sponsors for your event, it is time to start sending proposals and perfecting your pitch. Here are a few tips on how to pitch to an event sponsor.

Do your homework

Thorough research is a prerequisite for a successful pitch. If the sponsors you’re targeting are big enough, your proposal won’t be the only sponsorship request they get. So, how do you stand out from the crowd? Taking some time to learn about the company, their targets, challenges they may currently be facing, events they have sponsored in the past, and even who to speak to will give you an upper hand and help you deliver an irresistible sponsorship proposal.

Tell your story

Making an emotional connection with potential sponsors is an effective way of getting them interested in your event and your company. Tell them about your company’s story, emphasising why you do what you do. Also, share your mission statement and describe how you live up to it every day.

Share details about attendees

Businesses are interested in putting their brand and products in front of the right audience. Therefore, learning as much as you can about your attendees will help boost your attractiveness to sponsors. Share the anticipated attendee numbers and their demographic data to support your argument. You can find this information on ticketing platforms.

Determine what benefits you can offer

When a company goes through your proposal, their only concern is what’s in it for my company? As such, your primary focus when writing your pitch should be to demonstrate the value that your event can offer your sponsors. Here are a few things to think about when writing your proposal.

• Can your event help sponsors increase brand visibility to new or current markets?
• Will your partnership drive more qualified leads and increase sales?
• Is there an opportunity for the sponsor to generate revenue?
• What kind of ROI will your partnership generate for the company?

Let the numbers do the talking

Corporations trust numbers. They rely on statistics and percentages to help them make well-informed decisions, so let your numbers do the talking for you. If you have conducted similar events before, add reports detailing the event’s success in your proposal. Essential information to include in the report consists of the total number of attendees, social media engagement numbers, and the ROI.

Don’t beat around the bush

Sponsorships come in all shapes and forms. There is the promotional aspect and the financial aspect, so be clear about what it is you’re looking for. If you want money, come right out and say it. Also, be honest about how much money you need to plan the event; downplaying the amount will only hurt your interests. Lastly, be transparent about what the financing will go toward, e.g., food, venue, flying in guest speakers, etc.

Offer custom sponsorship packages

There isn’t a one fits all sponsorship package. Give sponsors different options to choose from or, better yet, allow them to customise their package. A la carte packages are very popular today because they enable sponsors to pick and choose the options they need to create their package. With every package, ensure to include a mixture of benefits such as booths, event analytics, attendee data, and social media promotion.

Ways to find corporate sponsorship for your event

Finding sponsors can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be with the right skills and a little creativity. Here’s how you can find corporate sponsorship for your event.

Utilise digital tools

There are a lot of online resources to help bridge the gap between event planners looking for sponsors and sponsors looking for events. Examples of these tools include SponsorPark, SponsorMyEvent, and SponsorPitch.

Ask your staff, volunteers and Board for help

The people in your company may know of companies interested in partnering up with you for an event, so don’t leave out of this process. Their contacts and connections can help you find the perfect sponsors for your event.

Look through your donor database

Go through the list of companies that have supported you in the past and enquire if they may be interested in sponsoring. Anyone who has supported your company in the past is a potential sponsor, so don’t ignore the companies that paid a small donation or sent their employees to volunteer.

Reach out to sponsors from related events

Take note of sponsors who work with events organisers in your industry. These brands are the easiest to convince because they already understand the value of event sponsorship. Also, pitching will be much easier since their audience aligns with yours.

Let your audience decide

You’re probably wondering how your audience can help you find suitable sponsors for your event, but if you pay close attention, you will be able to distinguish the brands that your audience loves. Look through your social media insights to find out which other brands your audiences love and reach out to them for sponsorship. Not only will your attendees be excited to see brands that they love, but this will make them feel like they are in an ecosystem of interconnected brands and values.

Narrow down your options to brands that align with your event values

Using the pointers mentioned above, you can come up with a long list of potential sponsors. Pitching to every single company can be exhausting and time-consuming, which is why you should limit the number of companies you reach out to. Prioritise companies that are most likely to help you achieve the key goals of your upcoming event. For example, if you have a food charity event, food banks, farms and grocery stores would be the best fit.

Why would a company sponsor your event? What’s in it for them?

Event sponsorship is part of a company’s marketing strategy. Therefore, when pitching for sponsorship, you must communicate clearly what the sponsor stands to gain from your event. Here are a few reasons why a company would sponsor your event.

Brand visibility

Events are an opportunity for companies to put their brand and products in front of a large audience. They can increase brand recognition before, during, and after the event through social media, press mentions, and event advertising. To create more buzz around your event and ensure that your sponsors get increased brand recognition, hold giveaways and competitions for free tickets or gift hampers on social media. The giveaway criteria should be to follow the sponsor’s page and maybe invite other people to do the same.

Building a positive brand image

Public perception can make or break a business. One way that companies build authority and credibility is by sponsoring worthy causes and high profile events. This makes customers believe that the brand is reliable and trustworthy. Also, customers typically support businesses that invest in the welfare of the community.

Expand its content strategy

Event sponsorships can be an excellent source for new material for a company’s content strategy. By promoting their involvement before, during, and after an event, companies can increase social media engagement and traffic to their website. To ensure that your sponsors get the most out of your event, create and promote a unique hashtag for your event.

Aside from the content your sponsors create themselves, they can also benefit from user-generated content. According to research, 98% of event attendees share videos, photos, and blogs during events which helps companies get more exposure.

Generate leads

Sponsorships help brands generate leads in many ways. Firstly, they put a brand in front of their target audience. Secondly, having an exhibition stand at the event allows customers to enquire more about your brand and try samples products. This makes it easier for sales representatives to convert attendees into paying customers.

Audience insights

Post-event reports are an invaluable tool for companies. Brands use this information to develop new business ideas and improve their products. Therefore, when approaching companies for sponsorship, offer them as much information as possible about the event attendees.

High return on investment

The benefits of event sponsorship are endless. Sponsors don’t necessarily have to make massive sales to get a high RIO. Creating quality relationships and leaving with a list of leads that they can follow on afterwards is equally valuable. As an event organiser, provide opportunities for your sponsors to interact with attendees and get as much media and social coverage as possible.

How can eclipse help you with corporate sponsorship for your event?

Finding sponsors can be challenging for some event organisers. If you feel like you’re not well vast in this area, delegate it to a third party company to help you out. Here at Eclipse, we welcome opportunities to work with charities where possible. We have established strong relationships with several organisations that are willing to support worthy causes both in the form of donations and complimentary support. We have worked with brands like Uber, Coca Cola, Deloitte, and many more. For more information about our services, get in touch with us today.

Conclusion

Even sponsorship should be a win-win situation for all parties involved. To get funds for your event, all you have to do is show brands what they stand to gain from a collaboration with your NGO.