Searching for Partners and Sponsors
Planning is the basis of any administrative or event-related process and is the key to success in many respects. From the outset, even before approaching a potential partner or sponsor, you must conduct an in-depth analysis to help you answer several questions:
- Who do you want to solicit for your event?
- Why?
- Who is your ideal partner’s target audience?
- What is the partner’s primary activity?
- What challenge do they have to meet on a daily basis?
- What do you have to provide your partner with under the partnership?
- How will your partner benefit from showing up at the event?
- How will your event help your partner overcome some difficulties?
These ideas will certainly help you be well prepared in your search for loyal partners.
Building Loyalty Among Event Partners
Finding partners and sponsors is often a tedious task. For this reason, it is in your best interest to find people you can trust, who will support you from year to year, as your events unfold. So how do you achieve such a feat? Once your preliminary preparation is complete, approach them with conviction. Find out about their needs and expectations. What will motivate them to want to work with you, or even participate in such an event? By offering them what they want, within the limits of your capabilities while exceeding their expectations, you will create strong bonds from the start. One way to do this is to focus your event on their business. What type of meeting is best for your key partners or sponsors? A networking event or a conference?
A Word on Event Marketing
You have found your dream partner or sponsor! It is now time to deliver. Emphasize their brand image. For example, offer them exposure and incorporate their logo in your pre- and post-event communications. You may also diversify exposure media: include a video or an image rather than a simple logo.
Want to partner with more than one sponsor? Establish a sponsorship plan divided into categories of event partners and allocate exposure according to the size of the allocated budget amount. In doing so, plan for a main partner, to whom you will offer increased exposure on the event’s visual identity. It is also possible to include sponsors of specific elements, such as conference sessions. In these specific cases, make sure their logo appears on the online conference program, in addition to being visible on the screens at the beginning of the conference, for example.
It is essential to consider the needs of your partners in relation to the event. On this front, the sponsoring company will want above all for its representatives to be able to network efficiently. Give them a tool to facilitate their networking, organize it and quantify their return on investment. For example, an event networking platform. Make sure they stand out easily, e.g. highlighting their profiles on the event platform or identifying them visually in some way. Chiefly since you will need to give them an opportunity to interact with attendees live through text or video messages. Give them access to a meeting management tool so they can make multiple organized speeches and optimize their time.
It is also not uncommon to offer our partners or sponsors the opportunity to become involved in the event in a very different way. For example, allow a representative of your main sponsor to host a round table or brand a specific event with your sponsor’s name.
The Partners’ Financial Standpoint
The financial aspect is probably the most sought-after and the most important issue for your potential partners and sponsors. What they are looking for, basically, is to make their investment profitable, not only financially, but also timewise. A profit-driven company will therefore have to find a unique value in your proposal, from a financial standpoint.
Many large companies have donation and sponsorship departments whose mission is to give back to their community. This commitment, on the part of major sponsors, is well structured and is extended, for example, in the form of event sponsorships. As a matter of course, in order for your future partner to consider you, you must have matching values and your (corporate and event) objectives should also be in line with theirs.
Find out in advance what your partners and investors expect from the event. Find the people responsible for sponsorships and determine what you have to offer them first.
Overall, a partner or sponsor must feel humanly, financially and strategically attracted to your offering. It is up to you to target the right people and companies and to adapt an exposure plan your partner or sponsor won’t turn down! B2B/2GO will provide you with an event platform focused on quality and diversity. Contact us to learn more about our products and our services and to benefit from a professional event support.
