Selling sponsorships can be a daunting task. With the economy down in some areas, many companies are cutting down on extra spending. This can add complication when trying to leverage your event as a value to sponsors.

We’ve complied advice from customers and experts from all over the world. Read on to see how to best sell your event to potential sponsors.

Expert 1: Customer Chris Kenner, Marketing Coordinator, Athletics Victoria (Australia)

“The first step [in selling sponsorships] is to determine which sponsors to approach. To do this, you need to gain a strong understanding of your audience. You also need to understand the relevance of the products and services you will be aligning your own [event] with.

Once you understand with whom you are talking to and their expectation levels, you have a stronger selling tool when negotiating with potential partners.

The key is to show sponsors that your database is influential. Your potential sponsors should understand that each individual [at your event] will become ambassadors for the sponsor’s brand in their own community.”

Expert 2: Customer Al McCartney, Event Manager, Ottawa Race Weekend (Canada)

“The best advice I can give new event directors when selling new sponsorships is to understand the relevance of your event to [a potential] sponsor’s services. Once you understand this relevance, you can describe to your sponsors how you can help achieve/activate their objectives. “

Expert 3: Charlie Mercer, President, Race 13.1 (USA)

“The best advice I can give is the be able to articulate the value of a sponsorship. Don’t send out a mass message, take the time to tailor the message to each potential sponsor”.

Expert 4: The Funding Center (Australia)

Australia’s Funding Center offers “10 Rules for Sponsorship Hunters”. A preview of these can be found below:

1. Get started early – allow plenty of time in your forward planning.
2. Get it in writing – no one is left in any doubt as to what has been agreed upon.
3. Aim high – It’s better to get one or two big meaningful sponsorships in place than lots of small ones.
4. Allow time for relationship building – don’t think that once you’ve got [a sponsor’s] check your job is done.
5. Get educated – before you start…read a book or two, start networking, and consider doing some training.

To read the rest of the tips, click here

Official Sponsor and Restaurant of the FIFA World Cup, McDonalds, has brought sponsor activation to a whole new level. This year to kick off the FIFA World Cup, McDonalds is changing, for the first time ever, their french fry packaging to all McDonalds world wide.This new package will be outfitted with designs celebrating the World Cup.

Although this is a very large-scale sponsorship activation example, it can be inspiration to even the smallest of companies. There is always a way to get sponsors more involved in events and give their brand more attention.

For example, you could ask your restaurant sponsors to get involved. Maybe they want to change a napkin or put up a poster. There are tons of ways to encourage your sponsors to get involved with your event.

Steve Easterbrook, Senior Executive Vice President and Global Chief Brand Officer of McDonald’s said, “This is about bringing fun, innovative programming to our customers and celebrating our shared love of futbol. We’re excited to be able to do that through an engaging, interactive mobile experience, and of course with our World-Famous Fries.”

You can read the full article at:

http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/mcdonalds-kicks-off-fifa-world-cup-with-first-ever-global-french-fry-packaging-redesign-nyse-mcd-1911985.htm

In today’s world, ‘going digital’ is no longer a passing phrase. Digital is moving from a once unique and high-tech approach, to one of commonplace. Everywhere we turn, we see more and more ways to use the web for our benefit- whether it be convenience, a faster method of information sharing, or simply a more logical approach, the days of digital are upon us.

Companies are quickly learning that a digital emphasis is essential, and one of the most fruitful channels, for connecting with their audience.

As stated by eMarketing, “The average adult will spend over 5 hours per day online,” surpassing time spent watching TV, listening to the radio and reading printed materials.

So, what are some ways you can expand your reach by hopping on the digital train? Well, we might be a little biased, but we’ve found that the absolute best way of using the web to your advantage is through connecting your sponsors to your participants.

If we take a few steps back, what is the main reason sponsors want to work with events in the first place? Simple- to reach event participants.  Events need sponsors (and their sponsorship dollars!) to produce a quality event. The key to grow sponsorship dollars is to provide them with a measurable return on investment.  So, giving them an effective and measurable avenue to connect with your participants, keeps them happy and coming back year after year!

Pre-digital, the connection was made mostly through a physical goody bag- filled with useful samples, freebies, coupons and cool stuff. Participants loved getting these little gifts and appreciated being connected to your sponsors. But, think back to the last physical goody bag you received. What was in it? Likely, a whole lot of paper. Unfortunately, this has become a trend in the event space, and among other things (like the inability to measure the effectiveness, poor brand experience and a whole lot of waste) physical goody bags have just become a bad idea.

Let us introduce the digital goody bag- a completion of the circle and gives countless benefits for both sponsors and participants:

Sponsors will:

• Effectively connect to participants before and after the event
• Integrate with existing digital marketing
• Save time and money (no incremental cost of printing)
• Monitor performance

Participants will:

• Access a digital bag via multiple devices: mobile, tablet, pc
• Have instant access to offers
• Get offers before and after the event
• Appreciate the reduction of paper they have to throw away

So, you too can easily jump on the digital train and use it to your advantage. The Virtual Event Bags platform is easy to implement and will actually create time for a thinly staffed team. Sponsors and participants will thank you for giving them an easy and convenient way to connect with each other, while you bask in the glory of being their hero!