Getting sponsors

The first thing any organization seeking sponsors for any kind of event ought to do is short list their best potential sponsors by asking themselves these first basic questions:

Are your potential sponsors compatible with your organization and its goals?

Is there any conflict of interest between your potential sponsors and what you want to get out of your event?

Have these potential sponsors supported your organization or any similar ones in the past?

What benefits can you offer to your potential sponsors?

Do you need sponsorship in cash, in-kind, for prizes, or a mix?

Once you have established the responses to these questions:

Prepare a professional and complete sponsorship brochure.  This should include:

·        The full details of the event

·        Information on events you’ve held before and examples of past sponsors

·        What you need in terms of sponsorship

·        The different sponsorship ‘packages’ you are proposing e.g. sponsor’s names on event’s documents, bags, paper, pens, signage or official duties at the event, such as presentations, closed focus groups, lunch or dinner sponsors, or exhibition opportunities (stands etc). You should offer different levels of sponsorship at different prices: e.g. gold package could be full sponsorship (all the elements mentioned above) or silver (some of the elements mentioned above) etc.

·        Your contact name, address and telephone number

Try to find out who you should speak to when approaching your potential sponsors.

Submit your sponsorship brochure well in advance to the individual you identified. Take into account companies’ budgeting cycles to ensure they are aware of your event and the costs of sponsorship before they close their budget so that they can allocate the necessary funds to sponsor your event.

Follow up your submission by telephone a few days later.

Get your sponsor’s written commitment.

Once you have obtained commitment from your sponsors…

Meet every engagement you made!

Keep your sponsor updated in the lead-up to the event.

Include details of your sponsor in your advertising/marketing releases and make sure to send them copies of these

Encourage loyalty to your sponsors within your organization. Think long-term relationship.

Send a thank you letter, photos of the event, copies of any news stories and a short report on the event and its outcomes.