- 8 MIN READ
Your eventâs funding hinges on your event sponsorship proposal. A lacklustre proposal could mean missing out on crucial financial support. So how do you craft an event sponsorship proposal so compelling that sponsors wonât be able to resist throwing their weight behind your event?
In this article, weâll reveal the key ways top event organisers are designing their event sponsorship proposals. Implementing these steps will not only help make your proposal look professional but also turn your event into an attractive sponsorship opportunity.
1. Share your company story
Your event sponsorship proposal, by all accounts, wonât be the first proposal that a potential sponsor is receiving, so you need to leave a lasting impression. And what better way to create an impression than to reveal something that you really believe in or thatâs close to your heart?
Some questions that could help you craft your story include:
- Why was your company founded?
- What challenge is it solving, and for whom?
- What has your company accomplished?
- Whatâs the ambition of your company?
Pro tip: If your company is new to the industry or if youâre struggling to find a hook, look to your companyâs vision, mission and core values for inspiration and augment them with stories of how youâre living up to those.
2. Tailor your proposal to each potential sponsor
Like anyone, sponsors enjoy feeling valued and knowing that youâve put in the effort to understand them. Be sure to pay close attention to details such as their event sponsorship history, their brand values, their marketing objectives and even their product pipelines.
Having this wealth of information at your fingertips allows you to anticipate the needs of each potential sponsor and explain more clearly how a presence at your event could help meet those needs.
For example, if a potential sponsor has just introduced a new product or service, you could sell your event as an opportunity to showcase or demo it on stage – perfect for raising awareness of it among your event attendees.
Pro tip: While a potential sponsorâs brand values are usually readily available on its website, uncovering its event sponsorship history, marketing objectives, and product pipeline can be more challenging. We recommend diving into the potential sponsorâs social media pages, press releases and industry publications.
3. Design event sponsorship packages that appeal to different budgets
Sponsoring your event will not be an insignificant investment, so a rule of thumb is to provide multiple tiers of sponsorships for potential sponsors to choose from. Moreover, having a wide variety of event sponsors would help create a more dynamic attendee experience.
Detail clear benefits for each sponsorship tier. Examples include:
- Naming rights: The whole event, zones or stages
- Logo placement: Event website, social media pages, signage, programme, app, branded merchandise etc.
- Exhibition booth: Size of booth and location of booth (high- or lower-traffic area)
- Speaking opportunities for sponsorâs representatives: Moderator, keynote speaker or panelist
- Exclusive access to attendees during the event: VIP lounge access or special networking segments
- Outreach efforts to attendees before and after the event: brand mention in press releases, social media mentions and hashtags, dedicated email blasts etc.
Pro tip: Be open to customising your event sponsorship packages to meet the unique needs and goals of potential sponsors. This approach is especially helpful in securing first-time sponsors, allowing them to assess the collaboration and encouraging them to return in the future.
4. Provide a detailed breakdown of your attendee data
As an event sponsorship is, in essence, a marketing tactic, a potential sponsor is going to target a positive ROI. Being able to offer an overview of your attendee data – if youâve hosted a similar event in the past – is invaluable and goes a long way towards assuring a potential sponsor that itâll be able to achieve that ROI.
Apart from aggregating data such as the number of attendees, genders and age groups, consider highlighting demographics like the countries or regions your past attendees are from, the industries they represent, their level of influence in the decision-making process and past conversion rates.
Pro tip: If this is the first time that youâre organising your event or if you donât have data on your past attendees, you may want to underscore the demographics of your social media followers and email subscribers. Chances are youâll be promoting your event to them, so data points on them could also offer a potential sponsor a good idea of who will be attending your event.
5. Include case studies in your event sponsorship proposal
Nothing speaks louder about the value of sponsoring your event than proof of success. While written or video testimonials which extoll the strength of your working relationships with past sponsors are certainly advantageous, case studies that demonstrate the strong ROI they achieved builds much-needed credibility.
Wrap your case study up with an eye-catching statement:
âAt last yearâs [event name], we empowered [name of sponsor] to attain 1,000 new signups and boost product inquiries by 30%. Hereâs what they had to say about working with us âŠâ
6. Make your call to action specific
No matter how compelling your event sponsorship proposal is, it needs a clear call to action (CTA) to guide a potential sponsor towards a next step. Instead of leaving just your name and contact information, direct it to schedule a meeting with you, request for a formal response by a specific date or send them to a landing page for further information.
Pro tip: To boost conversion, try creating urgency by implying that youâre offering a time-sensitive event sponsorship opportunity. Use phrases such as âEarly-bird discounts available till [date]â, âWeâre filling up fast! Contact us today to secure your sponsorship!â and âAct now to secure your brand visibility!â
Close the deal and secure funding with a stellar event sponsorship proposal
In conclusion, a successful event sponsorship proposal does more than just inform. It appeals to potential sponsorsâ emotions, demonstrates thorough research, caters to their needs and drives action – that is, compelling sponsors to invest in your event.
If you need expert support, weâre happy to work in close consultation with you to design tailored event sponsorship proposals that showcase the unique value your event will bring to potential sponsors.
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