Sponsors provide crucial financial resources that enable events and organizations to flourish. Whether it’s funding for a charity event or a business conference, sponsors contribute funds that cover expenses like venue rental, equipment, marketing and personnel costs.
Sponsorship can take many forms. When courting multiple would-be sponsors with different budgets, it’s helpful to craft defined packages, or tiers, that sponsors can choose from. This article will explore sponsorship packages in depth, including how to design them, what to include and pitching strategies.
What is a Sponsorship Package/Sponsorship Level?
A sponsorship package, also known as a sponsorship level, is a structured collection of benefits and opportunities available to potential sponsors in exchange for their financial support.
Each package has a different price point, and offers varying levels of exposure, branding opportunities, and engagement with the organization’s members/attendees, who are within the sponsor’s target audience.
Why You Need Sponsorship Packages
Sponsorship packages serve several crucial purposes:
- Clarity and Structure: They provide clear information to potential sponsors about what they can expect in return for their investment, thereby making the sponsorship process more transparent.
- Professionalism: Well-crafted packages demonstrate professionalism and organization, enhancing credibility in the eyes of potential sponsors.
- Customization: They allow sponsors to choose a level of engagement that aligns with their marketing objectives and budget, making it easier to tailor sponsorship opportunities to fit their needs.
- Revenue Generation: Effective sponsorship packages can significantly boost revenue for events or associations, offsetting costs and enabling organizers to enhance the attendee experience with things like an event mobile app.
Sponsorship Package Ideas | Sponsorship Level Examples
Examples of sponsorship packages can vary widely based on the nature of the event or organization, but here are a few common sponsorship levels:
- Title Sponsorship: The highest level, offering exclusive branding rights and maximum visibility.
- Gold/Silver/Bronze Tiers: Graduated levels offering varying degrees of exposure and benefits.
- Product Placement: Opportunities to showcase sponsored products at the event.
- Customized Packages: Tailored to meet specific sponsor objectives, such as community engagement.
Sponsorship Package Templates
These sponsorship package templates illustrate the flexibility and creativity that can be applied when designing sponsorship packages to appeal to different types of sponsors. The specifics of your event and organization will inform the content of your packages, but this is a great jumping off point.
- Title Sponsorship Package:
- Event Naming Rights: The sponsor’s name incorporated into the event title (e.g., “XYZ Company presents [Event Name]”).
- Logo Placement: Prominent display of sponsor logos on event posters, banners, and promotional materials.
- Exclusive Speaking Opportunities: Opening or closing remarks at the event.
- VIP Access: Tickets to VIP receptions or exclusive networking events.
- Digital Exposure: Recognition on event website, event mobile app exposure, social media mentions and inclusion in press releases.
- Gold Sponsorship Package:
- Logo Visibility: Logo placement on event signage, stage backdrops, event website and promotional emails.
- Sponsor Recognition: Acknowledgment in event programs and announcements.
- Networking Opportunities: Tickets to exclusive sponsor-only networking sessions.
- Exhibition Space: Booth or exhibition area at the event venue.
- Social Media Promotion: Mention in event-related social media posts, digital advertisements and on event mobile app.
- Silver Sponsorship Package:
- More Prominent Logo Placement: Logo on event flyers, brochures, and event website.
- Recognition: Verbal acknowledgment during event proceedings.
- Tickets: Complimentary tickets for sponsor representatives.
- Networking: Access to general networking sessions.
- Promotional Materials: Distribution rights for sponsor-provided materials at the event.
- Bronze Sponsorship Package:
- Less Prominent Logo Placement: Small logo on event materials and website.
- Recognition: Verbal recognition during event proceedings.
- Booth: Basic booth space with standard amenities.
- Contact List: Access to attendee contact list post-event for follow-up.
How to Leverage a Mobile App for Extra Sponsorship Exposure
One of the best ways to entice sponsors is to help them meet your members/attendees where they are: on their mobile devices. People increasingly spend hours a day in their mobile apps.
- Sponsors love that they can access true metrics about their exposure to users in the form of clicks, impressions and downloads.
- It’s a low-cost, low-effort and high-reward way to generate sponsorship revenue, saving you on printing and signage costs because it’s entirely digital.
The examples below show how you can add in-app exposure to your sponsorship packages:
To learn more about how to set up a member or event mobile app where you can highlight sponsors, click below and scroll to the form at the bottom of the page.
How to Create Tiered Sponsorship Packages
Creating tiered sponsorship packages involves several key steps:
1. Define Your Objectives
Clarify what you hope to achieve through sponsorship. Funding, of course, but articulating a goal like “attendee engagement with sponsors” will help you select sponsors that actually resonate with attendees.
2. Outline and Workshop Your Package Benefits
Brainstorm and research all potential benefits that your organization has the power to offer a would-be sponsor – big and small. Once you feel like you’ve identified every possible benefit you’d want to offer, decide how many tiers you want to offer and begin sorting benefits into those tiers. There may be some necessary overlap, with certain basic benefits being offered at any tier. That said, the higher the tier, the more attractive benefits they’ll contain. Workshop a draft of your packages with your team, and ask what, if anything, they would rearrange. When you reach a consensus, move to naming.
3. Name Your Packages
Don’t limit yourself to naming these packages “gold, silver and bronze.” You can, of course, but the nomenclature of packages can be a space to showcase your creativity! Consider coming up with names that relate to your association, your company or the event itself.
4. Create Collateral
To present your packages to potential sponsors, write and design professional materials, like PDF brochures or online landing pages, that clearly communicate each sponsorship level. These can be shared in person, via email for their consideration, or can be screenshared and walked through on calls.
How to Price Sponsorship Packages
When pricing packages, don’t do so aimlessly. Set a revenue goal informed by your organization’s needs, then work backwards from your revenue goal. Ask yourself, how many sponsors would be needed to meet that goal and at what price points. Use historical or industry data to determine how many sponsors you would need in each tier.
Pricing sponsorship packages also involves these factors:
- Market Value: Research similar events or organizations to understand typical sponsorship pricing in your industry, but don’t let this be your bible. The needs of your organization may differ.
- Benefits Offered: Consider the real dollar value of the benefits you offer, like branding, access and promotional opportunities. You don’t want the value of the benefits to feel disproportionately low for the price.
- Audience Reach: The size and demographics of your audience can influence your ability to command premium prices from sponsors.
7 Tips to Sell Event Sponsorship Packages
To effectively sell sponsorship packages:
- Make a list of “dream sponsors” who also feel within reach. Are their companies who you think would lend prestige to your event? Do they have an image you want to be associated with? Vet the companies you’re considering to ensure you’re aligned with their values, and that they have the budget and desire to sponsor.
- Get to know the sponsor company as much as you can. Learn what makes them tick. Study their target customer and ask yourself how well it aligns with your average event attendee/member. The better you know the company, the more you can tailor your pitch (and package) to their needs.
- Tie the benefits of the sponsorship to any problems the company is experiencing: Maybe the company is having a hard time getting face time with their target audience, i.e. your attendees, and sponsorship could help get them right in front of that audience.
- Lead with data. Use metrics and case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of past sponsorships; don’t forget to offer raw stats on the number of attendees and who comprises that audience. ROI will be one of the first things a potential sponsor asks about. If this isn’t your first event, sync with previous sponsors to get statistics about the engagement or increased sales they gained after their sponsorship. After this event, do the same with this batch of sponsors; always be looking for convincing data that sells the need for sponsorships.
- Don’t use the same pitch for multiple companies. Aim for precision and specificity.
- Leverage existing relationships to find sponsors and generate interest. Use existing connections and referrals to secure meetings with potential sponsors. Make sure you’re getting meetings with those who have real decision making power.
Use Sponsorship to Bankroll an App for Your Event
An event app is one of the best ways to streamline attendee experience, give sponsors extra exposure, foster easy check-ins, and offer seamless access to content. While an app constitutes an additional cost for your event, that cost can easily be offset, if not entirely covered, by a sponsorship. A company like MobileUp can streamline and accelerate the process of building an event mobile app.
An app offers:
- Many unique areas to promote various different sponsorship levels.
- Direct networking opportunities with attendees
- Digitized materials and presentations
- Attendance tracking for sessions & Activities
- In-app surveys to gather real time feedback
- Integration with registration systems
- Attendee, Speaker, Sponsor & Exhibitor profiles
Learn more by requesting a demo or requesting more information at the bottom of MobileUp.io.
Event sponsorship packages are essential tools for securing funding and support, while offering sponsors valuable opportunities to enhance their brand visibility and engagement. By carefully designing and pitching these packages, associations can foster mutually beneficial relationships with sponsors and elevate the success of their events.
Continue reading for ways to produce incremental non-dues revenue with in-app sponsorships and, in most cases, cover the investment of your app.
