Event Communication & Sponsoring
Sponsoring of events
What is sponsoring
“Event sponsoring is investing in an event in order to get certain benefits
from the event”
- To companies, sponsoring can be one of their ‘marketing
communication tools’.
- Event managers sells sponsorship: you offer something & in return
you ask for correct price (money or in exchange)
- Price should be calculated as correct as possible based on the (real
or estimated) financial value of all return-elements
Sampling: handing out free stuff
Understanding the perspective of the sponsor
What do sponsors invest?
Sponsor invests money
or something they can give
- Products
- Services
Often sponsor invests a mix!
What do sponsors expect in return?
1) Brand awareness & attitude towards the brand/ visibility
- Awareness: make people know their brand
Outside the event: logo in mkt communication: in event ads,
on event website
At event: logo on stage, on banners, on screen
- Attitude: make people love their brand: live interaction
needed!
Branding only has a result on the long term sponsor looks for
consistency in supporting a certain type of event and a certain
event.
2) Association with a value
Human values: the virtues that guide us to take into account the
human element when we interact with other human beings.
ex: sustainability, brotherhood, diversity, fair play, tolerance,
solidarity, authenticity, ecology, integration, social responsibility,
charity…
Companies don’t want to be seen as dirty moneymakers
, Long term!
3) Short term sales
Growing important to sponsors!
Sales Short Term Sales Long Term
o Sales deal, made between Thanks to
organiser and sponsor! o Branding
o On site sales actions o Ass. With a value
o Off site sales actions Difficult to measure
Measureable
4) Hospitality
- Client relationship
- Employee relationship
Event sponsors are able to invite everyone they want.
How to measure impact?
1. They measure the financial value of sponsor-driven media coverage
vs what they’ve paid
- logo in mktc compaign of the event ( commercial coverage)
- logo in articles, news items about the event (editorial
coverage)
2. They measure the change (before/ after event) in
- Public’s awareness of the brand
- Public’s attitude towards brand ( positive, negative, neutral)
3. They measure the change (before/ after event) in short term sales
From my perspective as event manager
Do I need sponsors?
Event revenue:
- Tickets
- Sponsoring
- Catering
- (merchandising), (subsidies: from authorities)
Which direct benefits can I offer?
‘Direct’ benefits to sponsors:
1. Right to visibility (branding): in the marketing communication
campaigns of the event/ at the event itself
2. Right to ‘name giving’ or name connection
3. Sales rights: direct sales to event visitors
4. Media rights (for tv station)
5. Hospitality rights
, 6. Exclusivity rights in sponsor’s branch
Make these ‘rights’ more concrete
Combine ‘rights’ into packages
Which ‘indirect’ benefits can I offer?
1. Logo rights: right to use the event logo
2. Personality rights: Sponsor has the right to use the persons face and
name to say they sponsor the event
3. Right to do ‘Sponsorship activation’
Indirect rights: sponsor has to do something
Sponsorship activation: everything a sponsor does and organises, to bring
his sponsorship alive, to both visitors and non-visitors.
Is done by the sponsor, on his own account, but only in agreement with
you, the event owner:
- Is it also in your interest?
- Is it also in your visitors interest?
- Is it also in your other sponsors interest?
Activation often takes place outside the event (before, after, elsewhere)
and at the event.
1. Outside the event: in the sponsor’s mkt communication
campaigns, his sales promotions, packaging…
2. At the event: in sponsor’s interactivity with the visitors having a
real life ‘brand experience’: ‘brand activation’. Reserve this for major
partners.
The activation budget of a sponsor
Types of partners
Partners investing cash