While event sponsorships have always represented an important revenue stream to cover operating expenses for events, the evolution of sponsorship programs has grown to become a key pillar for nearly every event. The steady rise of inflation rates and an overabundance of new and returning events have forced organizations to reimagine sponsorship programs to draw additional investments.

At planit inc., we evaluate sponsor opportunities against the budget, culture, and goals of each client and event in order to identify the key elements that should be included in each sponsorship package. It’s a careful balance to determine the fair value of each investment against the hard costs and recognition provided to the sponsors, but our event producers are experts in crafting highly customized and detailed strategies to support our clients in this ever-changing event landscape.

Every sponsorship is unique.

Our past successes in event sponsorship speak volumes about its potential, but no sponsor packages are alike. Between identifying the selling points of each event for both attendees and sponsors, considering feedback on previous packages, and drafting an initial event budget in an ever-inflating environment, sponsor offerings should constantly be re-evaluated even for recurring events to ensure they are still meeting the needs of the event while engaging sponsors.

Brand partnerships offer a unique opportunity to showcase year-round or seasonal promotions. For example, we coordinated custom food and beverage items, including nitrogen ice cream, a branded s’mores bar, and high-visibility dry ice drinks for an executive leadership reception to feature a client’s partnership with Ghostbusters during their press tour.

It’s also important to keep in mind that sponsor budgets are facing similar financial constraints. Big jumps to new packages may cause outright rejection, so when rejuvenating programs, we recommend building a multi-year strategy of incremental adjustments to ease the acclimation. Providing smaller investment opportunities for those who can’t receive approval for an entire package can also be a simple but significant tool to cover necessary event items such as lanyards or meals where the costs will be accrued regardless of sponsorship.

Lean into current trends.

One of the biggest ruts our clients face is seeing sponsors settle into the same sponsorship level year-over-year, or worse, seeing a shift downward due to a lack of engaging opportunities. Event trends are valuable tools that can generate excitement for both sponsors and attendees alike. From onsite activations to offsite excursions, we are diligent at forecasting up-and-coming movements to bring to the table during client discussions.

Event sustainability and overall attendee wellness have remained key focuses for several clients, and aligning these movements with sponsorship opportunities can boost positive brand awareness while enhancing the attendee experience. Stationary beverage bikes are a popular activation that allows attendees to power blenders through pedaling to create their own juice, smoothie, or mocktail beverage to take with them to their next session while also driving traffic to the exhibit hall through strategic placement.

We’ve also seen a rise in elite activations designed exclusively for VIP attendees. Whether it’s a build-out within the exhibit hall or utilizing resources already in place at the venue, these spaces provide a private setting for networking that sponsors are eager to take part in. We’ve previously flipped onsite Top Golf suites into branded lounges with restricted access, which provided ample opportunities for meetings with key stakeholders throughout the event.

We ensure that every event sponsor gains the utmost visibility and engagement.

Designing exhibit hall layouts takes into account several factors beyond simply placing sponsors based on their total investment. Placing meal functions in the exhibit hall requires a sizable amount of space to account for food and beverage tables and an adequate mix of standing and sitting options for the group of attendees, but it encourages attendees to stay within the exhibit hall for an extended period of time, naturally increasing traffic flow to neighboring sponsor booths.

Scattering activations throughout the exhibit space encourages attendees to flow to even the far corners of the exhibit hall, however, as sponsors usually prefer being placed next to their sponsored activation, it creates a unique challenge to balance the activation requirements while keeping top-tier sponsors in prime exhibit space.

Adding unique signage when nearby placement is not possible still provides a cohesive and immersive experience while highlighting the sponsorship. For example, a specialty coffee lounge requires a footprint that typically doesn’t align with a traditional tradeshow floorplan, but it can become a purposeful destination by bringing in chalkboard artists for a custom wall mural and curating cafe booths as additional soft seating for attendees.

Even prior to onsite exposure, including sponsors on the event website, within promotional emails, or throughout a custom mobile app can provide additional benefits at a low cost. Push notifications are a valued add-on for premier sponsors, though we recommend maintaining a set limit of sponsored notifications in order to not overwhelm attendees and dilute important event reminders.

Clients trust planit inc. to use our strengths of experience, expertise and creativity to work with partners to reach goals, engage attendees, and deliver the WOW factor we are known for through customized sponsorships. Contact us today for a free consultation with our expert team to explore how engaging partners in sponsorship opportunities can play a role in the success of your next event.