Innovative & “Doable” Sponsorship
Programs that Add Value
Kelly J. Semrad, Ph.D.
Rosen College of Hospitality
Management
The Purpose of this
Presentation:
• Provide a method for planners to create
innovative sponsorship opportunities that
are a marketing asset for corporations.
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Increase experiential marketing opportunities
Boost the event’s bottom-line
Use digital platforms
Add value to the event
The Bare Bones
Planners
•
• Sponsorships
• Corporations
Opportunity •
Activation •
• Congruency
Why do most of us (planners) want
to obtain sponsors?
(Semrad, 2013)
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To plug a budget hole
To support a new project
To make events more competitive
To provide networking opportunities
To increase exposure
To provide start-up
funds
To fuel growth
To add value
To provide
additional benefits
To create a good
image
To form a marketing
partnership
Why do most of us (planners)
struggle to sell sponsorships?
(Semrad,
2013)
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Lack of time
Lack of resources
Lack of funds
Lack of expertise
Lack of information
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Did not include sponsors in budget
Started looking for sponsors to late
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Event is not “sponsorable”
Not successful in the past
Short lead time
Red tape
Rules & Regulations
Exclusivity issues
Turf issues
Let’s Start With the Basic
Definition…
A sponsorship is a marketing opportunity in which
an individual or organization (the sponsor) invests
cash, goods, or services in another organization or
some aspect of that organization to gain access to
specific assets (such as organization members or
impressions) that are expected to improve the
sponsor’s marketplace position.
So, All you have to do is…
• Plan a whole event with very limited resources
simultaneous to planning other events while also
doing the rest of your job AND…
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Find potential sponsors
Write proposals
Contact potential sponsors
Meet with potential sponsors
Negotiate with potential sponsors
Scoot around any red tape to securing sponsorships
Create a marketing opportunity for each potential sponsor
Create a marketing asset for each potential sponsors
Customize each sponsorship for the potential sponsors
Close the deal for each sponsorship
Get each sponsor to activate the sponsorship
Help each sponsor achieve a market place improvement by using your event
Problem: The Red
Tape
• Rules and regulations
• Must be cost effective for government
meetings
• BUT, many of us also have our own red tape
when it comes to sponsorship sales
– What is your red tape when it comes to selling
sponsorships?
So, Let’s try to make sponsorship
sales “doable”
1. Create a Congruent Context (CCC)
2. Create a Marketing Opportunity
3. Create an Innovative Activation Practice (Asset)
BUT, first…make a commitment to giving yourself enough time
to succeed.
AND, second, assume we are building this process from scratch.
#1. Creating a Congruent Context
(CCC)
(Semrad, 2013b)
• Why? Why is the event occurring? Purpose Intention?
• Who? Who are the attendees? What are their needs?
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–
–
–
Demographic?
Psychographic?
Geographic?
Benefits?
Behavior?
• When?
• Where?
• What? What is happening at the event? What is the
position?
#1. Creating a Congruent Context
(CCC)
(Semrad, 2013b)
• Based on the event assessment especially the
WHO?
Are there potential sponsors that are congruent to
the purpose of your event?
Are there potential sponsors that are congruent to
your target audiences?
Congruency makes a difference when developing
the marketing opportunity and asset!
#1. Creating a Congruent Context
(CCC)
(Semrad, 2013b)
• Environmental Event
• BP
• Dawn
• MUSIC FESTIVALS SHUN BIG-NAME SPONSORS: Music festivals like Coachella and
Bonnaroo are turning away big-name sponsors due to distractions from the music
experience. Regardless of the large revenue, the festivals would rather have the brands give
fans an interactive experience rather than market themselves on the stage. Ad Age: "Stage
sponsorships are a big moneymaker, but our position has been that when you get 20,000
people in a field and they're looking at brand marketing, they're not focused on the
editorial experience of the festival—the music," said Matt Frampton, vice president of
advertising for Pitchfork Media. http://bit.ly/15uyaPtPosted July 10, 2013, 8.35
a.m. EDT
• SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP LIFTS V.M.A.S SPONSORSHIP: The ratings for Video Music Awards
may have dropped dramatically last year, but the growth of social media interaction has given the MTV event a
big sponsor boost. The 2013 V.M.A.s has already set a sponsorship record, which the network partially credits to
a new partnership with Twitter's TV ad targeting service, Amplify. Viacom Media Networks' Jeff Lucas told
Billboard: "In the world of social media, the VMAs is our Super Bowl and even bigger in some ways. ... We have
live events but we also have topical events, and we’re gonna build off of the VMAs. I know a lot of organizations
have agreements with Twitter and do different things, but I think we are the best fit. It’s a great product to build
off of, not just content. We have relevant content that we can customize."
http://bit.ly/1bYH8XePosted August 23, 2013, 7:55 a.m. EDT
• NBC PULLS SPONSORSHIP OF GUN SHOW: Variety: “NBC Sports will not sponsor next
year’s Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show—after several years of backing what organizers
bill as the world’s largest gun-related trade show—citing business reasons.” The network will still
attend the Las Vegas trade show to meet with clients, according to a rep.
http://bit.ly/1fdaFAFPosted October 8, 2013, 8:09 a.m. EDT
#2. Create a Marketing
Opportunity
1. How will the proposed sponsorship match the event
objectives?
2. What are the sponsor’s objectives/desired
outcomes?
Seasonality issue?
Demographic issue?
Prestige issue?
Market penetration issue?
Publicity issue?
Sales issues?
3. How do they want to measure the results of the
sponsorship compared to the objective?
#3. Create an Innovative Activation
1. Budget for the activation (Don’t under
spend)
2. Timeline Activation connect the brand to the
physical & digital sponsorship components
1. Engage before the event
2. Engage during the event
3. Engage after the event
Unique, social, brand-centric, targeted, extendable, measurable
#3. Create an Innovative Activation
The University of Kentucky coordinated a hashtag campaign on
Instagram resulted in powerful trending social campaign that
had an incredible image database from tagged pictures on
Instagram #WeAreUK
#TravelPortlandSGMP
1. Why is your event an asset?
2. Why are your attendees an asset?
3. Why are planners an asset to
suppliers?
Why corporations would want to be involved
with you?
• Why government meeting planners are an
asset to corporations!
• Planners give access to:
– Spend $890 million annually on meetings/services
– Hold nearly 8,000 meetings a year
– U.S. government spends approximately $14 billion
annually on meeting related expenses
– Seasonal relief
• Diamond ($20,000)
• Three – five minute piece video during a (TBD) general session (provided
by sponsor)
• One (1) high profile Island Booth, themed and set in your networking
area as cafes (includes complimentary food and beverage provided by
SGMP)
• Three complimentary booth attendee registrations
• Three (3) complimentary SGMP at-large memberships
• Two pages (4 surfaces) ad in Government Connections digital version
• Two ¼ page full-color ads in Government Connections print version
• Featured ad on conference registration website
• Three month sponsorship of SGMP Training Center in Alexandria, VA
• Recognition on media screen during general sessions
• Recognition via social media (Facebook, LinkedIn)
• Sponsor ribbon on name badges
• Company logo on expo and registration signage
• Company logo with link on conference website
• Company listing in conference and marketing newsletter
• Enhanced company listing in onsite program
• Platinum ($15,000)
• Three – five minute piece video during a (TBD) general session (provided by
sponsor)
• One (1) high profile Island Booth, themed and set in your networking area as
cafes (includes complimentary food and beverage provided by SGMP)
• Two complimentary booth attendee registrations
• Two (2) complimentary SGMP at-large memberships
• Two pages (4 surfaces) ad in Government Connections digital version
• Two ¼ page black and white ads in Government Connections print version
• Featured ad on conference registration website
• Two month sponsorship of SGMP Training Center in Alexandria, VA
• Recognition on media screen during general sessions
• Recognition via social media (Facebook, LinkedIn)
• Sponsor ribbon on name badges
• Company logo on expo and registration signage
• Company logo with link on conference website
• Company listing in conference and marketing newsletter
• Enhanced company listing in onsite program
• Bronze ($2,500)
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Recognition via social media (Facebook, LinkedIn)
Sponsor ribbon on name badges
Company logo on conference website
Company listing in conference and marketing newsletter
Recognition on signage as co-sponsor of networking breaks
• Copper ($1,000)
• Recognition via social media (Facebook, LinkedIn)
• Sponsor ribbon on name badges
• Recognition on signage as co-sponsor for networking breaks
• Pewter ($500)
• Sponsor ribbon on name badges
• Recognition on signage as co-sponsor for networking breaks
Signs, banners, show
directories still have their
place…
But…What Else is there to Offer to
Sponsors?
(Grimaldi, 2013)
1. Sponsor an event app splash page,
embedded code, BUT make it interactive!
2. Interactive Video Walls
3. Charging stations
4. Wi-Fi Charges
5. QR-code games (www.scavengerhunt.biz)
What Else is there to Offer to
Sponsors?
(Grimaldi, 2013)
6. Sell a sponsorship on the keynote or the
break-out sessions
7. Unwind station Play stations
(www.wowincevents.com)
8. Detox by retoxing station
9. “Flash Sales style”
10.Free head shots
11.Green Goods (www.meetgreen.com)
So, where can you begin the brainstorming
with future sponsorship ideas?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Current offerings?
Future offerings?
Sponsor ideas?
Sponsor’s future opportunities?
BUT, First, commit to giving yourself the time
you need to being successful!
Want additional sources of information?
1. How to Jump Start Your Sponsorship
Strategy in tough times by Gail S. Bower
2. Made possible by: Succeeding with
Sponsorship by Patricia Martin
3. 10 Fresh Sponsorship Ideas: Innovative Ways
to Boost Your Event’s Bottomline by Lisa
Grimaldi (M&C)
Innovative & “Doable” Sponsorship
Programs that Add Value
Kelly.Semrad@UCF.edu