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The Modern Sponsorship

March 22, 2016

By Anam Zahra, EO’s Affinity Partnerships & Alliances Coordinator Gone are the days when splashing logos throughout convention centers was enough. Today’s event sponsors want a return on investment through direct interaction with event attendees. As competition for sponsorship increases—and sponsorship dollars decrease—event hosts need to tailor sponsorship packages to the needs of the sponsor,
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By Anam Zahra, EO’s Affinity Partnerships & Alliances Coordinator

Gone are the days when splashing logos throughout convention centers was enough. Today’s event sponsors want a return on investment through direct interaction with event attendees. As competition for sponsorship increases—and sponsorship dollars decrease—event hosts need to tailor sponsorship packages to the needs of the sponsor, rather than the other way around. The ability to personalize creative and unique packages for sponsors will be the determining factor of where the sponsorship money goes. Here are five creative ways to engage sponsors with your event attendees:

  1. Beverage lounge: This option allows your representatives the opportunity to serve drinks and meet attendees face-to-face in a relaxed, fun environment.
  2. Event Wi-Fi: Sponsors have the opportunity to put their logo on the sign-in page for the Wi-Fi.
  3. Phone and laptop charging station lounge: This inevitably high-traffic area allows for maximum exposure, as well as the opportunity to converse with attendees.
  4. DJ sponsorship: This approach allows the sponsor to have signage on the DJ table and to insert their own audio commercial at desired intervals.
  5. Free headshots: A booth designed to deliver headshots is sure to attract lots of foot traffic, as well as post-event attention on social media.

It’s important for sponsors to directly interact with attendees and provide them with a tangible benefit. Sponsors want guests to experience their brand as they would as consumers outside the event in immersive, authentic-feeling sponsorship setups. The rise of experiential marketing, as well as the increasing number of events requiring sponsorship, has raised the bar for showcasing partners, leading to artistic and interactive product displays, immersive experiences and targeted social media campaigns, among other strategies.

If you’re interested in a unique sponsorship opportunity in the middle of the Global Leadership Conference foot traffic, please email Simone Echeverri-Gent, EO’s Director of Strategic Alliances, at [email protected].

During the month of March, EO’s social media channels will delve into the current status of the global economy. Follow #EOeconomy to hear real perspectives on business from the people who know best: entrepreneurs. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram!