Design Event Sponsorship Packages

Sponsorship is important for many successful events. Whether you’re planning a charity fundraiser, a corporate conference, or a large-scale festival, securing the right sponsors can enhance your event’s reach, prestige, and profitability. 

For sponsors, well-designed packages offer unparalleled opportunities to engage with their target audience, boost brand awareness, and achieve marketing goals.

At Event Academy, we specialise in equipping aspiring event planners with the skills and knowledge to craft sponsorship strategies that attract and retain valuable partners. Here’s your guide to designing effective event sponsorship packages.

Understanding Event Sponsorship

Event sponsorship is a business partnership where sponsors provide financial or in-kind support to events in exchange for marketing benefits.

Sponsorship funds are often used to cover event costs or enhance its scale and impact. In return, sponsors gain access to the event’s audience, branding opportunities, and media exposure.

Types of Event Sponsorship

1. Financial Sponsorship: Direct monetary contributions to support event costs
2. In-Kind Sponsorship: Products or services offered instead of money
3. Media Sponsorship: A company promoting the event through their media channels
4. Promotional Sponsorship: Collaborations for mutual promotion such as co-branded marketing campaigns, often with individuals or influencers

Identify Potential Sponsors

The first step is identifying potential sponsors through research. You should look for brands whose values and audience align with your event’s purpose. For example a fitness brand may sponsor a health focused event, or a furniture store may sponsor an interior design event.

Consider audience demographics, event goals, and the potential for mutual benefit. Sponsors are more likely to commit when their goals align with yours.

You can also identify potential sponsors through networking, such as by attending industry events and using LinkedIn to establish connections. If cold emailing, make sure to personalise your pitch and highlight the mutual value of collaboration.

Structuring an Event Sponsorship Package

A professional sponsorship package should include the following:

• Who you are: Provide a brief overview of your organisation
• What you’re pitching: Clearly explain the event and its purpose
• Why the event matters: Highlight the goals and anticipated impact of the event
• The audience: Describe the size, demographics, and interests of your audience
• What’s in it for sponsors: Detail the tangible and intangible benefits of sponsoring this particular event
• Sponsorship tiers: Present a range of investment levels potential sponsors can choose from
• Your track record: Showcase past event successes to build trust and credibility
• Measuring success: Explain how you’ll track and report the event’s ROI

Sponsorship Tiers

Creating tiered packages allows sponsors to choose a level of investment that suits them and their budget. Each tier should offer escalating benefits, for example:

• Gold: Prime logo placement, keynote speaking opportunity and exclusive branding
• Silver: Prominent logo placement and mid-tier branding opportunities
• Bronze: Basic branding and logo inclusion in promotional materials

Exclusivity further enhances perceived value. For example, you could offer exclusive premium branding in high-visibility areas, VIP experiences for the sponsor’s guests, or opportunities to directly address attendees during key moments of the event.

Offer Customisable Options

Flexibility can make your package more attractive. You can offer personalised opportunities, such as naming rights for specific segments of the event, or unique attendee engagement activities like sponsored competitions.

Key Elements of a Sponsorship Package

Sponsors are primarily interested in how the event can benefit them. Here are the core elements to include:

Branding Opportunities

• Logo Placement: Incorporate sponsor logos on banners, invitations, websites, and social media
• Co-Branding: Offer co-branded merchandise such as lanyards, notebooks or bags

Access to Audience Data

Event sponsors value insights into attendee behaviour. Consider offering:

• Detailed attendee demographics and analytics
• Engagement metrics, such as survey responses or social media mentions

On-Site Presence

• Booths or displays where sponsors can showcase their products or services
• Product sampling or giveaways to directly engage attendees

Media Exposure

• Press releases and mentions in event marketing materials
• Inclusion in event-related videos, articles or advertisements

Pricing your Sponsorship Packages

Setting the right price requires balancing the event’s reach, the value of the benefits offered, and market competition. Here are a few things to think about:

• Value Assessment: Consider the event’s audience size, prestige, and marketing opportunities
• Competitive Pricing: Research sponsorship fees for similar events to determine a fair rate
• Justify Costs: Highlight unique benefits and demonstrate how their sponsorship will deliver a strong ROI

Pitching Sponsorship Packages to Potential Partners

Crafting and delivering a compelling pitch is essential. You should start with creating a visually appealing pitch deck presentation that highlights the event’s potential and the benefits for sponsors. You should emphasise alignment with the sponsor’s goals and potential ROI.

After the initial pitch, it’s important to maintain communication and follow up if necessary, to address any questions and finalise agreements.

Managing Sponsor Relationships

A strong sponsor relationship doesn’t end with the contract being signed. Prior to the event you should maintain communication to keep sponsors updated throughout the planning process.

During the event you should exceed expectations by delivering the promised benefits and creating a positive experience.

After the event you should carry out post-event reporting, and share the data and success metrics to demonstrate the impact of their sponsorship.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are three common mistakes to avoid when designing event sponsorship packages:

• Overpromising: Be realistic about what your event can deliver. If in doubt, it’s always better to underpromise and overdeliver
• Generic Packages: Tailor your proposals to individual sponsors for maximum appeal
• Overlooking Small Sponsors: Niche and somewhat small sponsors may provide high-value contributions despite smaller budgets, so don’t overlook them in your research

Designing event sponsorship packages is a crucial skill for any aspiring event planner. With the right approach, you can secure partnerships that elevate your event while providing sponsors with meaningful returns.

At Event Academy, we offer expert-led courses to help you master the art of sponsorship strategy, from crafting compelling packages to building lasting relationships with sponsors. 

Want to find out more? Explore our courses today and unlock your potential in the exciting world of event management.