As an event organizer, you’re likely spending your time worrying about your vendors and managing the event. But, what about your sponsors? The sponsors have the ability to make or break any event so it’s important that you put careful thought into them. Here are some of the trade show sponsor benefits that your potential sponsors can enjoy.
Building your audience is one of the biggest challenges that you might face as an organizer. Marketing your event — especially if you’re new to the scene — can sometimes seem like it’s not worth it. While having sponsors isn’t a guarantee that you’ll have more marketing opportunities, it is another avenue you can take to help build your audience. By working with sponsors, affiliates, or partners, you’ll be able to reach more people than you would have just using your own contacts!
In most instances, sponsors will be paying to be a sponsor for your show. This means that they’ll be putting money up to be a part of it which you can then use to your advantage. Whether you use the money directly or you use the exposure they’re giving you is all up to you and part of how you should structure your sponsor relationships.
Another way your sponsors can support your event is through bartering. One of the most common ways for sponsors and organizers to barter is by using event space. The sponsor may own a large space where you can hold your event in exchange for being featured as a sponsor. In these instances, the sponsor will expect to be featured on things like banners and backdrops as a way to get exposure.
When you’re looking for sponsors, it’s important to make sure that you find sponsors who share values similar to yours. This means finding a sponsor with the same goals in mind and part of the same industry. Depending on your niche, this can be easy to do if there are many businesses. You should also make sure that the sponsor sees value in your event. Sponsors that are apprehensive about the trade show or event might not be as willing to collaborate and engage with your new potential audience!
You know that your event is legitimate, but do potential vendors and guests? People love brand recognition and that’s where your sponsor comes into play — especially if you do not already have a recognizable name on the event scene. When you work with a sponsor that has a recognizable name and brand authority in the space, your event will be depicted as more official. The people who are potentially attending your event will recognize that and see value in the fact that you’re working with a sponsor that they already know. Not only does the sponsor help increase your audience but it also helps improve and curate a reputation for you in the space.
Trade show sponsor benefits are not just one-sided. There are many great benefits for event organizers, but there are also benefits for the sponsors! According to Event Manager Blog, “over 67% of sponsorship packages in 2019 combined both awareness and value offerings”. This means that sponsors are nearly always getting something in exchange for their sponsorship of events. This community exposure allows vendors and visitors the opportunity to learn more about the sponsor and begin recognizing their branding if they haven’t already.
In most situations, your sponsors will depend on you to include their branding with your advertising. Your sponsors’ logos should be visible in high-traffic areas where vendors and guests can see them and learn more about what they have to offer. Use these helpful ideas to make trade show sponsor benefits even better:
Whether you’ve done one event or hundreds of events, there’s always room to bring your vision to life and improve your event. As an organizer, it’s important to have all the resources that you’ll need from vendors to sponsors and even yourself. Make sure that you’ve got the right marketing materials — get a quote on canopies, banners, and other materials from All In Canopies™️!
