Assemble a New Sponsorship Team for Virtual Event Sponsorship Sales
By Chris Gloede of Ricochet & Bruce Rosenthal of Bruce Rosenthal Associates
Virtual events have changed the sponsorship game and you need a new team playing a new strategy to win. Our new white paper, The New Sponsorship Model for Virtual Events, shares a playbook for generating sponsor value through virtual conferences. We combined our expertise in sponsorship development and digital transformation to develop a new sponsorship approach in this pandemic-changed business environment.
Virtual Events are Different Than In-Person Events
For years, conference sponsorships included many familiar benefits – logo placements, brochure advertisements, free tickets, exhibit space, or refreshment recognition. This year, in the rush to virtualize conferences, organizers simply created virtual versions of these same benefits.
But virtual events are completely different from in-person events, and the value that organizing associations can offer is completely different too. Event organizers relying on sponsorship revenue can create new benefits with the potential to generate more sponsor interest and sponsorship sales than past in-person events, even in this difficult time.
Virtual Events Create New Sponsor Benefit Opportunities
Our white paper explains that virtual event platforms include unique functionality and generate volumes of data that allow sponsors to connect with attendees in new ways. But organizers and sponsoring companies have little experience with digital tools of this nature and require new skills to create the partnerships and benefits worthy of meaningful sponsorship fees.
Organizers need to partner with the in-house technology infrastructure experts that are charged with integrating the virtual event platform; interactive experts who create compelling online programming; digital marketers who know how to attract attendees; and analysts that collect each data point and make recommendations to improve performance.
While it may be uncommon to include technical, interactive, digital, and analytic staff in sponsorship benefit development, these are the people with the most experience and greatest knowledge of the virtual event capabilities and they can bring a fresh perspective that leads to new, native sponsor benefits for virtual experiences.
More Details and Sample Prospectus in White Paper
The New Sponsorship Model for Virtual Events provides more insights on virtual event sponsorship opportunities, a sample virtual event sponsor prospectus, and is available for free download.
Chris Gloede, Chief Consultant with Ricochet transforms the membership and marketing functions at associations through digital innovation.
Bruce Rosenthal, Principal with Bruce Rosenthal Associates helps associations increase revenue and member value from their sponsorship programs.