Event Marketing: How to Successfully Promote Events, Festivals, Conventions, and Expositions

pany, including the company’s goals and objectives and the man-
ner in which it might match the goals and objectives of your event.
Emphasizing once again, sponsorship is a business deal, not a
handout. It is support with commercial incentives; consequently,
it is important during your research phase to make sure that the
entity sponsoring your event doesn’t have any hidden agenda that
would be detrimental to the event organization. Finally, your re-
search should verify the economic viability of the potential spon-
sor. The marketer must make certain that the sponsor has the fi-
nancial means to back this business arrangement. To qualify your
prospective sponsors, follow the steps in Figure 4-6.
You will have compiled your “short list” of potential sponsors
that you have qualified as candidates for sponsoring your event.
The next step in the process is to develop your approach strategy
for each sponsor. Because potential sponsors have their own needs,
wants, and desires, when approaching them you must create an
individualized appeal. The prospectus should delineate how your

Research 95

Figure 4-6
Event marketers often find the most loyal sponsors closest to
home. Members, exhibitors, wholesalers, and distributors are
among those who are already committed and who have a
financial stake in the welfare of the event organization.

Brainstorming

Internal and External Audit (Who Are Your Friends?)

Research

(Sponsorship History—Marketing Goals and Objectives—

Fiscal Soundness—Hidden Agendas)