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

suring sales, beyond the obvious of increasing the sales of its
goods or services to the consumer. A sponsor may also want to
track an increase in distribution channels, generate better posi-
tioning at point-of-sale displays, produce new leads in a niche
market or lifestyle market, or increase the volume of sales to cur-
rent users. According to IEG, some of the methods that the spon-
sor can utilize to measure these types of increases in sales are:

■Comparing sales for a specific time around the event to pre-

vious years

■Comparing sales in the geographic area of the event to na-

tional averages in similar markets

■Analyzing proof-of-purchase promotions (discount tickets

with proof of purchase or discount purchase with ticket

coupon)

■Tracking increase in distributors before and during the event

Finally, the sponsor can measure the amount of media cover-
age that the event generates. By tracking the amount of time the
event has exposure on radio and television as well as column
inches in print media, the sponsor can assign a value to this ex-
posure in comparison to what the price of this exposure would
have been to buy outright. The sponsor may also be interested
in the type of media exposure, national news versus the local
six o’clock news, and mention in a national publication versus the
local weekly newspaper.

Incentives to Attract Sponsors

Besides the return on investment, event sponsors look for other in-
centives that will increase their exposure at events and help with
their overall marketing strategy. Some very effective incentives
include:

■Media buys

■Cross-promotions

■Hospitality events

■Product samples

■Consumer research

Media buys allow sponsors to buy advertising to promote their

Incentives to Attract Sponsors 97