spotlight
out time” you have, and,- Ask what relationships they
can leverage to help deliver a
flawless experience.
Ledoux sees modern
sponsors as partners and
says communication and
mutual understanding are key
to making a marriage of
minds work.
“In any partnership, make
sure you outline what the
opportunity is, what benefits
the sponsor will get, make sure
you deliver on those benefits,
and if something changes,
communicate that immediately.
I think if you are a good
communicator and understand
your sponsors’ needs and
expectations, you will avoid
most pitfalls.”
Communication, honesty
and the ability to deliver on
expectations are factors
that meetings industry
professionals agree are
crucial to the success of
any sponsorship or
partnership deal.
Barry Neame, director of
Consec – Conference and
Event Management, says one
of the most serious pitfalls of
sponsorship is where events
organisers make promises that
they cannot deliver on – they
should be transparent about
what sponsors will receive for
their investment.
“Sponsors will not be back
and event organisers will get a
bad reputation if they cannot
deliver what the agreement has
outlined,” he says, “Particularly
in an industry sector
where companies who are
competitors will talk about their
experience. It is best to under
promise and over deliver.”
Gary Bender, director and
joint founder of Get Global,Value, timing and CSR
LOOK at these three areas carefully before approaching
any potential sponsor, says Roy Ying (above), an event and
association management specialist.- An event’s commercial value – Sponsors can choose to
spend their budget on any number of promotional activities,
sponsoring an event is just one of many options. You need
to research your attendee’s profiles to make sure they match
your prospective sponsor’s target customers. - Timing – Budgeting cycles are important. If a company ends
its financial year on December 31, for example, its budget
planning is likely to start around or just after the summer
holidays. This is usually the time budget holders will look at
sponsorship proposals. - Corporate social responsibility – The CSR departments of
many listed companies often need new projects to showcase
their community investment, especially when it’s time to
produce a sustainability report. It’s just a matter of whether
your event matches their corporate values.
42 MIX AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 http://www.mixmeetings.com