Event Marketing
7 Tips for Creating Sponsorship Packages for Virtual Events

7 Tips for Creating Sponsorship Packages for Virtual Events

January 12, 2021
4 min read

Event sponsorship is one of the most effective ways of monetizing events and delivering marketing ROI.

However, when it comes to virtual event sponsorship, additional considerations are needed to create packages that can be used to attract the best sponsors.

Marketers need to gain a holistic view of the entire virtual event experience to identify promising opportunities.

As a virtual event platform provider, we are seeing marketers introduce some top-notch sponsorship opportunities within their virtual event setting.

We’re sharing some of these proven tips with you so that you can implement those that are right for you during your upcoming event.

7 Tips for Creating Sponsorship Packages for Virtual Events:

  1. Match Sponsorship Goals with Event Marketing Goals
  2. Decide What You Want to Achieve with Sponsorship
  3. Identify Specific Opportunities for Branding
  4. Create Special Packages for Your Mobile Event App
  5. Create Packages for Virtual Exhibition
  6. Offer Collaborative Opportunities
  7. Use Flexible Pricing

Continue reading to learn more!

1. Match Sponsorship Goals with Event Marketing Goals

Meaningful event sponsorship starts with aligning your event marketing goals and objectives with sponsorship goals.

When planning your virtual event, identify potential sponsors whose offerings will complement your attendees’ event experience.

Sponsorship should go with the flow of your event rather than being on the sideline.

2. Decide What You Want to Achieve with Sponsorship

A clear understanding of what you want to achieve with sponsorship can help you determine which kinds of packages will suit your goals.

For example, your primary motivation might be revenue but you also want sponsors to help boost attendee engagement.

It’s also possible that you have a long-term plan to build your sponsor or partner base. In that case, your goal is not just to create a package for your next event, but to create a broader package that can help you retain sponsors over time.

3. Identify Specific Opportunities for Branding

Some sponsors require only brand exposure.

In this case, your top priority is to identify opportunities for branding in your event and to build sponsorship packages around them.

Here are some areas to consider when building exposure-based sponsorship packages:

  • Event registration pages
  • Email communications
  • Splash page on your event website
  • Event microsite
  • Social media mentions and hashtags
  • Logo inclusion in pre- & post-event communication
  • Branded breakout rooms
  • Branded polling/poll result pages
  • Digital scribing during educational sessions

The goal of branding is to create maximum audience awareness. Therefore, build and include these kinds of opportunities in your sponsorship packages.

4. Create Special Packages for Your Mobile Event App

You might offer an additional sponsorship package to feature on your mobile event app.

This may include placing logos, banners, pop-up ads, push messages, video ads, and other commercial content from sponsors in strategic places where mobile users can easily see them.

You might also consider creating a virtual swag room where attendees can win access and shop items from their mobile devices using an exclusive gift code.

5. Create Packages for Virtual Exhibition

Another exciting sponsorship opportunity to consider is a virtual exhibition. A virtual exhibition provides warm opportunities for lead generation and sales. Here are some ideas to explore for these packages:

  • Digital Resources: This enables the display of marketing content and links to online resources that attendees can click to view or download to learn more about their products and services.
  • Access to Attendee Directory: Offer access to the attendee directory to enable sponsors to initiate conversations with attendees directly and generate leads.
  • Virtual Booths: This is a virtual room on your event platform where sponsors can have a one-on-one video call with interested attendees. It can also offer a chat feature and a waiting room so that representatives can connect with one person at a time.

6. Offer Collaborative Opportunities

Utilize sponsors as direct contributors to the event experience.

They can be featured in educational sessions as speakers and facilitators. They can also participate in special interviews, virtual fireside chats, and panel interviews.

All of these opportunities can be monetized as sponsorship offerings.

You can also create sponsorship opportunities around games and contests that help increase attendee engagement.

7. Use Flexible Pricing

Create pricing flexibility that allows sponsors to choose the packages that will deliver the best results to them.

You can include branding, exhibition, and collaborative sponsorship in different packages. You can also create price tiers such as silver, gold, diamond, and platinum, and itemize the features of each of them.

Make your pricing competitive and consider the perceived value to your sponsors before setting prices. Consider treating each sponsor differently when setting up pricing.

Rather than creating blanket prices, speak with sponsors to understand the things that are most valuable to them and help them create suitable packages with comparable price values.

———-

Think beyond revenue generation when creating sponsorship packages. Rather, focus on creating an experience for both your sponsors and your attendees. A unique event experience will help you sell more sponsorships at subsequent events. Finally, since you are hosting a virtual event, let your packages include access to event analytics. This is the most effective way for your sponsors to measure their success.

This is a guest post by Jordan Schwartz

Jordan Schwartz is president and co-founder of Pathable, an event app and website platform for conferences and trade shows. He left academic psychology for the lure of software building, and spent 10 years at Microsoft leading the development of consumer-facing software. Frustrated with the conferences he attended there, he left Microsoft in 2007 with the goal of delivering more value and better networking opportunities through a next-generation conference app. Jordan moonlights as a digital nomad, returning often to his hometown of Seattle to tend his bee hives.

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Michael Brenner

Michael Brenner is an international keynote speaker, author of "Mean People Suck" and "The Content Formula", and Founder of Marketing Insider Group. Recognized as a Top Content Marketing expert and Digital Marketing Leader, Michael leverages his experience from roles in sales and marketing for global brands like SAP and Nielsen, as well as his leadership in leading teams and driving growth for thriving startups. Today, Michael delivers empowering keynotes on marketing and leadership, and facilitates actionable workshops on content marketing strategy. Connect with Michael today.

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