How to find an event sponsor for your B2B event

You’ve been planning your event for months. You have finalized the dates, location, and everything else you need to get this done. The only thing left on the to-do list is finding a sponsor. But how can you find them? And what do they want in return for their sponsorship? In this article, we’ll break down briefly how to get sponsorships for your B2B events.

Identify your target audience

You can’t find the right sponsor for your event until you have a clear picture of what type of event it is. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What is the main purpose of the event? Is it to conduct a seminar, or to introduce new products?

Who will be attending your event? Are they senior executives, or customers who might want to invest in your company’s services and products?

How long will it take place at one location or another? Will there be opportunities for attendees to interact with each other while they are at the event (such as through networking opportunities)?

Research potential sponsors

Before you start the process of finding a sponsor, it’s important to know whom you’re looking for. Ask yourself: “Who would be interested in sponsoring my event?”

The answer will help you define your target sponsors and identify those that fit your criteria.

At this point, it’s not necessary to focus on specific companies or brands—you need to think broadly about the type of businesses that might be interested in participating. You can do research on individual companies later on in the process once there is more concrete information available (i.e., what they’ve done at previous events). However, if you have narrowed down on a specific company, make sure that you have done your due diligence on the company and make sure they’re a good fit for your event. You will want to check whether they can provide everything they promised in their initial submission.

You should also consider how big or small your potential sponsors are going to be—some may only have room for a small-scale table/booth at an event like yours and others could offer support with substantial financial backing and advertising opportunities for attendees.

Create a sponsorship proposal

A sponsorship proposal is a document that outlines the benefits of sponsoring your event, including:

A clear description of what your event is, when it will be held and how often it has been held before. You can also include information about similar events (including those organized by competitors) to show why yours is different from theirs.

The types of attendees who are likely to be interested in their products or services.

A contact database for these attendees (email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses). This helps sponsors reach out to potential customers directly and build rapport with them before the event even takes place.

Reach out to potential sponsors

Once you’ve identified your target sponsors, it’s time to reach out. You can use email, social media, or phone to get in touch with them—just be sure to include the benefits of sponsoring your event and what you want from a sponsor in your communication.

Be clear about how they’ll be recognized at the event (if you haven’t already discussed this), and ask for a response so that you know what’s on their plate when they receive this request from you. Make sure that all of your sponsorship materials are consistent and professional-looking.

Negotiate terms and finalize agreements

Now that you’ve found a great event sponsor, start by presenting how their sponsorship package breaks down by cost and explain where their funds or contributions are going. If the sponsor has agreed to provide their technology for the event, let them know how you intend to manage their technology sponsorship such as getting the necessary permits or the amount of allocated manpower to operate the technology.

There may also be restrictions on which employees can attend your event because some sponsors want to keep their brands exclusive. The more specific you are about what you need from a sponsor before signing an agreement with them, the smoother things will go when it comes time for execution.

Once you’ve negotiated terms and finalized agreements with all your sponsors, it’s time to sign those contracts. Make sure both parties have signed copies before moving forward with anything else related.

Conclusion

Sponsorships are a great way to attract new customers and build brand awareness. The key to making it work is careful planning, clear communication, and plenty of follow-ups. Follow these steps and your event will be a success!

If you’re interested in learning more about how to find an event sponsor for your B2B event, we invite you to contact us at marketing@convergenceconcepts.com.sg. We are here to help you with all of your B2B event and conference needs.