Having a great idea for your family event is only the first step; funding it is the big challenge for most organisers. This is where event sponsorship steps in.

A sponsor can either provide hard cash or benefits in kind, such as free audiovisual services or catering. But, naturally, you have to offer them something in return. This will either be worthwhile brand exposure and/or the opportunity to give something back to the community as part of their CSR (corporate social responsibility) efforts.

So how do you go about honing your offer and pitching a potential sponsor? Most importantly, you need to demonstrate how supporting your event will help your sponsor meet their goals, whether that’s achieving extra sales, a higher status among their target audience or engaging their own staff.

“Put a clear and exciting package together first, explaining your event and what it can do for them. Then research your market and look for companies who will be interested in your target market.” – GoFest

Make your opportunity an inspiring and interactive one; event sponsorship these days is about taking part. It’s not just about writing a cheque and seeing your name stamped all over banners.

Crucially, family event planners must work hard at identifying the right kind of partners for their events. This means breaking down the demographic of your audience and looking at your own brand values to find potential sponsors that are a perfect match.

“Only work with organisations whose outlook and values closely match yours. They are far more likely to be interested in working with you on an ongoing basis and their involvement will enhance your own brand.” – Big Fish Little Fish

You must demonstrate synergy and spell out how supporting your event will enhance your potential sponsor’s brand – perhaps you can connect with the audience in a way they can’t? Even if you’re organising a charity event, it’s not enough to simply say, “We’re a great cause and hence you should support us.” The sponsorship landscape is highly competitive and you need to give a compelling reason why a sponsor should choose you.

“Know who you are and what makes you unique. Once you know your brand, you can align yourself to sponsors that fit in with your values and vision. And be persistent as it might take time to get what you want!” – Wake Up Gigs

Top tips for finding (and securing) your ideal sponsor:

• Looking at what your target companies have sponsored previously and keep an eye on the business press for little snippets of news about what companies are doing and where their marketing direction is taking them.
• Research what sort of companies have sponsored events similar to yours. If you see that food and drink are the biggest sponsors for music festivals, for example, then that’s a good starting point.
• When you make the approach, ensure it’s really tailored to that company. Don’t copy and paste your pitch and send it to a dozen potential sponsors, simply changing the company name – it won’t feel authentic.
• Offer sponsors the flexibility to choose a sponsorship package that’s right for them, this could mean sponsoring different elements of the event at various cost levels or the ability to pick and choose from exposure opportunities such as workshops, speaking engagements or product giveaways/demonstrations.
• Giving sponsors direct access to your customers through a mailshot or an attendee list can also be an extra bargaining chip. Access to this information can often open the door to a more sophisticated lead generation strategy.
• Don’t overlook offers of sponsorship in kind. The sponsors can spend the money on the things you need to buy rather than you doing it.
• Finally, even if your event is a new one, take time to build a strong social media presence before approaching a sponsor. A quick way that sponsors will gauge the potential success of an event held by an organisation is by looking at their social media accounts. Questions such as; Are they connected to their target user base? Do their fans and followers engage with their content? Will they be able to offer us good social exposure?

“We believe that the growth of social media offers the best opportunity for events to secure brand partners/sponsorship. Events offer an environment where people are at their happiest and if a brand can enhance this experience with a clever activation they will achieve really strong visibility, engagement and ROI.” – Lambeth Fireworks

Judging companies by their social following isn’t by any means foolproof, but it’s a quick and reasonably reliable way to make a top line judgement call, so ensure your social channels are updated and engaging!

If you’d like to learn more about the current trends taking place in the family events space, as well as information on how to master your own event, download The Next Generation of Family Events.