Several association sponsorship directors have said that they require companies to purchase a booth in the exhibit hall if they are a sponsor.
Their rationale? To fill the exhibit hall.
This approach is akin to insisting that every patron entering a café to buy coffee must purchase a muffin in addition to their coffee, all in the pursuit of increasing muffin sales.
Just as some coffee enthusiasts who aren’t interested in muffins may opt to avoid such a café, companies unwilling to incur substantial expenses for booth rental, staffing, and logistics might choose to forgo becoming a sponsor.
Are you wondering if any of your association’s sponsorship practices are “rubbing companies the wrong way”?