Successful sponsorship programs are an art and a science. Best practices and models can be key to avoiding pitfalls and advancing sponsorship programs.
Words Have Power When It Comes to Successful Sponsorships
Words matter when it comes to organizations' corporate relationships. I worked for an association CEO; we had a robust corporate partner program. The association CEO never called the companies “vendors”. He sometimes called them “sponsors” or “partners”. He often...
What to do When Your Sponsors “Go Rogue”
A friend whispered to me, “do you know what some companies are doing? They’re not sponsoring or exhibiting at association conferences and expos. They’re registering as attendees, networking with clients and prospects during the day and hosting dinner meetings!” I...
What does Listening have to do with Sponsorship Success?
“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” – Bryant H. McGill This quote is excellent guidance for successful corporate sponsorships and partnerships. Gone are the days of Platinum/Gold/Silver/Bronze-level prospectuses...
Do Sponsors Sell, Sell, Sell? Not Necessarily
One of the biggest concerns about corporate sponsors is .... if they’re given a platform, they’ll sell. if we let them present at a conference session or webinar, they’ll sell if we let them do focus groups, they’ll sell if we let them speak with our board members,...
Member Email Addresses for Sponsors?
Hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear “our association’s event sponsors and exhibitors want attendee email addresses, however, our policy is to not share email addresses.” The other scenario is that the association provides email addresses only for attendees who...
Myths and Realities
Myths and realities can have important implications for corporate sponsorship programs. MYTHS: The only way companies can REACH association members is via associations’ membership lists, events, etc. The only way companies can TEACH association members is via...