Sponsorship can elevate your event. It brings in funding, boosts credibility and creates better experiences for attendees. But getting sponsors isn’t about luck. It’s about showing the right brand why your event is the perfect opportunity.
Whether you’re hosting a business expo, charity run or art festival, this guide walks you through the essentials and offers practical strategies you can put into action today.
Understand What Sponsors Want
Sponsors aren’t donating out of goodwill. They’re investing in visibility, access and brand outcomes. If your event helps them hit a specific business objective, they’ll listen. Here are the most common outcomes sponsors care about:
- Lead generation – Many sponsors want to collect qualified leads for future campaigns. You can help by offering opt-in email lists, QR code scans at activation points, or contest entries that provide contact data.
- Brand awareness – Especially important for brands entering new markets or launching products. Strategic signage, shoutouts from the stage and pre-event content are ways to boost visibility.
- Product trial – Sponsors with tangible goods or tech often want attendees to touch, taste or test. You can offer demo stations, sample bags or exclusive trial zones.
- Content opportunities – Some brands want social media assets they can share. You can offer branded photo booths, interviews with attendees or permission to use event footage in their campaigns.
- Client or staff engagement – A sponsor might want to reward top clients or motivate their team. Consider VIP access, hospitality perks or back-stage passes.
- Thought leadership – B2B sponsors value speaking roles or workshop opportunities to build authority. Offer spots on expert panels, breakout sessions or branded presentations.
Quick win: Read a recent case study or blog post by the brand. Spot what they celebrated, then mirror that goal in your proposal.
Top Strategies to Get Sponsors for Your Event
These aren’t tricks. They’re working strategies used by sponsorship professionals to close deals and build long-term partnerships.
1. Use a Warm Intro When Possible
Cold emails are okay. But warm intros open doors faster. Ask your network if they know anyone at your target brand. Even a like or comment on LinkedIn can build familiarity before your pitch lands.
2. Pitch a Strategic Fit, Not a Sales Plea
Brands care about their KPIs, not your financial struggles. Your job is to show them how sponsoring your event helps them get results.
Instead of saying, “We need support,” say, “We can help you increase trial with your target demographic in three high-visibility touchpoints.”
3. Lead With Value
Your pitch should highlight value before making an ask. Mention:
- Your audience and why they matter
- A proven success story
- One or two custom ideas to help the sponsor win
No fluff. No five-page decks. Just clear potential.
4. Use Visuals to Help Them Picture Success
Most brands are pitched by people who explain too much. You want to show.
Even basic mockups go a long way: a booth layout, a social media preview, or a photo of past activation. Help them see their brand at your event.
5. Make a Sponsor-First Deck
This is not a brochure. Your deck should focus on:
- The brand’s audience
- Why your attendees align with their goals
- How the sponsor will activate
- What they get in return
Think of it as a short pitch doc, not a catalogue.
6. Start With Three Well Thought Out Offers That Makes Sense
Avoid overwhelming brands with a laundry list of benefits. Start with three solid offers you believe in. Tailor them. Give them the option to build from there.
Example: “We’d love to have you sponsor our welcome zone. That includes signage, product placement and data capture for your CRM.”
7. Use Past Wins as Social Proof
Have you worked with sponsors before? Great. Show their logos, include a testimonial or share metrics.
No sponsors yet? Lean into your audience’s loyalty, high engagement or any influencer backing you might have.
8. Don’t Leave Gaps
Gaps are where deals go to die. If you’ve managed to get a meeting with a brand, don’t leave without first locking in your next catch up date, or agreed time to follow up.
Don’t leave it open-ended by saying things like, ‘we’ll come back to you with some more options’.
Instead you could say ‘we’ll go away and refine these ideas, when would be a good time for us to book in a follow up session?’.
Set a clear outcome, and follow through on it.
9. Send a Simple Report After the Event
Many creators skip this. Don’t. Send a one-pager:
- An overview of their business goals
- How you delivered value against those goals
- Attendance numbers
- Social stats
- Photos they can reuse
- A short recap of what was delivered
That’s how you turn one-time sponsors into regular ones.
How to Keep Sponsors Coming Back
The best sponsorship strategy? Making sponsors want to come back.
Hereere’s how to turn a one-time deal into a long-term partnership:
- Deliver what you promised
Sounds obvious. But too many events miss deadlines or overlook deliverables. Be the exception. Be easy to work with. - Send a recap
You don’t need a 12-slide deck. A short one-pager with attendance, engagement, a few great photos and a thank you goes a long way. - Give them content
Make it easy for the brand to share their involvement. Send them clips, behind-the-scenes photos, quotes from attendees, whatever shows their brand in action. - Thank them publicly
Tag them. Mention them. Give them credit. Brands like visibility. Sponsors like being appreciated. - Offer early access for next time
Reach out before next year’s rush. Let them choose placements early. Maybe even lock in a loyalty rate. Make them feel like a priority. - Offer early access for next time
Make it more expensive for sponsors who only wish to lock in for 1-year. Then, offer a discounted rate for locking in for multiple years.
The amount of risk increases and the amount of work required increases for you when a sponsor only locks in for 1 year, charge accordingly.
Keep it simple. Be consistent. If you make the relationship easy and valuable, most sponsors will want to keep it going.
Mistakes to Avoid When Pitching Sponsors
There’s no shortage of great events out there. But plenty of them get overlooked because the sponsorship approach is off. Here’s what to avoid if you want your pitch to actually get read and land.
- Leading with need, not value
“We’re looking for funding” isn’t a pitch. It’s a red flag. Sponsors want outcomes. Always start with what’s in it for them.
- Mass-emailing a generic proposal
If your deck looks like it could go to any brand, it’s not landing. Tailor every pitch. Speak their language. Reference their goals.
- Not knowing your audience
If you can’t describe who attends your event and why they matter to a brand, you’re not ready to pitch. Be specific. Use numbers.
- Overpromising and underdelivering
Don’t say you’ll hit 50,000 impressions if you’ve never done more than 10,000. Brands talk. Reputations stick.
- No follow-up
Silence isn’t rejection. People are busy. Sponsors expect you to follow up politely, consistently and with something new to say.
Fix these and you’re already ahead of most.
Final Thoughts
Getting sponsors is less about having the flashiest event and more about knowing how to position it as a valuable marketing opportunity.
When you know what brands are really looking for, and you make it easy for them to say yes, your sponsorship results start to change.
Offer solutions. Communicate clearly. Deliver value. And build relationships that last.
If you want help with sponsorship, we help people like you to earn 3 x more sponsorship revenue on average. Book a call with us today to see how we can help
