Creative Expressions

Partner Connections In The Making

eventarrow — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:03:12 +0000

Today I had a wonderful example of two parties coming together and finding value in the connection. I’m working on a fundraising event for a non-profit agency. After several solicitation calls, the prospective sponsor agreed to provide a mid-size donation coupled with a giveaway of a trip. The agreement is for the agency to have their guests at the event complete a prize ballot with their name, phone and email address. From all ballots, the sponsor will pull a winner who would receive the trip as a prize. In return the sponsor will receive all the ballots that opted-in and they have a database of prospective clients.

The nice part about this was the sponsor first supported the initiative with a donation. Then we found a creative way for them to not only give additional support, but also collect potential prospects (great way to measure ROI). The agency benefits from the donation and is also able to give away a large benefit to one of their attendees. When both sides benefit it is a win-win for all involved!

Toronto Area 10 Most Anticipated New Venues

eventarrow — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 02:14:01 +0000

Check out this article courtesy of BizBash

http://tinyurl.com/243q2xa

The Puzzle of Creating Partner Value

eventarrow — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:09:21 +0000

The most successful sponsorship programs are those that offer benefits on both sides. The company that is running the program obviously wants to bring in funds. The sponsor on the other hand, wants good value for their money. I try my best to find a good compromise.

Winning corporate programs include opportunities for brand exposure, a reasonable amount of time in front of the target audience, plenty of networking and if possible, overall inclusion of the sponsor in the event activities. Of course there will be times when fully including a sponsor is not appropriate but there are many ways to incorporate sponsors in your agenda without compromising messaging or confidentiality. Including sponsors in cocktail receptions or more general presentations allows them to understand your company better and also feel appreciated for their contribution. NOTE: An included sponsor is a happy sponsor.

So many things are available for sponsorship nowadays. You can logo just about anything that an attendee touches. Online, email, social media – you name it, you can include a sponsor somehow. However my biggest challenge for large sponsorship packages is always speaking opportunities. This is what every major sponsor wants and what every Executive is most reluctant to accommodate. To me this is so simple. Sponsoring companies want to be in front of the company’s attendees and in most cases this can be for a very short duration. Let’s be serious – we are talking about air. Sponsors will pay big money for airtime but Executives fight tooth and nail on giving time on the agenda. Airtime costs NOTHING but brings in big rewards. This is a key example of creating value and is critical to bringing in the larger dollars.

Value equals success. When creating a sponsorship program it is a good idea to have a third party involved who can look at things from the outside. Ultimately if both parties are treated fairly, everyone is happy.

Partnerships & Sponsorship – Finding the Connection

eventarrow — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:33:40 +0000

From an early point in my career, it became evident that I was able to see two sides to every story. I spent several years working for a high tech company managing their reseller channel events and communications. I worked for a large computer manufacturing company with never-ending policies and procedures but I felt it was just as important to always see things from the reseller’s perspective. I learned to listen to real life concerns and step outside the structure to see how we could make things better for this company. Those early years proved to be the foundation to establishing and fostering lasting associations between companies. I’ve always used this ability to nurture relationships and effectively develop successful events with profitable sponsorship programs.

While I love the process, the logistics and the ultimate culmination of an event, I truly enjoy bringing together parties that mutually benefit each other. Creating value for each side through a sponsorship or partnership is incredibly rewarding and there is a true sense of accomplishment when something just clicks.

My hope is that this blog will provide insight on event planning, sponsorship programs, fundraising, interesting business articles, tidbits and my day-to-day experiences. Feel free to email me things you come across that may benefit others so I may post them. I’m a firm believer that it is important to stay connected and share our experiences.

“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.” ~ Margaret Fuller