Identifying sponsors for your event

When considering potential sponsors, what you need to look for are companies (and sometimes individuals) who have a demonstrated interest in the subject matter of your event and/or who want to reach your target audience.

Here are three quick examples:

Film Festival

Focus on companies who sell products or services to a consumer market, because consumers will be your primary target; sure, some of your attendees will be business owners or purchasing agents or whatever, but they won’t be in a “business frame of mind.” Sponsor examples might include a beverage distributor, a family law attorney, a realtor, a bank, and a satellite dish company.

Technology Trade Show

Focus on companies who sell products or services to a business market, because business owners, executives and employees will be your primary targets. Sponsor examples might include a bank, a CPA firm with an emphasis on businesses, an IT services provider, a payroll company, and an insurance company with an emphasis on business customers.

Women in Business Awards Ceremony

This could be a bit of a hybrid, because you’ll be focusing on women in a business frame of mind, but the marketing affect is a good bit stronger because most of the attendees will be women, a lot of them will have higher levels of income, and women who do not attend are still more likely to identify with supporters of a women-oriented event.

Once you’ve thought about the kind of event you are holding and have a general idea of the sort of sponsors who would make sense, the search process is really pretty simple. Your best prospects are going to fall into one of two groups – companies who have sponsored similar events in the past or companies with whom you have a personal connection.

Don’t make it complicated; just start making a list:

• Companies you know of who sponsor events (especially similar events)

• E-mail people you know and ask for their suggestions

• Search the Web for similar events and find out who sponsored them

o Events that have their own Web sites

o Organizations that host events

• Charity organizations