Establishing a new relationship with a sponsor (or reaffirming an old one, for that matter) is all about communicating value. Finding creative ways to place your sponsor’s message in front of attendees greatly increases the value you can offer. Using digital platforms, AV and mobile technology are really versatile ways to create sponsorship opportunities.
Let’s start with the obvious: AV screens. You can easily add your sponsor’s logo as a stand-alone slide or on the footer of each page of a presentation. The main stage will attract the most attention, but there are other, creative opportunities for interfacing. Set up an interactive FAQ screen next to the coffee cart, or smaller support screens in breakout rooms. Don’t be afraid to have short video messages (subtitled for accessibility) to keep audiences engaged.
User-generated content is how word spreads about brands and messages. Help your attendees share your message with a prepared photo booth, for example. You can work with a provider (we would recommend The Photo Booth Guys) to set the right tone that encourages attendees to share each and every moment. If you have permission, share the photos on official pages with hashtags to generate (and track) conversations. You can work the sponsor logo into the background or watermark them on these official images.
Image credit: The Photo Booth Guys
Smartphone charging lockers are simple and necessary in our digital age. Why not give the space over to a sponsor? Include plenty of branding on the lockers, on the information, on the keys, even on the supervising staff member. Branded material inside each locker is great, too. QR codes could be integrated here – use them to direct attendees to the sponsor’s website or social media.
Providing wifi at the event is another easy way to get sponsored branding in front of attendees. Make sure it’s secure and reliable. Add the sponsor’s logo, link or even an opt-in link to the wifi login page to encourage direct engagement.
It might sound obvious, but the longer the event, the more interactive elements you need to integrate to maintain engagement. If you’re using an mobile app such as CrowdCompass, you can create live Q&As, polls and even competitions. The information can be displayed up on the big screen, and the data can be captured for analysis.
Mobile apps are a great tool for both the attendee and organiser, and can often be customised to suit your own event. Use them to streamline your registration process, distribute information and promote networking. Mobile apps are also likely to appeal to your event sponsor, and provide the opportunity to display information, questionnaires, brand logos and video content. This is an opportunity for your sponsor to have a conversation with the attendees.
Technology can streamline events in many ways. Gone are the days of endless lines at registration tables. Now attendees can stroll up to a bank of tablets loaded with everything they need to sign in and sign up to sessions. Notes, information and messages from sponsors can all be woven into this platform. Please keep in mind that this process should be short and sweet because no one likes filling in never ending forms.
Image credit: Cvent
Bring out the competitive nature of attendees with leader boards for ongoing activities throughout the event. These points can be tallied using the mobile app, for example. Incorporate whichever metrics or activities are relevant. Name the competition after the sponsor, or invite a fun, in-kind donation for prizes.
If you want to have a bit of fun, mount multiple tablets on a wall to play a customised version of Jeopardy. It’s easy enough to tie in sponsor related questions to keep them top of mind throughout the game and the event itself. Scavenger hunts, treasure hunts (take a photo of X, find the answer to Y’) and even table-top trivia quizzes are an excellent way to engage attendees.
The ever-expanding realms of augmented reality and virtual reality are beginning to make themselves felt in the events space. Sponsors have a lot of room to move in this area because it’s an emerging technology and, as a result it brings a high level of excitement and engagement at events.
If you’re going to use digital, you’re going to generate data. Collect it and pull it all together in the debrief report for your sponsor. Give them statistics about how well the audience engaged with them. Track social media mentions and show feedback. It will express the value of the investment, and is a prudent way to build an ongoing relationship.
Finally, live streaming is a fantastic way to reach out to people who could not make the conference. Getting a sponsor on board to support this can be extremely effective. If done well, the materials can be polished and packaged into post-event learning modules or other useful content. This extends the reach of the sponsor’s branding.
If you would like to implement the latest technology and attract more sponsors to your events, why not partner with the team at Nectar? For information about past events we’ve delivered, click here.
