Thinking of Sponsoring an Event? 3 Takeaways for Business Owners & Brand Managers
Iqbal Ameer
Unlocking the web3 space for millions of music fans | Founder of AAA & Livescape
TL;DR: Brands & business owners who want to sponsor live events should carefully consider (a) if they’re reaching the right crowd, (b) whether they’re creating something of value to engage the users, and (c) how they’ll keep the connection going after the event.??????
I've been backstage at hundreds of live shows, conferences, conclaves, and exhibitions. Regardless of the venue, we always strive to "WOW" our attendees. "A Livescape Experience," we call it.?
But at the same time, we also have to think of the people who make such events possible, profitable, and sustainable a.k.a. our SPONSORS. They bring in capital & strategic positioning, which keeps the show going! Managing their expectations, and helping them reach their business/brand goals is a fascinating challenge that we gladly take on.
So if you're a brand manager or an independent business owner wondering how to sponsor a Live Event successfully by engaging the crowd, here are my 3 key takeaways…
Tip 1: Know your audience & find a relevant setting?
Being sold out is the best feeling for anyone who’s involved in making an event happen. The more attendees at the venue, the more eyeballs your brand’s going to get. But most businesses tend to get lost in the numbers, forgetting that it isn’t about how many impressions your brand gets but whether you’re reaching the right people.
A soft drink brand pop-up wouldn’t work at a yoga retreat, and a financial product for businesses will probably garner no interest at a music fest where age can be quite disparant to your target market. So you need to really think about where and why you’re getting involved in a certain space.?
Even a micro-event of 100 participants is good enough to give you business for the entire year, provided you’ve identified a clear interest in them, and have a solution that they will want to check out or use during/after the show. Relevancy is key, and it matters more than reach.?
One helpful way is to create “personas,” which are imaginary characters with the traits, interests, and demographics you’re looking for (e.g. 25 y.o. Man with a passion for travelling). Your event planner/strategist will probably have made personas of their own, too, so share the sketches with each other & check if it’s a close match.?
Tip 2: Work with the EO to create value for your Audience
Event organizers have the immense task of building a concert or festival from the ground up. There are various moving parts to this and it is the pride & joy of building something creative and experiential. Why not help the EO by sponsoring these components??
Your brand gets to take over an area that is guaranteed footfall (EO's only build-essentials). You get to work with the EO to ensure that the area is functional and aesthetically pleasing. Some audience-focused examples of such partnerships are:?
This approach isn’t restricted to just offline events. An online experience provides just as much, if not more, an opportunity to create an impact for event attendees. In fact, today’s crowd is inclined toward purchasing tickets online. For event sponsors, there are excellent opportunities to capture digital real-estate throughout a buyer's purchasing & checkout experience on event websites or other platforms, but many brands don’t put much thought into creating content for these initial touchpoints.?
All of this is to say that the fans are the most important component of shows, and every EO would be lying if they said they’re not expecting their event partners to do something beneficial for the crowd. So your ideal goal should be to work with the EO in providing unforgettable “money-can't-buy” experiences for the fan community. It can also be something as simple as a social-media-worthy activation point, most of the time you’d see something like an Instagram Photobooth. But there are many more new and innovative ways your brand can be incorporated into the actual event itself; and we’ve been extremely blessed to work with some of the biggest brands on the planet to achieve their objectives.?
Believe me, if you go beyond just providing funds and having a logo plastered all over an event, and instead, contribute to making the event special for the fans, you will definitely gain new followers who will be willing to hear about your product/service.?
Remember, you aren’t just here because you have the budget. Unless you want to be an afterthought (or a logo on a signboard that not everybody might notice), you would ideally want to work on an activity that will engage the attendees, and preferably give them a token of value (e.g. goodie bags, freebies) or a fun experience (e.g. game, activity, contest).?
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Fans promote brands that give them a reason to remember & talk about their connection. Say who wouldn't want to be backstage while their favorite artist performs on stage? Who has the power to make that happen? The EO! Who can tie up the experience, amplify it, and capitalize their brand over it? Why the brands, of course!?
Part 3: Think long-term community building
Last but not the least, it’s important to keep in mind that the main event is just one touchpoint for your brand to connect with the attendees. But you’ll probably need to nudge them a few more times to get conversions/sales, which means having post-event content ideas ready to fire:?
After all, when people come for music or art events, their main goal is to have a good time. They aren’t here to buy or make business decisions. So brand sponsors should also think of incentives for customers who stick with them after the party’s over.?
To sum up my 3 key points:?
Conclusion: Don’t just be a sponsor, be a participant?
By now, you’ve probably realized that being an event sponsor is more than just signing a deal to get your brand’s logo on signboards. It’s an opportunity to be part of the whole experience and contribute to its “WOW” factor.
That’s what I believe differentiates “A Livescape Experience” from all the other events happening around town. Want to be part of such journeys? In search of great ideas to take your brand to the moon?
?DM me & I’d love to chat.
Iqbal Ameer
(CEO, A Livescape Experience)
Website: www.livescapegroup.com
Email: [email protected]