Trip to Trinidad for the CPL, An Update Sponsorship Value Pyramid, A Tip of the Cap to Bill Walton and New Parnterships

A lot of updates for this edition of the Sponsorship Magnet.?

First up is a short take on how digital marketing has changed our deliverables for our sponsors. I’ve included a graphic “Activation Value Pyramid”.

Earlier this month I made my first trip to Trinidad to speak at the Caribbean Premier League Sponsors only Summit. I’ve included a quick review of the topics and the experience.

Next there are a couple of short profiles about two of our new clients, The Water Lantern Festival and the Rustic.? I hope you will enjoy learning about them.?

Last, I wanted to honor Basketball HOF member Bill Walton. I had the pleasure of working with him a couple of times. While many will regale his basketball career, he was so much more than a basketball player. Just a couple of quick insights into the man and how his kindness and sincerity in dealing with all people makes him a Hall of Famer in life.?

As always, I welcome your thoughts and ideas.

How Digital Marketing Has Changed What Is Valuable in Event Sponsorship

The world of event sponsorship has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, largely driven by the rise of digital marketing. In the past, sponsors were primarily interested in gaining visibility and brand exposure through their association with an event. However, with the advent of digital marketing, sponsors are now looking for more measurable and tangible results.

One of the most important changes brought about by digital marketing is the shift from impressions and likes to engagement and direct sales. In the past, sponsors were content with simply having their logo displayed on event signage or in the event program. However, today's sponsors want to know how many people actually engaged with their brand at the event. They want to know how many people visited their booth, downloaded their app, or signed up for their email list.

Another important change is the rise of influencer marketing. Influencers are individuals who have a large following on social media and can influence the purchasing decisions of their followers. Sponsors are increasingly working with influencers to promote their events and products. This can be a very effective way to reach a large audience and generate leads.

Finally, digital marketing has made it easier for sponsors to track the results of their sponsorship investments. In the past, it was difficult to measure the impact of sponsorship on sales. However, with the use of digital marketing tools, sponsors can now track everything from website traffic to sales conversions. This data can be used to justify the cost of sponsorship and to make informed decisions about future sponsorships.

Here are some specific examples of how digital marketing has changed what is valuable in event sponsorship:

• Impressions and likes are no longer enough. Sponsors want to know how many people actually engaged with their brand at the event. They want to know how many people visited their booth, downloaded their app, or signed up for their email list.
• Influencer marketing is on the rise. Sponsors are increasingly working with influencers to promote their events and products. This can be a very effective way to reach a large audience and generate leads.
• Digital marketing makes it easier to track results. Sponsors can now use digital marketing tools to track everything from website traffic to sales conversions. This data can be used to justify the cost of sponsorship and to make informed decisions about future sponsorships.

Overall, digital marketing has had a profound impact on the world of event sponsorship. Sponsors are now looking for more measurable and tangible results from their investments. This has led to a shift from impressions and likes to engagement and direct sales. Digital marketing has also made it easier for sponsors to track the results of their sponsorships, which has helped to justify the cost of sponsorship and to make informed decisions about future sponsorships.

Trip to Trinidad

Earlier this month I flew to Trinidad to speak to the Caribbean Premier League. The Caribbean Premier League is a T20 cricket group with a very popular tournament. For the 20th anniversary of the league, they put together a sponsor- only event. My topic was “Optimising Sponsorship through Activation”

First, I want to go on the record as saying everything about the friendliness of the folks in the Caribbean was certainly true here. Everyone was very gracious and helpful, especially my hosts. There is a bit of history about the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain. It was shown in a documentary about FIFA handing out bags of cash at the hotel. I guess it is like the Watergate hotel of Sports? Anyway a beautiful setting for some actual business.?

The main topics were:

• Patronage, Partnership and Sponsorship; What is the difference and what is your obligation under each scenario?
• The updated Activation Value Pyramid
• What works and what doesn’t work, with examples
• Engagement using tech and not using tech with examples
• Digital Activations
• Naming Rights Activation

After lunch we had a 90 minute working session where we mixed all the groups and asked them to identify a situation where a revised or new activation could improve sponsorship results. Members of the CPL team and I circulated to support the groups and the last half hour was spent with each group presenting their issue and proposed solutions.?

Welcome Our New Clients

At TSG we love our clients. We also like to share a bit about them on our website as you never know when it may create an opportunity to connect.

The Water Lantern Festival brings people together to Light The Water in a magical night that includes food, music, and beauty as the lanterns reflect upon the water. It can be a very emotional experience, writing down some of your hope and dreams, or a letter to a loved one, and then sending it out into the water. At Water Lantern Festival, we cherish these moments and will do our best to help you have an memorable experience that you'll never forget.

Our team is committed to bringing you the best lantern light festival experience available. Our team of event production experts has produced hundreds of different events throughout the world with a combined total of over 1,000,000 attendees! Our team consistently hosts events that receive praise from our attendees.

Website: www.waterlanternfestival.com

The Rustic is the brainchild of FreeRange Concepts' founders Kyle Noonan and Josh Sepkowitz. As the second concept to be created out of their enterprise, The Rustic combines their love of great food, the best drinks and lively atmosphere into a locale for patrons to create remarkable memories for years to come.

We’ve kept our focus simple at The Rustic — Kitchen. Backyard. Bar. Live Music — and we wouldn’t change it for anything. Enjoy home style meals made with farm-to-table ingredients, sip local craft beers and cocktails under the stars or catch a performance by local and national artists.

We take pride in using quality ingredients and products sourced from Texas vendors — seafood from the Gulf, steaks from local ranchers and dairy and produce grown by local farmers. With 40 beers on tap and a variety of cocktails, you can taste the Lone Star State in all that we serve.

You could say live music is a passion of ours. You can catch the best local and national acts on our outdoor stage. Sign up to our VIP Email List and never miss the latest news or an early ticket grab for your favorite acts.

Website: therustic.com

To learn more about some of our other clients: https://thesponsorshipguy.com/clients-in-the-news/

To request a one sheet with more information please contact Larry at [email protected].

A few words about the recent passing of HOF Basketball Member and World Champion Bill Walton.

I had the good fortune of getting to know Bill a bit during a couple of work engagements. His deep voice and never ending enthusiasm for life and people was something to see and hear.?

I first met Bill at the NBA AllStar Game in Los Angeles many years ago. My client was spending a lot of money on sports sponsorship and we were invited to sit with a group of A list NBA personalities. Bill showed genuine interest in every person and was willing to talk about anything you wanted to talk about. I mostly recall that his handler was trying to pull him away to get to some other obligation and he told her “I’m talking to these people right now. I will let you know when I’m ready” more on that later.?

In no small part because of his genuine interest in people I later secured him as a paid speaker for a conference held in Boston by one of my clients. Of course he was part of a championship with the Celtics and was revered there. He was a big hit at the conference and I asked him if he would like to join us at a conference party later that evening. Now the first thing to know about speaker deals is that you don’t ask for extras and that they may take offense. I did offer a generous contribution to the charity of his choice if he would attend (such was the enthusiasm for more time with Bill. The event was held at the well known spot across the street from Fenway “Jillians”. A huge spot with several floors. There was no agenda, Bill just went around and talked with everybody and anybody.?

I had asked for two hours of his time and he was still going strong at three hours. As his guide for the evening, it was my job to get him there and back to the hotel etc. He had gone way past time and I was ready to go myself. I was moving him toward the private exit and he was still stopping to take a photo with every bus boy, server, who wanted a selfie or an autograph. I found myself starting to “encourage” him to go. He looked at me and said “not yet Larry, I’m talking to these folks”. Deja Vu. The same thing he said years ago at the AllStar game, when he was visiting with my group. To Bill it didn’t matter if you were a sponsorship prospect or a bus boy. He treated everyone with respect and was very generous with his time.?

A couple of other small anecdotes that don’t need explanation. In the SUV limo he liked to ride shotgun and he told the driver to please take off his tie. The other thing I know for certain is that he was always dealing with pain. I once saw him boarding a plane (yes commercial) and he was struggling and relying on the handrail to make it down the jetway. He was perhaps the most injured player in the NBA over his long career. Getting around hurt, but you would never know it if he knew you were watching. Lastly, we talked about some books that were important to him (not about sports) and he texted me links.?

Oddly enough, when I was in High School my team met his team in the CIF playoffs. I asked him if he remembered and he reveled in the fact that the tallest guy on our team was 6’5”. Of course he was nearly 7 feet tall in High School. They crushed us. It put a big smile on his face. I smile when I think of him.?

Thank you Bill.?