5 Tips to Connect Event Sponsors to Attendees

Laura Huddle, Head of MarketingEventbrite Australia

Gary Schwake, President & Co-FounderVirtual Event Bags

#connectsponsors

Laura Huddle, Head of Marketing AustraliaEventbritee: laura@eventbrite.comt: @lauracoltrin

Who Are These People?

Gary Schwake, President & Co-FounderVirtual Event Bagse: gary@virtualeventbags.comt: @garyschwake

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Tell Me More!

❏ Founded 2010 to help event organizers connect sponsors to attendees

❏ 1,000 events across the globe (U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe)

❏ Customers are conferences, trade shows, festivals, endurance runs

w: VirtualEventBags.com

t: @virtualeventbag

❏ Eventbrite enables people all over the world to plan, promote, and sell

out events of all kinds

❏ Since 2006, processed over 200 million tickets and registrations

worldwide, totalling nearly $3 billion in gross ticket sales

w: Eventbrite.com

t: @eventbriteAU

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• Substitute for Advertising

• Event Affiliation

• Influence the Sponsored Organization

• Inspire & Focus the Internal Company

• It Makes the CEO Happy

Why do companies sponsor events?

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What methods do you use today to help connect your sponsors to your attendees?

QUICK POLL #1

❏ Printed materials / goody bags❏ Email newsletters❏ Page on event website❏ Logo at the event❏ What are sponsors?

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Does your activation plan create a connection between your sponsors and attendees?

CHALLENGE

Event GearLogo

Feature in Email Blast

Event DayPromotion

Event DayBanner

Event WebsiteLogo

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“Doing the same thing over and over again

and expecting a different result”

Albert Einstein

INSANITY

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How you deliver event-related content may also depend on ...

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When do you deliver sponsor and event-related content to attendees?

Before During After

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What tools do you use to deliver sponsor and event-related content?

Mobile App

QR Codes

Email

Social Media

Event Bag

Website

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What is the Attendee Experience?

1

Confusing Disconnected Redundant

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What is the Sponsor Experience?

2

Inflexible Expensive Opaque

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What is the Event Organizer Experience?

3

Complex Inefficient Wasteful

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3

Access before, during & after the eventacross multiple devices

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Create Share Report

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What types of events do you organise? (Check all that apply.)

QUICK POLL #2

❏ Conferences and seminars❏ Endurance events❏ Festivals and fairs❏ Fundraisers and charity events❏ Concerts and music events❏ Other

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Sponsor Connection Tip #1Conferences: Provide Sponsors Visibility Pre-Event

Elevate by BizBash + EventbriteAt the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, marketing, and events lies Elevate: Where Events Meet Innovation, an annual conference and workshop series for event organizers. Get ready to step outside of your everyday world of events, try something new and be inspired with a day of learning and innovation.

Sponsors / Exhibitors Create Awareness *Before* the Event

❏ Feature sponsors creatively pre-event, showcasing benefit to attendees.

❏ Highlight sponsors in social media with event hashtag. Encourage reciprocal

engagement from sponsors (mutually beneficial).

❏ Creatively drive sponsor awareness via email and your website

❏ Create opportunity for sponsors and attendees to pre-schedule meetings.

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Sponsor Connection Tip #2Endurance: Activate Non-Retail Sponsors

Examples of Non-Retail Sponsors

❏ Financial Services: Banks, Credit Cards

❏ Professional Services: Healthcare, Legal

❏ Automotive

Medibank Melbourne Marathon FestivalMelbourne staged its first marathon in 1978 on a course that began in Frankston. Now the race has become the biggest marathon in Australia with a record 6218 completing the course in 2012 and more than 35,000 entries across the four accompanying events - The Flight Centre Half Marathon, The Coffee Club 10km and the Asics 5.7km run and 3km walk events.

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Sponsor Connection Tip #3Festivals: Added Value to Vendors

Breckenridge Summer Beer FestivalThe 10th Annual Breckenridge Summer Beer Festival is one of the premiere spring events in Breckenridge each year bringing over 40 breweries for tastings, live music, a VIP area and wonderful food and retail vendors. Enjoy a weekend of playing outdoors and a Saturday afternoon of beer tastings from some of Colorado’s finest breweries & other breweries from around the world!

Festival Vendors Can Capture New Customers After the Event

❏ Re-engage with attendees, and capture incremental new customers

❏ Offer a special only available to festival attendees

❏ Cross promote sponsors and vendors

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Sponsor Connection Tip #4New Sponsor Opportunities: Attractions

Moms@Work ConferenceJoin hundreds of working moms to explore strategies and approaches for balancing a successful career and a happy home. Attend stimulating breakout sessions on stress management, family finances and work-life balance.

Leverage Audience and Destination to Bring New Sponsors

❏ Think locally. Bring in city-specific sponsors.

❏ Consider your audience. Target new sponsors interested in that

consumer segment.

❏ Take advantage of pre-event messaging to drive awareness

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Sponsor Connection Tip #5Cross-Platform Exclusive Discount Offers

New Orleans Jazz Half Marathon & FestivalThe race begins and ends in historic Lafayette Square, and if followed by a post-party featuring live music by local artists and delicious New Orleans fare. The 7th Annual Jazz Half Marathon / 5K and Festival will be held on October 31, 2015.

Exclusive Discount Offers Delivered to the Consumer’s Device of Choice

❏ Ex: First 100 visitors to our booth receives a free t-shirt.

❏ Ex: 20% off your first order if you signup today.

❏ Ex: Enter our raffle to win free FitBit.

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Are you interested in learning more about Virtual Event Bags or Eventbrite?

QUICK POLL #3

❏ Yes, I’m interested in learning more about Virtual Event Bags & Eventbrite.

❏ Yes, I’m interested in learning more about Virtual Event Bags.

❏ Yes, I’m interested in learning about Eventbrite.❏ Maybe later; I’m not organising an event right

now.❏ Thank you, but not at this time.

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Time for Questions!

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