3 Ways to Make Your Festival Sponsorship Count
Meaningful partnerships are at the heart of every festival we produce and - real talk - our events wouldn’t be successful without the support of our sponsors.
Nationally, from 2007 to 2017, sponsors have spent over $60 billion worldwide according to Forbes. In 2016 alone, sponsors in North America spent $22.3 billion, and that number is expected to grow to $23.2 billion by the end of 2017.
It’s no secret that, when done well, companies see positive results when they sponsor local events. But there’s more to a super successful sponsorship activation than sending a check and getting your logo printed on posters and banners. If you’re a sponsor or considering boosting your exposure by partnering with a local event, here are some tips to consider to maximize your sponsorship dollars and opportunities.
1) Festival planners have more ideas than they are typically able to pay for or produce each year. Make sure and ask what they think the festival could use or is missing. This might be a great opportunity to improve your presence at the festival and provide something that festival goers are looking for.
For the last several years we have worked with First Tennessee Bank at the annual Tomato Art Fest to provide a misting tent. In the dead heat of summer, it’s a much needed relief for festival goers and is a great way for the sponsor to interact with attendees and encourage them to swing by the First Tennessee booth space.
Speaking of vendor booths….
2) While vendor booths are a great way to capture passers-by, look for creative ways to best leverage that asset by moving your booth out of the standard vendor footprint. During Nashville Pride Festival, Delta Air Lines worked with organizers to to name an existing tower overlook at Public Square Park in downtown Nashville the Delta Sky Lounge. Since this structure was already part of the park, the additional cost for this visibility was low and their sky-high “booth space” boosted their visibility significantly.
3) Contests and interactive festival activities are always popular. We work with a number of sponsors to help integrate activities they are planning prior to, during, or after the festival into the festival marketing outreach. It’s important to think through what works best for your business.
If you want to drive traffic to your store, you could consider hosting a Festival Kick-Off event and invite clients and customers in for after-hours cocktails, snacks, and discounted shopping experience. Not only does it show your customers how much you appreciate their business, it’s also another way to let people know you’re supporting the local event and community.
We consider our sponsors to be partners and we approach and manage each relationship and sponsorship accordingly. While we have created interest from large national brands for many of the festivals we work with, the locally-owned and operated businesses still make up a large part of our sponsors each year and we are more than happy to chat with you about upcoming opportunities and customized activations.
Contact us today to set up a discovery call!