Great Expectations: What Sponsors Want

What would happen if sponsors at tradeshows and conferences suddenly disappeared? Most likely there would be significantly fewer events, as there would not be enough money to pull most of them off. Much like our post that looked at events without a speaker, we likely won't see sponsor-less shows, but we may see sponsors playing a different role at events--becoming more of a participant and less of a funding source.[Tweet "What would happen if sponsors at conferences suddenly disappeared? #GovEventsBlog"]

Part of this transition is in response to many organizations who are no longer content to hand over money just to receive a logo on a sign in return. They need (and deserve) tangible returns for their investment. This evolution is being driven by sponsor and exhibitor expectations but has an incredibly powerful impact on the attendee experience as well. Sponsors want to be more involved in events. This can mean including their executives and experts as speakers or being involved in the event planning process. It can also mean providing access to attendees beyond waving them over on the show floor. Sponsors are hoping to build relationships with attendees that extend beyond the show dates.[Tweet "Sponsors want to be more involved in events. #GovEventsBlog"]

Here are just a few themes that can be used to raise the bar for sponsors as well as attendees:

• Show Me the Money - Event organizers are measuring ROI for themselves and it should be extended to sponsors and exhibitors. Give them access to the tools you use to measure attendee engagement, booth traffic, brand awareness, and content retention.

• Thought Leadership - A key part of today's sponsorship packages is speaking time at the event. Beyond just a demo at a booth, sponsors want their experts highlighted as part of the program. While this is a valid request, care must be taken to choose speakers who have something to share with the audience. Make sure people are not speaking simply because their company sponsored the event. Work with sponsoring companies to find the most dynamic and applicable speakers for your attendees.

• Community - An event built around a community (for example, one that started on a discussion board online and grew) can bring together a passionate and connected audience. These people are in touch year-round and can share information learned at the event long after the show floor closes. This "long tail" is incredibly valuable to sponsors as well as the show organizer. If there is not an existing community - build one. Create a place for attendees to collaborate online all year long.

• Make a Match - Whether it is with analytics or done by hand, make sure attendees and sponsors/exhibitors that want to meet can do so. Facilitating one-on-one meetings is a very personal addition to sponsor packages. In a pretty revolutionary move, the Restaurant Facility Management Association created a reverse exhibit hall where the attendees are in the booth and the exhibitors walk the floor stopping in to speak with restaurant facility managers who are a good fit for their offerings.

With these types of tactics in place, event sponsorship does not feel like an extension of advertising. It feels more like a business development activity and benefits attendees and sponsor alike.

[Tweet "What changes are you seeing in sponsorship packages? #GovEventsBlog"]We'd love to hear what changes you're seeing in sponsorship packages and how attendees are reacting. Let us know in the comments.