The support of sponsors and partners is key to a successful event.
An Affiliate Event is an incredible opportunity to get their product, company, and brand in front of an audience of young, active professionals. Having options from website exposure to on site signage and tent space, always looking for partners at both local and national levels. Events provide ample opportunities to sample, promote, and increase awareness of their business and brand to your competitors, spectators, and newsletter recipients.
What do companies look for:
1. Social Media Coverage: Does the event have a website, facebook page, will it be on Twitter, Instagram, etc? Companies view this as extremely important since this is free advertising that reaches out to a huge amount of contacts. They want to sponsor an event that is social media savvy, especially if they aren’t physically attending. If the company is providing products, they want exposure!
2. Cross Branding: Where there is one good brand, there are others. Companies like to put themselves in the company of brands that are well known in our community. This also includes the sponsored athletes that may be at your event, the location, media coverage, and other brands. Companies prefer to not be next to competitive brands (2 energy drink booths or similar supplement products next to each other is not going to work). Remember they want to benefit from your event.
3. Cost: What is your event going to cost the sponsor? Companies need to know how they will benefit from a business marketing point of view. Is it worth it for them to just send prizes, pay for a booth, or become a monetary sponsor? Have options for everything to be considered as an event they wish to sponsor.
Considering all of that now what? Write a formal letter to the company, outlining all of the above. Give all the details of your event, capitalizing on number of athletes and spectators you expect. (Sample Sponsor Letter template)
Letter to Sponsors:
- Give all details of event: Date, Location, Websites, etc Explain how they will benefit from exposure at your event.
- Outline price options for their consideration.
- Delve into why you want to create a mutually benefiting partnership.
- Send letter at least 6 months out and schedule reminders for follow ups.
Lindsey Marcelli
I live in Colorado and co-own CrossFit Eminence with my husband Kris. After college I commissioned into the Army, in which while deployed from 2007-2008, I got more involved with CrossFit. I wanted my CF Level 1, so I planned/ coordinated a Level 1 Certification for the post, which was my first major CrossFit event. After seeing how CrossFit changed my life, I wanted to share the same experience with my community, which brought me to today. I have successfully coordinated everything from 150+ Platoon missions in Iraq, a Battalion redeployment, 7 local competitions with 100+ athletes, and 35+ different seminars and certifications.