Sponsorship ROI

Has your company ever sponsored an event only to find you are amongst many other sponsor logos competing for the same attention from attendees? If you’ve been an event sponsor, you know what I’m talking about. More companies are measuring their sponsorship ROI which is challenging given the standard model of sponsorship benefits. For decades, sponsorship packages have been dictated by the event host or association: “Here is the price; here are the benefits. Would you like to sponsor?” With the resurgence of ROI, the standard sponsorship offering must change to a benefit that can be measured. Jeff Hurt goes into more detail about how the game is changing in his article “The Wrong Way To Approach Conference Sponsorship.”

Hurt introduces three things ROI-driven sponsors are looking for – “Making attendee engagement easier; making the attendee experience better; providing something that the attendee values.” If you put sponsors face to face with attendees and sales conversions occur, then ROI can be measured. It puts the sponsor in the driver seat, meaning the association has to give up some control of things if they want to continue to see sponsor dollars for their events. The question is, will this new way of thinking prevail or will the same old way of doing things prevail? I would encourage you the next time your are asked to be sponsor to apply the three points above and see if you can determine benefits that will allow you to measure your ROI. I know I will. If you have suggestions on sponsor benefits that can be measured, please leave them here as a comment.

— Chellie Thompson, Cofounder, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc.