Sponsorships are a wonderful way to add value to any show. When done well, everyone benefits: organizers, exhibitors, and attendees.  

To better meet audience expectations, changing demographics, and budget constraints, planners are reimagining standard sponsorship packages. And they’re smart to offer a variety of options to accommodate varying budgets and brand needs.  

Here are five ways to boost the value of your sponsorships (and show) at the same time. Check, check, cha-ching! 

1 Optimize objectives

Compare your event objectives with those of your exhibitors, and attendees. For example, work with your marketing and sales teams to define goals: Do you want to create an experience (and hopefully lasting impression) for visitors or are your sponsorships more about making sales?  

Once you have a better understanding of those objectives, work to align sponsorship offerings with your specific industry, audience (remember that Gen Z attendees are here with new expectations and needs), location, and most importantly the venue. Consider every surface and environment as a potential blank canvas for sponsorship placement or activation. Think of long hallways, expansive windows, columns, atriums, recharge areas, etc. 

At SXSW, organizers repurposed a large section of the expo floor to create a sponsored yoga/meditation area that included expert-led sessions along with open slots for quiet reflection.  

Now that you’re organized and optimized, it’s time to think outside the sponsorship box and get creative! 

Now that you’re organized and optimized, it’s time to think outside the sponsorship box and get creative! 

2 Make it memorable

Work with your sponsors to create unique, interactive ways audiences can interact with branded activities and displays to create more memorable experiences. Experiment with activations in unexpected, in-between spaces like venue entrances, hallways, patios, etc. Test different options and ideas to expand exhibitor options and drive revenue. Bonus points for creating something that benefits attendees and the environment. 

At Zoomtopia, a sponsored activation featured a live graffiti artist customizing sustainable water bottles that became the talk of the show.  

3 Offer value that goes beyond the show

Potential partners are evaluating multiple opportunities for sponsorship, so how can you make your offerings stand out? Map out what you can provide as part of the deal with things like detailed data on your attendee/audience base, discovery sessions to help build out a custom program, personalized solutions to meet their unique challenges, and data tracking during the event with a post-event report. 

4 Create partner-worthy packages

Entice potential partners by creating simple, all-in-one packages that allow for customization to suit the partner’s unique needs. When building packages, consider what’s most important for your target prospects and how this package can help achieve goals such as brand awareness, thought leadership opportunities beyond an exhibit, building pipeline, product trials, updating a contact database, closing deals, etc. Find the objective, then design the activation. 

Find the potential partner objective, then design the activation.  

That can go in reverse, too. For a recent event, the organizer was brainstorming ideas with a potential partner to target younger attendees. Ultimately, they designed a branded area for complimentary professional headshots to attract NowGen attendees in need of a career-worthy photo as well as more seasoned visitors looking for an upgrade. 

5 Make it simple

Make the process as simple (and repeatable!) as possible. Offer ongoing support and be available to brainstorm as the program develops or changes. For sponsors who know what they want fast, offer a self-serve option so they can plug-and-play quickly. 

BONUS TIP: Go digital!

Taking advantage of LED signage is a great way to elevate brand visibility, educate attendees, and add a higher tech vibe to your event. Plus, the reduction in printed signage checks the essential sustainability box. Check out how HIMSS elevated its attendee journey using purposeful digital signage with sponsored messaging and way-finding.  

The best thing about creative sponsorship packages and offerings is they have the flexibility to benefit everyone: the planner, sponsor, and attendee. When the sponsored offerings are win-win-win, your event can’t lose.

Ready to add more value to your show floor experience?

Grab our latest guide.