THE SPONSOR DOC

WITH BRUCE L. ERLEY, APR, CFEE

TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM SMA SUMMIT

Dear Sponsor Doc:

I was not able to attend the Sponsorship Marketing Association’s 2024 Summit this year and saw you were there as a presenter. Do have any key tips or takeaways from attending?

S.C. – Denver CO

Dear S.C.:

Yes, I was at the SMA Summitt has both an attendee as well as to moderate a panel of museum CEO’s to discuss their approach to corporate sponsorship. It was a great few days with some very talented professionals in the sponsorship field.

In fact, I took quite a few notes from the various presentations I attended and would be happy to share them with you. These are coalesced from a variety of top experts speaking on how to up your sponsorship game.

• Become an Audience Expert – You must dive deep into your audience, whether they are event attendees, spectators, fans, registrants, or visitors. Who are they? What do they value? What do they want? This goes beyond demographics and into lifestyle, buying behaviors, psychographics, and even social media use. This depth of insight is essential for attracting sponsors and making a compelling case for partnership. Additionally, it will inform marketing, activations, programming and other key elements in producing your event.

• Invest in Measurement Tools – To garner information on your audience, and the effectiveness of your initiatives, you must make analytics a priority. Whether it is audience surveys, services such as Placier.ai or Spatial.ai that collect data using mobile phone signatures or other new technologies available, you must collect key audience metrics for yourself and your sponsors.

• It’s all about Storytelling – If I heard one theme over and over again from both properties and brands during the Summit, it was that we must see ourselves as facilitators of storytelling. You must find the story that connects your event’s mission, theme, and brand authentically to your sponsor. Find the “why” in your partnership and then craft creative messaging and activations to convey the connection. This will not only strengthen your partnership but increase the relevance to your audience.

• Take Chances – Innovate and experiment with sponsorship assets and activations. Sponsors appreciate it when you look outside the box to take a chance. They look to you for creative solutions to connect their product or service to your property in a meaningful and authentic manner. Provide activation ideas in your proposals. Strategize with them to plan their engagement activities. Take a risk in pursuit of a great idea!

• Show Your Love – Be relentless about sponsor relations! Be diligent about your accessibility, adaptability, openness to new ideas and communications. Make sure you let them know what’s working and what’s not. This will be a top factor in retention.

• All Aboard – No sponsorship program will succeed until your get your full organization aligned and connected with the important role sponsorship plays. Everyone, from the CEO down, plays a role in the delivery of partnership excellence! You need to manage up and down the organizational chart to be sure everyone is onboard with the value your sponsors provide.

S.C., I hope these tips and takeaways are helpful. Other than the annual IFEA Convention & Expo, the SMA Summit is my next “must attend” to stay at the top of my profession.

The Sponsor Doc

Bruce L. Erley, CFEE, APR is the Founder and President of Creative Strategies Group, a consultancy based in Denver, Colorado which he founded in September, 1995. Creative Strategies Group (CSG) specializes in sponsorship and event marketing consultation for events, festivals, nonprofit organizations and other properties as well as municipalities and for-profit companies. With more than four decades experience, Erley is considered a master in the field. In 2012, Erley served as the World Board Chairman of the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA). He is a 2015 inductee into the IFEA Hall of Fame. He is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America and a Certified Festival & Events Executive (CFEE) by the International Festivals and Events Association.

Contact Info:

Bruce L. Erley, APR, CFEE

President & CEO

Creative Strategies Group Phone: +1-303-558-8181

Business Email: berley@csg-sponsorship.com

Column Enquiries Email: bruce@sponsordoc.com