How to plan & promote special events & secure sponsors!

Special Events: How to Plan &
Promote Them & Secure
Sponsors!

Deborah Spector, President
Creative Solutions & Innovations
deborah@creative-si.com
| www.creative-si.com | 404.325.7031

Special Events: How to Plan & Promote
Them, & Secure Sponsors
Goals for Today‟s Session:
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Understand the importance of special events
The importance of the planning phase for a
successful event
Learn how to engage board members &
volunteers
Explore promotional tools & platforms
Learning the why & how of securing sponsors

Importance of Special Events


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Bring attention to your mission.
Improve bottom line performance & market
share through new donors & sponsors.
Provide a captive audience
Create a meaningful way to thank existing
supporters.
Raise awareness & engage people.
Build relationships with the business
community.
Can cultivate relationships with annual and
major gift prospects.
Key to successful fundraising

Planning Your Special Event


Brainstorming
Bring you board members, volunteers & new voices
to the table. Explore:
 Is having an event a good idea?
 What event can reach our goal?
 Is there a link between this event and our mission?
 Do we have enough time to plan?
 Can we find a reliable event chair with enough time
and energy?
 Do we have adequate volunteer and staff support?

Develop a SWOT Analysis
Internal Strengths:

External Opps:

•Volunteer Corps
•Brand Recognition

•Community looks
forward to our event
•New underwriter
•New businesses in
community

Internal Weaknesses: External Threats:
•Lack of Capacity
•Small, stretched staff
•No marketing expertise

•Another nonprofit
event entering our
space
•Weak economy
•Changing weather
patterns

An integrated model
Your development plan
includes events at every
level:


Event360

Experiential Marketing
“Research shows that face-to-face events
have a greater return on investment than
most other forms of advertising or public
relations.”
Mike Cleary of Abcom

Special events at every phase of your
campaign provide that experiential
experience in which an emotional connection
can be made!

Branding your event
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Special event branding creates an experience that
participants will not forget.
The event resonates with an organization‟s brand
promise & adds to the public knowledge of its
mission, vision and values.
Branding an event creates a signature event in
which members of the community and sponsors
want to be involved year after year.


Special Event Timeline


Develop a Budget


Event Add-ons
Programs with ads
 Live auctions
 Silent auctions
 On-line auctions
 Cash raffles
 Giving Trees
 Celebrity servers
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Promoting Your Special Event


Revenue Follows Good Communications

“Any group that does not have an
effective communication program will
raise only a fraction of the money
they would otherwise attract.”
Fundraising Guru Roger Craver
Strategic Communications for Nonprofits


Promoting Your Special Event
Plan publicity early
 Budget ahead
 Define your target audience
 Set Goals
 Develop a strategy
 Know your deadlines
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After the Event


Create a conversion campaign
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Set up social media & website with:
 Invitations to sign up for e-newsletter
 Announcements of volunteer opportunities at

future events and programs
 Invitation to hold a third party event
 information about your programs and the people
you touch
 Video & photos from event
 Post-event surveys
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Develop outreach program to participants &
sponsors

Sponsorships & Your Special
Event


Why are sponsors important?
Sponsors promote the cause to a wider
audience
 Sponsors attract other sponsors
 Sponsors help cover costs so more
donations & ticket fees go directly to
nonprofit
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Provide Great Reasons to be a Sponsor
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Generate sales & leads in sponsor‟s key
business section
Build relationships with new & existing
customers
Opportunity to „get in early‟ & build fruitful
relationships with your board
Build brand awareness boosting market &
buyer perception
Benchmark products & services against
competitors

Steps for securing sponsors - #1
Put together a sponsorship team.
 Hold a brainstorming session to identify companies
and local businesses that would want to reach your
audience.
 Speak with your board, members and volunteers and
find out with which companies they have
relationships and if they are willing to pursue or
provide contact information for your sponsorship
committee to use.
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Research your prospects before you approach.
 Do you have an understanding of why current
sponsors support your event?
 When do they set their marketing/sponsorship
commitments?
 Do they sponsor specific organizations or causes?
 Do you provide access to their target audience?
 Do you have key influencers to help you reach your
prospects?


Set sponsorship levels:
 Make sure the benefits at each level are distinct and
enticing enough to encourage new sponsors to
participate and to encourage previous sponsors to
move up a level.
 You should base your sponsorship levels on the
benefits to the sponsor.
 Be flexible and be prepared to customize levels to
meet their marketing needs.


Be prepared to call prospects and pitch your event as
a great marketing opportunity.
 You have 20 seconds to describe your audience,
some of the marketing benefits and to offer to
email your package.
 Be sure and post your sponsorship levels on your
event website.
 Follow up, follow up, follow up! Once you‟ve made
your pitch and sent your proposal, don‟t let the
opportunity slip away.

Cultivate your relationships by staying in touch
before & after the event, not only when you receive
their money.
 Always give your sponsors all the publicity you
promised.
 Provide links to all the publicity posted on your site.
 Thank your sponsors & then thank them some more.
 Don‟t go overboard & spend a lot of money on
presents.
 Create baskets with donated goods for sponsors‟
gifts.
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Interested in CS&I Event Marketing Tools & Templates?
Just email deborah@creative-si.com


Thank you!


How to plan & promote special events & secure sponsors!

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