1 Comment

1. 

   Bethany on April 21, 2012 at 9:23 PM

   I think the pie is getting beiggr absolutely but I do think it is shifting a bit. I find B2B relationships and sponsorships are much more important for smaller events and sport orgs and B2C sponsorship has moved to larger sport properties. Professional golf in Canada is a definite indication of this in my experience. (This is is my experience based mostly in sport while I know you work in many different fields of sponsorship)There is money out there for all kinds of events and organizations most just don’t know how to ask properly and target the entirely wrong sectors and companies. A lot of my clients are coming to me after they have created a platinum, gold silver and can’t figure out why RBC won’t buy it and then they say can you help us sell this?I generally use the packages as a starting point and target companies that are a better fit and use the packages as a point to say these are some deliverables available but your sponsorship will be custom and designed out of this to better fit what your goals and objectives are which usually goes well.I think most organizations use platinum, gold etc is that they truthfully don’t know the principles and basis of sponsorship and want to have something to list on their web site as available to purchase or to send to people so I do understand they are trying to do something and this is their way to try and start.The other thing I find is organizations and events are unrealistic in their sponsorship desires, ie a tiny international event gets frustrated when they can’t get P&G as a sponsor for $15,000 when in reality it might if you push and throw in the kitchen sink have a true value of $2,500.Other organizations and events have a feeling of entitlement well they should want to sponsor us and they don’t have the right foundation for a sponsor to want to sponsor them. And because they have this sense of entitlement they often don’t deliver on the deliverables and the sponsor walks after one year. These same organizations are generally last minute in trying to acquire sponsors and think that it is easy to do. Most people don’t realize two things 1. It takes as long and as much work to sign a $5,000 sponsor as it does a $100,000 plus sponsor in most cases and 2. It takes time to sign sponsors you need to be planning and selling 12 to 22 months in advance optimally to maximize value fro your organization/event and for the sponsor.It is about what your property or organization can do to help grow the sponsors business or increase profile whatever helps them realize their goals and objectives.These are just my thoughts as a small player in the industry down here in Niagara but I am encouraged as some organizations are willing to listen and be educated in the field.