What’s the best way to promote your business? Webinars? Podcasts? No, it’s good-old events.
97% of marketers already agree: even today, events are the most powerful business asset. When done right, they can drive rapid business growth, enhance brand reputation and awareness, and put more revenue in your pocket. Plus, they are a great opportunity to award digital certifications and badges—whether it’s for participation, personal contribution, or sponsorship.
Now, it’s no secret that behind every good event is an even better sponsor. And yet, good sponsors are not the easiest to find, or persuade. Well, unless they have the right offer to work with.
This is where sponsorship levels come into the picture.
If you’re new to event sponsorships, or sponsorship tiers, don’t sweat it. In our guide, we’ll walk you through what event sponsorships are, how they work, their key benefits, and best practices to craft the right tiers and sell your future sponsors.
What is Event Sponsorship?
Every business depends on marketing for growth, and every effective marketing strategy depends on hosting events. Yet, big or small, events can be quite pricey to pull off from your own budget, which is where sponsors come into play. It’s a win-win, and a great way to drive higher ROI, heighten brand reputation, and increase sales and leads.
On one hand, companies can cover hefty costs like venue, food, or prizes, or enjoy promotional partnerships onward. On the other hand, event sponsors get a range of benefits—from brand shout-outs, attendee data access, speaking slots, VIP access to networking rooms, etc.
The tricky part is—if you plan to attract sponsors, you will need to design the perfect packages to entice them. This is where event sponsorship levels, or tiers, kick in. They give sponsors the freedom to choose the best opportunities and benefits for them, and support your event accordingly.
The Benefits of Event Sponsorships
Sponsorships can do wonders for your business event. Here are the main perks you’re looking at:
- Higher brand awareness. Sponsoring events does wonders for brand visibility and recognition—over 50% of brands said sponsorships helped improve their sales, brand awareness and social media presence.
- Better customer relationships. Event sponsorships help businesses connect with specific audiences directly, such as different demographics, making it easier to network right where it counts, while boosting sales leads.
- More networking opportunities. Events are the best place to meet fellow business people, connect to experts, explore target audiences, and seek new ventures. It’s faster than standard networking and super efficient for positioning businesses before interested parties, getting new referrals, or building lasting partnerships and collaborations.
- Increased ROI all around. When done right, sponsored events are highly profitable for brands and their sponsors. Proper event marketing and promotion businesses can earn 3:1 ROI, whereas 4 out of 10 sponsors boosted their budgets by 20% to 40%.
- Lead generation. Sponsored events are a great way to bring together different parties interested in your product or service. On one hand, they can interact with you, partake in activities and try your offering firsthand. On the other, you can gather attendee data, offer value with your product or service, and follow-up thereafter to keep leads engaged.
Types of Event Sponsorship Packages
Regardless of the levels you opt for, sponsorship packages should always feature the following:
- Company details, such as mission, expertise, objectives, previous event results, etc.
- Event details, e.g. schedule and agenda, the date and location, expected guests, etc.
- Sponsorship details: expected ROI, packages and pricing, benefits, etc.
- Engaging visuals to show all information clearly to stakeholders and potential sponsors.
Event sponsorships often come into two main packages—tiered or À La Carte sponsorships.
- Tiered sponsorships are a structured, but highly effective model for events. Each tier is scalable, fully visible for sponsors, and includes different offerings, with the highest tier being an all-in-one package.
- À La Carte sponsorships allow the sponsors to customize their sponsorship features and benefits, such as branding or speaking slots, rather than committing to predefined tier packages and models.
Different Levels in Event Sponsorships
Tiered event sponsorships can vary, depending on what businesses need an extra hand with.
- Bronze Level ($500-$1,000): Bronze sponsors are entry-level yet valuable. They have limited sponsor exposure, like a logo feature in event materials, social media tags, or a dedicated event booth. It’s the best option for small businesses and beginner sponsors.
- Silver Level ($1,000-$5,000): This is a mid-tier sponsorship package, with a more robust offering, like event press release mentions, website features, newsletter shout-outs, and banner inclusion. It’s a great pick for companies looking for higher engagement without a massive investment.
- Gold Level ($5,000-$10,000): Gold sponsorships hinge on high positioning and exposure. This may include a speaking slot, a VIP booth or passes, or exclusive networking opportunities with experts. It’s best for brands with bigger needs and budget.
- Platinum Level($10,000+): Platinum sponsorships are the most exclusive offering of all, featuring anything from VIP event hosting, partnership opportunities, longer speaking slots, and highlighted sponsor positioning in all event marketing channels. It’s a suitable option for bigger businesses and corporations with an expansive event roster.
5 Key Steps to Create Event Sponsorship Levels
Before diving into sponsorship tiers, it’s crucial to follow a structured approach. A well-crafted sponsorship model will attract the right partners and maximize event ROI and brand exposure.
Here are the steps for creating effective sponsorship levels that do the trick for both organizers and sponsors.
1. Identify your needs and objectives
Before pitching to sponsors, you must first define what your event requires. Do you need financial investments, or hands-on materials and equipment? Are you looking for catering services or need the right event venue? What goals do you expect the event to achieve? Answering these questions will give you an idea of how to approach potential sponsors and align their packages to match your needs.
2. Determine what sponsors are after
Not all sponsors are cut from the same cloth. Some may seek brand visibility, others want to meet the right people, and some care to speak during sponsored events. Knowing what they’re after helps create the perfect sponsorship packages. Perform market research, interview interested sponsors, and explore their brand channels to see how they typically promote it. This will help you design the best tier for their needs, but also filter out unsuitable candidates.
3. Create and tailor each tier
Once you have an idea of your sponsors’ needs and the sponsorship opportunities, it’s time to design the tiered packages. Based on your findings, first develop Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum packages, and allow sponsors to choose from multiple options, based on their investment power. Moreover, ensure the benefits in the higher sponsorship tiers match the price—they should go a step beyond what basic-tier mid-tier packages offer.
4. Lay down the key benefits and exclusives
As much as you understand the benefits of your event sponsorship tiers, sponsors must understand them, too. Whether you are offering logo placements, social media shout-outs or VIP networking passes, make sure to present the advantages and opportunities clearly., Be creative and don’t forget to include the financial and marketing gains sponsors will receive.
5. Market your event online
If you’ve ever hosted an event before, you probably know the importance of marketing the event in advance. Your attendees will want to see what’s up—what you have to offer, what’s relevant about your event, and what they get out of it, like if you offer digital certificates of sponsorships or attendance. Leverage social media platforms and newsletter announcements, and optimize your website to include event-themed pages and information. By putting extra information out there, potential sponsors can easily connect with your company and offer interest in supporting your event.
Get Event Sponsors to Care about Investing
1. If your event is recurring
Highlight the benefits of your long-term event partnerships—it scores major points with current and future sponsors. Companies are more likely to invest in consistent brands, whose events ensure long-standing ROI and success. Moreover, manage sponsorships even beyond the event to fortify your success, be it through ongoing brand exposure, lead generation or customer loyalty.
2. Showcase your outcomes visually
Got any case studies or testimonials related to your event? Got previous results to show for? How much ROI have you actually earned? Making metrics clear and visual, whether it’s social media engagement, ticket sales, or attendee demographics, attracts more sponsors your way. Offering tangible value of your event creates sort of a FOMO for interested sponsors—after all, everyone wants in on a profitable event.
3. Don’t stick to traditional pitches only
Sponsors aren’t just fished face-to-face. Leveraging online platforms can be a great way to attract more sponsorships, especially if you use dedicated platforms like SponsorPitch. You can craft compelling sponsorship pitches, reach out to companies seeking event partnerships, and multiply your opportunities and efforts. Plus, by researching sponsors from similar events online, you can find likeminded people who are willing to invest in your opportunity.
4. Offer digital sponsorship packages
Gone are the days of information put on a flyer. If you’re serious about finding event sponsors, consider creating engaging digital sponsorship partnerships. These features all options sponsors can consider, include dedicated websites and platforms for higher accessibility, and ensure real-time updates without hassle or anticipation.
5. Make sponsorships exclusive
Exclusivity sells, and that’s that. To appeal to more sponsors, consider limiting the number of VIP sponsorship slots (e.g. offer only one “Presenting Sponsor” slot). Scarcity drives demand, encouraging higher investments from sponsors who seek extra exposure and premium gains.
Manage Event Sponsorship Certification with Sertifier
As long as business marketing exists, events will remain a top channel to grow your audience, attract clients, and secure valuable sponsorships.
Knowing your audience is key— when you target the right sponsors, they won’t just care; they’ll invest in your brand. Understand your brand, too—it’s the secret to attracting top attendees, network with top minds, and build brand credibility and authority every step of the way.
For growing businesses, winning a single event sponsorship should never be the goal. Keeping sponsorships coming matters just as much, and it starts with recognizing your top investors.
With Sertifier, acknowledging event sponsors goes a long way. Our fully automated solution helps your business manage, customize and distribute digital event sponsorship credentials in a few clicks. Streamline event recognition with our pre-built templates, add a personal flair, and elevate the sponsor experience with a tailored digital accreditation. Try Sertifier for free today!
