Sponsorship Ideas for Your Virtual Conference: Part 1

Over the past few months, associations have been faced with tough decisions regarding their live conferences and exhibitions due to COVID-19: cancel, postpone or go virtual.

At Corcoran, we are helping our association clients navigate the world of virtual events. From choosing a platform to developing an exhibits & sponsorship program to implementing a sales marketing plan, we are at work helping our clients find success in this “new normal.”

Download our FREE guide to developing a strong virtual exhibits & sponsorship program →

Conference sponsorship programs are an important source of revenue for associations. Although some popular live event sponsorships are difficult to offer in a virtual setting (tote bags and inserts, lanyards, receptions, public space advertising), you can take advantage of wide-ranging features within your virtual event platform to create a robust sponsorship program.

In this two-part series, we will share virtual sponsorship ideas that can help monetize your event and enrich the conference experience for your members.

PART 1: Branding, Advertising & Education
PART 2: Networking & Gamification

BRANDING & ADVERTISING

Companies are looking to maximize their visibility amongst your digital audience and generate business leads. Consider offering premium logo placements and banner ads in high-traffic areas of your virtual event to help sponsors reach a wider audience, drive traffic to their virtual booth and stand out from their competition.

Popular branding & advertising locations include:

  • Event Homepage or Virtual Lobby

  • Exhibit Hall Homepage or Virtual Lobby

  • Event Registration and/or Login Page

  • Keynote Speaker Landing Page(s)

  • Education Session/Track Landing Page(s)

  • Poster Session Landing Page(s)

Opportunities vary by platform. Talk to your virtual event provider about branding & advertising possibilities.

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BRANDING OUTSIDE THE VIRTUAL PLATFORM

Give sponsors the chance to reach your members before, during and after your virtual conference. Consider offering premium logo placements, sponsored content and/or banner ads on:

  • Registration Confirmation Emails

  • Conference Updates/Newsletters

  • Post-Event Survey

Does your association have a strong Social Media presence? Promotional posts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and more can help sponsors increase brand awareness and provide your members information about new products and services. Consider offering packages and à la carte options to fit a variety of budgets.

 

EDUCATION SESSIONS

The opportunity to sponsor Education & Keynote Sessions allows companies to align their brand, products and/or services with a specific topic and target a specific audience. Potential benefits for an Education Session sponsorship include:

  • Logo placement and name recognition on the session description page

  • Logo placement next to the video screen during the session*

  • Logo placement and name recognition on interactive session features* (Live Chat, Polling, etc.)

  • Video Advertisement* (15- or 30-seconds) shown before, during and/or after sponsored session

  • Opportunity to provide brief introduction/opening remarks

Video Advertisements* before, during and/or after an Education or Keynote Session can be offered as an à la carte sponsorship at a premium price point.

Go beyond branding and reserve time in your education schedule for Custom Content Sessions—opportunities for sponsors to conduct a live product demo or share a case study (subject to review and approval by the association). These “Spotlight Sessions” or “Bitesize Learning Sessions” can be offered at a premium with limited availability. As official conference programming, Custom Content Sessions would be promoted to attendees in the conference schedule.

*If supported by your chosen virtual event platform.

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ACCESSIBILITY

Live Captioning helps create an inclusive and accessible event for all attendees. Sponsorship of this important feature can generate goodwill for the sponsoring company and help your association cover the costs of implementation.

Need help taking your live expo into the virtual world? Download our free guide to developing a strong exhibit & sponsorship program for your virtual event!

Questions? The Corcoran team is here to help. Contact us today to discuss your sponsorship and/or exhibits program.

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