How to Integrate Sponsorship into Virtual Events

f you think that losing the face-to-face interaction in virtual event platforms will limit your sponsorship opportunities, think again. A virtual event is not confined to geographic restrictions, and this has the potential to extend the reach of your event. This flexibility can provide you with better speakers and more attendees. As more and more traditional events move into virtual settings, sponsorship agreements need to be re-positioned to ensure that sponsors continue receiving value. In this article, we will show you how to leverage the benefits of a virtual event to create compelling sponsorship packages.

Before the Event

Don’t forget to include sponsors in all your pre-event promotion.

Add their logos to your event website. Have a section dedicated to sponsors. Include a brief introductory profile including how they can help event attendees. Make sure these are linked back to their website.

Spotlight various sponsors in your marketing emails. Make sure you only highlight one sponsor per email. Include a short blurb about how they can help serve the email recipient.
Include sponsor logos on all event related communications including event announcements, registration confirmation and promotional emails.
Mention sponsors and tag them on social media posts

During the Event

Whether your virtual event is a live panel discussion, an award presentation or a full day conference, your sponsor can participate in a number of different ways.

Add their logos to the PowerPoint presentation. Include a full slide dedicated to thanking the sponsors and listing their logos. This can be used as a transition slide between speakers or agenda topics.
Customize a virtual background with sponsor branding or logo. These can even be share with attendees for virtual “photo ops,” which can be shared on social media.
Use the polls feature, that is available in some event platforms, to run a “sponsored real-time poll.” This allows the audience to feel more connected to the sponsor.
Work with your sponsor to create engaging video content to be played during the live event. Make sure they customize the video to address your event and attendees.
Use virtual breakout rooms to create Q&A/VIP rooms where delegates can ask the expert “anything” – where your sponsors can have live chats with the attendees

After the Event

One of the great things about a virtual event is its longevity. Contents from the event can continue to attract an audience, gain revenue and build engagement long after the virtual event is over.

Thank attendees by sending them virtual swag bags. This can be an email with links to coupons or special offers from the sponsors. You can also add a link to a Resource Library which might include recorded presentations attendees may have missed, or access to bonus educational resources that was not presented during the original virtual event.
Make sure you recognize and thank your sponsors in all post-event communications. Include logos that are linked to their websites.
Provide clients that were unable to attend the original event with on-demand content, basically edited snippets from the original event. Make sure you brand that email and webpage with sponsor logos.

Sure, a virtual event cannot replicate a handshake. However, there are now fewer barriers to prevent people from attending events and the potential for meaningful sponsorship integration is endless.

If you’re still unsure about how to proceed with integrating sponsors into your virtual event or are looking for a full-service virtual meeting platform, please contact Erinn Young, Conference and Event Services Manager, OBA Conference Centre.