How to get Partners for Your Next Community Event with Wamide Animashaun, Ecosystem and Partnerships Lead at Propel

Navigating the hurdle of finding partners in any role is a hard thing to do, and to do it as a community lead? That’s even harder. My name is Wamide Animashaun, and I am the Partnerships/Ecosystem Lead at Propel. I am also a community lead, and so, my day-to-day job requires me to find potential partners to help my community grow. Today, I am sharing tips on how you can get partners for your next community event with ease!

Table of Content

• What are the best places to find partners for event sponsorships
• How do you approach a partner for support?
• What incentives can you offer a partner in exchange for support?
• What to do post-event?

What are the best places to find partners for event sponsorships?

Finding the right partners for event sponsorships requires targeted research and outreach. Many companies have corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives focused on community building or education. Some are specifically focused on driving inclusion, innovation, and talent development in the tech ecosystem. Some of the best places to look include:

• Industry Networks: Tap into the right networks within the local and global tech and startup ecosystem, such as fintechs, hr-techs, open source companies, B2C companies focused on community building, diversity and innovation/consumption (transportation, immigration, food, drinks, etc.).
• Existing Relationships: Your network is truly your net worth. Many event sponsorships come from established relationships with founders or individuals in various companies. If you’ve previously worked with companies or organizations, leverage those relationships to see if they’re interested in sponsoring. A push/referral from someone within the marketing/comms department is likely to get you a sponsorship than a typical cold outreach. If this is not your first event, reach out to past sponsors and keep past sponsors updated on your community’s progress - it makes them feel like they’re a part of your growth and that you care about their insights not just their money
• Social Media: Leverage professional platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to help identify potential sponsors who are actively engaging with your event audience. 
• Conferences & Other Events: Attending industry events where key decision-makers from potential sponsors are present can open doors to new sponsorship opportunities.

How do you approach a partner for support?

When seeking sponsorship from potential partners, it’s crucial to create a compelling case that aligns their objectives with your event’s vision. Here’s are some tips to help:

• Do Your Rsearch: Before reaching out, thoroughly understand the company’s goals, products, marketing strategy, past sponsorship activities, and target audience. Tailor your pitch to show how sponsoring your event would directly support their objectives and resonate with their audience.
• Present a Clear Value Proposition: Clearly state the benefits of sponsorship effectively. Highlight things like audience demographics, projected attendance, media exposure, and exclusive access to your community. Emphasize unique aspects of your event that may appeal to the sponsor. Note: Merely saying “we’re hosting the largest event in XYZ City" is not enough—focus on the details that matter to the sponsor. 
• Prepare a Professional Sponsorship Proposal: Put together a well-organized sponsorship proposal. This should include different levels of sponsorship, the benefits of each level, and what kind of exposure or return they can expect. The proposal should be clear, concise, and visually appealing.
• Be Flexible: Be open to negotiation. If a sponsor can’t meet your financial request, consider accepting in-kind contributions or exploring alternative financial arrangements that suit their organization's budget. Flexibility will make it easier to find common ground.
• Be Realistic: Be realistic about your ask. Some companies have clear sponsorship policies and some don’t. For those who do, take some time to go through their policy to understand and align your proposal. Don’t expect them to make exceptions for you, just because you’ve been hosting an event for “7 years”. For those who don’t, there’s a likelihood that they’ll propose benefits outside of your stipulated proposal. Think about the ask in terms of what this means for the partner.  Also, avoid last-minute requests—reaching out two weeks before your event doesn’t leave much room for discussion or preparation.
• Focus on Relationship-Building: Sponsorships are partnerships, not one-off transactions. Instead of simply asking for financial support, emphasize the long-term benefits of working together. Prioritize relationship-building, and maintain open, transparent communication throughout the process.
• Follow Up and Stay Professional: After emailing your proposal or discussing your pitch, follow up in a professional manner and give them time to evaluate. Avoid being pushy or entitled, while remaining available to answer any questions they may have.
• Handle Rejections Gracefully: If a sponsor declines or goes silent, don’t take it personally. Many companies have strict budgets, and others are trying to reduce operational costs. Understand that sponsorship opportunities may not always align, and stay open to future collaborations.

What incentives can you offer a partner in exchange for support?

To attract and retain sponsors, it's crucial to offer incentives that go beyond basic visibility and truly align with their business goals. Here are some compelling incentives you can offer:

• Creative Brand Visibility: One of the most common incentives we see is brand visibility & exposure. While sponsors often look for opportunities for exposure, such as placing their brand logo on event materials, websites, promotional content, or banners; brand visibility should be a default incentive. Find creative ways to offer visibility beyond the usual such as branded giveaways, event signage, or incorporating their logo into high-traffic areas like event apps, live streams, or interactive experiences.
• Speaking Opportunities: Allowing sponsors to present at your event gives them a platform to share their expertise, highlight their products, or share personal career journeys. Speaking opportunities not only increase their exposure but also position them as thought leaders within their industry.
• Exhibitor Space: For in-person events, offering an exhibitor booth or table is a sure win! It allows sponsors to display and demo their products or services, and this direct interaction with attendees enables sponsors to collect feedback, gather leads, and create lasting impressions.
• Product Demos: Offer sponsors the chance to showcase their products or services through live demos, workshops, or features in your event programming. This hands-on engagement can be particularly effective in increasing interest in their offerings.
• Brand Videos: Incorporate sponsors’ promotional videos into your event schedule. Whether shown during breaks, at the beginning, or in between sessions, these videos are a great way for sponsors to grab attendees' attention without being physically present.
• Social Media & Digital Promotion: Highlight sponsors on your social media platforms, website, newsletters, and blogs. Make sure to provide shout-outs, tags, and mentions that boost their online presence. This extended promotion often has lasting value beyond the event itself.
• Audience Data & Insights: After the event, sponsors value insights into the attendees’ engagement. Offering data such as demographics, attendee behavior, and feedback about their presence at the event helps sponsors measure their ROI and understand their impact.
• Exclusive Access: Depending on your event type, you can offer sponsors exclusive access to attendees, community members or other sponsors. This can include VIP networking sessions, special meetings, or post-event engagements with your audience (with consent, of course).
• Custom Sponsorship Packages: Offering flexible, tailored sponsorship packages allows you to meet the specific needs of each sponsor. You can combine various benefits—such as visibility, speaking opportunities, or exclusive access—to create a bespoke package that delivers maximum value for them.

By crafting a unique and enticing mix of incentives that resonate with the sponsor's goals, you're more likely to create a mutually beneficial relationship that can lead to long-term (and repeat) collaboration.

 What to do post-event?

Most communities miss when this comes to sponsorship.

Some ideas - a sincere appreciation email, some insights from attendees (can be a written feedback, or a poll that highlights important info the company might find useful) , sharing media materials (pictures, videos, recordings etc), some social media shout out (most communities move on after events. Even a simple thank you flier along with a note highlighting how the company’s sponsorship impacted the event

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