In today’s economic climate, it’s not business as usual. All the rules around sponsorship and event marketing are being rewritten. Tough times demand smarter moves and best practice organizations know downturns are the time to pursue innovation and growth, not put them on hold.
Join sponsorship’s movers and shakers in Chicago, March 21-24, for the groundbreaking new frameworks that will help you zoom ahead in this turbulent environment. Get a firsthand look at what your partners, prospects and other top sponsors are thinking and how their priorities have changed in light of the economic downturn. You’ll leave with two things that will generate new revenue for your organization:
- New contacts for future partnerships: hundreds of potential sponsors, as well as media and agency partners, attend IEG
- Revamped strategies that address the new, more challenging sales environment
Communicating The Conference’s Importance
The IEG conference is not training seminar, an expense viewed as nonessential in today’s economy. Rather, it’s a sales and marketing investment designed to positively impact your bottom line. To be competitive in this challenging sales environment, professionals who keep on top of the latest industry innovations, stay up to speed on sponsors’ changing strategies, and interact with hundreds of potential prospects and peers who are willing and able to share best practices come out ahead.
Specific Benefits of Attendance
- Learn firsthand what top sponsors are looking for right now
- Analyze best practices and sponsorship marketing trends
- Learn from a broad range of powerful keynote speakers
- Get your creative juices flowing
- Hear a leading sponsor’s perspective on your opportunity in a one-on-one meeting
- Discuss hot topics with colleagues
- Meet sponsor prospects
- Network with hundreds of other industry professionals—immediate peers and those from a variety of other sectors
- Receive notes on all major presentations, written by IEG staff, so you get takeaways even on sessions you can’t attend
During IEG’s 2010 Annual Sponsorship Conference, you will meet the best and brightest in the sponsorship, sports, event and cause marketing industries. With more than 90 educational sessions over three-and-a-half days, ranging from informal roundtables to sponsor-led presentations to top-notch keynotes, you and your organization will reap the benefits of case studies, success stories, how-tos and innovative, forward-looking strategies.
Create Your Plan To Optimize The Conference
As the agenda and daily schedule become available, identify educational sessions that address your specific needs: general sales and servicing tips, ideas to pitch specific categories or companies, sector-specific promotional ideas, etc. Identify a preferred sponsor category to set up your one-on-one Sponsor in Residence meeting. Review list of attendees and create plans to set up meetings.
Gain Buy-In
Set conference goals—whether desired learnings, new skills to acquire or number of meetings to secure—and share those goals with your supervisor or senior management. List all the areas where your department or sponsorship program faces challenges and the sessions you plan to attend (or people you plan to visit with) that will help you overcome these challenges. Also, link your department or sponsorship program goals—and how IEG’s Annual Conference will help you meet them—with your organization’s long- and short-term plans. Commit to a post-event briefing for staff, senior management or your department, where you’ll highlight learnings and action plans from the conference.