At a time when marketing departments obsess over delivering their messages digitally and anachronistically attempting to calculate the return on every dollar spent, many businesses are pursuing a more low-tech strategy — hosting really memorable events. North American businesses are expected to spend nearly 18 billion sponsoring events in 2011-charity galas, athletic contests, festivals, and other community activities. IEG Sponsorship Report, a trade publication, anticipates 2011 to show a 5.9% increase in sponsorships over 2010. 2009 was one of the worst years for corporate giving in many year’s, yet 2010 proved to slightly exceed expectations. Why the change of attitude? Experiential Marketing and Cause Branding. Not new ideas but the concepts are based on the belief that the best way to deepen the emotional brand between a company and its customers is by offering a unique experience. Splashing your logo and brand on every available surface is not effective – it is all about how clients interact with your brand. There is a great deal of data on the internet to support this information – one really good site for more info is at Antler Agency.
But sponsoring events is not for the faint of heart. Success can depend on an array of variables, such as weather, catering, and the number of attendees. There are endless options from which to choose, and prices range widely based on your reasons for sponsoring (community involvement, new product placement, employee appreciation, etc.) Industry data are scant when it comes to local and regional sponsorship deals, which means that measuring an event’s impact can be virtually impossible.
To get the most out of a sponsorship, decide at the outset what your goal is. If it’s brand awareness you’re after, select an event that draws a large crowd, offers great product placement, and make sure your product is readily available if possible. If you want to drum up sales leads, focus on an event heavy on attendance and make sure you have an area where people will gather and share their information with your representatives – samples, raffle opportunities, or giveaways can be very helpful in this scenario.
Choose your sponsorship opportunities wisely – people pay closer attention than you can imagine who is supporting their events
Whatever you want, there is an event out there that is perfect for you.
Everything's Eventful 
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