Sponsors

In recent decades, there have been enormous increases in sponsorship, and a corresponding change in how events are preceived by sponsors. There has been a shift by many companies from viewing sponsorship as primarily a public relations tool geberating community goodwill, to regarding it as as an important part of the marketing mix.

Sweany defines comercial sponsorship as "a high profile form of collaborative marketing between organisations which usually involves an investment in an event, facility, individual, team or competition, in return for access to an exploitable commerical potential."

Sponsors as partners in events

It is important for event managers to identitfy exactly what sponsors want from an event and what the event can deliver form them. Their needs may differ from thos of host organisation or event manager. Attendence for example may not be s important to them as the media coverage. They may be sseking mechanisims to drive sales, or want to strengthen cilent relationships through hosing activities. The event manager should take the opportunity to go beyond the formal sponsorship agreement and to treat the sponsors as partners in the event, some of the best ideas for event can arise from such partnerships.

Example

As part of their sponsorship of the Sydney Olympic Torch Relay in 2000, AMP (an Austrialian bank) created the "ignite the dream" tour which travelled the entire Austrailian route of the relay, creating local celebrations in each town and city. AMP presented replicas of the Olympic cauldron to participating towns and used the torch relay to help reposition itslef as a contemporary organisation with close community ties.

Reference. Allen, J. et al. (2005) Festival and Special Event Management. 3rd ed. Milton: John Wiley & Sons , p.92

The Problem with this source is that it specialises in special and major events, however, I believe that the principles are the same for my events but just on a smaller scale.