Finding Pitching & Keeping Sponsors

For many event organizers, event sponsors are a major source of revenue that can be the difference between a profitable event and one that is a true money pit.

Step 1: Finding The Right Event Sponsors

• Before you begin searching for the perfect sponsor, you’ve got to know what a great sponsor actually looks like. To do that, you must first define the purpose or vision associated with your event. 
• Once you understand the vision of your event, you should try to find sponsors that share that vision. 
• Read industry publications and look for sponsored content, or ads on these websites. Companies that choose to invest in niche media outlets are likely to be interested in sponsoring your event as well.

Step 2: Pitching A Potential Sponsor

• Once you’ve identified a few ideal sponsor companies, it’s time to master the art of cold outreach. Find decision makers in Marketing or PR departments and send them a short email asking if they have a few minutes to talk over the phone. Present a few interesting pieces of data to wet their appetite.
• Presenting demographic information like this lets the recipient know that you’ve taken the time to understand their business goals, and that your conference has the potential to provide real value to the company.
• After securing time to talk over the phone or in person, it’s critical that you gather any other data that supports your claim that a sponsorship opportunity will serve the company in question.

It’s also advisable to come with a clear promotion plan that demonstrates exactly how you intend to promote the sponsor before, during and after the event.

Step 3: Keeping An Event Sponsor

• The most valuable sponsorships are long standing ones. It’s important that you try to maintain a great relationship with sponsors after an event has concluded, after all, you’ll most likely want the company to sponsor future events.
• A great way to maintain long lasting sponsorships is by keeping them involved in the event planning process, and presenting them with a post event debrief.
• During the event, be sure to come up with a sponsorship promotion plan taking their collaboration into account. Coming with a rough plan and asking for their feedback is a great way to go about this
• After the event, compile key metrics indicating the value your event provided the sponsor. Information about the number of people who visited their profile on your event website, or networking app could be a good start. Also include data about the potential sponsorship reach, and tie that into demographic information of attendees.

FOMO- Fear of Missing Out

FOMO or Fear of Missing Out is the anxiety we get when we think we are being left out of an amazing experience. FOMO is a major drive for your prospective attendees, and one that you can easily capitalize on in our social media-driven, shareable world.

All event planners want to inflict this experience on customers

WIFI at events... Why?

It is now trending for event planners to provide WIFI connection during events:

At professional evets/workshops- attendees as well as presenters look forward to having wifi available for ease of browsing and accessing information.

At party events - Promoters encourage social media posts using #harshtags to promote events while in progress.

Choosing the Right Dj

Why is it important to have the right DJ for your event?

... to ensure your event has that great buzz and is filled with lots of vibes from start to finish. There are some events that come once in a life time. For example, engagement parties, wedding receptions, christenings, and birthday parties for both kids and adults, as it’s important to have good memories of such events.

Some Few tips on having the right DJ for your event.

• professional, entertaining, and reliable and should have some form of experience based on the event that needs to be covered.· 
• Despite the vast collection of music a DJ might have, it is very important for the DJ to recommend a PLAYLIST for the choice of songs and the style of music required at the event. This must be submitted in time so the DJ can check his or her music collection and make sure all the playlists are available for the occasion.·
• Punctuality is very important and it tells a lot about the DJ if he or she is late in getting to an event.
• A good DJ must put great importance to your event and have that vision on how to entertain your guests. 
• If you have never been to an event wher this DJ hs played before, you can request a sampled mixed cd or if the DJ has got download links which he or she can recommend.

Don’t get our event twisted with boring music or mixed tunes, give your event an atmosphere of fun with good entertaining music, by choosing the right DJ for your occasion.

Top DJ's in 868:

• Artists Team
• Private Ryan
• Lord Hype
• Nuephporic

Dress Codes in the 868

Black Tie

Black tie - formal. Women wear long evening or cocktail dresses or dressy evening separates. Men wear traditional tuxedos with formal white shirt, black bow tie, and black cummerbund. Men may also choose to add their own flair to their tux by wearing a traditional style tie (silver or gold) or colored bow ties and cummerbunds.

Casual- anything goes, but please be tasteful, no holes, tears or paint spots.

Cocktail attire- short, elegant dresses or dressy pantsuits for her and dark suits for him.

All white - wear all white; such as white dress or pantsuit for her or white shirt and slacks for him, however remember depending on the time of event will determine how dressy the occasion.

Creative black tie- allows for personality influences in your formal wear. Men can go with a more modern tuxedo - maybe a black shirt, no tie. Women can wear long or short dresses or separates (maybe a long lace or sequined skirt with a sleek blouse).

Dressy casual- no jeans or shorts. A cocktail-length dress for the ladies and your standard khakis with a button-down shirt and tie for the guys... no jacket required. This attire is similar to business casual, but a bit

Cocktail Attire

Nightclub Chic

Sophisticated Resort wear

dressier.

Formal - same as Black Tie. If your host is especially trendy, men may wear a black shirt, no tie with a tuxedo. Tradition, however, requires that men wear the standard tuxedo and women wear long cocktail dresses or dressy evening separates.

Informal  - same as casual, however, when the event is associated with a wedding or another special occasion, some form of decorum and respect should prevail. A dress for her or a nice pair of slacks and a shirt for him are informal, but respectful of the event.

Nightclub chic -  nothing other than black and sleek.

Semi-formal is the trickiest of all dress codes. An evening event (after 6:00 pm) would still require a dark suit for men and a cocktail dress for women. Daytime semi formal events mean a suit for him and an appropriate short dress or dressy suit for her.

Sophisticated Resort wear  - upscale sundress for her and subtly colored linen trousers for him.


Theme or festive attire  - please find appropriate attire to go with the event theme.

White tie -  ultra-formal. Women wear only long gowns & gloves are often worn.  Men wear a black coat with tails and white pique vest. This is worn over a white formal shirt with white pique bow tie and black patent leather shoes.

Please remember; It is always better to be over dressed than under dressed...

5 things event planners do not want to forget...

In case of Emergencies, you always want to have these five items on hand:
Cellphone and charger
Laptop/ Tablet and charger
Duct tape
Scissors
List of all Suppliers and Guest attending event.




 

Secure Parking

These may seem like the small things but they can escalate into large issues if not taken care of properly. Traffic flow and parking all contribute to the safety of your attendees and clear signage can help ensure that everyone knows where to go.

Giveaways!!

Providing your event attendees with some kind of giveaway is a nice way to thank them for supporting you at your event. Depending on your company or organization, you might be able to give away an existing product you already have or seek sponsors for giveaways so you don't have to spend additional funds on promotional items for one-time use. But don't let keeping costs down lead you astray — what you giveaway reflects on your organization.

Keeping a history of your events is great for many reasons. Sharing your event via your website is a great way to show community interaction and another side to your company or organization. This requires photos but doesn’t necessarily mean hiring a professional photographer. If your budget allows for it, great. If not, talk to your employees and find out if anyone enjoys photography as a hobby or has a natural inclination for taking great photos. Ask that person if they’d be willing to take some shots of the event. Just remember, if you intend to use photos with identifiable people in it, you’ll need to get photo releases. Also, capturing quotes from attendees is another great way to document the success of an event. These quotes can be used, again with permission, on your website and in future marketing materials, if applicable.

Participants have newly enjoyed fun photo booths which capture fantasies at events.

Staffing

Any event needs to be properly staffed so it’s imperative that you have your staff on board for the occasion. Make a schedule that everyone is comfortable with and accommodates your team members’ personal lives (particularly if your event is on a weekend). The worst way to start is to have an event staffed by unhappy employees.

Gettign the word out!

These days people are inundated with social media, email and snail mail alike, but the fact remains that most people report they prefer to receive communications by email. Do you have a reliable email database that you can use for invitations?

If your event is more general in nature and does not require invitations, you can select other tried-and-true options to spread that word such as:

• Newspaper event advertisements, both print and online
• Calendar announcements, both print and online
• News advisory, with follow ups with specific reporters, and
• Posters distributed to businesses and displayed on community bulletin boards
• Social media posts with event details scheduled over time to build interest.

Venue Policies

Before you sign anything finalizing your venue selection, make sure that you’re aware of any terms and conditions they may have, many of which might deal with timing. Ask to hear how much advance notice the venue staff requires to avoid fines or penalties for things like event cancelation, receiving shipments. Additionally, you may have specific time windows during which you or the event staff can handle tasks like receiving shipments, set-up and breakdown, and more.

Acoustics

Acoustics are particularly important at any event with key attractions like notable speakers or live performances. You don’t want your experience to be so loud that your guests lose their hearing and voice, or that the sound is so diluted or warped that they miss one of the highlights of the evening

Facilities and Equipment

Stemming from our discussion about budget, you’ll also need to make a list of all of your different equipment needs. This includes things like tables and chairs, silverware, dishes, tablecloths, decorations, visual or audio equipment, electrical supplies, lighting, and whatever else you may need. 

Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to see what your venue has, what they do not, and if there are any needs that they won’t be able to accommodate. If you do need to outsource any of your facilities or equipment needs, see if the venue works with any preferred suppliers that they know and trust, or that could offer you a discount.

Layout & Signage

In addition to décor, factors like space layout, seating and table arrangements and signage, can really make or break your event, especially when it comes to how people will flow through the space. This is especially important if you have things like keynote speakers or a performance that will need to be on a stage, and also tends to get more complicated as you deal with larger spaces.
In terms of signage the hottest new event Decor is having lit words to describe your event.
This is done in Trinidad by TrueEventsTT

Decor

How you choose to decorate is one of the best ways to customize your venue space, as well as convey your event’s theme and tone to your audience. It also gives you additional opportunities to deepen your attendees’ engagement with your event, and provides additional sticking power after your event is over. Do you or your venue have somebody on staff to execute décor without a hitch? If not, you’ll need to find somebody that’s highly regarded, trustworthy, and really understands everything that your brand is trying to convey with this event.

There are reasonable Decorators in Trinidad for reasonable prices.
These include:

• Buzz Concepts
• Brian Pantin
• Allison Leeloy
• Karen Thompson
• Gail Cabral

Have you ever had experiences working with these professionals?
Give us your story...

Budgeting

Before you start shopping around for a venue for your soirée, make a detailed list of all possible venue-related expenses. This should include things like facility costs, food and beverage expenses, equipment rentals, staffing needs, office services, payment options and more. You also ought to inquire and see what they might be able to include for free, or at a discounted cost as a part of a package. It never hurts to ask!

Make sure that you get quotes from multiple venues as the first response you get may not be the best deal that you can get. Once you receive multiple proposals, you can use them as leverage and gain additional negotiating power to get even better deals at your desired venue. 

Remember the budget does not only include the venue but it includes:

• Promotions
• Graphics
• Music
• Entertainment
• Clothes, Hair and Make up
• And all other expenses that come to mind.

The Location

A venue’s town or city may seem like a great place to hold your experience, but before you commit, make sure that the spot is easily accessible to most of the attendees. Give some thought to how your attendees will get there and back. How long will it take door-to-door? If the event is in a city, are there public transportation options for those without vehicles, or do you plan on offering a shuttle to and from the venue? Is parking ample? Taking a little bit of time to consider your attendees’ logistical planning should help improve your response and attendance rates.

Top Rated Party Venues:

• O2 Park  (Take into consideration Chaguaramas traffic)
• The National Stadium
• Queens Park Savannah
• Drew Manor
• The Oval

Top Rated Wedding Reception Venues:

• Drew Manor
• North Deck
• Angostura Hall
• Movie Towne Banquet Centre
• Estate 101

What have been your experiences at these venues? 

Expected Number of Attendees

This may seem apparent, but it is important to include it as the amount of space that you and your attendees have considerably affects your event’s overall feel. If your venue is too small, guests will be crowded and uncomfortable, and may not stick around to experience everything that you have to offer. On the other hand, having too much extra space can make your event feel deserted and under attended, which could have a similar effect. Having a solid estimate of your expected number of attendees will help you choose a space that’s just right. With regards to a wedding, get your guest list done early enough taking into consideration budget and venues.

Pro tip: if you’re still unsure how many people to expect, go with one of the larger spaces that you’re considering. The venue will be able to accommodate additional tables, chairs, and other furniture or decorations that will cover up the extra space and make it seem more inviting.

Choosing the Right Date

One of the most difficult aspects of event planning is finding the day that works for everyone. Event spaces and party venues are often booked up months in advance so you will need to reserve your dates as soon as possible. However, you should never pick a date in haste. It is important to do your due diligence to make sure that there aren’t other events in the area that could conflict with yours. For example, having your event in the same time frame and in the same area as a marathon or a parade could mean that your guests will have to navigate through blocked-off roads and nightmare traffic to reach your event. So take the time to research what other events might be planned for your local area.Also, check to see if any competitors or businesses that are in a similar industry are putting on events on the same day or weekend as yours. Two similar events planned for the same time frame could be a financial disaster for everyone involved, especially if you are trying to divvy up the same small pool of likely participants.Date selection is one of the most important duties as choosing the right one can mean a successful event with high attendance, while selecting the wrong one could have disastrous consequences.
In the case of a wedding, you choose a date which is best for you and your significant other and gives sufficient notice to family and loved ones that would need to travel to get to your destination.