Are you excited to organise your first-ever car show? Whether it’s about your business or a fundraiser, you still need the help of sponsors to make it happen. Event sponsorship is not just about getting free money or service, but also about marketing.
When two businesses work together, their clients will merge which may result in higher sales. So for instance, if you own a car repair shop and you teamed up with well-known car companies, then there’s a higher probability that you’ll have more clients.
But before finding sponsors, make sure you already planned everything. That way, it’s easier to present what you can offer. If this is your first car show, you can hire event planners to guide you to success. Once the planning process is done, you can proceed with finding sponsors.
Here are some tips you can do to get sponsors for your car show!
1. Create a great pitch
In finding the perfect sponsors, you should first make a list of the types of sponsorships you need. Most of the time, events like car shows need media exposure, financial assistance, in-kind, and promotional sponsorship.
Once you identify the kind of sponsorship you need, you should create a template pitch that will serve as a guide once you meet with the prospective clients. A pitch should consist of what kind of help you need, and the things you can offer in return. You can refer to the materials that your event planners created to guide you.
For instance, if your target is mainly on financial sponsorship, then you can create an option where they can negotiate. Besides, it’ll gain many sponsorships which will improve your credibility.
2. Prepare an interesting deal
As mentioned before, you can create options that might fit with what the sponsors can give. Since it’s a car show, you can assure the sponsors that you’ll include their logos in every marketing window there is.
However, to be clear, you should specify each promotional package such as flyers, banners, social media posts, and blog posts. Moreover, you should include their logo in every publication material including your car show’s main poster.
Aside from the promotional materials, you can also add a free tent that your sponsors can set up on the day of the event so that they can also increase their sales. But as much as possible, if it’s worth it, you should consider other terms that your sponsors are proposing. You can talk to event planners to check if other deals are doable.
3. Do some research
Are you overwhelmed by the pressure of getting lots of sponsors? Then, you should start researching!
First, look at what your reputation looks like in the eyes of the public. Next, find the businesses and companies related to your field, and see if you can partner with them. Lastly, get to know these businesses so that it’ll be easier to prepare for the pitch.
If your target businesses have already sponsored events in the past, then they know if their investment will pay off or not. On the other hand, if a certain company hasn’t tried to sponsor an event yet, then it’s up to you to convince them by using the packages you’ve prepared.
4. Let them know what cars will be featured
Usually, car shows are filled with high-end cars and motors. So once your target sponsors get a glimpse of the list of the cars that will be featured, then they will feel at ease. In addition, you should also tell them the story of how things will happen during the event.
So aside from staring at the cars, let them know what other things people can do. For instance, you can include car exhibitions, booths for food vendors, games, giveaways, and souvenir shops.
Once they have an overview of the event, then they will have an idea of how they’ll be able to get something out of their investment.
5. Update them every step of the way
Once you set all the deals, and agree to certain exchanges, you shouldn’t lose contact. During the preparation, you can give them weekly reports about any progress made on your end. That way, the sponsors won’t lose interest in your event. After all, once you’ve succeeded in this one, there’s a high chance that you’ll do it again.
On the day of the event, make sure that the representatives of the sponsor companies are well taken care of. Otherwise, they’ll feel as if you’ve done using their help, so you’re just ignoring them. Instead, make them feel that they’re your priority.
After the car show, give them a full report and include their booth or even pictures of their representatives in your social media posts. It’ll help you continue to get in touch with them for future events.
Now that you can a clearer view of how it is to find sponsors, then you should start with the planning process. Don’t forget to share with us how your car show went by leaving a comment below!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Aliana Baraquio is a content writer for Pink Caviar Events Sydney, full-service event management and decorative hire company located in Sydney. When she’s not typing out blog posts, you can find her watching anime series or baking cupcakes.
