Your New York event may be technically over, but as the coordinating event planner, your job’s not quite done yet. If you secured sponsors for your event, there’s a whole other leg of the race to finish. And if the follow-up is executed correctly, you’ll enjoy continued sponsorship participation with future events you curate. Here’s how to connect with your valued sponsors after the event and develop those strategic partnerships for future collaboration.
Thank Them for Their Support
No matter how marginal the contribution, start by creating an appreciation campaign for all who sponsored your New York event. Thank them for their event support with hand-written thank you cards, appreciation emails, or something more creative like delivering donuts to the office. These sentiments should be shared within the first week of your event ending. And with these "thank yous," don't ask for anything else. It's your first connection after the event, and should only express gratitude.
Ask for a Meeting to Share the Data
Separate from your thank you notes, and a few days after sending those appreciation emails, call or email asking for a brief meeting. This is your chance to present the incredible exposure and success for the sponsor, demonstrating how you delivered on what you originally promised. Connect with your sponsors and bring the data to prove just how successful the event was for their brand.
Putting Together the Post-Event ROI
When you put together your post-event ROI snapshot, include as much detail as possible. It’s a presentation capturing how many impressions the sponsor got, how many leads were generated, or how many donations were collected. Show sponsors what their investments netted in terms of ROI to visually present the value of sponsoring events with you.
Provide Added-Value in Post-Event Promotions
Keep the sponsorship benefits rolling after the event is over with as much post-event promotion as possible. Share event moments on social media and your event planning website, highlighting what a success the engagement was for all who attended. And then give some extra mileage to your sponsors in the form of public appreciation for their support and added exposure.
Ask Them About Future Partnerships
Don’t forget to soft-pitch the idea of working together again for future events. After you’ve thanked your sponsors, presented the proof in ROI, and boosted post-event exposure, ask if they might be interested in working with you again. You can groom great sponsorships into long-term partnerships and build yourself a roster of great go-to sponsors for every New York event you curate.
When your events are over, don’t forget to follow up with every event sponsor and groom them for future strategic partnerships. And for more insights about boosting your event planning business and to get in the room with thousands of top industry pros, get to The Event Planner Expo 2023! And reserve your spot as an exhibitor this year for maximum exposure! Position your event brand as an industry leader and develop your full roster of strategic partnerships needed to elevate your event planning business!
