How to achieve sponsor ROI from virtual events

Marketers and event organisers are looking to squeeze the most out of their investment into a virtual event, even considering that often hosting a virtual event is more cost-effective, the question always comes back whether the event requires sponsorship? Sponsoring at a virtual event or even a hybrid event is nothing new, and there are plenty of ways to return value back to your sponsors. Having a good brand at your event can bring more value in the eyes of your delegates too, as sponsors could bring more opportunity for engagement in an authentic way. However, it’s also important to make sure that the sponsors you choose are well-aligned with the topic and end goal of your event so that they can make the most out of it and see a good sponsor ROI.

Here are our 11 actionable tips on how you can increase your sponsorship return on investment (ROI), and, in turn, secure their engagement with your business for years to come:

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Ensure Suitable Brand Exposure Throughout Across the Platform and On Social Media

Virtual events offer no shortage of opportunities to provide brand exposure for sponsors:

• 1) You could showcase sponsor logos in the lobby, auditorium, exhibition hall, networking lounges or any other space.
• 2) If you don’t want it to look too busy in some areas, create a video screen in the lobby with a scrolling screen of sponsor logos.
• 3) Add pre- and post-presentation slides showcasing event and sponsor logos.
• 4) Incorporate your sponsors' brands into social media content about the event.
• 5) Offer sponsors the opportunity to send branded gifts to participants pre- or post-event.

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Offer The Opportunity For Content-Rich Presentations From Sponsors

Virtual events, like physical events, can include presentations from sponsors:

• 1) Offer sponsors the opportunity to present on a key topic thus providing a great way to get in front of participants in a non-sales environment and to show a sponsor’s understanding of the topic.
• 2) Encourage sponsors to identify those who asked questions during their presentation and follow up with them outside of the presentation.
• 3) Enable participants to download a copy of the sponsors' presentation or a related paper.
• 4) Allow sponsors to include additional presentations in the on-demand part of the platform.

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Offer Sponsors The Ability to Moderate A Panel Session Or Chair A Day

If you don’t have a specific topic for a sponsor to present, consider inviting them to moderate or chair a session instead. It:

• 1) Provides sponsors with intellectual credibility among participants in the subject area.

• 2) Enables them to build connections with panellists or speakers before the event.

• 3) Helps them identify potential leads based on audience questions or attendee profiles for the session.

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Create An Event Pitch/Innovation Room With Scheduled Times For Sponsors To Showcase Their Project

For events where there is a lot of interest for new product or services, you can create an Innovation or Pitch room for sponsors:

• 1) Create a parallel stream for sponsors to do short pitches of, say, 10-15 mins each.
• 2) Create an Innovation Session in the main auditorium and invite those sponsors that have new products or services to showcase.
• 3) Host a competition where sponsors deliver 3-minute pitches, with the decision-makers judge them on presentation and content delivery.
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Schedule Sponsor Briefings Pre-Event

As a host, schedule a pre-event briefing to advise sponsors on how to get maximum ROI from their virtual sponsorship:

• 1) Advise them not to stay in their booth passively waiting for visitors.
• 2) Encourage them to take the initiative and go, for example, to the networking lounge and participate in any discussions or chats.
• 3) Tell them to listen to presentations, see who is asking questions and message them directly if you have comments on their questions or solutions to offer.
• 4) Take advantage of the ability to search for delegates by multiple criteria so as to find those most likely to be interested in their products and then contact them directly.

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Offer Virtual Booths

Virtual booths are a great way for attendees to get information about, and connect with sponsors:

• 1) Ensure sponsors upload lots of videos or pdfs to give more info to visitors
• 2) Ensure they have a number of booth admins available to participate in live chat and answer questions
• 3) Make sure the booth space is designed to show their branding
• 4) Allows sponsors to offer info sessions that attendees can book in advance.
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1-2-1 Meetings Are A Key Criteria For Achieving ROI

1-2-1 meetings with key prospects are a critical measure for ROI:

• 1) Ensure sponsors offer attendees the opportunity to book on meetings.
• 2) Advise sponsors to search the attendee list for prospects with certain criteria and reach out to them to set up meetings.
• 3) Suggest they set up a range of meeting slots in advance, making it easy to manage on the day.
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Allow Time In The Programme For Attendees To Visit Sponsor Stands

Make sure the programme includes time to engage with sponsors:

• 1) Allocate dedicated time in the schedule for attendees to visit sponsor booths.

• 2) Include announcements about activities happening at sponsor stands.

• 3) Incorporate sponsor pitch sessions into the event agenda.

• 4) Remind attendees they can visit sponsor stands and message sponsors after the event during the on-demand phase.
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Create Discussion Roundtables And Offer Sponsors The Opportunity To Chair Them

Identify key topics for discussion and ask sponsors to facilitate them:

• 1) Enable sponsors to host roundtable discussions to help them gain intellectual credibility on a key topic
• 2) Use roundtable discussions as an opportunity for sponsors to meet with prospects in a non-sales environment
• 3) Invite sponsors to write a summary of the discussion and provide to all attendees
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Add Gamification In Sponsor Booths Or In The Event Overall with a Leader board To Attract Booth Visits

Gamification can be used to drive visits to a stand or booths overall:

• 1) Create a treasure hunt whereby attendees have to visit all the stands to retrieve the relevant clues
• 2) Provide a game on a stand with a leader board to tap into competitive desires and encourage multiple visits to a stand as people try to climb up the leader board
• 3) Offer a branded virtual photo booth to create a gallery of all attendees that they can have as a ‘take-away’
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Provide In-Depth Data and Reports

Virtual events offer so much data tracking that can be incredibly valuable to sponsors:

• 1) Demonstrate how event reports can help identify high-quality leads..
• 2) Offer the ability to integrate engagement data with registration information for deeper insights.
• 3) Show sponsors how to use reports—such as booth visits, meetings attended, and document downloads—to assess lead quality and prioritise follow-up activities.

In summary, as with any event it comes down to two simple things: engagement and relevance. Virtual events offer a multitude of ways to engage your delegates with sponsors through exclusive speaker presentations, networking opportunities, and pitches that can make your event feel alive. We also build all of our lobbies fully bespoke giving you the ultimate flexibility in showcasing your and your sponsor’s brand and driving sponsor ROI just the way you want to.