Communicating Conference Value to Sponsors and Partners: How do you do it?

1 Know your audience

Before you start crafting your communication plan, you need to know who you are talking to and what they care about. Different sponsors and partners may have different goals and expectations from your conference, such as brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, or social responsibility. You need to tailor your message and metrics to align with their interests and priorities. For example, if your sponsor is looking for exposure, you may highlight the number and profile of attendees, the media coverage, and the social media engagement. If your partner is looking for feedback, you may share the survey results, the testimonials, and the case studies.

2 Define your value proposition

Once you know your audience, you need to define your value proposition. This is the statement that summarizes how your conference delivers benefits to your sponsors and partners, and how it solves their problems or meets their needs. Your value proposition should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should answer the question: why should they support your conference? For example, your value proposition may be: "Our conference connects you with the leading experts and innovators in your field, and provides you with insights and best practices to grow your business."

3 Choose your communication channels

After you have your value proposition, you need to choose your communication channels. These are the ways you will reach out to your sponsors and partners, before, during, and after your conference. You may use a combination of online and offline channels, such as email, phone, website, social media, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, webinars, or reports. You need to consider the frequency, format, and tone of your communication, and make sure it is consistent and relevant. You also need to use different channels for different purposes, such as informing, engaging, or thanking.

4 Showcase your impact and outcomes

The most important part of your communication is to showcase your impact and outcomes. This is how you prove the value of your conference to your sponsors and partners, and how you build trust and loyalty. You need to collect and analyze data and evidence that demonstrate the results and achievements of your conference, such as attendance, satisfaction, learning, engagement, influence, or revenue. You also need to tell stories and stories that illustrate the success and benefits of your conference, such as testimonials, case studies, or highlights. You need to present your impact and outcomes in a clear, visual, and compelling way, such as infographics, charts, or videos.

5 Ask for feedback and input

Another way to communicate value to your sponsors and partners is to ask for feedback and input. This shows that you value their opinions and suggestions, and that you want to improve your conference. You can ask for feedback and input through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or online forums. You can ask questions about their satisfaction, expectations, challenges, needs, or recommendations. You need to listen to their feedback and input, and act on it accordingly. You also need to acknowledge and thank them for their feedback and input, and let them know how you will use it.

6 Follow up and stay in touch

The last step of your communication is to follow up and stay in touch with your sponsors and partners. This is how you maintain and strengthen your relationship with them, and how you encourage them to support your conference again. You need to follow up and stay in touch regularly, and not just when you need something from them. You can follow up and stay in touch by sending thank-you notes, sharing updates, inviting them to events, offering opportunities, or asking for referrals. You need to be genuine, respectful, and appreciative, and show them that you care about their goals and needs.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?