How important is virtual event sponsorship?

The event industry is changing rapidly. Each week we illustrate how this is happening and what it means for your business.

Sponsorship is becoming increasingly important as the primary source of revenue for virtual events, according to a survey.

Preliminary results from the State of the Industry Research – Third Quarter 2021 shows 43% of professionals in our industry highlighted this form of funding as their major income in Q3.

Results from previous Event MB studies show 34% of respondents cite sponsorship in the second quarter, while this was just 29% in the first.

What’s behind the figures?

Event professionals are becoming much more aware of revenue opportunities brought through the digital transformation our industry has witnessed.

There are three main types of sponsored online solutions: thought leadership, branding and lead generation services.

Digital platforms can give you a large amount of inventory before, during and after an event.

It comes as virtual revenue is expected to increase from representing just 2% of an organiser’s budget model in 2020 to 25% moving forward.

ExpoPlatform received a lot of interest from event professionals about how to take advantage of the new income opportunities after its Hybrid and Marketplace ebooks.

That’s why we published the Monetisation Blueprint – a practical guide on how an organiser can navigate the massive shakeup to business models we have recently witnessed.

Our free ebook brings together exclusive insight from industry experts into how things have changed and how to shape up for the future, with instructions on how to increase income in this everchanging landscape.

What does it mean for organisers?

Many organisers have a history of offering digital as added-value.

It is now important to make a break with legacy agreements by relaunching with a new rate card and value proposition.

Read more about monetisation opportunities here.

These digital solutions who stand out by customizing it for your brand and content themes.

Instead of selling a generic webinar, launch an academy series with a limited number of sponsorship opportunities around key content topics.

Here’s a rundown of some of the available options for digital sponsorship:

• Branding
  • Online advertising
  • Event sponsorships
  • Mobile app sponsorship
  • Community group sponsorship
  • Podcast sponsorship
• Thought leadership
  • Sponsored conference sessions
  • Sponsored editorial
  • Breakouts and workshops
• Lead generation
  • Marketplace profiles
  • Webinars
  • Ebooks and whitepapers
  • Push notifications

Download the free Monetisation Blueprint for an in-depth guide on how to drive digital event revenue.