Week 9 readings: "Sponsorship and Event Management"

Key Points

• The chapter discusses the benefits of sponsorship as being an expensive but worthwhile tactic if handled correctly. It also explores event management, which can also make or break a campaign depending on how it is handled.
• PR people set up events for the purpose of being noticed, especially by media. Public relations events are deemed by Boorstin 'psuedo events', different to real news as they are manufactured, are not spontaneous, created for the purpose of being reported on and becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
• Sponsorship is the purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual. Sponsors become involved in order to get their product noticed, as well as enhance product image through a relationship with the event.
  
• Philanthropic sponsorship: Community based goodwill donations.
• Corporate sponsorship: Sponsorship not normally linked to sponsoring company's general business. Product placement creates a positive image by association with an event such as a world cup, or tennis grand slam.
• Marketing sponsorship: Most common form of sponsorship, offers cash and goods for tangible, revenue oriented results. Used to promote goods or services to a targeted market. Companies basically use this to gain revenue through increased sales.
• When writing a sponsorship proposal, practitioners should ask themselves if this will improve image, increase sales, entertain, generate publicity, reach a target audience, receive support from spectators and consider any conflict between sponsors.
  
• Practitioners must also consider the benefits for sponsors, such as VIP seating and free merchandise, as well as signage space and media coverage.
  
• Structure of a proposal should be: cover letter with outline of proposal, one page backgrounder, one to two pages of sponsor benefits, one to two pages of pictures etc of past events and a request for an amount of money.
• Ambush marketing is when people associate their product with an event they have no affiliation with. This is negative for sponsorship and should be negated by practitioners to ensure effective sponsorship. They must know who the real sponsors are, use integrated marketing such as television advertising in events, set up sponsor meetings so they can discuss how to approach event. If practitioners catch an ambush marketer they may be able to pursue legal action, as the ambusher may have broken trade practice laws.
• Event management: Successful events can reap enormous benefits for companies. They are characterised by full commitment on the part of the organisation, having committees and sub-committees and having a strong event theme and image.
• Public relations strategy should be considered in event planning.
• The goal of an event is to attract attention to the organisation and their objectives. The best way to achieve this is through media coverage. Therefore practitioners must make events newsworthy and give them the 'gee whiz' factor. Some tactics to involve media are issuing press releases, media functions within the event, distributing an event handbook to the media and making event tickets available to the media.
• Product Demonstration: Events can be an ideal forum to launch a product or idea with a demonstration. This provides opportunities for third party endorsements.
• Corporate/client entertainment: The purpose of this type of event is to create a favourable impression by entertaining key clients and opening up business opportunities. There is usually another agenda behind this, often involving use of their product in the event.
• Revenue generation: Events with the sole purpose of making money.
  
• Creating events has 4 major aspects: Feasibility, planning, execution and evaluation. This means that the event must be realistic, it must be evaluated in terms of budget, time etc. It must be scheduled, organised (sponsors, marketing, officials, security, catering etc) and prepared by practitioners and staff. The event should be executed as closely to the plan as possible, allowing time for last minute touch ups. The event should then be evaluated through a debriefing meeting, event assessment, business activity assessment, budget assessment and risk management assessment.

Sponsorship and proper event management are essential tactics for a modern practitioner. They must be handled properly in order to create a positive outcome for both company and investors, while generating publicity and creating positive image for the company.