How to Get the Most Impact

Fact vs. Fiction: Sponsor & Exhibitor ROI at Virtual Events

In a world where everything is virtual, finding value — and proving Return On Investment (ROI)— for online events has never been more challenging. It’s true: in a rush to make in-person events virtual, many of 2020’s online “conferences,” “exhibit halls” and “happy hours” had little to no ROI for sponsors, but it’s time to change this way of thinking. What works for in-person events and in-person sponsorships is unlikely to work online.

When taking events virtual, the key to success is collaboration. Together, online event organizers and sponsors can define measurable goals and successfully reach their target audiences.

Define Goals & Develop an Engagement Plan

Before exploring how you think sponsors and exhibitors can be involved in an event, the first step is to determine the measurable goals and ideal outcomes for individual sponsors. For example, does the sponsor want to recruit new employees, spread brand awareness, get people to sign up for a webinar/podcast/newsletter or a combination of the three?

Because the goals for each company will vary, event organizers should create a custom Engagement Plan for each sponsor that outlines company objectives, clarifies event expectations (e.g., what information will — or won’t — be shared post-event), and details participation guidelines.

By creating an Engagement Plan and aligning on measurable goals at the beginning of each event, organizers can effectively demonstrate ROI to sponsors.

3 Facts About Creating ROI for Sponsors During Virtual Events

FICTION: Sponsors can’t actively participate or facilitate serendipitous conversations during virtual events.

FACT: While greeting attendees in exhibit halls is no longer an option in today’s virtual world, sponsors can — and should — get creative with passive branding and organic conversations that occur throughout online events.

To maximize sponsor interactions, planning opportunities for organic conversations that are thoughtful and relevant — not spammy — is critical. Detailing participation guidelines in an Engagement Plan will help sponsors appropriately allocate the time and resources needed to execute a successful online event. For example, the sponsor could host an evening social on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET featuring a board game that uses the game piece mailed to participants via a swag bag. Keep reading for more swag bag ideas!

Participation guidelines could include:

• Dedicated Sponsor Staff: The sponsor team should dedicate staff members who can engage in event presentations, participate in post-session Face2Face meetings that are relevant to the sponsor’s business, host evening socials, post giveaways, answer common questions from the audience in Slack and/or via Slido, and more. Event organizers should then amplify sponsor messages through their session moderators or via a notification to all attendees in Slack.
• For some audiences — especially those attending technical conferences — attendees may respond more favorably to a Developer Advocate or Tech Lead who is participating in the online event as opposed to someone on the Sales team. Make sure to discuss who would be the best person to facilitate conversations that garner positive reactions from attendees as part of the planning process.
• Conversation Starters: It's best to prepare questions that sponsors can share in their Slack channel and/or via Slido in advance to ensure relevancy. Attendee questions could include:
• What type of products are you using?
• Which sessions are you excited to watch?
• What is your knowledge/skill set is?
• What projects are you actively working on?

FICTION: Virtual events provide fewer opportunities to display sponsor logos.

FACT: Although virtual events don’t have traditional booths and exhibit halls, there are actually MORE opportunities to showcase your brand online vs. in-person.

With online events, sponsors are no longer bound to physical walls, expensive spaces and travel demands.

Virtual event branding opportunities could include:

• Physical Swag Bags: A physical swag bag in a digital-first world is a largely untapped market for virtual event branding opportunities. Depending on the event’s budget, items such as packing tape, labels and packaging can all be branded with the event and/or sponsor logo(s). Within the package, sponsors can include a wide range of promotional items including: stickers, notebooks, pens, coasters, lanyards and microfiber cloths.
• Digital Swag Bags: Swag branding doesn’t have to stop with physical items. A digital swag bag is a low-cost alternative for displaying sponsor logos. From digital discounts, to virtual backgrounds and digital brochures, there are countless ways for sponsors to place their brand in front of attendees within a virtual event platform.
• Banner Ads: Display your brand via a digital banner ad during keynote sessions, networking events and more!
• Video Recaps: Post production also offers branding opportunities. For example, sponsors can add logos to post-event recordings via a watermark, intro slide, exit slide and/or you can create a post-event playlist that features a sponsor video.

Make sure you outline branding opportunities — and the resources needed — to design, produce and ship swag, digital ads, brochures, and more as part of the Engagement Plan.

Want more branding ideas? Read about virtual booths and effective networking here.

FICTION: The audience will be too distracted during an online event.

FACT: There are countless distractions in the work-from-home environment, but successful online events that keep attendees attention have one central theme: a top-notch schedule.

A highly-engaging virtual event schedule should feature thoughtful talk selections, industry-leading presenters and exclusive content that attendees can’t just Google, but keeping an audience engaged doesn’t stop with the lineup.

To maximize engagement, event organizers should also consider:

• Physical Swag Bags: Mailing a physical swag bag to attendees prior to a virtual event makes the event more personal. From name badges, to coffee kits and game pieces that can be used during virtual happy hours, swag bags can help the attendees get excited about actively participating.
• Exclusive Networking Opportunities: During the live event, ask keynote speakers and other well-known industry influencers to participate in the chat and answer questions from attendees using networking tools like Slack or Face2Face. Allowing attendees to network and connect during the event gives them an opportunity they would not have if they were not paying attention.

Creating ROI for sponsors requires collaboration and bit of creativity. With ample planning, agreed upon goals, two-way communication and an open mind, virtual events can bring tremendous value (including reaching a wider audience for a fraction of the cost) and opportunity to organizations in any industry.

Could LoudSwarm by Six Feet Up be a good fit for your upcoming virtual events? Simply drop us a note and/or schedule a demo of LoudSwarm’s features and white-glove service.