As an event organizer, you’re constantly finding ways to help sponsors & exhibitors engage attendees and get a high ROI, and in return, create meaningful value and experiences for your attendees. 

Sponsors who have ample opportunities to build lasting connections with attendees see the tangible impact of their sponsorship and continued involvement with your events. 

We took a deep dive into event sponsorship during our webinar, Event Revenue and Sponsorship ROI, (which you can view on-demand!), featuring Socio customers, Courtney Allen of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS), Brenna McCown of ParentMap, and Socio Platform experts. 

When sponsors have the ultimate event management platform to drive attendee engagement and maximize ROI, everyone wins. By showcasing (pun intended!) our event’s 10 sponsors, we covered how Socio is taking event sponsorship to the next level with Sponsor Showcase and Booths. 

Keep reading for tips on how to leverage Socio’s sponsorship capabilities to turn your sponsors into lifelong fans! 

Prep Your Event Sponsors for Success 

Before we get into the sponsor showcase and booth details, let’s talk about what you can do ahead of your event to help your sponsors successfully connect with attendees using their Sponsor Booth.

A positive relationship with your sponsors can go a long way–– even after your event is over. Here are some tips to foster sponsorship commitment and keep them coming back year after year. 

  • Lead Time: When sponsors have enough prep time before your event, they can invest time and energy into making sure their booth materials are top notch–– so they can get the most out of their investment. 
  • Sponsor Prep Kit: Take a “show and tell” approach to prep your sponsors ahead of the event. Not sure what to include in a pre-event toolkit? Check out the graphic below. 
  • Attendee Engagement Strategies: Your sponsors’ primary goal at your event is to attract leads. Put the “good stuff” near your sponsors. Gamification is a great way to see this in action! When attendees speak to sponsors directly or interact with their booth content, they have the chance to find and submit game codes for a chance to win prizes. 
Socio Sponsor Booth size examples

Promote Event Sponsors with Socio’s Sponsor Showcase 

Socio’s Sponsor Showcase is event organizers’ one-stop-shop to help attendees easily network with sponsors. Once attendees click into a profile, sponsors can ‘Wow’ attendees with a profile built with engaging resources and, of course, ways to get in touch.

Socio's Sponsor Showcase feature

Looking for ways to leverage tiered sponsorships at your next virtual event? Enter: Socio’s Booth Size setting. Give your title sponsor the exclusive privilege of having the only Large Booth. If a sponsor wants to include a banner, they can purchase a Medium Booth.

Once attendees click into a sponsor’s booth they can interact with all the content your sponsors have to offer. If they have a killer promo video, Facebook page, Website, or sell sheet, they can easily embed those resources directly into their profile.

Socio Sponsor Booth profile example

The internal links on a sponsor/exhibitor profile let you link to other content within your event. This is a perfect way to make sponsors visible throughout the event, with links to sponsored sessions like a happy hour, a party, or session a sponsor’s representative is speaking at. 

A clear call to action is the way to any attendee’s networking heart. Sponsors can boost engagement by adding Attendee Calls to Action to their profile. Buttons like Request Follow Up or Schedule Meeting provide attendees with a clear path to start a conversation! Plus, you can enable chat within sponsor booths, so attendees make direct contact with sponsors.

Drive Attendee and Sponsor Engagement using Socio’s Video Rooms

As more events go virtual, sponsors are asking a common question: How do I stay engaged with attendees when I can’t sit down with them in person? With Socio’s Video Rooms feature you can do just that!

Socio's Sponsor Video Rooms

This feature gives sponsors one (or more) dedicated Video Rooms that they can staff during the entire event or designated times. You can also tie the sponsor Video Room capability to specific sponsorship levels. 

During Socio’s webinar, attendees easily connected with sponsors by joining Sponsor Rooms to network with sponsors, have small group conversations, or engage in demos.

Capture Attendee Engagement with Socio’s Sponsor Booths 

The key to an effective Sponsor Showcase starts with compelling booth graphics. When attendees visit the showcase, sponsors have a prime opportunity to drive attendees to click into their profile. In this case, an incredible presentation is a must. Their booth graphics should be engaging, eye-catching, and fit within the image size guidelines.

During our webinar, we gave some not-so-good examples of sponsor booths that didn’t quite stick the landing. Here’s what we learned: low quality logos, cut-off images, and excessive text don’t inspire us to get engaged with sponsor booths.

Bad examples of how to use Socio's Sponsor Booths

Here are a few quick tips to make your sponsor booths stand out: 

  • Avoid too much whitespace
  • Use a high quality logo 
  • Leverage bold images 
  • Limit the amount of text 
  • Tell your story 
Good examples of how to use Socio's Sponsor Booths

Build Meaningful Connections with Sponsor Showcase and Booths 

Whether your next event is virtual, in-person, or hybrid, leveraging a variety of ways to showcase your sponsors will be key in crafting an engaging event and powering your sponsors’ success. Socio is here to help you level up your events with Sponsor Showcase and Booth capabilities that drive sponsor engagement and leave attendees wanting more! 

Interested in driving Event Revenue and Sponsor ROI at your next virtual, in-person, or hybrid event? Check out our on-demand webinar, Event Revenue & Sponsorship ROI. 

Ready to see the power of Socio’s Sponsor Showcase and Booths in action? Schedule a personalized demo today.