How to Get Sponsors for a Conference (2025 Edition)

Author’s Note: I’m Daniel Pitner, Director of Sales & Marketing at Centric Events. I’ve been in the A/V and event production space for over a decade and have supported more than 2,000 events across Arizona. While sponsorship sales isn’t our core service, I’ve been pulled into enough client conversations to see firsthand what works, what doesn’t, and how sponsorships can make or break a conference’s ROI.

A few months ago, I was supporting a medical conference here in Phoenix. The planning team was sharp, but they were having trouble filling one last major sponsor spot. It wasn’t for lack of effort—they had a deck, a list, and had done outreach. But the pitch wasn’t sticking.

As it happened, I had a strong relationship with a software company that served this exact medical niche. I gave them a quick call, explained the value of the event, the audience demographics, and that they could get in front of hundreds of qualified leads without traveling. I introduced them to the planner.

A few weeks later, the deal closed. The sponsor had a strong presence, the planner hit their goal, and the sponsor saw a direct return on investment.

I share this because this is what great sponsorship work looks like: it’s targeted, thoughtful, and focused on ROI—not just a generic ask. And it shows how much of an impact just one well-connected introduction or well-framed pitch can have.

Why Most Planners Struggle with Sponsorships

The biggest mistake I see conference planners make is assuming that sponsors will say yes just because the event exists. That’s not how it works.

Sponsors want results. And unless you have a proven track record or a crystal-clear value proposition, most companies will ignore the offer. Here are the most common challenges I see:

1. No Clear ROI Path

Saying “$5,000 for a booth” isn’t compelling. Sponsors need to see how they’ll make that money back. Your sponsorship pitch should speak directly to their bottom line. Will they generate qualified leads? Will they get in front of decision-makers? Will they be positioned as a thought leader?

2. No Audience Breakdown

Who’s actually attending your conference? Job titles, company types, industries, geographies—this matters. A software company serving finance executives doesn’t care about exposure to nurses. Be precise, and show that you know your audience.

3. No Dedicated Sales Team

Sponsorships are a sales function. They require prospecting, cold outreach, tailored follow-up, and closing. Too many teams treat sponsorship sales as an afterthought, or worse, hand it off to someone already managing event logistics.

If you’re serious about sponsorship revenue, you need serious sales support.

4. Generic Decks

I’ve received dozens of sponsorship decks over the years—and I can tell immediately when it’s just a copy-paste job. Your sponsors aren’t all the same. A SaaS company, a regional bank, and a staffing agency have wildly different KPIs. So speak to them differently.

Personalized pitch decks, especially ones that include mockups or examples tailored to the brand, always stand out.

What Makes a Great Sponsorship Offer

If you want to win sponsors—especially high-value ones—you have to think like a marketer. Your offer needs to:

Be specific about what they’re getting
Focus on measurable ROI
Stand out from the competition

Start with ROI

Every sponsor wants one thing: return. So break it down for them:

What kind of exposure are they getting?
How many impressions or interactions?
Will they walk away with leads? Access? Data?

I often tell planners: frame your offer in terms that a CMO would use when analyzing a marketing campaign.

Offer Pattern Disruptors

Sponsors have seen the standard “booth + logo on a sign” package 100 times. Instead, include creative, high-impact offers like:

Sponsored happy hours, where the sponsor delivers a short welcome toast
Branded video bumpers before mainstage sessions
On-stage panel participation or fireside chats
Sponsored Wi-Fi portals or charging stations with branding
Branded breakout sessions
Sponsored notebooks, water bottles, or swag bags with QR codes
Post-event remarketing emails or ad campaigns

If your offer includes real integration into the attendee experience, sponsors will see the value.

Build Sponsorship Packages with Flexibility

Create tiered packages, yes—but leave room for custom add-ons. I’ve seen mid-tier sponsors turn into title sponsors just because a planner listened and shaped a custom solution that hit their exact goal.

What If You’re New or Small?

Many planners believe they need a huge audience or a long event history to secure sponsors. That’s false. I’ve seen first-year events land amazing sponsors by being scrappy, clear, and aggressive in outreach.

Here’s how:

Cold Outreach Still Works

Especially with startups, challenger brands, and companies looking to break into your industry segment. They often have growth budgets and are looking for exposure.

The key? Your pitch has to focus on the outcome—not just the opportunity.

Ask for Referrals

People underestimate how many doors a referral can open. Ask vendors, speakers, previous sponsors, or even attendees: “Do you know any brands who might want to sponsor something like this?”

You’ll be surprised how often a warm intro appears.

Use Projected Data

Even if you don’t have past sponsor performance to show, you can show:

Your expected number of attendees
Your marketing channels and how you’re reaching them
Your partnerships, media sponsors, or email list size

Build a story of confidence and clarity. Sponsors are buying into your execution, not just your past.

Valuable Sponsorship Assets (Beyond Booths & Logos)

Let’s dig deeper into real assets you can offer that provide value:

1. Strategic Access

VIP meet & greets with speakers or attendees
Private dinners or roundtables with decision-makers
Custom breakout rooms where sponsors can invite their prospects

2. Digital Exposure

Branded Wi-Fi splash pages
In-app banners and push notifications
Custom landing pages for the sponsor with post-event lead capture
Geo-targeted ads promoting the sponsor booth or offers

3. Physical Presence Upgrades

Uplighting, stage branding, or projection mapping
Branded chill zones or lounge areas
LED screen content loops featuring the sponsor throughout the day

4. Retargeting + Data

If your event platform supports it, offer:

Attendee list with contact info (with consent)
Retargeting pixels placed on event pages to power the sponsor’s ad campaigns
Event-specific analytics on booth traffic, app engagement, or lead scans

I’ve seen sponsors renew year after year because they got data they couldn’t get anywhere else.

5. Resource Exchange

One of the most overlooked value adds is bartering resources on the planner side:

Give them a free hotel room from your room block if you have extras
Offer premium AV gear at a discounted or comped rate (with support from your AV team)
Let them sponsor breakout sessions where they can run content, host Q&A, or include signage

Sponsors remember these small, thoughtful touches.

Creating a Sponsorship Sales Process

If you want to secure serious sponsorship revenue, you need a serious process. Here’s what I recommend:

Who would benefit most from your audience?

Tech vendors?
Financial services?
Recruiting firms?

Create 3-5 ideal sponsor personas. This shapes your outreach.

Step 2: Build a Sales Collateral Suite

Base sponsorship deck with tiers
Industry-specific pitch decks
One-pagers per asset (Wi-Fi, breakout sessions, app banners, etc.)
Testimonial quotes from past sponsors (if available)

Step 3: Outreach

Use a CRM to manage cold outreach. Email, LinkedIn, phone calls—treat it like B2B sales.

Follow up consistently. A “no” today might be a “yes” next year.

Step 4: Track Results

Once sponsors are signed, track:

Booth traffic
Lead count
Website clicks or QR scans
Event app engagement

Give sponsors a post-event recap. This dramatically improves your renewal chances.

Final Advice: Take Sponsorship Seriously

Sponsorship isn’t a side project. It’s a revenue engine.

When done right, sponsorships can make your conference wildly profitable—often covering your entire event cost and then some. But that only happens when you treat it like a dedicated business function, not a last-minute add-on.

Invest in a great sponsorship sales team.

Yes, good salespeople are expensive. But when they know what they’re doing, they’ll pay for themselves ten times over—through renewals, referrals, and growth. Sponsorship revenue isn’t just a budget line—it’s a growth strategy.