Festival season is upon us, bringing with it all the food, fun, and entertainment we’ve come to know and love! While ticket sales will most likely make up the bulk of your event’s revenue, many festivals also rely on sponsorships to help them succeed. With so many competing festivals and events out there, how can you ensure that yours stands out to potential sponsors?
Our event experts have put together a list of attention-grabbing festival sponsorship ideas that are sure to have your sponsorships filled in no time!
Festival Naming Rights
What better way for your sponsors to spread awareness than by attaching their name to the actual name of your festival? This highest-tier sponsorship opportunity means that, at every touch point between your festival and your attendees, their brand will take center stage, providing incredible value to the right sponsor (past examples include the “Vans Warped Tour” or “Honda Civic Tour”).
Venue and Performance Area
If your festival features live performances, offer a high-tier sponsorship package including branding of the main stage and any side stages. As your attendees enjoy the entertainment, your sponsor’s logo will be prominently displayed front and center! Venues large enough to host a festival offer ample space for sponsor branding opportunities, so think creatively. In your proposals, offer sponsorships of beverage stations, seating areas, lounges, VIP boxes, or even the entire lawn area.
After-Parties and Exclusive Events
Special panels, after-parties, and side events associated with your festival can be great opportunities for sponsors to promote their brand and take a bit more ownership of the event. At a sponsored “event within an event,” their brand will be displayed everywhere from swag bags to signage and beyond!
Festival Wi-Fi
One of the pitfalls of a highly attended festival is the spotty cell network connection that can result from too many users in one place. If possible, provide a festival-wide Wi-Fi sponsorship opportunity to combat this. You’ll please your fans by keeping them connected to their social media all day long, and your sponsor will be exposed to every connected festival attendee as they grace them with the gift of internet!
Photo Booth
Whether you’re hosting a wine festival, brewfest, or a multi-stage music festival, a photo booth is always certain to be a hit! Offer a photo booth sponsorship with branding prominently displayed on and around the booth, and be sure to include their logo in the border of the photos that are printed or emailed to attendees. This will associate your sponsor’s brand with one of the funnest parts of the festival!
Exclusive Beverages
Offer an “official energy drink” or “official beer” sponsorship, wherein their brand is displayed throughout the festival at each drink station. It can lead to an impressive increase in drink sales throughout an all-day event. Also consider offering these official beverages at a discounted rate, or even provide some free samples, to really boost your sponsor’s ROI.