Blog Week 9 - Sponsorship and Event Management

This week’s readings considered sponsorship and event management. The text states that the larger the event the more likely it is to require some form of sponsorship often requiring the two tactics to be used together.

Sponsorship was listed as being the purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual. When an organisation enters into a sponsorship deal they expect a return. Most interestingly the text explored the idea of emerging organisational partnerships in regards to sponsorship and stated that these “true partnerships” are seen as being the direction in which the industry is heading.

The text details the importance of being able to write a sponsorship proposal – and as seen from last weeks readings being able to write for a variety of mediums is very important in the field of public relations. When writing a sponsorship proposal the text provides a number of helpful hints. It states that when writing a practitioner must consider the motives and goals of the target audience – and a generic sponsorship document will not generate support.

When writing an organisation is most interested in what’s in it for them but the practitioner must be comprehensive about what is being offered and therefore the following should be included: a covering letter, information regarding the background of the event, sponsorship benefits, pictures of past events and specific request of what you are asking from the organisation.

The text explored some the key aspects of event management and stated that the sky is the limit or the practitioner’s imagination is! The text argues that through successful event can achieve a large number of public relations goals and objectives. The text states that reasons for staging an event include the generation of media coverage, creating a platform for product demonstration, corporate/client entertainment and revenue generation.

In regards to media coverage I found the following quote from Ryan and Lemmond very interesting, “cynical consumers are zapping commercials and ignoring printed ads and are more receptive to the editorial message. The “third party endorsement” allows advertisers to sell a new product while enveloping the commercial message in a credible environment.”

I found this weeks readings very interesting – it built on knowledge of the field – providing tactics and what not that will be used in the day to day business of public relations. Once again it highlighted the importance of good writing and planing skills, whilst developing the fabric that is this broad arena.

References

Boyd, S. (2004). Sponsorship and event management. In, Johnston, J. & Zawawi, C. (Eds). Public relations: theory and practice. (2nd ed).( pp. 345- 374). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.