Your Event App serves you in countless ways — as a digital guide for in-person attendees, a communications and networking vehicle, a way to promote your brand, or, for virtual events, your entire event space! A well-executed Event App pays for itself, both in time savings for your event support reps and in creating an engaged and invested attendee base. Are you ready to take it a step further and monetize your Event App?
We're here to help you create a raving sponsor base that's excited to sponsor your event each year. Check out some of the ways to showcase sponsors in your Event app, below. 👇 The best part? Most of these tips are great for any kind of event — virtual, hybrid, or in-person!
Use the Sponsors/Exhibitors feature
Using the Sponsors feature, create a profile for each sponsor. If you want to differentiate between sponsors and exhibitors, add the Exhibitors feature, also. Both features are identical, so we'll only refer to the Sponsors feature in this article.
When you build out a sponsor profile, fill in the following:
Icons, Booth Cover images, and Booth Size
Give each sponsor some distinction with branding that uniquely represents them! If you set your Sponsors feature to Grid View, Medium and Large Booths use both the Icon and Booth Cover images, and Small Booths only use the Icon.
Consider using the Booth Size setting to sell tiered sponsorships. You could award your title sponsor with the exclusive privilege of occupying the only Large Booth. If a sponsor wants to include a banner, they have to purchase a sponsorship tier that includes a Medium Booth.
Content
Does your sponsor have a killer promo video, Facebook page, Website, or PDF sell sheet? Use the Content Provider field to embed that content right inside the Socio Platform.
Simply select the proper Content Provider from the drop-down, then fill in the URL or upload the file to add the content to the sponsor profile.
Attendee Calls to Action
Boost sponsor engagement by adding Attendee Calls to Action to the sponsor's profile. Add buttons for attendees to Request Follow Up or Schedule Meeting.
You aren't limited to meeting links, either. Change the Schedule Meeting Button Label and link it to a sponsor's website, a webinar, a demo video... the possibilities are endless. 🙌 Check out info on adding Attendee Calls to Action to learn more.
Internal and External Links
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 a session a sponsor's representative is speaking at.
Check out our article on internal links for more info.
The Links section of the sponsor/exhibitor profile is where the external links appear., like website, phone numbers, and email addresses. Consider adding an external link to the sponsor's website or even a special landing page to capture leads. The options are endless!
You can also offer more links for top sponsors. 🥇 Check out our article on external links for more info.
Use the Banners layout
When you create your Socio Event, consider choosing the Banners layout for your app. Banner images appear in the lower-left corner of your Web App and at the bottom of the main screen of your Mobile App, and they're a great way to surface sponsor branding. If you have a Booth Cover image for a sponsor, you can add that same image as a Banner or use an entirely different image. Whichever you choose, feel free to link the Banner to the actual sponsor page, so attendees need only tap the banner to go right to the sponsor page.
The Smart Feed layout shows Sponsors from time to time. However, it only shows the icon, and other non-sponsor content appears there.
Attendees see the banners whenever they use the Web App or Mobile App, and the link can go to the sponsor's website. It's even possible to pass the user's event app data to the URL. 🎊
⭐️ Keep in mind, it's a good idea to maintain some creative control over the design of sponsored banner ads. This helps ensure a cohesive and polished look for your event.
Check out our banners walkthrough to learn more.
Leverage tons of other Socio features
Aside from the standard Sponsors and Exhibitors features, the Socio Platform lets you get creative with sponsorships for just about any facet of your event. Keep reading to learn about some of the ways other event organizers have uniquely monetized their events!
Announcements
Consider having an announcement "from" the sponsor! Use Announcements to send pre-approved sponsor messaging to all attendees or specific Groups. Pre-schedule push notifications to go out at defined times, or send them on the fly, all on behalf of your sponsors. Check out our Announcements feature guide to learn more.
⚠️ Caution! As with all apps, attendees can opt to turn off notifications for your event app, so don't send out too many sponsored notifications.
Splash screen
If you're using a Branded Event App, consider incorporating your title sponsor into your Splash Screen. We don't recommend displaying an ad that takes up the entire splash screen. Instead, using a small portion of the splash screen for sponsor branding is a great option for visibility. Every attendee sees the splash screen when they open the app.
⭐️ Keep in mind, it's a good idea to maintain some creative control over the design of splash screens. This helps ensure that the look and feel of your app is cohesive and polished.
⚠️ Caution, the splash screen applies to Branded Event App customers only. There is only one splash screen per app. If you're using your app for multiple events, it may not be a good fit to offer this to sponsors.
Wall
Posting on the Wall "from" the sponsor or posting about them is a great way to increase excitement leading up to your event. This is also a more organic way to showcase sponsors because it's mixed in with posts from attendees. Simply create a new account with the sponsor's name, and post.
Check out our Wall feature guide for more info.
Live Display
Grant your sponsor amazing visibility and branding opportunities at your in-person event with Live Display! Whether you'd like to showcase one app sponsor or give them all opportunities to be seen, Live Display is a great option to do just that. Some virtual and hybrid events have also used the Web Link feature to embed the Live Display in their Event App as a "what's happening now" type feed.
Check out our Introduction to Live Display article to learn more.
Maps
When you link your sponsor and exhibitor profiles to the interactive map, in-person attendees can access the Map from the sponsor profile, or they can open the Map feature and locate the sponsor from there. This is also a great option to highlight locations of after-hours events or meet-and-greets provided by your sponsors.
Check out the Map feature guide for more info.
Sponsor-specific Web Link
Create a feature dedicated to your top-tier sponsor for even more visibility. The Web Link feature lets you link to a sponsor's website or a special landing page, and you can also upload a custom sponsor logo as the feature icon.
Check out the Web Link feature guide for more info.
Video Rooms
Give your sponsors a place to self-promote to your virtual attendees with Socio's Video Rooms feature. Simply add a Video Rooms feature to your event and make a room for each sponsor. Customize each room with the sponsor's logo and link the room directly to the sponsor so attendees can find their way there easily!
Check out the Video Rooms feature guide for more info.
Socio Streaming
If your event is hybrid or virtual, Socio Streaming is a great option for showcasing sponsors in your live streams. Fully customize your stream with your own branding or your sponsors' branding, including the theme color, logo, overlays, and even videos.
⭐️ Keep in mind, Socio Streaming is an additional cost add-on feature. Reach out to your Socio contact for pricing.
Check out our Introduction to Socio Steaming article for more info.
Event Game
The Event Game is a great way to get attendees at any type of event engaged Why not monetize the game by giving the credit to a sponsor? Consider including "sponsored by..." in the game's name and asking the sponsor if they'd like to provide the prize! Mention this in other marketing communications for even more visibility.
Another option with the Event Game is to have attendees interact with a sponsor to receive a challenge code. This could include getting a badge scanned, posting a picture to the Wall, or joining a sponsor's Video Room. This is a fun way to generate leads and encourage attendees to interact with and learn more about the sponsor. You can even assign different numbers of points based on sponsorship tiers.
Check out our Game feature guide for more info.
Titles
Consider adding "brought to you by..." to the Overview title, the title of your event, the event description, Agenda sessions, booth locations, and more! This is a great way to get sponsor names out there for any type of event.
⚠️ Caution, keep these to a minimum. They have more impact when used sparingly!
Event Code
If you're using the Event Code privacy setting for your event, a creative option is to use the sponsor's name as the Event Code.
Check out our Privacy Settings article for more info.
Example of Sponsorship Tiers
While you can offer any of these options to sponsors "a la carte", you may decide to provide different packages, AKA "tiers". Pricing should be different for each event because the audience and value are different for each event.
Platinum 🏆
Large Interactive Virtual Booth with embedded video, PDF, or website, company description, and up to 5 external links (i.e., Social media or additional websites)
Live Text Chat with Attendees Enabled
2 Video Rooms
“Request Follow Up” Button & Custom URL Button
2 Exclusive Banner Graphics
2 Game challenges featuring your company
2 30-second commercials during event broadcast
2 Sponsored Announcements
Gold 🥇
Medium Interactive Virtual Booth with embedded video, PDF, or website, company description, and up to 5 external links (i.e., Social media or additional websites)
Live Text Chat with Attendees Enabled
1 Video Room
“Request Follow Up” Button & Custom URL Button
1 Exclusive Banner Graphic
2 Game challenges featuring your company
1 30-second commercial during event broadcast
1 Sponsored Announcement
Silver 🥈
Medium interactive Virtual Booth with embedded video, PDF, or website, company description, and up to 3 external links (i.e., Social media or additional websites)
Live Text Chat with Attendees Enabled
1 Video Room
“Request Follow Up” Button & Custom URL Button
1 Banner Graphic Shared with up to 2 other logos
1 Game challenge featuring your company
Bronze 🥉
Small Interactive Virtual Booth with embedded video, PDF, or website, company description, and up to 3 external links (i.e., Social media or additional websites)
Live Text Chat with Attendees Enabled
“Request Follow Up” Button
1 Banner Graphic
Shared Banner with up to 2 other logos
1 Game challenge featuring your company
Additional Exclusive Sponsorship Opportunities
Official Live Stream Sponsorship - Limited availability, please inquire
Your Logo & choice of special promotion is displayed in the welcome and closing screens for a session
Mobile App Sponsor - Limited availability, please inquire
Mention in App Store Description & Custom Splash Screen artwork
Gamification Sponsor - Multiple Available
Donate a game prize and be listed as an event game sponsor
Photo Booth - Limited availability, please inquire
Your branding inside of our official event Photo Booth
Session or Happy Hour Sponsor - Limited availability, please inquire
Introduce a speaker, participate in a panel, or host a virtual happy hour
⭐️Keep our other products in mind! If you're using our Lead Retrieval product, consider including that for your top tier sponsors. If you're using our Live Display product, consider providing a full banner ad for each top tier sponsor. Lower-tier sponsors can have a "combined" banner ad.
Have something else that worked well for your event? Let us know! 😉
We'd love to have a personalized conversation about your event! Reach out to your Socio contact to strategize on the best way to make your sponsors come back year after year.
Questions? Chat Us or Email support@socio.events