Resource • Playbook

Event Sponsorship Guide

A practical guide to pricing, pitching, and delivering sponsorships for community events—without feeling salesy or guessing what sponsors want.

Use proposal templates Estimate ROI

Quick table of contents

1. Positioning 2. Who to pitch 3. Packages & tiers 4. Pricing 5. Outreach scripts 6. Delivery & proof 7. Renewals 8. Common mistakes

1) Positioning: sell the audience, not the event

Your pitch should answer: "Who will I reach and why does that matter for my business?"

  • Audience: families, young professionals, students, etc.
  • Context: high attention, positive vibe, community trust
  • What you'll prove after: photos + counts + recap

Simple sentence you can reuse: "We help local businesses get real neighborhood visibility with verified proof after the event."

2) Who to pitch: start local + high-fit

High-fit categories: restaurants, gyms, dentists, real estate, banks/credit unions, car dealers, beverage brands, franchises.

Shortcut: pick 20 targets that already advertise locally (Instagram ads, local radio, flyers, neighborhood newsletters).

You want businesses that care about local awareness—your event is a "mini billboard + community trust" package.

3) Packages & tiers: reduce choices, increase closes

Use 3 tiers: Bronze (easy yes), Silver (most popular), Gold (premium).

Deliverables that sponsors understand:

  • On-site: banner/signage, booth/table, stage mention
  • Digital: social posts, email inclusion, website listing
  • On-screen: pre-show logo slide / sponsor reel

If you can't deliver it consistently, don't sell it.

4) Pricing: start with what you can prove

Pricing anchors: attendance, local spend, and proof (photos + recap).

Starter ranges (common for community events):

  • Bronze: $500 – $1,000
  • Silver: $1,250 – $2,500
  • Gold: $2,500 – $5,000+

Want a sanity check? Use the ROI Calculator to estimate value vs. cost.

5) Outreach: keep it short, clear, and specific

Best-performing structure (5 sentences):

  1. Who you are + what you're organizing
  2. When/where + expected attendance
  3. What they get (2–4 deliverables)
  4. What it costs (tiers)
  5. Next step (reply YES / 10-min call)

Use the templates to copy/paste the exact wording.

6) Delivery & proof: the renewal engine

Post-event report checklist:

  • Photos showing each sponsor deliverable
  • Attendance count (estimate method)
  • Digital metrics: views, clicks, email sends
  • Short recap + "next event" invite

Sponsors renew when you make reporting effortless.

7) Renewals: ask while the win is fresh

Send the report within 72 hours and ask one simple question:

"Want first right of refusal for the next event on [DATE]?"

8) Common mistakes (avoid these)

  • Too many tiers or unclear deliverables
  • "Exposure" without proof
  • Long proposals that bury the offer
  • Waiting weeks to send the post-event recap
Copy proposal templates See package examples