presented by @JonMarkGo

A DEEP DIVE INTO

Sponsorship.

(deck by @SwiftAlphaOne)

Hi, I’mJON GOTTFRIED

CO-FOUNDERMajor League Hacking

@JonMarkGo

& formerly

Let’s talk about Sponsorship.Specifically, Hackathon Sponsorship.

MLH

1. Understanding Sponsors2. Laying the Groundwork

3. Following a Process

HERE’S WHAT WE’LL COVER TODAY

4. Protips, Pitfalls, & What-ifs5. Q&A + The Future

MLH

basicsLet’s start with the

a.k.a “Understanding Sponsors”

Why do companies

sponsor hackathons?

This is Business

MLH

1. Developer Evangelism2. Marketing

3. Recruitment

GENERALLY, THREE REASONS:

01. Developer Evangelism

Get developers excited about your platformand gather feedback and use cases.

OBJECTIVE:

VALUABLE PERKS:

Workshops/Demos1

Distribution2

Interactions3

02. Marketing

Raise brand awarenessand/or change brand perception.

OBJECTIVE:

VALUABLE PERKS:

Experiences1

Branding Position2

Positive Sharing3

03. Recruitment

Recruit top technical talentand develop employer branding.

OBJECTIVE:

VALUABLE PERKS:

Resumes1

Thought Leadership2

Interactions3

How do companies decide

which events to sponsor?

MLH

1. Cost per Attendee2. Attendee Value

3. Sponsor Landscape

SOME COMMON EVALUATION METHODS

4. Package Value5. The Force (a.k.a Their Gut)

CPA

osterttendee

“Bang for your Buck”

01. Cost per Attendee

CostPeople

minimize this ratio!

$1,500,000

135,000 Attendees

$1,000,000

$400,000

$150,000

$50,000

$25,000

$11.11

$7.40

$2.96

$1.11

$0.37

$0.18

COST CPA

$50,000

2,000 Attendees

$35,000

$17,000

$7,000

$4,000

$25.00

$17.50

$8.50

$3.50

$2.00

COST CPA

PyCon

$50,000

1,000 Attendees

$16,000

$8,000

$4,000

$2,000

$50.00

$16.00

$8.00

$4.00

$2.00

COST CPARandom Hackathon

02. Attendee Value

Fit, difficulty, & potential.

03. Sponsor Landscape

Quality.Quantity.

value.

Vs.

04. Package Value

Am I getting my

money’s worth?

05. The Force (a.k.a Their Gut)

Does this feel like the event

I should be sponsoring?

How do companies pay

for event sponsorships?

Usually different people handleTHE SPONSORSHIP & THE BUDGET.

Businesses usually operate onQUARTERLY BUDGETS.

The two best times to get moneyare Q1 and Q4.

Recruiting budgets for interns areHIGHLY SEASONAL.

What kinds of sponsors are out there?

MLH

1. Financial2. Presenting

3. Anchor Brands

TYPES OF SPONSORS

4. Strategic Partners5. In-Kind

for example

01. Financial

Companies that trade cash for value.This is your bread and butter.

Almost every company on every hackathon website.

for example

02. Presenting

A co-host / presenting partner.Usually co-brands the event with you.

for example

03. Anchor Brands

A company that other, similar brandslook for when sponsoring events.

04. Strategic Partners

Companies that help you withmarketing, distribution, legitimacy, etc

for example

for example

05. In Kind

Companies that donate goodsor services in lieu of cash sponsorship.

MLH

groundworkLaying the

SPONSORS are like INVESTORS —

You should approach themWHEN YOU’RE DOING WELL.

MLH

1. A Vision2. A Website

3. Pre-Registrations

YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE

4. A Venue*

5. Other Sponsors*

MLH

1. A Vision2. A Website

3. Pre-Registrations

YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE

4. A Venue*

5. Other Sponsors*

These might not be locked down,

but you should have progress to show.

Prepare an itemized

budget for the event!

Know wherethe money goes.

Design a goodsponsorship prospectus

MLH

1. Standard Tiers Document2. PowerPoint Deck

3. Custom Proposals

THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES

01. Standard Tiers Document

Usually 1 - 2 pages long.Provides an overview of event & sponsorship tiers.

bitca.mp | sponsorship@bitca.mp | @bitcmp

Evangelist Recruiter Corporate Co-Host

Contribution Amount $2,500 $7,500 $20,000 $50,000

Technical

Mentors present ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Tech Talk during event ceremonies 2 min 4 min 10 min

Tech Talk in private room 30 min 1 hour

Recruiting

Distribution of recruiting materials ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Reserved booth at event ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Access to resumes, online profiles ✓ ✓ ✓

Recruiters present ✓ ✓ ✓

Private interview room ✓ ✓

Branding

Logo on website, marketing ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Logo on shirt ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Distribution of swag, marketing materials ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Thanked during event ceremonies ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Ability to provide a branded prize ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Logo on step-and-repeat banner ✓ ✓

Private room to host special events ✓ ✓

Acknowledged as "Co-Host" in all media ✓

Best For: Sponsors who ask for it or are ready to buy.

02. PowerPoint Decks

Usually 5 - 10 slides long.Provide an overview of the event & team.

Best For: Cold Emailing

03. Custom Proposals

Usually 1 - 5 pages long.Provides an overview of the event and

Best For: Tiers without fixed pricing & sponsors offering more than cash.

outlines a custom package & price.

MLH

1. Event Name2. Event Date

3. Event Location

THINGS YOU SHOULD ALWAYS INCLUDE

4. Projected Attendance5. Website URL

6. Contact Email / Phone

Let’s talk aboutsponsorship tiers.

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1. How many tiers should I have?2. How much should my tiers be?

3. What perks should apply to each tier?

QUESTIONS TO ASK

THE RULE OF 3 TIERS:

1x REASONABLE1x MODERATE1x EXPENSIVE

01. How many tiers should I have?

02. How much should my tiers be?

There’s no easy answer here.Use CPA, your budget, & instinct.

03. What perks should apply to each tier?

Sponsors will valuewhatever YOU SAY is valuable.

MLH

PROCESSFollowing a

Stop me if your sponsorship processsounds like this…

Cold Email1 ??????2 Profit3

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

MLH

1. Set Targets & Do Research2. Get in Touch

3. Exploratory Phone Call

THE MLH SPONSORSHIP PROCESS

4. Make a Proposal5. Follow Up

01. Set Targets & Do Research

Figure out which companies you want to sponsorand who the decision makers are there.

OBJECTIVE:

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

LinkedIn1

Data.com2

CEOEmail.com3

02. Get in Touch

Get an introduction from someone in your networkor send a well-crafted and thoughtful email.

OBJECTIVE:

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

LinkedIn1

Facebook2

Google3

03. Exploratory Phone Call

Get the decision makers on the phoneand find out what their success metrics are.

OBJECTIVE:

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

Sell your team & the story1

Ask about past sponsorships & budget2

Let them do the talking3

04. Make a Proposal

Send over a well crafted proposaland an explanation of why it fits their company’s needs.

OBJECTIVE:

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

Set a deadline1

Ask for a follow up call2

Less is more3

05. Follow Up

Follow up with all prospective sponsorsand keep the event on their radar.

OBJECTIVE:

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

RelateIQ1

Boomerang2

followup.cc3

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1. Not Iterating2. Not Practicing

3. Not Highlighting

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

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pro-tipsHere are some

UNDER PROMISE and OVER DELIVER.

Follow up with your Sponsors.

POST EVENT SURVEYSTHANK YOU NOTE

EVENT RECAP & PHOTOS

Sell the TEAM & EXPERTISE.

“We’re working with

Major League Hacking.”

Getting sanctioned goes a long way.You’re working with the experts.

REGULAR & TIMELY COMMUNICATIONbefore, during, & after the event.

Be willing to NEGOTIATE,but don’t give away the keys to the castle.

SPONSORSHIP CONTRACT.Use a standard

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PITFALLSHere are some common

MAYBES.

Not understanding PAYMENT CYCLES.

Not VALUING what you’re SELLING.

MLH

QUESTIONS!It’s time for

Thanks!@JonMarkGo @MLHacks|