HOW TO BE AN EVENT PLANNER OTHER REVENUE STREAMS

EVENT SPONSORSHIP When you create an event sponsorship package to present to your clients, identify these eight points: 1 Who is attending your event (your target audience) and what type of event sponsors fit this market? 2 Do you need different sponsorship levels? i.e.: Gold, Silver, Bronze 3 Who is the key contact person - the person who says yes or no to sponsorship requests? PAGE 1

4 Do you have a compelling sponsorship letter to send to potential event sponsors? 5 When will you follow up and how? i.e.: via email, social media, telephone, in person, etc. 6 Are you building a strong relationship with your event sponsors? How can you find common ground so it s not just about business? PAGE 2

7 Are there other team members that need to be identified to work with your potential sponsor? i.e.: their executive assistant (often the executive assistant is the most important person in the whole process!) 8 What kind of media will be at your event? PAGE 3

Sample Sponsorship Letter [Date] [RECIPIENT NAME] [RECIPIENT TITLE/POSITION] [RECIPIENT FIRM] [RECIPIENT ADDRESS] Dear [Potential Sponsor Recipient s Name], The [ORGANIZING BODY] invites you to become a sponsor for Event Name. This lifechanging professional development event will be held on [DATE] at [ADDRESS] from [TIME] to [TIME]. This training aims to [objective] and will be attended by [X] number of people from national and multi-national corporations [or from all walks of life]. As you may be aware, [RECIPIENT S ORGANIZATION] has provided [LIST SERVICES] to {people living in [Name Area] women aged 30-50 Identify Recipient s Target Market} in the last [X YEARS]. In addition to increasing your business exposure, you will also be a key benefactor in promoting [LIST BENEFITS]. [Add if appropriate] The primary source of funding for [EVENT NAME] is from corporate sponsors, such as you. The [EVENT NAME] receives no aid from the government. Your financial support will help assure the success of [EVENT NAME]. Enclosed herewith is more information on this event [Enclose EVENT FACT SHEET / OVERVIEW] and its different sponsorship levels. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me on [Phone or Mobile Number] or email me at [Email Address]. I look forward to speaking with you at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, [Organization Representative] [Position] PAGE 4

3 Keys To Create Relationships With Your Event Sponsors: 1 Identify the benefits to the sponsors they re going to ask themselves, What s in it for me? so be able to tell them whether it is increased viewership from their ideal client, an increase in sales, or possibly an increase in good will for their brand? 2 Build a solid personal and professional relationship with sponsors. Write out five questions that you can ask to get to know your sponsors better. 3 Always follow up with sponsors after meetings and after every event. PAGE 5

BLOGGING Starting an event planning blog helps you reach a larger audience faster than meeting potential clients one-on-one and it sets you up as a leader in the industry. The key to blogging is to find what you love to share. Here are 4 steps to start an event planning blog: 1 Choose a blogging platform like WordPress, Tumblr or Blogger. I use WordPress because it s integrated with my website. 2 Choose a name for your blog. Steer clear of hyphenated names and pay a little extra to upgrade your account so you don t have a name like: www.eventplanningblog.wordpress.com. 3 Choose a theme/design for your blog. PAGE 6

4 Choose a hosting company for your event planning blog. I use www.getflywheel.com but www.godaddy.com is great too. To choose your first 10 topics, identify the top 10 problems or obstacles that you hear over and over again about the events you plan. For example, if you re planning weddings, you may write a blog about how to deal with your new in-laws after the wedding or how to choose the right music for your wedding. If you can present a problem and then solve that problem, you ll have readers coming back for more and sharing you posts. Topic #1 Problem Topic #1 Solution Blog #1 (possible) Blog Title PAGE 7

Topic #2 Problem Topic #2 Solution Blog #2 (possible) Blog Title Topic #3 Problem Topic #3 Solution Blog #3 (possible) Blog Title PAGE 8

Topic #4 Problem Topic #4 Solution Blog #4 (possible) Blog Title Topic #5 Problem Topic #5 Solution Blog #5 (possible) Blog Title PAGE 9

Topic #6 Problem Topic #6 Solution Blog #6 (possible) Blog Title Topic #7 Problem Topic #7 Solution Blog #7 (possible) Blog Title PAGE 10

Topic #8 Problem Topic #8 Solution Blog #8 (possible) Blog Title Topic #9 Problem Topic #9 Solution Blog #9 (possible) Blog Title PAGE 11

Topic #10 Problem Topic #10 Solution Blog #10 (possible) Blog Title Tip: Schedule your posts for the same day each week or month and be consistent. PAGE 12

EVENT RENTALS Key differences to consider when setting up your event rentals are: Delivery windows Charges Minimum order amount If dishes/glasses/silverware need to be returned scraped, rinsed, or washed; and Whether or not your clients need to set up a professional account in order to rent from you. Basic, standard rentals to include are: 1. Plates dinner, salad and cake 2. Cutlery - Forks/knives/spoons 3. Glassware - wine, water, rock glasses 4. 60 round table drapes (or tablecloths) 5. 60 round tables 6. Plastic folding chairs 7. Wooden folding chairs 8. Chiavari chairs PAGE 13