Putting on a sports event is a lot of work. There’s the venue to secure, the athletes to recruit, the volunteers to coordinate… and the sponsorship dollars to raise. Yes, finding sponsors for your event can be a tough process, but it’s not impossible. If you’re wondering how to attract sponsors for your upcoming event, read on for some helpful tips.

Define your audience.

Before you can start reaching out to potential sponsors, you need to have a clear idea of who your target audience is. After all, you wouldn’t approach a car company about sponsoring a kids’ soccer tournament—you’d go after a youth sports organization or a family-friendly business instead. The better you understand your audience, the easier it will be to identify companies who would be interested in reaching them.

Research potential sponsors.

Once you know who your target audience is, it’s time to start doing some research on potential sponsors. Look for companies whose products or services would appeal to your audience and who have sponsored similar events in the past. You can also search for potential sponsors on websites like SponsorPitch and CrowdRise.

Make a list of benefits for potential sponsors.

Now that you’ve identified some possible sponsors for your event, it’s time to start thinking about what you can offer them in return for their support. Make a list of benefits that would be appealing to potential sponsors—such as exposure to your event’s attendees, branding opportunities, or VIP treatment at the event itself—and use it as a selling point when reaching out to companies.

Contact potential sponsors and pitch your event.

Once you’ve identified some benefits that would be appealing to potential sponsors, reach out and pitch them on why they should support your event. Be sure to do your homework beforehand so that you can tailor your pitch specifically to each company—and don’t forget to follow up after making initial contact!

Negotiate sponsorship deals.

If a company expresses interest in sponsoring your event, congratulations! Now it’s time to start negotiating the details of the sponsorship deal—such as how much money or in-kind donations they’ll provide, what type of exposure they’ll receive, and so on. If you’re not sure where to start, check out this helpful guide from Forbes on negotiating sponsorship deals.

Conclusion:

Organizing a sports event takes a lot of hard work—and one of the most difficult parts can be finding sponsorships to help cover the costs involved. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of securing corporate support for your event. By taking the time to define your audience, research potential sponsors , and create benefits-filled pitches tailored specifically to each company , you’ll improve your chances of attracting quality sponsorships that will help make your event a success!