Maximizing sponsorship revenue for an event or brand often requires greater resources than those available within a rights-holder's internal organization.  Fortunately, there are several reputable consulting companies that provide sponsorship sales and strategy consulting to bridge the gap. The consultants, which range from big players such as IEG/ESP Properties and Legends to boutiques like Caravel Marketing, provide a range of sponsorship-related services, including valuation, packaging, content creation, branding, analytics, activation strategies, customer engagement and sales representation. I have helped clients negotiate successful arrangements with sponsorship consultants and ...

In a previous article, I discussed Rights of First Offer (ROFOs) and Why You Need Them in your sponsorship agreement if you are a sponsor.  But if you are not the sponsor and instead you are the event or other sponsorship rights-holder, the ROFO will limit competitive bidding for your valuable sponsorship rights and may therefore decrease your sponsorship revenue. For this reason, if a sponsor seeks to include a ROFO in a sponsorship agreement, the event or other rights-holder should usually either ...

Imagine that last year you sponsored a wonderful event with a return on investment that exceeded expectations. The sponsorship agreement has now expired by its terms, and you have learned that the event is seeking alternative sponsors for your former rights, as well as partners for new properties, including digital and internet-of-things partners (See, e.g., SAP digital tools). You would have loved to have the first seat at the table in negotiating a renewal and for the new opportunities, but you must now negotiate new terms ...