Helpful Tips for Meeting Planners

By Mark Dallman

How to drive additional revenue and attract new sponsors.
Host a policy debate or discussion… with government officials or candidates. This always attracts private sector sponsors and you can create a post-event VIP reception limited to sponsors so they can get face time with the officials in a non-lobbying atmosphere. 

---

Seek Sponsorships from your Venue… get the hotel/convention center to sponsor welcome banners, coffee breaks, etc. 

Go Local… ask local wineries or microbreweries to sponsor wine or beer at your reception and/or dinner. 

Ship in Some Sponsor Dollars… give shipping companies exhibit space in exchange for discounted shipping charges and/or exchange booth space to local venues and decorators in exchange for goods and services during your event. 

Seek Meeting Do-Sponsors… Join forces with a complementing organization to help increase your attendance, improve buying power, diversify the mix of registrants but make sure the two organizations are compatible in the overall goal of the meeting. 

Create New Sponsorship Locations… there has been an uptick in event sponsorships of things like the coffee bars, wi-fi lounges, recycling centers, mobile device recharge stations, etc. 

Create Sponsorship Levels/Benefits… offer complimentary attendance to certain events based on the amount sponsored. 

Web/mobile Sponsors… add a “scrolling promo” at the top of your website and/or mobile application (www.quickmobile.com).

Mark Dallman “A Meeting Planner’s Best Friend” is the Regional Vice President of Sales for HPN Global (www.hpnglobal.com), is a native Minnesotan and works out of his home in Plymouth, MN. He was in the hotel business for over 20 years, worked in 14 hotels and moved nine times. His recent positions were the Associate Director of Sales at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Director of Sales at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and Director of Sales and Marketing at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. He is also the owner of the Linkedin Group “Helpful “Tips” for Meeting Planners” and sends out a Meeting Planner “Tip of the Month” newsletter to over 25,000 Meeting Planners. For more information and to check out his client recommendations and archived “Tips” of the Month, feel free to check out his personal website at www.ameetingplannersbestfriend.com.