Sponsorship can make and or brake an event, without it many events just would not be financially viable as sponsorship does not just bring the possibilities of extra finance but it with it a string of extra free advertising from the sponsor and advertising leverage when it comes to planning you marketing strategy your own event.
Check out what the event theorist(Guru) Guy Masterman has to say about it!
Masterman talks about sponsorship programs and how to create suitable sponsorship packages for your desired sponsors and how it is important to get the "sponsor fit"(Masterman, G.2006), so as the sponsors are right for your event and that the sponsors fit each other and are willing to go on the same bill.
"Development of sponsorship programmes in this way can not only lead to enhanced communications reach at no extra cost of the event, but also leads to sponsor renewal.Event sponsors that exploit their event rights by integrating them into their own communications programmes are doing so at their own cost and, in addition, are complementing effort. In so doing, sponsors are more likely to be successful in achieving their sponsorship objectives and react to positively to renewing and developing the relationship.(Masterman, G.2006)
Right then lets look at what I.O.E.X and Hyper japan have done about sponsorship.
Up First is I.O.E.X
Take a look at the sponsorship page on the I.O.E.X website and this is what you find.
Wow, some big guns in the event industry, Stand Out are direct business partners with the actual event and are also direct business partners with C.O.N.F.E.X the sister expo which is joined to the I.O.E.X. Some are just supporters and there are many more than just the logos that are shown. The association of Independent festivals, Losberger, Silverstream TV, national catering association and many many more of which are actual exhibitors at the event.So why are all these companies supporting and partnering up with the I.O.E.X, Lets look at Stand Out Magazine who are the official industry partner of the I.O.E.X. Stand Out must of had some big reasons for wanting to be the main industry partner with the I.O.E.X
Is the the Official industry partner a sponsor or just a partner? The answer is both. Stand Out have chosen and also been chosen or won the tender to become the main industry partner for the I.O.E.X.This poll position of the main and in this case the only industry partner for the I.O.E.X comes at a cost. This number one spot on the podium of sponsorship will cost Stand out a considerable amount will engage them in big sponsorship deals with the I.O.E.X. This will not only cost money but it will also cost time in man hours and general business hours spent on creating a successful partnership.
Obviously Stand Out are doing it for a reason, those reason's will be to fulfill their sponsorship objectives.
The sponsorship objectives will be a string of reasons or alterior motives to sponsor the event in a bid to gain benefits from the relationship.
Stand out have done exactly this.
The Sponsorship objectives of Stand Out magazine are a mixed combination of direct and indirect objectives.
Guy Masterman states" Direct objectives may be for the achievement of short term impact on consumption behavior and the increasing of sales. Indirect objectives on the other hand, would ultimately be over a longer term, and would at some future point lead to increased sales."(Masterman, G)
So the direct objectives would be to create heightened consumption of the Stand Out magazine by the attendees of the I.O.E.X and as the Stand Out magazine is a trade magazine and the I.O.E.X is a trade show, one of the direct objectives would be to make direct a sustained sales within the events industry by getting industry businesses to either subscribe to the magazine or advertise in the magazine.
Some of the indirect objectives may be related to image building and brand awareness. Heightening brand awareness may bring non attendees of the event or skeptical businesses using competitors to favor Stand Out over other trade magazines.
The connection to a new event such as I.O.E.X and ultimately to the bigger sister C.O.N.F.E.X and both of their creators U.B.M will improve improve the image of Stand Out, this is due to the prestige of the U.B.M, C.O.F.E.X and the association with the next big thing I.O.E.X. This should fulfill some of direct and indirect objectives.
Stand out will have many Sponsorship objectives that will cover most of these objectives: Competitive advantage, Brand awareness, Image building, developing and maintaining relations.
Having the competitive edge over your direct competitors is a must in business and sponsorship really allows you to do this, if you get in first on the sponsorship deal and make it exclusive in the sense that you are the only or main sponsor then you may have just put your company in a leading advertising position over your main rival.
"If the sponsorship opportunity is in demand, then even if this is the only objective a sponsor achieves it will at least have prevented the opposition from taking up the opportunity."(Shank, 2005)(Masterman, G.2006).
In a later post i will be looking at the sales promotion aspects between the sponsors and the Internationaloutdoor Event Expo.
I believe that Stand Outs sponsorship objectives by becoming the I.O.E.X Main Industry partner are all of the above, but most importantly to achieve Brand awareness and develop relations and have the competitive advantage. This will all be done by piggy backing on all advertising created by the I.O.E.X and by any PR, advertising or self promotion created by Stand Out about the relationship with the I.O.E.X.
Their will be many reasons for the partnership between the these two businesses also the supporting companies who will also in some form will be sponsoring the I.O.E.X. Each will have differing objectives but all will ultimately be doing so for the purpose of increased revenue and or awareness.
I believe that Stand Outs sponsorship objectives by becoming the I.O.E.X Main Industry partner are all of the above, but most importantly to achieve Brand awareness and develop relations and have the competitive advantage. This will all be done by piggy backing on all advertising created by the I.O.E.X and by any PR, advertising or self promotion created by Stand Out about the relationship with the I.O.E.X.
Their will be many reasons for the partnership between the these two businesses also the supporting companies who will also in some form will be sponsoring the I.O.E.X. Each will have differing objectives but all will ultimately be doing so for the purpose of increased revenue and or awareness.
OK lets have a look at Hyper Japan's sponsor page
Sponsors
PR Partners
Special Thanks To
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.Asahi Breweries,LTD.
CA4LA
DHC
DOCOMO Europe Ltd.
EVISU
Japan England Insurance Brokers Ltd.
JEEF (Japan Europe Entrepreneurs Forum)
Lantis Co., Ltd.
London Fukushima Shakunage kai
Melt
Mitsukoshi(UK)Ltd.
Nissin (UK) Ltd.
Buy J Crafts Campaign by NSDA (Noriko Sawayama Design & Associates Ltd.)
NTT Europe Ltd.
Stardust Promotion, Inc.
SUNTORY
Tabio
The Japan Society
Supporters
Partners
Claritas Marketing Ltd.Japan Publications Trading Co., Ltd.
Wow, again!!
Hyper Japan has a huge amount of sponsors, supporters and partners and even have a list of thanks to other businesses and exhibitors that help towards the event. nearly every sponsor is a Japanese based company, the partners are a mix of Japanese and British as are the supporters.
There are some seriously big names in all the different genres involved within the Hyper japan experience.
Eat Japan is another business created by Cross Media the company behind Hyper japan, so because of this there are huge links between them. Eat Japan is is the actual company presenting Hyper japan.
Hyper japan have many main sponsors, it would be interesting to find out if there is one major sponsor or are all sponsor committing to a similar sponsorship package, i fear it would be almost impossible to find out that information given to earlier tight lipped conversations with Hyper Japan.
If i were to take a guess why most of these companies sponsored the Hyper Japan event, i would guess that the sponsoring objectives of most would be to heighten awareness of their brand to the clientele of the event and others watching it.
As Hyper Japan is a consumer expo it makes sense that most of the sponsors are consumer product based companies which supply products for high street retail.
This shows that the main objectives of the sponsoring companies must be to heighten the brand awareness in a bid to create sales revenue either in the short or long term, either at the show or on the high street.
Also as the event is a Japanese culture show there will be some competitive advantage objectives being set by most of the sponsors as they are all bar one Japanese. So it is almost a must to be a main sponsor for such an event.
In a later post i will be looking at the sales promotion aspects between the sponsors and Hyper Japan.
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