Mendapatkan sponsor kegiatan pameran bukan pekerjaan mudah. Ketidakpastian soal perizinan akibat pandemi membuat sponsor setengah hati. Bagaimana meyakinkannya?
Mengurus perizinan dan mencari sponsor atau audiens dalam kegiatan pameran di masa pandemi ibarat logika telur dan ayam, mana yang lebih dulu muncul selalu jadi perdebatan.
Kalau mengurus perizinan dulu, bisa jadi sponsor tidak didapatkan, mengingat pengurusan perizinan yang memakan waktu dan bisa-bisa baru keluar beberapa hari menjelang hari pelaksanaan pameran.
Sementara untuk mencari sponsor biasanya yang pertama kali ditanyakan ya soal perizinan. Apakah kegiatannya sudah mengantongi perizinan, pasti dilaksanakan, atau masih dipertanyakan.
Lalu bagaimana meyakinkan sponsor dan audiens untuk terlibat pada sebuah event yang belum pasti?
- Jaga reputasi perusahaan
Nama besar dan reputasi perusahaan dalam hal ini penting sebagai langkah awal meyakinkan sponsor. Memang, nama besar dan reputasi tidak dibangun dalam sehari melainkan butuh proses panjang. Maka, beruntunglah Anda jika nama dan reputasi perusahaan Anda disegani di kalangan industri MICE.
- Jaminan uang kembali
Risiko terburuk mengadakan kegiatan pameran di masa pandemi ya batal. Karena itu beri jaminan kepada calon sponsor sekalipun kegiatan tidak terlaksana, uang sponsor tidak akan dipotong sepeser pun. Dan saat mereka ingin menarik kembali uangnya pun tidak akan dipersulit dan berbelit-belit.
- Libatkan dalam pelaksanaan protokol kesehatan (prokes)
Pelaksanaan prokes dalam kegiatan pameran di masa pandemi butuh alokasi dana yang tidak sedikit. Nah, sponsor dalam hal ini harus mengetahui bahwa dana yang mereka taruh juga digunakan untuk penerapan prokes. Selain itu juga, melibatkan mereka dalam pelaksanaan prokes akan menumbuhkan keyakinan bahwa kegiatan sudah sesuai dengan aturan.
Kuncinya memang harus fleksibel dan tangkas berimprovisasi menghadapi perubahan yang cepat. Selain itu, dukungan publikasi juga penting untuk mendatangkan audiens. Di masa pandemi ini, publikasi yang penting bukan hanya untuk mengundang audiens datang, tapi juga publikasi soal penerapan prokes yang disiplin dan ketat, supaya audiens merasa percaya diri untuk datang.
English
How to Convince Your Sponsors without An Event Permit
Getting an exhibition sponsor is an arduous task. The uncertainty surrounding permit procurement has rendered sponsors reluctant. How can you convince them?
Obtaining permits and seeking sponsors or audience in an exhibition is similar to the chicken vs the egg debate; which one comes first?
If you start the permit process first, you may not acquire a sponsor, considering the length of the procurement process which may allow the permit to be issued days after the exhibition itself.
Meanwhile, sponsors usually consider the permission of the event before deciding on a sponsorship. They are interested in confirming if the event has obtained a permit and if it will even be conducted.
So, how can you convince sponsors and audience to be involved in an event that is unconfirmed?
- Protect the reputation of the company
The popularity and reputation of your company play a big and initial role in convincing sponsors. Indeed, building a good name can’t be done in one night. That’s why you’re lucky if your company is well-known and reputable.
- Money–back guarantee
The worst scenario of organizing an exhibition during the pandemic is cancellation. That’s why you have to give a money-back guarantee to your prospective sponsors so they will get all of their investment back when the event is cancelled. And make sure that the refunding process isn’t troublesome for them either.
- Involve them in the health protocol implementation
Implementing health protocols in exhibitions during the pandemic requires a hefty amount of funds. In this case, your sponsors need to know that their money is allocated on this implementation. In addition, involving them in the implementation will build their trust that the event complies with government-issued regulations.
The key lies in flexibility and agility to improvise amidst rapid changes. Additionally, rigorous publication can help increase the number of audience. During this pandemic, publication doesn’t only serve as an invitation. It also aids in showing the public that the event follows stringent health protocols, which can build the trust of the audience to attend the event.
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