How to get SponsorsPartners

+Raveesh Bhalla, GDG New Delhi

General guidelines specifically designed with Google Developer Groups in mind

(should work for other groups as well)

Defining “sponsorship”spon·sor (spŏn′sər) n.

One that finances a project or an event carried out by another person or group, especially a business enterprise that pays for radio or television programming in return for advertising time.

Redefining “sponsorship” as a partnershipspon·sor (spŏn′sər) n.

One that finances a project or an event carried out by another person or group, especially a business enterprise that pays for radio or television programming in return for advertising time.

A relationship between individuals or groups that is characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal.

FACT: The “Google” in Google Developer Group adds a lot of brand value

● As a result, there will always be people who are interested in partnering with you

● This gives you an opportunity to be selective

Ensure you are providing good value to the partner

● Understand what the entity expects to gain out of the partnership, even if it means asking them a direct question.

● Ensure that there is common ground.

If there isn’t one

SAY NO!It’s far better than the potential issues you

could run into

Case Study: GDG {Y} DevFest 2013

● Partnered with Brand {Z}, who wanted a stall at DevFest to sell their battery packs.

● Attendees consisted almost entirely of students who did not have sufficient money with them.

Case Study: GDG {Y} DevFest 2013

● India’s a price sensitive market, nobody would buy the battery pack if they could get one for cheaper, irrespective of brand name.

● Result: {Z} didn’t sell any battery pack, got annoyed, refused to pay promised sponsorship in its entirety.

How this could have been avoided

● Simple Method: Require sponsorship amount upfront.

● Good practice in general any way.

How this could have been avoided

● Alternative solution: don’t take money. Request sponsors to pick up the bill for something directly (such as venue, food or prizes).

● Backing out at the last moment would leave them in a situation which would damage their brand reputation with attendees.

Identifying the right partner

● Understand your event’s audience

○ What are their primary skillsets (languages, platforms)

○ How good are they at what they do (beginner to expert)

○ What kind of teams do they work in (indie, small, large)

○ Any common interests (sports, news, entrepreneurship, etc)

Identifying the right partner

● List down all companies you can think of who are looking to work with that group of people○ Don’t bother too much about location

○ Don’t bother too much about how large the company is

○ Don’t bother too much about what they’re willing to offer*

*as long as the partnership is beneficial to the attendees

Identifying the right partner

● Find contacts at these companies through your network.

● No contact? Find the best way to reach out to the concerned teams (typically Developer Relations)

Send them an E-Mail about the event

● Make the value proposition very clear● Be direct about type of support you are looking for,

but be flexible● The worst that can happen is the say “no”

Example E-Mail: New Delhi DevFest 2014Hi Abhishek,

Google Developer Group New Delhi is organizing a Devfest on the 21st and 22nd of September. This year, we are hosting a hackathon as part of the event where we wanted to give any company an opportunity to come forward and help developers build products using their APIs.

I have attached a document giving further information regarding Google Developer Groups, Devfests and our plans for the Hackathon. In addition, some more information regarding the hackathon is mentioned in the post-script. Feel free to reach out to us regarding any queries, we'd love to help out in any way that we can.

regards,

Raveesh Bhalla

Organizer, GDG New Delhi

+91-9711907427

Details of the event

Date: 21 and 22 September

Venue: Google Gurgaon, DLF Cyber City

Format of the Hackathon

The Devfest Hackathon is an open event where any company that would like to see developers building products using their APIs can do so. They are welcome to send members of their Developer Advocate teams to attend the event to host a codelabs and also for office hours (space will be provided by us). If an advocate cannot attend the event, we recommend having them join the event via a Google+ Hangout. All the event's logistics are taken care of by us.

While it is not necessary, we recommend each company to sponsor a prize or prizes for the best use of their API. The judging for the prize will be at the discretion of the company, with the prize given directly by the company to the winner, without any involvement of Google or GDG New Delhi. Ideally, prizes should be in the form of cash or gift vouchers to ensure it can be shared by members of the winning team in an easy manner.

Hack: choose words to make it appear you really, really care about them

“we'd love to help out in any way that we can”

Good practice: Genuinely care about them

Tips for following up

● Make sure they get a response within 24-48 hours● Understand their needs and constraints, and bend

as much as you can● Don’t rely on an intermediary. Always converse

with the decision makers yourself.

Tips for following up

● Quickly gauge a company’s interest level. If they aren’t that into you, they aren’t worth it.

● Keep them updated with the progress (confirmed sponsors, registrations, etc) at least weekly.

● Share a folder with all your bills for increased transparency.

At the event

● If they ask for a presentation slot, ask them what they would like to talk about

● Feel free to offer one to them, but only if you believe there would be genuine interest in the crowd

Post Event: the crucial part

● Get their immediate feedback about whether or not they were happy with the event

● Send them an E-Mail thanking them● Ask them if they had any complaints

Post Event: the crucial part

● You’ve worked hard at convincing them the first time

● Keep them in the loop about future events● Offer them additional value in various ways at other

events

Hack: Offer Invitation Coupons for events

● In general, always create an RSVP form to show the appearance of a “curated audience”

● Offer invitation coupons to all key events that you are organizing to maintain the relationship

● Gives them a sense of special treatment

Cherry on the Hack: Choose your coupon code text carefully

● We went with “partner”● Purpose was to reinforce our relationship with

them, hoping this would help us in tying up with them again in the future

TL;DR

● Partners, not sponsors● Avoid cash if possible. Upfront if necessary.● Be transparent & proactive in communication● Understand their requirements & restrictions● Design your E-Mails & choose your words carefully● No one night stands!

Thanks!Got suggestions? Let’s discuss on Google+ and I’ll

make the necessary edits from your feedback