The Lost Art of Sponsorship: Building Experiences Instead of Logos 

Most of us in the trade show business remember walking into a massive trade show, coffee in hand, already scanning the floor for the first few booths on a must-visit list. Within seconds, eyes glaze over. Banners everywhere. Logos on escalators, carpet stickers, water bottles, and charging stations. The branding noise is relentless, and yet we register very little of it. Each of us are trained to block out ad clutter, we often see thousands of ads a day; our brains protect us from going insane by ignoring the vast majority.

Until something unexpected pulls us in.

Around the corner is a small lounge tucked behind a main aisle. A sponsor has transformed their space into a “Recharge & Reflect Zone” with comfortable chairs, ambient lighting, slightly better coffee with their logo emblazoned into the milk on top of the latte and playlists playing through wireless headsets. Each seat has a prompt inviting attendees to share a story about a hard-learned lesson in their work or at the conference. The way the prompt is written both encourages sharing and helps the sponsor ascertain the participants pain points for future reference. We sit down, exhale, write a quick story, and later find ourselves telling others about that brand—not because they spent the most, but because they made us feel seen and slightly relaxed for a moment in the midst of chaos.

Those moments will stick with us and who provided that moment will be remembered.

As we wander trade show floors, listen to keynotes inside conference halls, and generally try to pull value from events, most sponsorship dollars get lost in the clutter. They don’t resonate. Our brains filter them out as part of the background.

Yet once in a while, in a moment of brilliance, a sponsor cuts through. We engage instantly. We tell stories afterward. And we become advocates. Usually, it’s not because of how much money was spent; it’s because of a tugged-upon memory, an immediate need, a piqued emotion, or a particularly poignant relevance.

Sponsorships are partnerships—between the event producer, the sponsor and the intended consumer. But a sponsorship package is like a toolbox. You can just hand over the box and hope someone finds the right tool, or you can work with the sponsor to use the tools to build something remarkable.

At Flourish Theory, we’ve been both builder and sponsor, designing thousands of sponsorship packages and sponsoring hundreds of events on behalf of clients or our own programs. Over decades, we’ve seen certain patterns emerge which include some habits that trip up execution, and others that elevate it. Both are extremely important.