When I was working as an in-house marketer, our team spent months in preparation for a massive industry event.
In the run-up to the big day, one of the biggest challenges was finding sponsors for the show.
Emails went unanswered. Pitches were ignored. Nothing seemed to click.
That’s when we put all our creative instincts into creating the perfect sponsorship emails. And these emails secured positive responses, bringing actual sponsors for the show.
If you’re struggling to find sponsors for your next big show, I’ve been where you are. That’s why I’ve curated nine of the best sponsorship email examples to help you perfect your pitch and bag that sponsorship.
We’ll cover:
The Best Sponsorship Request Email Examples
Let’s look at these nine excellent sponsorship email examples and learn different elements you can emulate. I’ve collected a few real-life email examples and sponsorship email templates you can customize.
1. WTSFest
Areej AbuAli, the founder of Women in Tech SEO, hosts the WTSFest every year. This on-site event happens in multiple locations and brings together 500+ women working in the field of tech SEO. Areej shared this email she sent to a potential sponsor interested in contributing to this event.
What I Liked About This Sponsorship Email
This is a winning email because of its brevity. The message opens with a quick elevator pitch for the event. Areej gets straight to the point and briefly highlights what makes WTSFest a unique opportunity for the potential sponsor.
The email takes only a couple of sentences to zoom in on the biggest value proposition for sponsors: one of a kind, with an all-women speaker line-up and attendees. The brochure is a great way to share more details and answer questions/objections without making the email too wordy.
2. The Wall Street Women Forum
I found another great sponsorship email example shared by Saranya Balachandran, the Content Marketing Lead at Ionixx Technologies. Saranya sent an email exploring the possibility of sponsoring an event hosted by the Wall Street Women Forum.
On the left, you’ll see the response she received from the event organizers. This email shares a high-level overview of the event and answers the critical question: what’s in it for sponsors?
What I Liked About This Sponsorship Email
The response from the Wall Street Women Forum’s team was crisp yet detailed. It covers all the key details about the event: when, what, who, and where. Plus, sponsors can also check out the event’s agenda.
More importantly, the email specifically highlights the benefits for sponsors. It also includes a more comprehensive brochure sharing more insights that sponsors would be interested in. and I particularly liked that the message invites sponsors to get in touch with the event co-chairs to discuss more details.
3. SaaS Sponsorship
If you think your potential sponsors are too busy to read a long email or go through a brochure, then this email can be a great template for you. It’s concise and creates interest without giving away too many details.
What I Liked About This Sponsorship Email
This example works great if you want to keep your message simple and short. It’s a brief pitch inviting potential sponsors to explore opportunities over a chat. So, the email highlights only essential information sponsors need: what’s the event for and what the key benefits are.
4. Healthcare Sponsorship
I believe emails requesting sponsorships should have two parts:
- What the event is about.
- Why sponsors should care.
This email template addresses both parts well. It gives you a brief description of the event, attendees, and themes to be covered. And it gives you three clear points of what you get as a sponsor.
What I Liked About This Sponsorship Email
I love that this email is easily scannable and delivers a convincing pitch, even if you skim through the message. It also has a personal tone with first-person pronouns and nudges sponsors to explore possibilities for contributing to the show.
5. Big Event Sponsorship
Big events typically include sponsors in different tiers with varying packages and benefits. If you’re targeting sponsors for multiple levels/tiers, then this email is great to give people a quick overview of the event. It encourages them to check out the brochure or deck and learn more about different packages.
What I Liked About This Sponsorship Email
If you’re doing cold email outreach to find sponsors, you have to set some context around who you are and why you’re reaching out. I like this example because it starts by establishing credibility for the sender.
The message doesn’t beat around the bush. Instead, it takes very few words to emphasize the main CTA (view sponsorship packages). And it ends by highlighting that it’s a location-specific event — an important detail for companies trying to enter this territory or build their stronghold.
6. Data Analytics Event
While most sponsorship request emails rinse and repeat the same set of benefits, this example takes a different approach. It explains how companies can strengthen their brand image and reinforce their business values by sponsoring the event.
The message essentially banks on the quality and central theme of the event rather than highlighting flashy marketing and similar perks.
What I Liked About This Sponsorship Email
This email positively influences companies to sponsor the event by highlighting how both businesses are driven by mutual values. It also gives sponsors the promise of interacting with key opinion leaders and potential customers in the industry.
7. Innovation in Fintech
If you’re giving sponsors access to a niche audience, it’s best to lead your sponsorship request with this focus. This example is entirely centered around the fintech vertical and promises sponsors great opportunities to reach a niche audience of professionals and businesses in this space.
What I Liked About This Sponsorship Email
This email can catch sponsors’ attention with one compelling sentence: Sponsoring this Expo would position your brand at the forefront of the fintech revolution. It’s an aspirational opportunity—one that would excite brands to explore sponsorship opportunities.
The message also highlights all the benefits specifically aimed at the fintech industry. Its focused messaging stands out from generic pitches.
8. Sustainability Event
What if you create a sponsorship email the same way you write a LinkedIn post? Open with an intriguing hook, contextualize your idea, make the offer, and end with a gentle CTA. I love this example because it follows this structure and delivers a compelling message without sounding pushy or too direct.
What I Liked About This Sponsorship Email
This email opens with an idea that sponsors could relate to. This opening sentence sets the stage for the event and draws readers’ attention to the rest of the pitch.
The message doesn’t spotlight the same old benefits for sponsors. Instead, it focuses on the event’s mission and how sponsors can become a critical part of this mission. It also sheds light on the audience attending the show for sponsors to see if it aligns with their business.
9. Cybersecurity for Enterprises
I’ve also found that opening your sponsorship emails with an ambitious promise can be a creative way to reel people in. Give them a view of what they’ll achieve by contributing to your event, then share more details about how you’ll make it happen — like in this example.
What I Liked About This Sponsorship Email
I like how this example opens with a unique proposition to provoke a sense of intrigue among readers. The messaging also speaks from the sponsors’ perspective and highlights what’s in it for them. Plus, it mentions a key benefit: positioning each sponsor as a thought leader in the industry.
How to Write an Email for Sponsorship
I’ve read, analyzed, and written dozens of sponsorship emails. Some worked well, and some tanked. After evaluating all my experiments with these emails, I’ve narrowed down my best tips for writing sponsorship emails.
Emphasize your shared brand values.
High-decibel marketing campaigns won’t impress sponsors. They want to know the core values of your event and how they align with their brand.
I recommend highlighting your business values at the start of the email with a personal touch. You should show that you’ve done your research about them and understand their mission. Present these values to resonate more with your prospects and nudge them to have a conversation.
One of the biggest value-driven benefits you can highlight for sponsors is that they can get behind a cause they truly believe in.
This way, you can also build long-term partnerships with these sponsors instead of creating a transactional relationship for a one-off event.
Share specific insights about your audience.
Another decisive factor for sponsors is knowing who they’ll reach, aka the audience. You can’t simply write a line or two describing the kind of folks attending your show and call it a day. Give sponsors more context about participants and explain how they can benefit from this specific audience.
This clarity on your event audience will add more value to your sponsorship proposal. It can make your pitch instantly appealing if the audience aligns with a company’s target market.
Plus, this audience research shows you’ve put enough thought into curating a world-class experience for a highly niche group of people instead of making it open for all.
Create a sense of exclusivity.
You can increase the perceived value of the sponsorship opportunity by offering some exclusive benefits or early access to your event. Build a sense of urgency and hype to make your offer sound more exciting to prospects.
For example, you can provide exclusive rights to host the first session or early access to the tickets. This time-bound offer can also fast-track decision-making and encourage sponsors to take the spot before the opportunity goes away.
Sign off with a single call-to-action.
You should conclude your sponsorship request with a clear CTA highlighting the immediate next step. Don’t confuse readers with multiple CTAs, like “let’s discuss more” and “check out our packages.” You have to make it easy for them to proceed and learn more about this opportunity.
Remember to steer clear of pushy messaging. You have to encourage them to explore the sponsorship packages instead of using promotional words.
A Tried-and-Tested Sponsorship Email Template
Here’s a pre-made sponsorship email template you can use to create your first set of emails.
Subject: Become a sponsor for [Event]!
Hey [Sponsor’s Name],
I’ve been following [Sponsor Company] for a few years now, and I recognize your commitment to [specific values or mission]. That’s why I’m reaching out to you with an exciting opportunity to showcase your passion for this cause by becoming a part of [event name].
Here’s why I believe it’s a great opportunity for your brand:
- Benefit #1
- Benefit #2
- Benefit #2
I’d love to give you the exclusive offer of [mention exclusive offer] and a platform to partner with key industry leaders and decision-makers.
Would you be keen to discuss more details about this partnership? Please book time here to learn more about our sponsorship packages.
Best,
[Your signature]
Securing Sponsorships Made Easy with Email Examples
Finding sponsors is no mean feat — and I say this from my experience of spending weeks of trial and error to secure sponsorships for our event.
But with these handpicked examples, you now know how to write sponsorship emails that make people tick and engage in further conversation.
So, bookmark this post for the next time you’re reaching out to potential sponsors and need a pinch of inspiration to write your messages.
