Sponsorship Strategist

Think like a starving artist, and you won't starve

One day last week, I left a meeting with someone who is under a great deal of pressure because of current budget squeezes that impact her nonprofit organization's funding. The physical sensations of stress she described were indelible, and I felt a great deal of empathy as I walked through the City towards my office. I passed the Merriam Theatre in Philadelphia, and a crowd spilling out onto the sidewalk, hours before showtime, piqued my curiousity. Then I heard drumming. Stomp was in town, and at this very moment, they were conducting a masterclass for high school-aged – and very... Read more →

Experiencing a nonprofit brand

If you have about 6 minutes, check out this video, below, and an article about a flash mob the Opera Company of Philadelphia pulled together this weekend with about 600 singers from choirs and choral groups throughout the Philadelphia region. I appreciate that, while some performing arts organizations are fretting about the drastic drops in attendance, wringing their hands and complaining, the Opera Company of Philadelphia offers a contemporary, fun, and experiential way of engaging new and existing audience members. Bold, generous, inclusive, and uplifting. Wish I'd been there, but I'm grateful for the video. How's the experience of your... Read more →

New Book Launched

Book with Wings, Anselm Kiefer at the Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth My new book, How to Jump-start Your Sponsorship Strategy in Tough Times, officially launched yesterday at the Texas Festival & Event Association's 2009 Conference, where I conducted a 3-hour workshop. Drawn from the book and a recent teleseminar by the same name, "Bailouts & Politics: The Effect on Sponsorship and What it Means for You" provided event leaders with ideas and sales strategies to improve their corporate sponsorship results in this economy. If you missed it, join me today for a 90-minute session at 8:30 a.m. (At right,... Read more →

Strive to integrate

Strive to integrate your two brands into your sponsorship opportunities. Here's a great example of what I mean. Lincoln Center has partnered with The Wall Street Journal to present Summer Scoops Live with The Wall Street Journal. It works extremely well because: The name of the series relates to both brands' strengths. The visual identity of this series incorporates The Wall Street Journal's trademark use of line drawings, rather than photos, to illustrate the text. Most importantly, the series enriches the audience members' experiences of either Lincoln Center's programming – several events preview upcoming events at Lincoln Center – or... Read more →

Corporate Sponsorship is Not Dead

If you were in Philadelphia today and needed an inspirational experience to revive your sponsorship selling efforts or to inject some creativity into your own corporate program, the Arts & Business Council's annual luncheon and awards presentation was the place to be. Story after story about the super heros who make the business of the arts an art form inspired everyone. (It was also a fine example of elegant corporate sponsorship integration and activation.) And for those of you disheartened by media reports about the state of our economy and what it means for sponsorship, take heart. Sponsorship is not... Read more →