The next time you attend a state fair or sporting event, take note of the
sponsors. They are the people who pay money in exchange for their product
or service being recognized at a particular event.
People who pull it all together are called sponsorship coordinators.
Sponsorship coordinators develop and sell packages to businesses that want
to market a product or service in association with an event or organization.
Those who work with nonprofit organizations often have to make "cold calls."
That means they contact people to ask for money, rather than wait for people
to come to them.
Part of this job is being able to develop a list of potential clients.
You have to contact people who might be interested in the particular event
or organization that you are trying to promote.
For example, you might contact a sports drink company to sponsor a baseball
or soccer tournament.
Once you have a client, you must try to maintain that sponsorship.
Erick Long is a regional tour manager for Up With People, a nonprofit educational
organization. "If we secure a sponsor, it's not a one-time deal," says Long.
"We see it through all the way to the event. Then when the event is over,
you have to see if they want to do it again."
Sponsorship coordinators may work for nonprofit organizations, such as
public television. Or they may work for any number of corporations or sports
organizations.
Is this a 9-to-5 job? "Definitely not," says sponsorship coordinator Rick
Doyle. "Basically, you do your daily admin stuff, but you also work weekends
when your events are actually being staged."
Sometimes there is also travel involved.
The physical requirements for this job are minimal. Brian Garrido is a
public affairs and sponsorship coordinator at UCLA. "It's about personality
and aggressiveness, kind of like a sales job," he says.
He says he would encourage anybody who is physically challenged to take
on this position in an area they feel strongly about.