Adding Value to Your CLE Programs

through the Power of Sponsors and Exhibitors

Presented By:

Barbara Hollingsworth Colorado Bar Association CLE

Denver, Colorado

Larry C. Smith International Practice Management Association

Chicago, Illinois

Fran Wellington Ohio State Bar Association

Columbus, Ohio

Alexandra Wong The Law Society of Upper Canada

Toronto, Ontario

Presented at: ACLEA 51st Annual Meeting

August 1-4, 2015 Chicago, Illinois

Barbara Hollingsworth

ColoradoBarAssociationCLEDenver,Colorado

Barbara Hollingsworth, Program Attorney, CLE  in Colorado,  Inc.,  the nonprofit educational arm of  the 

Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, has approximately 18 years’ combined experience  in the  fields 

of  continuing legal and continuing medical education.  Additionally, she practiced law for several years 

in the area of business law.  In her current position, Ms. Hollingsworth plans continuing legal education 

programs  for  a  variety  of  practice  areas,  and  is  enhancing  and  growing  the  office’s  sponsorship 

program.  Not having a green thumb, her family’s fourth generation farming business was not a fit, and, 

after college she headed east, then south, and then west to the high ground of Denver.  She received 

her B.S. degree from Iowa State University, and her J.D. degree from Tulane University Law School.  

  

Larry C. Smith, Esq., CAE InternationalPracticeManagementAssociation

Chicago,Illinois

Larry Smith is the Executive Director of the International Practice Management Association (IPMA), the 

professional association for managers of paralegals and other practice support professionals in law firms 

and law departments globally.  Prior to joining IPMA, he served as Executive Director of the Association 

of  Legal  Administrators  (ALA)  and  the  ABA  Law  Practice  Division,  where  he  managed  the  ABA 

TECHSHOW  for many  years.    In  addition  to his  role  as  an  association  executive,  Larry  is  a practicing 

attorney and an experienced CLE presenter for bar associations and others.  He holds degrees from the 

University of Tennessee College of Business Administration  and  the University of Colorado  School of 

Law. 

Fran Wellington

OhioStateBarAssociationColumbus,Ohio

Fran Wellington currently serves as the CLE Director of the Ohio State Bar Association.  For the past 16 

years, Fran also oversees the daily operation of the OSBA's Fulfillment and Print Shop.  Prior to her work 

with the OSBA, Fran was the Assistant Director of Continuing Professional Education for the Ohio Society 

of CPAs for 14 years.  Fran has been a member of ACLEA since 2001. 

Alex Wong TheLawSocietyofUpperCanada

Toronto,Ontario

Alexandra is a Program Coordinator with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) department of 

The Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC). In the last 9 years with the LSUC she has been responsible for 

coordinating over 100 CPD programs.    As a member of ACLEA  since 2008, Alexandra  contributes her 

expertise  in CPD planning  and development  to her work on  the ACLEA  San Diego  and Chicago 2015 

Planning Committees, Online Community Special Committee and the In the Loop Newsletter Committee. 

In addition  to her CPD expertise Alix has a Law Clerk designation  from The  Institute of Law Clerks of 

Ontario and Bachelor of Arts degree  in Urban and Economic Geography and Business Administration 

from the University of Toronto. 

Adding Value to Your CLE Programs through Sponsors and Exhibitors – Our Experience 

Barbara Hollingsworth, Colorado Bar Association CLE (CBA/CLE) 

 

Introduction 

Benefits of Sponsorship to CLE Providers 

Attendees view organization not only as a source for legal education/credits, but as a source for learning 

about and interacting with legal services providers who may be a fit for their practice/firm. 

Sponsors/exhibitors boost your attendance and exposure. 

Sponsors/exhibitors help you offer more amenities and networking opportunities for your program 

attendees. You are spending time and money on developing, marketing and presenting CLE activities, 

regardless of whether or not there are sponsors. Enhance those activities for you, sponsors and 

attendees by adding sponsorships to those for which they are a fit. 

Sponsors/exhibitors reduce your program expenses by providing pens, pads, highlighters, flash drives, 

lanyards. 

Sponsors/exhibitors help keep registration fees reasonable. 

Sponsors/exhibitors can be sources for faculty recommendations, activities, and other sponsors and 

exhibitors. 

Lessons Learned 

Relationship building is at the core of a successful sponsorship program. 

A sponsorship program requires the time, energy, and efforts of a number of individuals, including CLE 

provider staff and non‐staff. CLE provider staff participants include program planners/attorneys/ 

coordinators, graphic designers, webmasters/IT, printing, and marketing and customer service staff. 

Non‐CLE staff, such as educational activity chairs and faculty, and third‐party providers, for example, 

venue/hotel staff, are also involved.  

Background and History 

CBA/CLE started sponsorships in 2001 with 4 of its programs having a total of 16 sponsors.  From 

approximately 2002 – 2009, 7‐9 programs per year had sponsor participation with an average of 93 

sponsors per year. From approximately 2010‐2014, 10‐15 programs per year had sponsor participation 

with an average of 266 sponsors per year. Current sponsorship levels range from $300 ‐ $10,000 and the 

number of programs with sponsorship opportunities is 14‐15. Currently, and in the past, only a small 

percentage of the total programs offered by CBA/CLE have sponsorship opportunities. The sponsorship 

program was started in 2001 under the supervision of CBA/CLE’s Program Administrator/Customer 

Service Manager/Event Coordinator who is also involved in Marketing.  Marketing staff then became 

primarily responsible for it.  Today, the sponsorship program is being grown and enhanced by those 

same departments along with office directors, program attorneys, program administrators and 

coordinators, IT, and graphics/AV. Printing and customer service staff are also involved, along with all 

other office staff to some extent.  

Criteria used by CBA/CLE to determine whether sponsorship opportunities are offered in connection 

with a program include attendance numbers, composition of attendees, program agenda, venue, 

available space, number of networking opportunities, and practice area.  

Sponsor invitations are generally extended to past sponsors and those recommended by program chairs, 

faculty, and program attorneys. Invitations may also be extended to those recommended by other 

sponsors/exhibitors.  Other sources for potential sponsors include directories to legal experts, legal 

publications, legal directories, and website researches. Lists of potential types of sponsors by practice 

area are maintained. Cold inquiries received, and extended, are vetted.  

Sponsors include book publishers, software providers, mediators/arbitrators, workplace consultants, law 

firms, hospitality industry representatives, translators, expert witness services, auctioneers, appraisers, 

valuation experts, CPA firms, forensic accountants, website designers, court reporting services, financial 

institutions, reverse mortgage and like‐kind exchanges service providers, title companies, recording 

services, “back‐office”/payment services, office space/conference room providers, attorney listing 

services, financial services providers, retirement plan providers, healthcare services consultants, 

rehabilitation services for professionals, divorce help and resources consultants, philanthropic 

foundations, realtors, receivership services, professional liability insurers, retailers, various resources for 

seniors, drug testing services, and storage facilities/services.     

Types of Exhibitor/Sponsorship Opportunities Offered 

At a minimum, sponsorship opportunities generally include a display table placed in the same area as 

food and beverage for the attendees, links to websites of sponsors, access to networking activities, and 

recognition of sponsors in program promotional pieces, course book, signage, and slides displayed 

during breaks. Higher sponsorship levels include complimentary program registrations, discounted 

registration fees, sponsor branding on specific program amenities, and additional tickets to networking 

events.  Sponsor pricing and benefits and appeals are determined on a program by program basis. It 

helps to keep lists of potential benefits/sample categories (presenting, technology, brochure, wifi, 

charging station, administrative services sponsors) which may be of interest to sponsors when sponsors 

indicate they are interested, but looking for benefits different than what is in the packet.  

Tips for a Successful Exhibitor/Sponsorship Program  

Make It Easy for Sponsors/Exhibitors.    

 

Provide Uber Customer Service.    

 

Follow‐Up and Keep in Touch.  

 

Be Creative. Make Sponsorships Worthwhile for Sponsors.  

 

Be Selective Regarding the Programs for Which Sponsorship Opportunities Are Offered.  

Have … and Use Quality Controls.  

Conclusion 

Invest time and resources, and a sponsorship program can be a win‐win for you, the sponsors and your 

program attendees.   

Adding Value to Your CLE Programs Through the Power of Sponsors and Exhibitors ACLEA Annual Meeting, August 3, 2015  Larry Smith, Executive Director International Practice Management Association  Introduction  

Whether your organization is a bar association, other legal industry association, or for‐profit CLE provider, the addition of exhibitors and sponsors to an educational event can provide great value to the event.  Not only can sponsors' financial support make the event more affordable and/or profitable, but sponsors' involvement also enriches the value of the event to attendees.  

Professional membership associations and their members gain even more from including exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities as part of a broader sponsor relations program.  During my time as a volunteer leader and manager of bar associations and other legal industry associations, I have encountered a myriad of opportunities (and challenges) in the management of educational programs and trade shows, from one‐time webinars to multi‐day conferences like the ABA Techshow.  Developing a Successful Sponsorship Program  

1. Philosophy  

What is your organization's philosophy regarding exhibitors and sponsors? Is their involvement simply a way to help the organization offset the financial cost of the event, or is it part of a broader long‐term relationship with reciprocal benefits?  Some of the associations that have enjoyed great success with sponsorship programs are those that subscribe to the notion that sponsorship relations are an integral part of the service they provide to their members.   

 And the relationship is reciprocal:  As part of the services they provide, these 

associations owe it to their members to introduce them to industry service providers, and in exchange for sponsors' financial support, these associations owe the sponsors the opportunity to meaningfully engage with members.  Many associations now eschew terms like "vendor" in favor of terms like "business partner," reflecting this philosophy, and educate their members about the value that sponsors provide to programs (principally by keeping registration fees lower and generally providing support to the association).  I use the terms "sponsor" and "business partner" interchangeably here.  

2. Sponsor Expertise  

In some cases, product and service providers are simply seeking increased exposure to a current or prospective customer base, and are happy to pay for that exposure.  But often in the 

legal industry, service providers offer more than just a product; they offer high‐level expertise to assist lawyers and firms in serving clients.  As a result, some associations have developed guidelines for inviting sponsor representatives to participate as faculty for CLE or other educational programs.  Association policies and accreditation guidelines may create boundaries around sponsor participation, but associations can put guidelines in place that govern both substantive content and unacceptable behavior, like "selling from the podium" or excessive company promotion in written or displayed materials.  Effective communication of these guidelines can ameliorate these issues. 

 3. Long‐Term Relationships 

 Associations that are able to develop and manage year‐long sponsor relationships have 

found success in engaging sponsors in the development of an ongoing sponsor relations program, which can include the involvement of volunteer members, industry sponsors, and association staff. 

 In order to maintain consistency from year to year, most associations have formed an 

internal sponsorship or business partner relations committee with volunteer member leaders, and separately, a business partner advisory board that includes representatives from a diverse variety of perspectives among the association's regular sponsors.  

4. Allocating Resources  

Obviously, successfully managing a year‐round sponsorship or business partner relations program requires the significant involvement of association staff, and this has often proven to be a challenge for both small and large associations.  In particular, if an organization only produces one major event a year, or when a larger event includes an exhibits/trade show component, there are certain times of year when such management is a full‐time job for multiple personnel. 

 Some organizations have used their marketing or event professionals as sponsorship 

relations specialists during part of the year; others have created dedicated full‐time (year‐round) positions to manage these programs; and others have outsourced the sales component of exhibits and sponsorship to third party companies that specialize in trade show sales, typically on a commission basis.  As with all staffing decisions, organizations should undertake a cost‐benefit analysis to determine whether the expenses associated with necessary personnel are outweighed by the benefits (financial and otherwise) of engaging with industry business partners.  Types of Sponsorships Offered and Pricing  

I have often encouraged associations to remain creative beyond the types of sponsorship opportunities they have offered in the past, and to engage prospective sponsors to learn what value they expect to receive from participation in an event.  In addition to simply 

providing a menu of priced opportunities, encourage prospective sponsors to suggest other ways in which they would like to be involved.  It has become increasingly rare for a single sponsor to wholly underwrite the costs of an educational event, meal, or reception.  Instead, sponsors are seeking more tangible value in connecting and interacting with event participants.  As a result, sponsorship benefits and pricing should be structured accordingly:  benefits that provide tangible value and pricing that reflects that value (not just costs). 

 The well‐established types of event‐specific sponsorship opportunities continue to 

provide value, such as exhibit tables/booths, program and sign recognition, bag inserts, and tiered levels of special recognition.  Again, however, associations should think creatively toward developing opportunities that bring attention and engagement.  Examples include sponsoring WiFi or mobile charging stations at program venues, individual session sponsorships, opportunities for introductions, and multiple co‐sponsorships of event networking functions.  Note: associations should tread carefully when including advertising or ticketed‐event benefits as part of sponsorship arrangements, as these may raise UBIT (unrelated business income) concerns for the organization as a whole.  And sponsorships need not always be monetary; in‐kind sponsorships can go a long way toward providing exposure for the sponsor and offsetting the program's direct costs. 

 In addition to event‐by‐event sponsorship opportunities, some associations have 

successfully developed full‐year sponsorship programs that provide a package of exhibiting and exposure opportunities at a variety of programs throughout the year.  Others offer series sponsorships (e.g., a particular series of webinars).  Others have found success in offering sponsorships not just to industry service providers, but also to law firms and corporations who are actively involved in the association.  Best Practices  

A list of best practices in sponsorship relations could fill a small book, and we offer quite a few in these materials and program, but there are several principal practices that will contribute greatly to an organization's success in managing a sponsorship program.   

 1. Purpose:  Understand your organization's purpose for engaging sponsors, whether it 

is money, expertise, engagement, or a combination of these factors. 2. Structure:  Develop your program with the support of sufficiently allocated staff or 

outsourced assistance, volunteer member committees where appropriate, and an advisory panel of sponsors. 

3. Communications & Marketing:  Communicate early and often to existing and prospective sponsors, and help them help you by encouraging their promotion of their sponsorship. 

4. Fulfillment:  Ensure that all promised benefits are delivered, that sponsors are making the most of those opportunities, and that participants understand the value sponsors are providing. 

 

     

EXHIBITOR AND SPONSORSHIP IS BIG BUSINESS: UNTAPPED PROFIT MARGINS Fran Wellington, Ohio State Bar Association

Two rules of thumb in today’s competitive marketplace for time and dollars:

1) The days of “build it and they will come” are long over. We all know the exhaustive challenge to orchestrate a CLE event, and by using the same tactics, failure is imminent if new strategies are not employed to engage the information overload of attendee and potential exhibitor/sponsor.

2) Don’t ask your exhibitors and/or sponsors for their marketing dollars. Your job is to ask them

how your bar association and the CLE event can assist their company or firm improve sales.

Gain Industry Visibility Your bar association CLE events enable you to target legal professionals and financial management experts from your respective regions, partners and leaders in law firms and business entities who represent the cream of the crop in their profession. By creating an environment at events where your most lucrative CLE dollars are earned, you can also shift the burden of hosting the CLE event by creating new revenue streams. Your bar association is involved in all segments of continuing legal education business through all substantive law topics. Therefore, your bar association offers sponsors and exhibitors a unique marketing forum that can be accessed nowhere else. Anyone wanting to reach legal industry decision-makers should take advantage of the range of benefits, unparalleled recognition, and highly visible exposure. Many of your potential members/customers attend CLE functions on a regular basis. Whether you want to demonstrate cutting-edge technology, interact with legislators following a recently enacted bill or address new rule changes, there are no better showcase opportunities than what your bar association can bring to the table. Benefits of Becoming a Sponsor or Exhibitor Sponsorship at a CLE event is a cost-effective avenue for connecting with customers that may never be reached otherwise. Sponsorships position the company as a legal leader when key decision-makers are in attendance and eager to engage and ready to help their firm or clients grow. Remember the end game is the impact that a sponsorship will make on key customers/members. Benefits may include: Obtaining access to legal industry decision-makers; attendees are the leaders in each of their

respective practice areas Establishing your name recognition and product identity by standing out among competitors Building traffic to your booth display or website from people who may not have known about your

company Demonstrating to colleagues and clients that you are an overall legal industry supporter

Did you know that nearly $7 billion is spent annually on major sports events such as the Super Bowl, Indy 500 and Kentucky Derby? CLE events can also earn a profit by providing the right forum for sponsors and exhibitors. Finding good business “cents” is good business sense for all entities.

Your Call to Action First steps first. What are the basic components necessary to successfully launch an Exhibitor/Sponsor Prospectus?

Create the Exhibitor/Sponsor Prospectus – determine why companies sponsor/exhibit all CLE

events

1. Enhances the reputation and image of the sponsoring company through your bar association

2. Sponsorship denotes market leadership and pulls the company/brand above the competition

3. Gives product brands high visibility among key audiences

4. Provides a focal point for marketing efforts and sales campaigns

Create a sponsorship plan

Knowing what companies stand to gain through sponsorship, identify what audience your event reaches

and what companies target that specific market. Create a sponsorship plan with these potential sponsors

in mind. Ask yourself these questions:

What value does this sponsorship offer potential sponsors?

Why is your event sponsorship a better match for the company than other proposals it may

receive? Important note – your CLE event is not the only game in town

The sponsorship plan also should outline the benefits offered in return for sponsorship. Sponsor

benefits may include:

Ads in programs or show materials (ranging from small black and white ads to full-page color

ads)

Tickets to your event (based on monetary value)

Booth space at a tradeshow (ranging from a single 10×10 standard booth to a large island booth)

A foursome for a golf tournament or other event attribute

The company’s name mentioned in news releases

Featured company logo on event Web page, landing page, program materials, CLE event

brochure/marketing emails

The size of the benefit should reflect the sponsorship level. For example, a sponsor that gives a higher

amount should receive considerably more benefits than a company that gives far less.

Sponsorship plans also need to show the value of benefits being given. For example, if tickets to a

formal gala cost $150, a table of 10 tickets would have a value of $1,500. If the company gets 10

tickets for a $10,000 sponsorship, they will feel as if they’re getting $1,500 back in goodwill services.

But don’t give away the farm and the animals. There’s no need to try and “balance out” a sponsorship

with giveaways that equal their sponsorship payment. Make sure you value the benefits your event

offers and price them, and sponsorships, accordingly. For example, if this is the fifth year of a real

property conference, use the history of attendance you have to base advertising, ticket, booth and

sponsorship costs on for the upcoming conference. Past historical attendance is always a plus.

How many sponsors do you need to be profitable?

What is the total cost of your event? Use that to determine the number of sponsorship dollars needed to

make the event profitable. Typically, different sponsorship plans have different names, such as

platinum, gold, silver and bronze. If it is possible to relate sponsorship levels to the legal industry, be

creative.

You also can have separate sponsors for separate activities during an event. For example, think of all

the components you have during one conference and break them into areas companies can sponsor.

Here are some potential sponsorship areas:

Tiered sponsorships: Gold, Level and Bronze. The more involvement from them elicits more

of an ownership in the outcome to attract the maximum impact to attendees. Sponsors can also

earn additional benefits through marketing or networking deliverables:

Registration/Course Book

Web café

Opening and closing receptions

Casino night or other evening social event

Coffee break

Shuttle buses

Meal functions – breakfast/lunch/dinner

Networking reception

Access Center

Specialty “Bar”

Dessert Station

Charging Station

Tote bag

Hotel room key/access card

Valet charge

USB/thumb drive

Wi-Fi/Power Zone

Sports Bottle

Lanyard

Notebook and Pen

eBook distribution

As long as the sponsor benefits match the dollar value, all sponsors are recognized, and communication

is clear, you can create as many types of sponsorship levels as you need. Create different price points

for sponsorship, so a wide range of companies may be able to sponsor your event; therefore, if a budget

has already been set for the year, the potential company may still be able to participate if the cost is

justifiable.

Is going exclusive the answer?

When creating sponsorship plans, also consider creating levels of sponsorships that have some

exclusivity. Why is that a good idea?

You can avoid potential sponsor conflicts and charge a premium by giving only one company

sponsorship of an event, or making different levels of sponsorship exclusive. How far you restrict

sponsorship will depend on the event’s needs. It may make things easier for you if you offer multiple-

year sponsorship plans to major sponsors — assuming the sponsor is not too high-maintenance and the

size of the sponsor plan is enough to make sense financially.

Pre-planning

Draw up contracts for each available level of sponsorship. If your company does not already have an

event sponsorship contract template, have all drafts reviewed by your legal department or legal counsel.

Create literature and Web pages, and landing pages outlining the costs and benefits of sponsorship at

the various levels. Always include deadlines – this will avoid potential conflicts of interest.

The “call to arms” aka “asking for dollars”

After identifying potential sponsors and creating support material, make sure you know who your best

contact at each company. Identify the names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and U.S. mailing

addresses for the decision makers; it may take some work to find them, but pitching your cause directly

to the person authorized to sign sponsorship contracts saves valuable time. Although the attention span

of most of us is a speck on the wall, nothing takes the place of human contact.

Are there people within your bar association who may be able to help you secure sponsorships or give

you introductions to potential sponsors? Knowing what kind of partnerships or relationships already

exist between the event’s parent company and potential sponsors will save you legwork, and being

accompanied by someone with sales skills can help you close the deal.

Contact previous sponsors before marketing materials are distributed to everyone on your list. Give

them first right of refusal to be an exclusive sponsor or the chance to upgrade their sponsorship level

before other companies are approached.

The follow-through – all deadlines are met

Follow up with sponsors to make sure all needed images, verbiage, logos and other information is

collected well before print, Web site and broadcast deadlines. Double-check information to make sure

it is correct and all contact information is present. Fulfill the terms of your sponsorship contract.

Post-event, send thank-you letters and call sponsors, expressing your gratitude for their support and

sharing any positive feedback about their services. Create a sponsor evaluation to provide feedback to

you. If the experience was a positive one for the company, now is the best time to secure a sponsorship

renewal, establish exclusivity or upgrade packages for the next event.

Ask for testimonials – during the conference have a roving camera where you can capture momentum

in the exhibit area to showcase the merits of participation and include as a video link in future exhibitor

communication.

TIPS TO GET STARTED ON PROMOTING EXHIBITOR/SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

WHAT WE DO FOR OUR MEMBERS

Our members rely on us for quality continuing legal education, legal industry updates, benefits,

advocacy and the tools they need to succeed personally and professionally.

WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU

Establishing a relationship with YOUR BAR ASSOCIATION allows YOU to become the

preferred legal business provider to our members. We offer you access to the most sought after

legal leaders in the state.

The OSBA staff will work with you and develop a strategy to meet your unique needs, goals

and business development objectives as you determine the best fit for your exhibitor and

sponsorship budget.

HOW AN EXHIBITOR OR SPONSOR CAN BECOME INVOLVED

As the trusted leading voice of YOUR STATE’S legal profession, YOUR BAR

ASSOCIATION offers you a variety of opportunities to have face-to-face interaction with

engaged decision makers who are eager to hear how your services and solutions can benefit

their firm or company

How to assist in enhancing the experience:

Present the solution in a succinct manner

Create an inviting booth for attendees to interact with you

Invest in booth equipment that is long lasting

Network by identifying key attendees and seek them out

Come prepared – you will receive a pre-registration list – know your audience

Follow-up and evaluate

Conference special promotion – create a sense of urgency

Takeaways/Giveaways – reinforce your brand awareness

SELECT PROGRAMS WITH KNOWN EXPOSURE

By choosing a program that has been a popular program of content and speakers, reach out to

the planning committee or section that overlaps with the program. Ask your member experts to

identify potential exhibitors and sponsors that would benefit from participating.

If this is your first entrée with dealing with exhibitors and sponsors, start small, but think big.

Your ideas will grow and so will profitability.

Conferences will be priced according to many factors and will vary by event. Typical

exhibitor/sponsorship takeaways include face-to-face interaction and an opportunity to sponsor

breakfast, snack, break, and promotional item. Other programs to consider and offer an

attractive option for extraordinary opportunities including Women’s Initiatives Events, Young

Lawyer Events, Live Video Webcasts, On-Demand Programs and Foundation, if your bar

association has a foundation outreach.

Adding Value to Your CLE/CPD Programs through Sponsors and Exhibitors – Our Experience Alexandra Wong, The Law Society of Upper Canada1 Introduction Exhibitors and sponsors can provide numerous benefits to CLE organizations when paired with programs. However, with benefits come some disadvantages. When done effectively, sponsors/exhibitors increase awareness about programs by advertising their participation at the event to their client lists. Sponsors/exhibitors add even more credibility to programs when events are shown to be supported by companies who provide products and services to the legal community. Having exhibitors/sponsors provides additional revenue that helps to offset the costs of delivering a larger program: for example, the costs of a lunch or reception that is an additional element of a program. The Law Society’s exhibitors and sponsors program first started in the late 80s at our technology for lawyer events, which was held offsite at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The program evolved and became a part of most of our CPD programs. However, despite a successful run, the program ended in June 2014. Along the way, we learned several lessons. In order to have a successful exhibitor and/or sponsor program, you need to have adequate internal resources in place. For CPD, we relied on our existing team in the Marketing Department to handle this program. As the program grew and the demand increased, the workload became too much for the team to handle; as a result, program marketing initiatives for other programs suffered. Background and History In 2011, our CPD programs had a total of 29 exhibitors/sponsors, 24 of which participated in our annual Solo and Small Firm Conference. Sixteen of those vendors took advantage of our “Get Connected Package”. In addition, there were four vendors who were reception/webcast/demo sponsors. Until 2012, we did not have a formal exhibitor/sponsor program. In 2012, after an increase in the number of companies inquiring about participating, we decided to create a formal Exhibitor/Sponsor Program that applied to all of our 2012 CPD courses. Although the policy was geared to our annual Solo and Small Firm Conference, there were opportunities to use it in other CPD courses as well. To announce the policy, we contacted our existing approved list of vendors with our 2012 CPD program listing. The launch of a formal Exhibitor/Sponsor Program saw our participation numbers increase. There were a total of 43 exhibitors/sponsors. Thirty-one vendors participated in our annual Solo and Small Firm Conference, 23 of which took advantage of the “Get Connected Package”. In addition, there were 5 vendors who were reception/webcast/demo sponsors. These numbers remained steady for 2013 and 2014.

1 The author is grateful for the assistance of Danielle Fleming, Marketing and Promotions Coordinator, Continuing Professional Development, The Law Society of Upper Canada for preparing this paper.

When the program ended in 2014, we had a total of 45 exhibitors/sponsors, 41 of which were participants at the annual Solo and Small Firm Conference. Twenty-nine of those vendors participated took advantage of the “Get Connected Package”. There we an additional 6 vendors who were reception/webcast/demo sponsors. We did not have set criteria for exhibitors and/or sponsors; however, there was an approval process that vendors had to go through to ensure there were no conflicts of interest and that they were relevant to the attendees at the program. We did, however, have a list of preapproved organizations that we would contact when we had exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities. These would be organizations that had previously participated as an exhibitor or sponsor. We also had companies that would approach us for the opportunity to exhibit or sponsor. They would undergo a review process by management to ensure there were no conflicts of interest before being approved as an exhibitor/sponsor. Space limitations at our program venues put restrictions in place on how many exhibitors we could have at a program. When we were able to have vendors exhibit at our programs, it provided our delegates with access to companies that provided legal products and services which they otherwise might not have known about. The Types of Exhibitor/Sponsorship Opportunities We Offered We offered several different types of exhibitor/sponsorship opportunities. The base level of sponsorship cost $300 CAD plus applicable taxes. For this level, the sponsor would be able to insert company literature in electronic format into the program materials, have their company logo appear on the Law Society’s websites (program and corporate), and receive acknowledgement as a participating sponsor in the program materials distributed to program registrants. All of our 2012 half-day programs were available for this sponsorship. For our larger full-day and multiple-day programs, we offered exhibitor opportunities. Exhibitors received the same benefits as the sponsorship level described above, plus an 8’ X 10’ exhibit space that included wireless internet access and access to electrical outlets for product displays. For this, we charged an exhibitor fee of $975 CAD plus applicable taxes. In our larger programs, we also offered an exclusive reception sponsorship opportunity at a cost of $2,000 CAD plus applicable taxes. In addition to the exhibitor benefits mentioned above, this level of sponsorship had these benefits: 1) acknowledgement by the program chairs throughout the day; 2) company name in broadcast email campaigns promoting the conference to over 13,000 solo practitioners and small firm lawyers across Ontario; 3) company logo on the Law Society’s website as the exclusive luncheon or reception sponsor; 4) company logo in the final conference promotional brochure (print and PDF); and 5) company logo on signage displayed throughout the conference location. We also provided a complimentary lunch for exhibitors (two people per company) and two tickets to the reception.

Our larger programs also offered an “insert only” opportunity where the company could include a one-page 8.5” X 11” printed promotional piece in the program materials. To maximize their viewing audience, these sponsors had the option to include their promotional materials electronically as well. The cost for the “insert-only” was $300 CAD plus applicable taxes. Beginning in 2011, we offered the “Get Connected Introductory Package” for our Solo and Small Firm Conference. It gave the following benefits to exhibitors: 1) an 8’ X 10’ exhibit space with wireless internet access and electricity; 2) company literature in electronic materials; 3) face-to-face interactions with delegates throughout the day and at the afternoon cocktail reception; 4) complimentary lunch; 5) tickets to the afternoon reception; 6) logo on conference webpage with link to their corporate webpage; 7) broadcast emails and print campaigns; 8) social media (FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram) campaigns; 9) signage onsite; and 10) a slide on our pre-program slide deck. Vendors that took advantage of the “Get Connected Introductory Package” were offered the opportunity to upgrade their base exhibitor/sponsorship opportunities with any of the following: 1) premium booth location; 2) exclusive live webcast sponsorship; 3) lunch sponsorship; 4) reception sponsorship; 5) mobile “app” sponsorship; and 6) the “Unwind and Rewind” Dinner Event sponsorship. In addition, there was an opportunity for vendors to conduct product and service demonstrations on the exhibit floor and via webcast. In 2014, on the last day of the conference, the exhibit floor was open to walk-in traffic from the public.

Tips for a Successful Exhibitor/Sponsorship Program Over the years, we learned some best practices that would help anyone looking to improve an existing or create an exhibitor/sponsorship program:

Being clear up front with the terms and conditions of the sponsorships.

Making sure sponsors/exhibitors know exactly what their exhibiting/sponsorship includes and the deadlines they must meet.

Keep in mind, it is extremely important to keep communication lines open throughout the process leading up to the event. Don’t over-promise or over-sell the event.

Make sure you keep track of analytics and event details. Sponsors may ask for an attendee profile,

Get the sponsor/exhibitor involved in the program marketing. They are a great resource and have a different network/audience than you do.

Create email templates for standard responses to save time and ensure consistency in communication messages,

Prepare and provide all exhibitors with an Exhibitor Information Manual, including key contacts and program information.

Create an Exhibitor/Sponsor Policy that indicates you have the sole discretion and the right to accept or reject the participation of exhibitors/sponsors and also that you do not endorse or recommend the products and services of exhibitors/sponsors featured in your programs.

Conclusion – Why Did We End the Program? Although our sponsorship program was very successful and we built great relationships with exhibitors/sponsors, the program ended in June 2014. The main reason was that it no longer aligned with our departmental mandate. We were in the process of streamlining the department and workload, and our internal resources were limited. In the end, the marketing effort expended on exhibitors and sponsors detract from promotion of other programs that did not have exhibitors/sponsors.