Think of it as Internet dating for corporate sponsors. That's essentially the mission of SponsorPark.com,
a new website now in beta testing -- to pair up sponsors with
sponsorship opportunities that meet their stated criteria, and, for
sponsor-seekers, to get their proposals in front of more eyes.
Co-founder Emily Taylor knows how useful the site could have been to
her when she was an account manager for Coca-Cola. "You'd think a brand
as large as that would have a standard operating procedure manual for
sponsorships, but that wasn't the case," she recalls. "Even brands like
Coca-Cola could use a resource like this."
Those seeking sponsorships post profiles on the website (for free,
until the site's official launch, which will be sometime in the next
few months). Potential sponsors can browse the listings or sign up to
be alerted when sponsorship opportunities arise that match their
criteria, which they can enter and save on the site. SponsorPark also
has a space for sponsors and sponsor-seekers to communicate privately
on the site. "Our goal is to make the process as simple and as
straightforward as possible," Taylor says.
So far, several groups have posted meetings-related sponsorship
opportunities, but Taylor is unaware of any matches. She says it'll
take a while for the site to gain critical mass. But recent research
shows that while sponsorship dollars might be shrinking, more than half
of sponsors are looking for new partners, she adds.
To read Taylor's 10 tips for finding sponsors, click here.