So you’re thinking of being an REBarCamp sponsor? If so, we’re keen to help you make the best decision based on a clear understanding of what we can offer and what we expect from our sponsors.
The REBarCamp movement allows you to get involved with a flexible range of sponsorship options that include both monetary and non-monetary contributions. For example, some companies provide photography and videography for an event that provides a helpful resource for marketing future REBarCamps. Other companies pick up the tab for the venue, event swag, or a post-BarCamp drinks tab.
There is no set minimum for sponsorship but $250-500 sounds like a pretty good starting number.
As REBarCamp Australia isn’t a trading entity we generally ask that you make your contribution by paying a supplier’s invoice direct. For example, if you wanted to sponsor the tea and coffee throughout the day you would pay the venue or catering direct.
What do you get for your sponsorship investment?
REBarCamp won’t bring you fame, fortune, or a swag of new business leads. That’s best achieved at big events where sponsorship is all about lead generation. Instead, think of REBarCamp as a way for your organisation to contribute to developing a better standard of conversation amongst real estate practitioners. If together we achieve that we’ll have done a great thing for the industry that’s served us all so well.
At a more practical level though, your sponsorship will get you:
- Your logo displayed in the sidebar of the REBarCamp Australia website. We don’t get a lot of traffic so don’t expect this to be a game-changer. That said, we’ll be proud to say we’re working together with your organisation.
- Your logo on a prominent pull-up banner on the day.
- The opportunity to place advertising and marketing material, brochures, and price list in a tote bag.
- An invite to a post-BarCamp sponsors and organisers’ dinner (budget permitting).
- Drinks at the post-BarCamp windup.
- We’ll mention you with grateful appreciation on the day.
- A couple of event tickets for you and your a member of your team
- access to attendees’ name and email addresses (subject to them granting us permission to do this),
- A chance to demo your product if the agenda created on the day includes any product specific sessions.
What you won’t get.
REBarCamp is unlike any conference you’ve attended. In fact it’s not a conference, it’s an unconference. That means that what happens at a usual conference doesn’t happen at REBarCamp, and that includes what happens for sponsors. In short you won’t get:
- A sponsor’s booth,
- your product pimped out by the MC,
- naming rights of any kind,
- the right to hand out your brochures to attendees,
- the right to demonstrate your product (unless it’s during an ‘official’ demo session),
- exclusive sponsorship.
Maximising your sponsorship
It might sound as though sponsoring REBarCamp is a questionable investment. Perhaps so, but there are ways to maximise your investment. Here are a few tips to make your investment pay off in spades.
- Be an active participant. Get involved with conversations and share ideas, even if it means endorsing a competitor’s products.
- Arrive early and stay for drinks. Some of the best networking opportunities occur during breaks and especially over drinks at the end of the day.
- Bring your business cards. No-one’s going to begrudge you handing out cards to people who ask for them.
- Respect REBarCamp values. The worst sponsorship backfires occur when sponsors try to sell their product with demonstrations or push brochures on attendees. Trust us when we say that attendees will appreciate your insights and contribution, not your product pitch.
- Have fun. REBarCamp is a place where agents can learn from one another in a safe, supportive environment but it’s also a place where people can have a laugh with colleagues. Join in the fun and make the day memorable.