REPLAY
FIND A SPONSOR FOR YOUR EXHIBITION
Please notice that this workshop is only available in French.
If you want to discuss this topic with the art expert Annelise Stern, you can register to a one-to-one session: click here
Convince a partner to believe in your art project and help fund it.
Discover why sponsorship is an exchange of value. Learn to position yourself as an artist with valuable assets to offer your image, network and content, and build a compelling partnership proposal in this two-hour online workshop by our art expert Annelise Stern.
2 hours in French - 55 euros
UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF A SPONSOR
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Sponsors, patrons, media partners and collector-financiers: four different models, each requiring a different approach.
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What brands and businesses really seek: brand image, content, access to an audience, corporate social responsibility, tax benefits through cultural patronage under France’s Aillagon Law, and product storytelling.
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Relevant sponsors for an exhibition: luxury brands, wine and spirits companies, private banks, corporate foundations, hotels and lifestyle brands.
THE INGREDIENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE SPONSORSHIP PROPOSAL
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The difference between a press kit and a partnership proposal.
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What a decision-maker looks for in the first 90 seconds.
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The principle of mutual benefit: what you can offer in return, including visibility, naming rights, events, content and VIP access.
IDENTIFYING AND QUALIFYING SPONSORS
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Build a shortlist of potential sponsors aligned with your exhibition’s artistic world.
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Identify the right person to contact.
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Prioritise prospects based on brand fit, likely budget and previous support for the arts.
BUILDING YOUR PARTNERSHIP PROPOSAL
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Structure your proposal: opening hook, introduction to the exhibition and artist, projected reach through press coverage, attendance and social media, tiered sponsorship benefits (gold, silver, bronze or bespoke) and contact details.
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Tailor your proposal to each prospective sponsor.
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Use storytelling to explain why this exhibition, why now and why this brand.
MAKING CONTACT AND DELIVERING YOUR PITCH
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Approach prospects through introductory emails, LinkedIn, your network and referrals.
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Structure an initial meeting: listen to the brand’s objectives before presenting your proposal.
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Anticipate common objections.
NEGOTIATING AND FORMALISING YOUR PITCH
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Understand the essentials of a sponsorship or patronage agreement: mutual commitments, timelines, budget and agreed visibility.
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Explore the differences between in-kind and financial support.
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Get an overview of the French tax framework for corporate patronage.
BUILDING A COHERENT SPONSORSHIP STRATEGY
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Develop a pipeline of partners across several exhibitions.
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Maintain relationships after the exhibition through reporting, thank-you messages and renewal discussions.
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Avoid mistakes that put sponsors off: vague proposals, poor follow-up and unfulfilled commitments.
ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS
Book a private session with our art expert Annelise Stern to find sponsors for your exhibition.