Sponsorship:
Invitation and Guidelines
The Living Green Expo invites organizations
that support our objectives to join us in helping to produce this unique
community-oriented event.
Event sponsorship is a mutually beneficial partnership. Sponsorship
provides “green” businesses, organizations, products,
and services with enhanced visibility among those who attend the
Expo, as well as a much larger audience before and after the event.
At the same time, sponsors provide the cash and in-kind support necessary
for us to reach a growing audience and offer a quality event.
Who can be a sponsor?
 Sponsors can include companies whose products and operations have
significantly reduced environmental impacts, and move in the direction
of long-term
sustainability. Companies with a specific product line or service with
significantly reduced environmental impacts are also eligible, as long
as the sponsorship features that specific product or service. Government
or nonprofit organizations whose objectives are consistent with the
Living Green Expo are also invited. Sponsors must demonstrate
a commitment to the Living Green Expo's goals.
Sponsorship levels and benefits
Living Green Expo sponsors benefit in many ways, including the acknowledgement
of their commitment to a better environment and the association with
a widely publicized, positive, community-oriented event. Sponsors receive
benefits based on the amount and type of contribution
in the following categories:
 Presenting
sponsor
$10,000 or more in cash and/or in-kind contribution
- Listed most prominently (in alphabetical order with
logo) as a presenting sponsor in the program, event signage, brochure,
poster, print advertising, and web site
with description and link.
- Full-page ad in event program/Living Green
guide (half-page ad for in-kind contributions).
- Two free exhibit spaces in a prominent location (for
cash contributions only).
- Opportunities for special sponsor advertising rates
with media partners.
- Included as a featured sponsor in event press kit, with
suggested feature stories.
Major
sponsor
$5,000 to $9,999 in cash and/or in-kind contribution
- Listed prominently (in alphabetical order), with logo, as a major
sponsor in the program, event signage, brochure, poster, print advertising
(logo in larger-format
ads only), and web site with link.
- One free exhibit space in a prominent location (for cash contributions
only).
- Half-page ad in event program/Living Green guide (quarter-page ad for in-kind contributions).
- Opportunities for special sponsor advertising rates with media
partners.
Basic sponsor
$1,000 to $4,999 in cash and/or in-kind contribution
- Listed in alphabetical order as a sponsor in the program, brochure,
print advertising (larger format only), event signage, and web site.
- One free exhibit space for cash contributions of $3,500 or more ($2,000
for nonprofit organizations).
- Opportunities for special sponsor advertising rates with media
partners.
Media
partner
$10,000 or more in donated media services
Media partners provide in-kind assistance to help the Living Green Expo reach
its target audience: Minnesotans
who value a healthy, sustainable environment and who are interested and motivated
to take action for their families, communities, and the Earth. Media partners
receive the following
benefits:
- Listed prominently, with logo, as a media partner in the program,
event signage, brochure, poster, web site, and large-format advertising.
- One free exhibit
space in a prominent location.
Media outlets contributing less than $10,000 will be listed as a sponsor and
will receive the sponsor benefits consistent with the value of the donated media
services.
Additional sponsorship opportunities
Sponsors of the 2008 Expo can increase their visibility by providing additional support for specific aspects
of the event with a cash contribution. Sponsors of these areas
will be prominently acknowledged (including logo) in the event
program and in banners.
- Main Music Stage: $5,000
This stage will feature a variety of live music and entertainment
and is prominently located in the food court area. The stage will
be named and promoted as the "company/organization name
Stage."
- Children's Activity Area/Youth Passport: $3,500
Located in center of the busy main exhibit hall, this popular
area features activities for young children. For middle-school-aged children, a youth passport includes a scavenger-hunt style
educational activity that features a variety of Expo topics.
- Workshop Tent or Track: $2,500
Workshops are organized and scheduled by topic areas such
as energy, food, transportation and building. A sponsor may
choose to support a topic-specific workshop series. In 2008, the plan includes 48 workshops organized into 6 tracks.
Details of sponsor benefits
  Event print materials, site banners, and web site. Sponsor names will be featured
in all Living Green Expo-produced print materials, web site, and on at least
one large banner at the event. The prominence of the listing will increase as
sponsorship levels increase. The logos of presenting and major sponsors will
also be used in the publications and pieces below.
- Brochures and posters. 80,000 to 100,000 full-color print pieces
are distributed to targeted individuals through the network of event sponsors
and also placed
in public places such as libraries, recreation centers, cafes, and exhibiting
retail stores.
- Event program/Living Green guide. The event program is distributed
to all attendees and contains information about the event, living green tips,
and exhibitor and
workshop contact information. The program is designed to be used as a year-round
resource. Logos and ads in the program will be presented in black and white.
The 2007 Living Green Expo attracted 22,000 people.
- Web site. Sponsors will be listed on the About Us page of livinggreen.org
with a link to the sponsors' web sites. A description of the presenting
sponsor will accompany its logo and link. The site received 26,000 visits to during the week of the Expo.
Booth space. Booth spaces are 10' x 10' and are assigned by topic
areas. Major and presenting sponsors have the option to be assigned to the front
of the exhibit hall if they prefer.
Advertising. All large-format ads (5" x 8" or larger) placed by the
Living Green Expo will list all sponsors and include the logos of major and presenting
sponsors. As in 2007, print ads reaching hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans
will be placed in local print media.
Due to its popularity and community-service orientation, the Living Green Expo receives impressive coverage by local media. For example,
the 2007 event received over 20 million media impressions through radio, television,
and newspaper coverage. Highlights of the past few years include an hour-long call-in program on
FM 107 radio, television coverage on many stations' evening news and morning magazine shows, and the event has been frequently featured in the area's major newspapers.
In pitching story ideas for these media in 2008, the Living Green Expo will highlight
major and presenting sponsors by including descriptions and messages in the event
press packet.
Special
sponsor advertising packages. As in the past, the Living
Green Expo will work with media partners and others to offer sponsors additional opportunities for communicating your message at discounted rates.
Please indicate
on the attached sponsorship form if you are interested in more information
about these opportunities once they are finalized. Past media partners include Minnesota Public Radio, Minnesota Monthly magazine,
Plenty magazine, the Pioneer Press, KFAI Radio, and Cities 97 Radio.
In-kind and small cash contributions
In-kind contributions can include staff time (including overhead) for pre-event
planning such as event logistics and topic expertise, donation of equipment
or supplies for the event, promotional assistance time and expenses, and other
mutually agreed on in-kind or material contributions. Contributors of cash
or in-kind resources at any amount are welcomed and highly valued. All contributors
of $100 or more will be noted in the event program and web site.
General guidelines
All sponsors agree to help promote the event to their constituencies, members,
and customers through newsletters, mailings, e-mail communications, events,
flyer distributions, and other avenues. The Expo coordinating committee invites
and accepts sponsors based upon its interpretation of the criteria stated herein.
Sponsorship proposal and agreement
Organizations interested in sponsoring the 2008 Living Green Expo are invited
to complete the online
Sponsorship
Proposal and Agreement.
After January 15, 2008, the Living Green Expo cannot guarantee all of the sponsorship benefits described above (listing in publications, etc.). However, we will make every attempt to include sponsors in publications and provide other benefits based on when the sponsorship proposal was received. The deadline for ensuring on-site and program benefits is March 15, 2008.
For more information
Jeff Ledermann
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Rd N, St. Paul, MN 55155
jeff.ledermann@pca.state.mn.us
651-215-0236 phone
651-215-0246 fax
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Sponsors: 2008
Sponsorship levels & opportunities