In the 1980s, the concert industry was struggling to make a profit. One of the most successful ways this industry turned itself around was by creating sponsorships and corporate partnerships. Many associations are starting to play the same tune: They are increasing revenue by obtaining sponsors.

Audiovisual is one vital component of a meeting that associations are enhancing with the help of sponsors. It is important to partner with an audiovisual company that has a great deal of experience in this area and can help you come up with creative revenue-generating ideas.

Got a blank wall space? Sell it!

While attending a sales training program in Schaumburg, Ill., Presentation Services employees Julie Power, director of AV sales at the Sheraton Boston, and Ken Spalthoff, director of AV sales at the Sheraton New York, came up with an idea to help customers raise money.

"We've all come across clients who would love to have advanced audiovisual productions for their events, but fall short of having an appropriate budget. One idea is to sell wall space for company or product advertising," said Spalthoff.

They created a program through which clients can pitch sponsors who pay to get their names in lights in front of their group. The sponsor gets its company logo displayed using gobos on the walls of the general session room or event space during luncheons, dinners, or cocktail parties. (A gobo is a thin circular plate with holes cut in it to create patterns of projected light. They can be used to project a company's name or logo or to beam out a message.)

A great use of this marketing technique is for nonprofit organizations on shoestring budgets that want to wow attendees. The nonprofit reaches out to its biggest donors, or local businesses, to buy gobo advertising wall space at $500 to $1,000 each. A good AV partner can help the client market to potential sponsors by providing digital photos of gobo advertising examples that the client can e-mail to illustrate the concept.

"By using this selling technique you're generating the needed funds to make the event a memorable one. Best of all, everybody wins because the client spends no additional money out of pocket and their clients promote themselves to a valuable audience that is often tough to reach," Spalthoff said.

Sponsors are important to any meeting or event because their support dollars provide meetings with better speakers, events, and greater impact - without charging attendees more. Sponsors are kept happy by promoting their name and services effectively throughout the meeting.

It is important to keep in mind that medical meetings have very strict rules in regard to sponsorship. For instance, although many pharmaceutical companies sponsor CME (continuing medical education) events, they are restricted from advertising their products or brand at the event. There are also Sarbanes-Oxley guidelines that must be abided by when planning medical meetings.

There are many other ways to use audiovisual to help increase revenue. The first step is to clearly define your objectives. Is your goal to impress, build morale, honor top achievers, and/or educate?

Digital Signage

Once they try digital signs, it's hard for savvy groups to go back to using static billboards, posters, or banners again. Digital signs are the way to go, presenting constantly changing, computer generated, full-motion video, graphics, text, and animation. Digital signage offers sponsors advertising opportunities at trade shows, in the lobbies of hotels, or convention centers. The signs can simply feature copy or advertisements that include messages and logos as well.

Plasmas displaying information on each sponsor can be placed strategically throughout the meeting area or in breakout rooms. Another creative idea is to position a plasma vertically on the speaker's podium with logos or advertisements of your sponsor's company or product. Video can be broadcast before the featured speaker with information on the sponsor of that programsegment.

The message in the room can conveniently be changed depending on the event or speaker without having to physically change the equipment. A message can be simply broadcast throughout a network.

Meeting Capture

The speakers you painstakingly selected for your conference were a great success. You invested a great deal of money on them. Although they will only speak once, it is possible to use Meeting Capture to record their complete presentation; audio, video, and PowerPoint. You can then distribute it on CD or stream it over the Web.

Then, to get more bang for your buck, you can sell ad space or promote sponsors by customizing the "skins" on the Digital Capture screen. (Skins are the layout page on which the viewer sees the recorded presentation. Each skin can be customized.) These can be sold or distributed to attendees and non-attendees and keep their message alive long after the meeting is over.

Internet Cafes

Offer advertising to sponsors on splash pages, class schedules, or silent auction pages.

Internet Advertising

Advertising for meeting sponsors can be included on attendees' schedules and session lists. Soon attendees will be able to watch the meeting from their hotel room via Internet hooked up to your meeting using WebTV. Sponsors of presentations and breakouts can be promoted on WebTV.

An association's Web site is also the perfect place to promote its next show and its sponsors - another opportunity to generate revenue.

Andrea Doyle is Convene's senior writer.

Convene's Innovative Meetings series is sponsored by PSAV and AVHQ. PSAV and AVHQ, part of the world's largest audiovisual and event technology company serving North America and Europe, will help provide revenue-generating solutions for your meeting, conference, or event. Call (888) 369-9761 to learn how to generate more revenue for your group or go to www.avhq.com.