Event Sponsorship Sales: Opportunities in a Changing Market

Event sponsorship sales has always been dynamic, and today, the landscape is evolving in different ways for different people.

After speaking with sponsorship sales professionals across the events industry this week, one thing became clear: the challenges in B2B sponsorship are diverse, but they also present opportunities for growth and improvement. What’s difficult for one person selling conference sponsorship revenue may look completely different for another – highlighting the need for tailored strategies.

To understand where the greatest opportunities lie, I ran a poll asking:

What’s the biggest challenge in sponsorship sales right now?

The results offer valuable insights for anyone responsible for event revenue, sponsorship strategy, or managing sales teams.

Key Findings from the Poll

The poll revealed a variety of pressures that sponsorship professionals experience:

• 43% identified unrealistic targets as their main challenge

• 39% highlighted getting sponsorship budgets signed off

• Smaller percentages pointed to opening new doors and longer sales cycles

Rather than reflecting a lack of effort, these results point to structural shifts in the market — and where smart adjustments can unlock new opportunities.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Understanding B2B sponsorship today means recognising that sponsors are more careful with budgets, approvals take longer, and targets need to reflect market realities.

This is an opportunity to:

• Build stronger, evidence-based sponsorship proposals

• Help sponsors articulate ROI internally

• Develop sales strategies that align with today’s buying behaviour

By approaching these challenges strategically, event sponsorship sales teams can work more efficiently and see measurable results.

Why Adjusting Targets Matters

Targets should inspire and guide, not create unnecessary pressure. When nearly half of sales professionals see unrealistic targets as a challenge, it’s a chance for hiring managers to realign goals with current market conditions, ensuring teams can focus on quality relationships and revenue growth rather than just volume.

Using Tech to Support Sales

B2B events companies are leveraging AI and event technology to streamline sponsorship sales, making them smarter, faster, and more measurable. AI-driven analytics can help teams identify best-fit sponsors, prioritise high-value opportunities, and build data-backed proposals. Automation can speed up data collection, pitch decks, sponsorship packages, and post-event ROI reports.

AI is being introduced to b2b events businesses for smarter matchmaking, richer engagement data, and faster post-event insights – showing sponsors the real value of their investment. Tools like Gong optimise messaging and deal strategy by analysing conversations, while Attio tracks relationships and engagement in a flexible, sponsor-focused CRM.

When looking at targets, companies could consider supporting their sales team by investing in these technologies, integrating data across workflows, and enabling automation. This approach turns sponsorship sales from intuition-led outreach into insight-driven, scalable processes – helping teams hit targets with confidence and efficiency.

Supporting Budget Approvals

Securing internal sponsor buy-in is now a key part of the sponsorship process. Sales teams succeed when they have:

• Clear ROI narratives

• Outcome-focused proposals

• Case studies and examples that demonstrate measurable impact

By giving teams the tools to support sponsors, event organisers can accelerate approvals and strengthen relationships, turning a potential obstacle into a competitive advantage.

Actions for Leaders to Maximise Performance

The poll highlights actionable steps for leaders:

1. Rebuild targets around reality – ensure goals reflect market conditions and are reviewed regularly

2. Equip teams to win budget approval – provide resources, data, and storytelling tools to make internal sponsor buy-in easier

3. Embrace longer sales cycles as standard – adjust forecasting and team support to match today’s B2B decision-making timelines

The Bigger Picture

This poll isn’t about challenges – it’s about clarity and opportunity. Sponsorship sales professionals are adapting to a changing market, and event organisers who introduce event tech, align targets, support sponsors, and modernise sales strategies will see stronger performance and growth.

For anyone working in sponsorship sales, these insights show that success is achievable with the right strategy, tools, and support. It’s not about personal failure; it’s about adapting processes and creating systems that work for today’s market.

Discover how JB Recruitment helps connect top commercial talent with world-class media and events organisations at www.jbrecruitment.co.uk.

About Jackson Barnes Recruitment

Jackson Barnes Recruitment delivers international recruitment solutions within the events, media, and publishing sectors. Jackson Barnes recruits Graduate to MD level in the following positions:

• Researcher
• Conference producer
• Event Marketing
• Sales – delegate, sponsorship & Business Development
• Event Manager
• Editor

We recruit for organisations in the UK and overseas, with success in London, Dubai, New York, Singapore and Australia.