Research confirms that consumers are spending more and more time on mobile devices. One metric states that the average person checks their phone 150 times a day! These numbers don't change for an attendee at your event.

According to geomarketing.com,

• Time on mobile is mostly app time. People are spending an average of 3:23 hrs per day in apps, and only 50 minutes on the mobile web.
• Nearly 75 percent of US adults will use a smartphone in 2017, as market penetration continues to increase.
• Smartphone users spend approximately 10 percent of their time, over 20 minutes per day, on mobile social media.

With an outstanding mobile event app, the possibilities to increase member engagement are limitless and an easy source to generate new revenue - see our e-guide 5 Mobile Trends Associations Must Try in 2018 for more details. Sponsors understand this new market trend and are looking to associations to provide more bang for their buck.

Here are 3 easy ways to sweeten a sponsorship package deal with your mobile app.

1. Gamification

Events are a wonderful way to establish and build loyalty. Participating in an app game may be perceived as something an attendee is just doing simply for fun but in actuality when you ask an attendee to play a game in exchange for a reward and then follow through with that reward, you are establishing that you keep your brand integrity.

For example, create a simple QR-code scavenger hunt by hiding numerous QR codes throughout your venue and players need to collect them all to win a prize. This simple game could be used to benefit sponsors by:

• Creating more foot traffic throughout your exhibit hall and directly to the sponsors' booths. The badges could be scanned to collect points, or a specific action could to be performed in order for the participant's badge to be scanned.
• A sponsor could provide prizes for those who complete the game and an even larger prize through a drawing that all the participants who successfully complete the game are automatically entered into.
• The entire game itself could be sponsored by a single company.

Bonus tip - provide app analytics that will be invaluable to your sponsors!

2. Push Notifications

Push notifications boost mobile app engagement and can be used year-round. They also have a higher read rate than emails. When used strategically and crafted with the end user in mind, the value to sponsors can be extremly high. By communicating with the member directly, the sponsor has the opportunity to invite members to engage with their organization - just by looking at their mobile phones. PLUS, you can allow the sponsors to target specific members groups with a push notification for a more targeted marketing campaign. Creative approaches include:

• Send a notice about a special offer
• Visit their booth to receive a discount or prize
• Participate in a survey or a research study
• Follow their Twitter or Facebook account (providing hashtags are a plus)
• Make important announcements like a new product launch
• Announce a specific session or event to attendees

3. Polls

Sponsor created polls engage users and provides insights and feedback from event attendees in real time. It's a way for a sponsor to get valuable data that can be an asset long after the event is over. The possibilities for polling are endless! Whether it be a quick quiz, a survey, or asking your users to submit their contact information, polling gives sponsors a convenient way to collect data from a very targeted audience that would normally be more expensive and difficult to get.

Sponsors have normally relied on logos, ads in program books and brochures to promote their products or services. These forms of advertising are dated and expensive. Technology through your mobile event app can change the way sponsors promote their brands at your events. The revenue you generate from sponsors helps to fund your app costs and the sponsors are gaining new ways to incorporate their brand into your events by literally putting their brand in the hands of your attendees in an easier and less expensive format.

Mobile is all about personal interaction. When creating new sponsorship benefits, keep your membership in mind and offer new ways for sponsors to engage with your audience! After all, their goal is to make a good impression with your market.