How to Approach Sponsors for Make Music Vermont

Strategies for securing sponsorships that go beyond logo placement — offering real value to Vermont businesses and organizations.

Beyond Branding

While branding opportunities are the baseline expectation, most sponsors want measurable benefits. A logo on your website or poster is nice, but it rarely moves the needle for them. This guide covers what sponsors actually want and how to deliver it.

Sponsorship Opportunity Types

🏷️ Branding Opportunities (The Baseline)

Offer to feature sponsor logos on:

• Make Music Vermont website
• Event posters and signage
• Social media and newsletters
• Press releases and media campaigns
• Printed programs, postcards, vinyl banners, t-shirts

Vermont Tip: Small businesses often value local visibility more than large corporations. A logo on a downtown banner may mean more to a Randolph business than to a national chain.

👔 Employee Activations

What It Is: Special Make Music events at company headquarters or nearby locations that engage employees in music-making.

Why Sponsors Want This:

• Boosts employee morale and workplace satisfaction
• Provides team-building opportunities
• Shows employees the company cares about culture

Ideas:

• Concert in their lobby or parking lot
• Participatory music-making for employees (drum circle, sing-along)
• Showcase employee bands in a public concert
• Volunteer opportunities for employees at Make Music events

Vermont Application:

• King Arthur Flour, Cabot, or other Vermont employers with strong company culture
• Healthcare systems with multiple facilities
• Colleges and universities

Note: Employee activations work best when June 21st falls on a weekday.

🛍️ Concerts at Retail Locations

What It Is: Curate performances at sponsor's retail locations, making them musical destinations on June 21st.

Why Sponsors Want This:

• Drives foot traffic to their stores
• Creates positive brand associations
• Differentiates them from competitors

Challenges:

• Retail brands are picky about image alignment
• They want professional-quality performances
• Genre and style must match their brand positioning

Vermont Application:

• Co-ops and general stores (Buffalo Mountain, Hunger Mountain)
• Outdoor gear retailers
• Farm stands and local markets
• Downtown business districts

📸 Event Footage for Marketing

What It Is: Sponsors capture professional photos/video from Make Music events for their future marketing materials.

Why Sponsors Want This:

• High-quality, authentic content is expensive to produce
• Real community events feel more genuine than staged shoots
• Content can be used for years (one sponsor still uses photos from a decade-old event!)

Requirements:

• Visually interesting events in scenic locations
• Professional photographers/videographers (sponsor or you provides)
• Artist consent for image use in commercial campaigns

Vermont Application:

• Tourism-related businesses (ski areas, attractions)
• "Made in Vermont" brands wanting authentic imagery
• Local media outlets

🏛️ Government Relations Opportunities

What It Is: Sponsors seeking stronger relationships with local/state government officials can support Make Music as a way to demonstrate community investment.

Why Sponsors Want This:

• Highly regulated industries (utilities, telecoms, developers) benefit from government goodwill
• Supporting community events shows they care about the area
• Face time with officials at events builds relationships

How to Leverage:

• Include sponsor representatives at events with elected officials
• Let sponsor speak briefly at kick-off events featuring the mayor or governor
• Acknowledge sponsor support in proclamation ceremonies

Vermont Application:

• Utility companies (Green Mountain Power, Vermont Gas)
• Major employers seeking local goodwill
• Developers with projects requiring public approval

🎸 Product Integration Projects

What It Is: Special events featuring the sponsor's products in creative ways.

Examples from Other Cities:

• MINI Cooper turned a car into a mobile recording studio
• Hohner sponsored a massive melodica parade
• Pro audio and guitar companies featured products in free lessons and performances

Vermont Application:

• Local instrument makers or music gear companies
• Craft breweries (music + beer pairing events)
• Tech companies (electronic music or music tech demos)

Crafting Your Pitch

Know Your Prospect

What to Include in Your Proposal

1. Event overview — What is Make Music Day? What's the Vermont vision?
2. Audience reach — Expected participants, media coverage, social reach
3. Specific benefits — Tailored to their business needs
4. Sponsorship levels — Options at different investment amounts
5. Past success — Photos, testimonials, media clips from previous years
6. Clear ask — Specific dollar amount or in-kind contribution

Vermont-Specific Sponsor Targets

By Category

Local Employers

• Major employers in your chapter's area
• Companies with strong community ties

Music & Arts Adjacent

• Music stores and instrument retailers
• Recording studios
• Arts councils and foundations

Tourism & Hospitality

• Inns, hotels, restaurants
• Tourism boards and chambers of commerce
• Outdoor recreation companies

Food & Beverage

• Craft breweries and cideries
• Farm-to-table restaurants
• Local food producers

Media Partners

• Local radio stations
• Newspapers and magazines
• Event listing platforms

Tips for Success

1. Start conversations early — Budgets are set months in advance
2. Be flexible — Listen to what sponsors want and adapt your offerings
3. Deliver on promises — Document everything and share results
4. Build relationships — Multi-year sponsors are more valuable than one-time donors
5. Thank publicly — Recognition reinforces their investment