Forum Discussion
What's new with event sponsors?
Are there new sponsors / companies in the Community Days community looking for events to engage with?
Are event producers doing anything new and interesting at events to engage with or give opportunities to sponsors?
Do sponsors have suggestions on new ways to engage with event attendees?
Has anyone had success with companies looking to hire as event sponsors? For example, typical event sponsors are service or product providers. I'm wondering if local companies looking for M365 (for example) experts, admins, developers, etc. have had success as event sponsors. Sponsorship levels to have a table and presence at an event are usually much lower than referral or head-hunter fees... (Maybe this is a separate thread...)
https://communitydays.org/event/2026-09-18/m365-twin-cities is getting ready to launch its Call for Sponsors. We're always looking for new and engaging ways to benefit both sponsors and attendees!
What have you found worked for your event? Or what (as a sponsor) was a great experience at an event?
Thanks!
2 Replies
Great questions! From what I've seen, attendees tend to respond best to sponsors that provide value rather than just promoting their products.
A few ideas that have worked well at community events include:
- Interactive booths with live demos, hands-on labs, or technical challenges instead of just giveaways.
- Sponsor-led "Ask the Expert" sessions where attendees can get advice on real-world problems.
- Resume reviews, career coaching, or mock interviews sponsored by companies that are actively hiring.
- Sponsored workshops or lightning talks that focus on education rather than sales.
- Passport or scavenger hunt activities that encourage attendees to visit multiple sponsor booths.
I also think companies that are hiring M365 professionals could be a good fit as sponsors. Compared to recruiter fees, sponsoring a Community Day can be a cost-effective way to meet experienced admins, developers, architects, and consultants face-to-face while also building their employer brand. As long as they're there to engage with the community—not just collect resumes—it can be a win for everyone.
Curious to hear what others have tried. Has anyone seen hiring-focused sponsors have strong success at Community Days or similar technical conferences?
We've found success at our events with the scavenger hunt (Vendor Bingo for us) concept, though we've also had vendors opt-out when they don't want to be bothered with it as it can sometimes disrupt from quality conversations.
We've been trying for years to see if vendors would be interested in the hiring aspect but haven't had anyone interested in that unfortunately. I agree it should be an effective way for folks to find quality hires for less than they pay recruiters or referrals. Right now, it's a buyer's market though...
