Is there a database of sponsorship opportunities?

Yes, but there are two main types. Marketplaces such as Anvara, OpenSponsorship, and Sponsor My Event list opportunities currently for sale. Listings include prices and can be filtered by market, category, and budget.

Intelligence databases such as SponsorUnited record historical sponsorship activity. SponsorPitch combines similar deal data with a live pitch marketplace, making it a hybrid rather than a pure research tool.

Neither type builds the shortlist for you. A database may return 200 results, but a useful shortlist has 8. The method below shows how to narrow the list in one afternoon.

What does the afternoon look like, block by block?

Three timed hours can produce a defensible shortlist. Without time limits, the work often expands without improving the decision.

What should a sponsorship brief contain? (30 minutes)

Write a one-page brief with five fields: audience, market, budget split, goal, and non-negotiables. Write it before reviewing properties so early results do not shape the criteria.

Separate the rights budget from activation before searching. Build the activation allowance from supplier quotes and the operating plan. For the illustrative $120,000 brief below, $54,000 is reserved for delivery and $66,000 for rights. That allocation is a planning assumption, not a universal spending ratio.

Non-negotiables often include sampling rights, category exclusivity, a minimum on-site footprint, and a date window. Each becomes a filter later in the process.

This brief may eliminate about two-thirds of the candidate list before any calls. A property is out if it lacks sampling rights, has sold category exclusivity to a competitor, or falls outside the date window. Defining these constraints early prevents wasted outreach.

Where do you find candidate properties? (60 minutes)

Aim to find 50 to 70 named properties in one hour. Draw from marketplace listings, municipal permit calendars, convention and visitors bureau schedules, and inbound decks. A broad search works because the next step applies strict filters.

Use four sources. Start with marketplace inventory filtered by market and price band because each result includes a package price. City parks and recreation permits can reveal less-promoted festivals. Convention and visitors bureau calendars, including Choose Chicago, Visit Austin, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp, and Visit Philadelphia, surface regional events. Your inbound decks may add another five to ten priced options.

Do not rely only on events you can recall. Well-known properties are easy to find, but regional properties may reach a similar audience at a lower price. How to find events to sponsor explains what each sourcing channel covers and misses.

Record four fields for each candidate: name, market, date, and either a published price or “price unknown.” Save detailed notes for later.

Which filters cut the list fastest? (45 minutes)

Apply four filters in this order to reduce a list of 60 candidates to about 12.

Budget band first. Compare each actual package with your rights budget after reserving the resources needed for activation. The September Anvara Sponsorship Price Index reports event-level entry and top-package benchmarks, not a single price band for every package. Keep options with unknown prices pending until the seller supplies a quote.

Date second. Keep candidates within the campaign window and check their actual approval and production deadlines. A short lead time may limit custom work, but there is no universal 90-day cutoff for every opportunity.

Market third. Define the audience geography and an operating radius the team can support. Check actual travel times and costs for each location. A regional event is not automatically cheaper or equivalent to a city event.

Category exclusivity fourth. Ask whether non-alcoholic beverage exclusivity is available for 2027 and when the incumbent's term ends. An unclear answer may indicate that a competitor still holds the category. Category exclusivity explains what the clause covers.

How should you rank what survives? (45 minutes)

Score the 12 survivors against five weighted criteria. Using numbers instead of adjectives keeps the comparison consistent.

Multiply each score by its weight, add the results, and sort the list. Keep the top 8 and hold positions 9 through 12 in reserve. A strong audience match may justify negotiating a high price. A low-priced property with a poor audience match should not advance.

Why is 8 the right number?

Eight properties are manageable for one person. Each requires an introduction, package request, price discussion, reference check, and contract review. At about three hours per property over six weeks, the work totals 24 hours.

A list of 40 would require about 120 hours. In practice, many properties would receive limited follow-up, and response speed could replace fit as the selection criterion.

Eight properties also provide negotiating leverage. Two comparable options in the same market and price range create a basis for comparison. Which events should I sponsor approaches the same decision from the budget side.