Budget pressures are a constant challenge for many associations, with rising costs for venues, technology, and catering making it difficult to sustain high-quality events.
Recent data shows that 69% of association leaders identified budget constraints as a top concern, prompting them to negotiate venue contracts more aggressively, streamline agendas, and prioritise high-impact programming. At the same time, securing sponsorship and exhibitor revenue has become an essential strategy to offset costs and maintain relevance.
While the need for sponsorship is growing, the expectations of sponsors have also evolved.
Why Sponsorships Are Changing
For decades, sponsorships followed a simple formula: put your logo on banners, get mentioned in programs, and hand out branded swag to get audience engagement and attention.
Those days are over, but demand remains.
Since 2019, sponsorship spending has bounced back strongly, particularly in major sports and entertainment. The European Sponsorship Association reports that total sponsorship value grew by 6.6% in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic highs. But non-sport sectors, including many association events, are still playing catch-up. Companies have become significantly more selective about where they allocate their funds. Budgets may be growing, but they’re under much tighter scrutiny, forcing associations to prove their worth in new ways.
Meanwhile, ESG priorities have become central to decision-making in partnerships. Many organisations now set specific targets for sustainability, diversity, and social impact, partly driven by regulations like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This directive requires large companies to disclose how social and environmental issues impact their business, starting with data from 2024.
Brands need partnerships that visibly demonstrate progress on these types of commitments. Associations that build ESG principles into their sponsorship offerings have a clear advantage in this new landscape.
Digital transformation has also changed how sponsors measure and deliver value. Audiences now expect content on their terms, before, during, and after events, prompting sponsors to focus on channels that extend reach and deepen engagement. The need for exposure on multiple channels in personalised and authentic ways is a priority. Hybrid formats and on-demand content add even more value, generating richer data that helps sponsors prove their impact.
What Sponsors Want
Sponsors have become more intentional and selective about what they value in a partnership. While every organisation has unique goals, a few priorities consistently stand out:
- Purpose alignment. Sponsors expect partnerships to reflect their commitments to sustainability and social value. According to Lumency’s Global Sponsorship Trends 2025, social impact sponsorships grew by 21% last year, and content tied to causes delivered 33% more engagement than traditional campaigns. For many brands, these results have turned purpose alignment into a strategic priority that reinforces credibility with employees, customers, and investors.
- Proven return on investment. Recent research also shows that 78% of Chief Marketing Officers now prioritise ROI measurement for sponsorships, and 67% have implemented formal frameworks to track results. Sponsors want to see exactly how their support translates into measurable outcomes, such as audience engagement, brand awareness, and new business relationships.
- Meaningful engagement. Interactive activations are much more effective than static branding for building genuine relationships. These experiences foster positive emotional associations and deeper brand recall, as attendees actively engage rather than simply observe. This can include interactive exhibits, facilitated discussions, or contributing expertise through workshops and education sessions.
- Hybrid and digital integration. Organisations expect consistent event visibility across both in-person and online channels, including branded content in event apps, livestreamed sessions, and social media that extend their reach throughout the entire event cycle. Many sponsors even prefer options for ongoing engagement, such as newsletters, webinars, and ongoing campaigns.
One example that combines many of these priorities in action is PwC’s involvement in the 2024 World Energy Congress. As the event’s platinum sponsor, PwC hosted interactive sessions, sponsored the Future Energy Leaders programme, and facilitated discussions on just transition and climate strategy.
“One of the things that stood out for me is that there is no transition unless it’s a just transition,” said Emma Cox, Global Climate Leader at PwC. “Because otherwise we just won’t get the scale and speed that we need.”
Associations that build ESG principles into their sponsorship offerings have a clear advantage in this new landscape.
Digital transformation has also changed how sponsors measure and deliver value.
Sponsorship in Regulated Sectors
While many sectors are embracing more interactive and purpose-led partnerships, industries like life sciences and healthcare require particular care.
Associations and sponsors alike must navigate strict ethical frameworks designed to protect scientific integrity, prevent conflicts of interest, and ensure compliance with national or industry-specific codes. Clear policies and thoughtful engagement strategies help strike the right balance.
Considerations may include:
- Maintaining content independence. Educational programming remains under the full control of the association, with no influence from sponsors over speaker selection or session topics.
- Transparent disclosure. All sponsor relationships are clearly communicated in event materials and during relevant sessions, ensuring that any potential conflicts are openly addressed.
- Separation of education & promotion. Branding is limited to designated areas such as exhibit booths, sponsor slides, or networking lounges, never within accredited educational sessions.
- Appropriate hospitality. Meals, refreshments, and social functions should remain modest, clearly secondary to the scientific content, and in line with any applicable codes of conduct.
- Responsible speaker engagement. In some cases, sponsors may support travel or honoraria for speakers based on professional expertise, but this must align with applicable codes of practice.
Associations and sponsors must confirm local regulations and industry codes to ensure compliance. Common reference points include the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) or the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). Clear, well-communicated policies can help sponsors navigate these frameworks and contribute meaningfully.
How Associations Can Respond
Meeting these evolving expectations requires a transformation from transactional sponsorship sales to strategic partnership development.
This can include:
- Mapping sponsor expertise to member needs. Start by surveying your membership to identify specific skill gaps, emerging challenges, or areas where they’re seeking guidance. Then, research potential sponsors’ core competencies, recent innovations, and thought leadership topics. Look for natural intersections where a sponsor’s expertise directly addresses your members’ professional development needs. This alignment creates genuine value rather than forced promotional content.
- Developing content guidelines. Establish clear policies that preserve your association’s educational mission while creating meaningful opportunities for sponsor involvement. Define what types of content sponsors can contribute, how their expertise should be presented, and where commercial messaging is allowed. These boundaries protect your credibility while giving sponsors a framework for authentic participation.
- Designing interactive formats. Replace passive logo placements with engaging experiences that facilitate real connections. Structure sponsor involvement around problem-solving sessions, peer-to-peer learning, or hands-on skill development. Interactive workshops, facilitated roundtables, and collaborative case study discussions create lasting impressions and demonstrate clear value to both members and sponsors.
The IWA World Water Congress offers sponsors a range of opportunities, including Business Forum sessions and technical workshops, as well as branded networking lounges and year-round visibility in the association’s publications.
This combination helps sponsors position themselves as thought leaders while engaging directly with policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. As Morten Riis, Group Director at Grundfos, shared about their 2024 sponsorship: “The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition provided us with a unique opportunity to meet with a broad set of stakeholders, all super relevant when addressing the water agenda.”
By taking a more strategic and collaborative approach, associations can build sponsorship models that deliver real value for members, sponsors, and their own organisations.
Final Takeaway
At its heart, this evolution is about connection. It’s about helping sponsors feel like true partners in the association’s mission and giving members experiences that feel personal, inspiring, and worthwhile. When these partnerships share a common purpose and deliver clear results, everyone benefits – sponsors see their impact, members feel supported, and associations generate the sustainable revenue they need to grow.