The Braille Monitor                                                                                                  April 2005

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A Word to Our Sponsors

by Jerry Lazarus

From the Editor: One very effective way for convention exhibitors to catch the attention of blind consumers is to become an NFB convention sponsor. In the following article Jerry Lazarus of our national staff describes the options available to would-be sponsors and the benefits accruing through each. This is what he says:

Attention national convention exhibitors: By now most of our previous exhibitors have received the national convention exhibitor packet that includes the invitation letter, application, fact sheet, guidelines, and sponsorship opportunities available for the 2005 convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

We would like to call your attention to the sponsorship opportunities available. This year we continue to break new ground in the amount of visibility and recognition an exhibitor can receive by becoming a sponsor at the NFB convention.

Sponsor banners on platform(Marc Maurer at podium)
People began to gather on the platform shortly before the opening of the 2004 convention.� The Sponsor banners can be clearly seen hanging from the front edge of the head table.� President Maurer stands at the podium

The top level this year is the Title Sponsor. Following are some highlights and associated benefits of participating as a sponsor. The sponsors that choose to involve themselves at this level will have an unparalleled opportunity to address the entire National Federation of the Blind assembly during the opening day of the general session. What better way to get your message across than to have the attention of all of our attendees? In addition, the Title Sponsor(s) will also select the featured speaker to address the community partnership breakfast. The first Title Sponsor to sign up will receive the entire back cover of our national convention program agenda for advertising. The second Title Sponsor to sign up will receive the inside back cover. A featured picture ad will be displayed on the National Federation of the Blind home page for thirty days, in addition to links direct to your Web site from our NFB Web site.

But additional benefits are available for all sponsors. We will open the exhibit hall for a special evening dedicated to sponsor level exhibitors only. This includes the various categories: Title, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Exhibit Hall. On Tuesday evening, July 5, the exhibit hall will reopen from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. for these exhibitors only. (Nonsponsor exhibitors will not be allowed to open during these special hours.) We encourage you to invite guests into the hall for special offers and demonstrations. During these hours the amplification system will be available to sponsors that would like to make announcements about their products or offer special deals to those in attendance. A submitted article can appear in our online publication, Voice of the Nation's Blind, that premiered in the fall of 2004.

The following breakdown provides specific details on each of the levels of sponsorship. Please read through the merits associated with each of these levels and choose the one that best suits your needs.

Title Sponsorship, $25,000

Platinum Sponsorship, $15,000

Gold Sponsorship, $10,000

Silver Sponsorship, $5,000

Exhibit Hall, $2,500

For more information about signing up as a sponsor for the convention, please review the information that came in your convention packet or contact Jerry L. Lazarus, director of special projects, Jernigan Institute, National Federation of the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, (410) 659-9314, extension 2297, email <[email protected]>.

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