People flock to the exhibit hall Tuesday evening to talk with convention sponsors about their products in a quieter, less chaotic setting.
Braille Monitor April 2006
by Jerry Lazarus
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People flock to the exhibit hall Tuesday evening to talk with convention sponsors about their products in a quieter, less chaotic setting. |
From the Editor:
Jerry Lazarus is the director of special projects at the NFB Jernigan Institute.
Convention exhibitors interested in the increased visibility and opportunities
to contact potential customers that becoming a convention sponsor will provide
should read the following article carefully. This is what he says:
By now most of our previous exhibitors have received the national convention
exhibitor packet, including the invitation letter, exhibitor application, fact
sheet, guidelines, sponsorship opportunities, sponsor signup form, and preconvention
registration forms for the 2006 convention at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas,
Texas.
We would like to call your attention to the sponsorship opportunities available. The amount of visibility and recognition an exhibitor can receive by becoming a sponsor at the 2006 NFB convention will make the investment truly worthwhile.
The following are some
highlights and associated benefits of participating as a sponsor. The top-level
sponsor will be known as the Title 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 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 ad will be placed on the National
Federation of the Blind Web site for thirty days, in addition to links direct
to your Web site from the NFB Web-placed ad.
Additional benefits are available for all sponsors. Read on.
The exhibit hall will be open for a special evening dedicated to sponsors of
the convention only. This includes all the categories: Title, Platinum, Gold,
Silver, and Exhibit Hall sponsors. On Tuesday evening, July 4, the exhibit hall
will reopen from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. for these exhibitors only. (Exhibitors that
have purchased table space only 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
for sponsors that would like to make announcements about their products or to
offer special deals to those in attendance.
In addition, we invite you to submit an article to our online publication, Voice
of the Nation�s Blind.
The following breakdown provides specific details on each of the levels of sponsorship. Please read through the merits associated with each of the sponsorships and choose the one that best suits your desired level of recognition.
Title Sponsorship, $25,000
Platinum Sponsorship, $15,000
· Fifteen complimentary convention
registrations
· Opportunity to address general session on Tuesday, July 4
· Fifteen places at the community partnership breakfast on Wednesday,
July 5
· Fifteen places and special recognition at the NFB banquet, Thursday
evening, July 6; estimated attendance at the banquet more than 2,500
· Two tables in the exhibit hall (prominent location)
· Signage on two walls in exhibit hall
· Use of exhibit hall (by sponsors only) on Tuesday evening from 7:00
to 10:00 p.m. for their invited guests, as well as convention attendees. Use
of the exhibit hall sound system for announcements and special promotions will
be allowed during this period only.
· Special listing in convention agenda mentioning the sponsors and their
use of the hall on Tuesday evening
· Name and logo featured on stage banner
· One full-page ad in the convention agenda
· Listing on NFB Web site under Exhibitors at National Convention, with
a direct link to the Platinum Sponsor�s Web site
· Opportunity to write an article to be published in the NFB online publication,
Voice of the Nation�s Blind, with appropriate direct links
Gold Sponsorship, $10,000
Silver Sponsorship, $5,000
Exhibit Hall Sponsorship, $2,500
For more information about signing up as a sponsor for the convention, review the information that came in your convention packet, read the documents available on our Web site under National Convention, or contact Jerry L. Lazarus, director of special projects, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230; (410) 659-9314, extension 2297; email <[email protected]>, <www.nfb.org>.