ESR

480+ corporate events · 5 years

Sponsorship Activation for Brands and Sports Events

Turn the rights you paid for into a sponsorship activation that fans and guests play, in your colors, run by our operators. When the event ends, you get numbers for the renewal talk.

A visitor races in a sponsor-branded cockpit on a trade show floor

Sponsorship rights vs. sponsorship activation

A logo on a banner gets a glance. A game with your name on it gets a few minutes of a guest's full attention.

Sponsorship gives you the right to be at the event. Activation is what people actually do in your space. A sports activation works because fans already know the rules: kick for the goal, swing for the fence, post the best lap. Nobody needs a speech.

Face time also builds trust. In a Freeman study, 77% of people said they trust a brand more after meeting it face-to-face at a live event.

We bring stations built for that: a soccer simulator with live scoring, VR Baseball, VR Hockey, VR Soccer and racing cockpits. If you run a team or a league, our page on fan activations for sports teams and leagues covers the fan side.

A guest steps onto the surf station at an outdoor company event

Work for the sponsor and for the organizer

You get a sponsor zone that runs itself on the day.

We own the stations and staff them, so planning and running sit with one crew. A sponsor brand books us to bring its space to life. An event organizer books us to create a zone it can offer sponsors, such as a branded networking area or a leaderboard with a sponsor's name on top.

Get a quote
Guests try racing simulators at a corporate event

What your sponsor zone includes

Everything a guest sees and touches in your space comes from one booking.

  • A playable station.

    Soccer, VR sports, racing, surf or flight, picked to fit the event's crowd.

  • Sponsor graphics.

    Panels, seats, screen content and the leaderboard carry your colors. See how event branding works on each station.

    Event branding
  • Operators.

    They invite people in, explain the game and keep the line short.

  • A visible leaderboard.

    The ranking keeps guests near your logo between turns.

  • Setup and removal.

    We build before doors open and clear the space after.

  • Results after the event.

    Final standings, and contact counts when you capture contacts.

Two players try VR soccer side by side outdoors

What sets the price

You'll know the cost of the activation before you sign, and the quote takes minutes. Each sponsor zone gets its own quote.

  • The stations and how many.
  • Event days and hours.
  • The city and venue access.
  • Branding on stations and screens.
  • Staff count and contact capture.
  • Extra screens, AV or prizes.
How we build a quote

Sponsor-style activations we've run

Each of these events put a brand in the middle of a game people wanted to win.

A branded racing cockpit and a leaderboard screen at a fintech trade show booth
Trade show

Branded Racing Simulator for i2c at FinovateFall, New York

i2c paid for a presence at a crowded fintech show and needed people to stop. Our racing station at FinovateFall carried i2c colors and a top prize. Visitors came back to beat their own times. Over 3 show days, booth staff saved about 51 scanned contacts from outside visitors.

New York, NY

Photos from sponsor zones

Here's how a branded station looks with a crowd around it.

  • A fastest-lap board with a top prize at a show booth
  • A soccer simulator wrapped in a sponsor's colors
  • A fan swings at a VR baseball station in a fan zone
  • A leaderboard screen with a sponsor color band above the rankings

Insurance and venue rules

The venue and the rights holder get our paperwork before load-in, so your zone opens with the event.

Stadiums, arenas and convention halls each have their own vendor rules. We send insurance documents to venues and organizers on request. For a corporate tower, we met the building's insurance requirements before event day. Send us the vendor guide from the rights holder, and we'll work through it with you.

Where sponsor activations lose value

A sponsor zone goes quiet for a few predictable reasons. Here's each one and what we do instead.

  • Logo only. Signage alone blends into the other sponsors. A game gives people a reason to stop at yours.
  • A game nobody understands. Long rules empty the line. We pick formats fans already know.
  • No staff at the station. Equipment without a host sits idle. Our operators stay all day.
  • No ranking. Without a leaderboard, guests play once. With one, they come back and bring friends.

How we run your activation

You'll know who does what from the first call to the final numbers.

  1. Step 1: You share the deal

    • The event, dates, your rights and the space you have.
  2. Step 2: We pick the stations

    • A format that fits the crowd and the footprint.
  3. Step 3: You get a quote

    • Stations, hours, staff and branding, all listed.
  4. Step 4: We produce the graphics

    • Your files go onto panels, screens and the leaderboard.
  5. Step 5: We clear the venue

    • Vendor rules, power, access and insurance.
  6. Step 6: We build and test

    • Every station is ready before doors open.
  7. Step 7: We run it

    • Operators host guests and update the board.
  8. Step 8: We send results

    • Standings, counts and photos.
Our operator welcomes a guest to a sponsor-branded station

Who works your zone

  • Event lead. Works with you and the rights holder on layout, timing and rules, then runs the day.
  • Operators. Host each station, explain the game and keep score. At the summer social, four operators ran five stations.
  • AV technician. Handles music, announcements and screens.
  • Your contact for graphics. Collects your artwork and checks proofs with you before anything goes to print.

You won't need to staff the station yourself.

Sponsor activations nationwide

Your event can be in any state, and the same crew travels to it.

Two bases

Los Angeles and Orlando

West CoastEast CoastNationwide

We have two bases, Los Angeles and Orlando, and work across the U.S. We plan transport, setup and the crew together. We've delivered events in New York and Morrisville, North Carolina. Florida and the East Coast are a working region for us, and our Orlando office and warehouse sit at 310 N Orange Ave.

Orlando office: 310 N Orange Ave, STE. 201, Orlando, FL 32801

Questions

Are you a sports marketing agency?

We're an event company with our own interactive stations. We build and run the on-site part of a sports sponsorship: the station, the branding, the staff and the results. Tell us about the rights you hold, and we'll plan the space.

Can you help with corporate sponsorship for events we organize?

Yes. We can create a branded station or networking zone that you include in your corporate event sponsorship packages. The sponsor gets its name on the station and the leaderboard.

Can the sponsor collect contacts?

Yes, with selected stations. We agree the tool and guest consent with you before the event.

What are some sports sponsorship activation ideas?

A penalty-kick contest on the soccer simulator, a home run challenge in VR Baseball, VR Hockey or VR Soccer for one or two players, and a fastest-lap race with the sponsor's name on top of the leaderboard. Surf fits beach and summer themes.

How is this different from your brand activations?

A sponsorship gives you rights inside someone else's event. Our brand activations page covers events you run yourself.

Tell us about your sponsorship

Send the event, the dates and the space you have. We'll suggest stations and reply with a quote right away. Tell us the event type, date, city, expected attendance and budget. Add your sponsor level or space size if you know it. Or call +1 213 912 1010