Sponsorship Document

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Benefits of Sponsorship

There are many benefits to sponsoring a chapter of MPA, including:

• Participation in MPA provides exposure for sponsors among a highly qualified Microsoft Project audience.

• Long-term sponsorship of MPA creates a strong awareness for a company among local users of Microsoft Project.

• Each Chapter Sponsor is mentioned on their chapter’s web page on the MPA Global website (http://www.mpugphx.org), with links to their company websites.

  • The companies are grouped according to their sponsorship level (Gold is listed first, then Silver, then Bronze), and the size of the typeface may vary as well (Gold larger than Silver, etc.). (Note that differences in typeface may not be distinguishable in all Internet browsers.

• Sponsors may receive mention in chapter communications (meeting announcements, chapter e-mails to members, etc.). Although the format of chapter communications may vary, in general the following rules apply:

  • Sponsors are mentioned in a footer at the end of email messages, and are grouped according to their sponsorship level, with Gold Chapter Sponsors listed first, then Silver, and then Bronze.

  • The typeface size may vary according to sponsorship level. (This difference will not be noticeable to those who receive email as plain text.)

  • Besides the name of the company, the chapter board may choose to allow sponsor logos, and/or website addresses to appear. Gold Chapter Sponsors will get any of these benefits that are applicable; the benefits may decrease at lower sponsorship levels.

  • Sponsors’ names and logos may be featured on chapter invitations, fliers, and other printed or electronic marketing materials. All such materials will include the MPA Global logo and MPA Global co-sponsors logos first (at the top of the page or on the first page of a multi-page document). Local sponsors will be listed later in the document, usually at the end. Again typeface size and other features (logos, website addresses, etc.) will vary based on sponsorship level.

• Sponsors may provide marketing materials to be made available at chapter meetings. Such materials must adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Sponsor materials may not be directly distributed to attendees by handing them out or by placing them in chairs. Instead, materials should be placed on a table somewhere in the meeting room where interested parties may pick them up if they are interested. At the chapter board’s discretion, this may be the sign-in table or a separate table just for literature. Where there is adequate space, each sponsor may be given its own literature table, with Gold Chapter Sponsors given first priority, then Silver, and then Bronze.

  • All sponsor materials should be clearly labeled as such (for example, “XYZ Consulting, Silver Chapter Sponsor”) by means of a tent-card or other means.

  • Marketing materials may include literature, small giveaway items, etc. However, depending on the amount of space available, chapters reserve the right to limit the number of different pieces each sponsor may set out at each meeting.

• Sponsors are mentioned and thanked at the beginning of every chapter meeting, and attendees are instructed to visit the literature table(s) for more information on these companies.

• To gain added goodwill and publicity, all sponsors are also permitted to contribute prizes to be given away in the chapter’s usual comment card drawing at the end of each meeting. (Such prizes are considered promotional opportunities for the sponsor, and are not counted as support for the chapter, regardless of their monetary value.) Note that MPA strongly protects the privacy of its membership, and therefore, attendee contact information collected by MPA (from the sign-in sheet, comment cards, or elsewhere) will not be released to sponsors, and may not be used for sponsors’ marketing purposes.

• Sponsors may collect attendee contact information separately on a voluntary basis, such as asking for business cards in a fishbowl. It must be made clear to attendees that this information is being collected by a sponsor, and not by MPA itself. Sponsors may be allowed to conduct a giveaway at the meeting as a means of encouraging people to submit their contact information. Any such drawing must be coordinated in advance with the chapter officers. Due to scheduling considerations, the chapter officers may limit the number of sponsors who can conduct such a drawing at each meeting, or the number of prizes which may be awarded from each drawing, with priority given based on sponsorship level. The chapter officers also reserve the right to approve all door prizes in advance.