Over the summer, I took on a task. A pretty straightforward ask from a high-profile, very technical startup. Get a list of must-attend tech and VC events, and make a recommendation. Super easy — find the events that matter and figure out which ones the founders should care about and invest their investors’ money on.
As a media nerd, I knew that events are something media outlets love to run these days — and that they offer a sweet spot of brand credibility, built-in audience and the all-important journalistic halo effect. So I asked a dozen or so media organisations for their packages, as well as a few of the well-known startup/VC-focused event businesses, expecting smooth sales pitches and crisp decks with all the information I needed.
Instead, I hit a wall. The only media organiser that gave me an acceptable experience was Reuters. They answered my questions, sent me clear information, and kept follow-up emails to a reasonable number. Nothing flashy, but professional, efficient, and good enough that I could make a case to the startup. For balance, I also asked Web Summit and they were equally helpful but not technically a publishing house, so I was using them as a benchmark.
Everyone else? Like pulling teeth. Without the laughing gas.
The ask is simple
I’m not looking for Coca-Cola’s secret formula or your credit card PIN. I’m not asking for your shoe size. My ask was so painfully simple:
- What’s the cost?
- What do I get for that investment?
- What’s the ROI?
That’s all!
Generally speaking, if people are reaching out it’s because they know your event is important. We know your brand matters and it’s highly likely the right people will be in the room. Small anecdotes or data points on these help as it helps package the pitch for the decision-maker but ultimately, hard numbers and concrete deliverables speak louder than ecosystem fluff.
Sorry to be a cynic but a CEO (or worse, CFO) who is tangentially aware of your event doesn’t care about vibes or “community.” They care about cost versus ROI.
The pain points
So what was I punished with?
A chorus of “we’d love to set up a call to discuss options”. Translations: We’re hiding the price because it’ll make you wince. Sorry, I really don’t want to have a dozen or so 30 minute calls, but I’d really like the pricing up-front.
That was followed by an ocean of fluff instead of facts. “You’ll have exposure to leading investors.” Incredible! Do you have any anecdotes of promising startups or serious scale-ups acquiring capital after their partnership with you? Or did they just see their logo on a banner by the toilets?
Then came the endless follow-ups. My pithy, direct email fell into a week-long silence before being greeted with a vague answer which prompts another follow up. Multiply that by ten event organisers and suddenly my summer homework is Kafka-esque summer reading.
Remarkably, there was very little ROI framing. Very few decks gave me a clear way to explain the ROI to a time-poor, under pressure decision-maker. It’s galling to pitch a €50k sponsorship on the feels. That’s fine for buying a pair of shoes, not for this though.
The core of the events business is storytelling. But when it comes to selling their own events, it collapses into jargon and secrecy.
Why this matters
Look, this is absolutely a rant but there’s a bigger point here. Startups don’t have infinite budgets and resources are tight. Spend has to be justified, and tens of thousands on sponsorship need more than vibe.
When organizers can’t provide clarity, it wastes everyone’s time and damages brands. If you make buying from you hard, I’ll move on to someone else.
I love Reuters, but they’re not magically smarter than everyone else. They cleared the bar that few others could clear by answering basic questions.
Here’s the part where I hand you the answers, free of charge:
- Have a one-pager: Costs, deliverable, audience. Just the facts. If I can’t pitch it to a founder in under two minutes, you’re toast.
- Translate fluff into ROI. Sorry, but “Community” is not measurable. However, ten guaranteed investor meetings and two media mentions are.
- Make it easy to buy. Most inbound is from informed people and they’re not falling for your glossy photos, they are comparing numbers on a spreadsheet.
If Reuters and Web Summit can manage this, so can you.
So what now?
Marketing blurbs about igniting creativity and promoting connections are fine but tell me the cost and what I get. Otherwise it’s a moot point. Missions are important in startups but their spend is scrutinised by the board.
Help them with what matters first or you risk the impression that you’re just hosting an expensive party and hoping the right folks attend. It takes me three rounds of emails to understand the price, then I’m out.