What do sponsors get for sponsoring?

What we give them is very simple, clear and typical for event sponsorship - there is value for each these things:

• Branding: Website (startupgrind.com/[city]), Event pages, Meetup, etc.
• Emails: Mentions in the emails (the newsletter tool makes adding sponsors very easy) throughout the event. If you are a SG Classic Chapter make sure to include them in Meetup Emails.
• Table/Banner: At the back of the event. Give them space at the back to put up their banner and setup to meet people.  
• Shout Out: Give them 60-seconds at the beginning of the event, after you get it started in the introduction, and let them talk about their product.  
• Thanks: Thank them at the end of the event and tell people to speak with them.

Additionally look for ways to personally help them and make strategic introductions to them. Maybe the speaker at the beginning of the event, or someone that you think should use their product. Be helpful to them and they will continue to pay (ie - send Lawyers clients that need legal help). 

Bonus Tip: Always sell in bulk - 3-6 events, or the rest of the year. This will make your life a lot easier. Even if they can't make it, they still pay because you market and promote them and talk about them.

Note: We never, ever, share databases or mailing lists with any 3rd parties, this includes sponsors and/or partners.

As a compromise, feel free to host a "business card" competition where the attendees put their business cards into a bowl at registration, you then do a lucky draw at the end of the event, where the sponsors that wants this data supplies a prize to the 1-2 lucky winners. You can then hand these business cards over to the sponsor who can then capture the data and do with it as they please ;)

Here is an example of sponsorship levels you can offer (please note, pricing/offerings should reflect your local market)