Obtaining Sponsorship
IEEE organizational units (OUs) can provide sponsorship to conferences by contributing in the conference’s technical program and sometimes through financial investment.
Conference sponsors are the organizations responsible for the financial, technical, publicity, and administrative running of the conference.
At least one sponsor of an IEEE conference must be an IEEE organizational unit or an IEEE society, region, section, chapter, council, or committee. Not-for-profit, non-IEEE entities (association, society, university, etc.) may also serve as sponsors of IEEE conferences.
Most successful conferences are based on the strong cooperation of more than one IEEE organizational unit, such as technical/professional and geographic units. The earlier these units are involved in the conference, the better. These arrangements must be made before the selection of the conference location.
When considering conference sponsorship, be sure to review and follow all regulations provided in IEEE Policies Section 10 – Meetings, Conferences, Symposia and Expositions.
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Types of Sponsors
Conferences can have financial or technical sponsors.
- Financial sponsors have financial responsibility for the conference, including bank accounts, contracts, deficits, surplus, and other financial obligations.
- Technical sponsors do not have financial responsibility. They actively participate in the conference technical-program committee, but accept no financial or legal liability for the conference.
Depending on whether the IEEE organization has financial or technical sponsorship, you can have:
- Sole sponsorship
- Co-sponsorship
- Technical co-sponsorship
Sole Sponsorship
In a sole sponsorship, one IEEE OU has complete responsibility for the financial, technical, publicity, and administrative running of the conference. In a sole sponsorship, the rights to the conference name, slogan, copyright for publications, and/or logo are owned by IEEE.
The sole sponsor:
- Approves the conference
- Receives the entire portion of the surplus, or is liable for the deficit resulting from a conference
- Is responsible for assuring the timely resolution of any legal issues
- Is responsible for issuing any loans that the conference might need, and assuring subsequent repayment
- Is responsible for oversight of the scope of the conference and managing the technical program
- Requires specific approvals from IEEE
Co-Sponsorship
In a co-sponsorship, an IEEE organizational unit shares significant responsibility for the financial, technical, publicity, and administrative running of the conference. All sponsors agree to the terms of sponsorship and conference details through the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The IEEE co-sponsor:
- Approves the conference
- Receives a portion of the surplus, or is liable for a portion of the deficit resulting from a conference
- Is responsible for assuring the timely resolution of any legal issues
- Is responsible for issuing any loans that the conference might need, and assuring subsequent repayment
- Is responsible for oversight of the scope of the conference and managing the technical program
- Requires specific approvals from IEEE
- Can use the IEEE logo in all conference publications and announcements
Technical Co-Sponsorship
An IEEE organizational unit has direct and substantial involvement in the development, organization, and running of the technical program, but no financial involvement in the conference. The relationship between sponsoring organizations shall be explicitly defined in terms of an MOU.
The IEEE technical co-sponsor:
- Is responsible for defining the scope of the conference and managing the technical program, including oversight of the program development and review process and participating in peer reviews
- Requires specific approvals as indicated in IEEE Policy 10.1.4.
Non-Sponsor Support
Organizations can support an IEEE conference in ways other than sponsorships, including as:
- Partners
- Contributors
- Patrons
- Supporters
- Publicity
- Keynotes
- Exhibitors
This support can take the form of direct grants, paid advertising in the event program, services provided in exchange for brand exposure, underwriting a specific activity (breaks, lunch, etc.), and providing attendee gifts, among other ways. Get creative and get more engagement.
These supporters should be noted separately on the conference materials and website to distinguish them from financial and technical sponsors.
Suggested Courses
We recommend the following courses in the IEEE Center for Leadership Excellence (CLE). First, use your IEEE Account to log in to the CLE and then click the View Course link to go directly to the recommended course.
Conference Sponsorship Overview
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