CPU's LAN Party Checklist. - TRENDnet

produc ts, services, or monies In
exchange for so methin g that will
in crease their own busin ess or brand
awareness. Sponsors ca n help ease so me
of the financial burden of paying for a
LAN party, but usually only indirecdy.
"[These days], 1 JUSt uy to get a certain
level of prizes [from our sponsorsl
so Ollr attend ees have something to
loo k forward to," says Kreikemeier,
which is a senrimem repeated by everyone
we spoke with, and which jives
with our personal experiences.
[s it possible to ge l a direct financial
co ntribution from a sponsor to
help out with costs? Well, anything is
possible, but such gifts are extremely
rare, espec ially today. "Large r eve nrs
may requ est a (s ponso rship) fee, says
Zak Wood, director of global marketin
g a t Trendne[ , which sponsors
dozens of LAN parries and ga ming
conventions eve ry year. "Th ey' ll se ll
sponsorship levels, ran gin g from
$3,000 to $10,000, and we generally
stay away from thar.
"Generall y, we're happy to send items
for prizes and swag, though we have also
had peo ple borrow equipmenr [for a
LAN party]' too."
When asked what he thinks TrendNet
ge ts out of sponsoring LAN panies,
"Xfood says, "That is a very good question.
Nerworking isn't a field you'd think
would want to sponsor a LAN Party.
lVlainly, we do it to capture the attention
of ea rl y adopters, and we think LA
party fOlks are the early adopters we're
looking for. "
\'il/ood might be on to so mething, as
Kreikemeier rold us stories of attendees
winning items they never knew ex isted
but ca me away impressed with once
they were opened and played with.
Requirements for sponsorship, at
least from TrendNet, are n' t insut:­
mountable. "The screening is prelty
simple: Anything above 50 [attendees] is
likely ro ge t sponsorship," says Wood.
"[LAN parties] wi th fewer [a ttendeesl
ha ve less of a sponsorship chance.
Actually, we es tablish co ntact with
maybe 70% of the eve nts we sponso r. "
Now, we don't expect you
to fill a venue as large as
DreamHack's for your first
LAN party, but doing your
homework about a
potential venue is vital.
You should be realistic
about the space and power
requirements of your LAN
when finding a venue.
(PlJOto courtesy of
Taffe/ginkgo via
Wikimedia Commons)
Regarding other requirements, Wood
says, "We require proof that the [Trend­
Ncr] logo is posted on the LAN party's
Web site before sruffgets shipped out. And
following th e event, phoros and pictures
are appreciated , both of the event and of
prize winners."
We didn't ask Wood these questions so
that everyone reading this can hit up
T rend ncr for sponsorship bur rather [0 get
a sense of what you and your LAN pany
ca n offer a potential sponsor in exch:lI1ge
foe some of its products. Namely, if yo ur
event is large enough, it can present a good
opportunity to expose trendsetting users to
new equipment or brands. Getting prod­
UCtS [() offer as raffle prizes or co nrest prizes
is very possible and can help bring event
exc itement and attendance levels up.
Borrowing J sponsor's equipment for the
purpose of both running the event and
demonstrating its ab ilities and qualities is a
di st in ct possibility. But no matter what
their level of involvement may be, sponsors
expect you to actively promote the brand
and its products to attendees.
Contacting potentiaJ sponsors can feci a
little like asking someone on a date, but our
experience shows that taking a personal risk
when contacting sponsors out of the blue
yields berrn results than a relatively riskless
email or Web page form . Keeping in mind
that (he worst that ca n happen is that a
company politely telb you "no thanks," we
suggest the following tips when contacting
potential sponsors. First, ger yo ur act
together: Ha ve your LAN pany's \,\feb site
up and running and make sure it works
fine and looks good. Second, make a
phone ca ll to a potential sponsor and ask
to speak wi th so mcone in public rebtiuns,
gamer relati()1lS (if ir's a company
that sells gaming products), or marketing.
Third, po litdy ~Llld clearly identify
who you are, what your ('vent is, and
what you would lik in the form of sponsorshi
p (items to rarne or ofleI' as prizes,
items to borrow or demo at your event,
or, if YOll ' re fee ling lucky, funding).
Fourth, expLain what benefIts a sponsor
would enj oy by helping you. And, finally,
regardless of their response, thank
them fo r their Lime, leave your contact
info and \'Vcb site address, and ask them
if yo u can contact theln fo r a futllrc
event. 'They co uld very well moni tO r
yo ur event's \X/eb site after the bct to
determine if you 're worthy of spo nsorship
in the fllIurc.
Experience Counts,
But It Isn't Everything
We know rhis can all seem daunring,
so we ha ve one more tip: If you can parrner
up with someone who has fi nanced,
planned, or even just helped with aLAi
party before, do it. IVlisery may love
company, but stress loves partnershi ps.
Srill , there have been plenty of successful
L.AN parties started by inexperienced
individuals, and you really can do it, too.
I.et liS know how it goes. A
by Warren Ernst