The Sponsorship Lab
Learn From Your Peers. Share What’s Working. Explore New Ideas.
One of the greatest benefits of the WSC® Municipal Sponsorship Summit is the opportunity to learn not only from our speakers, but from fellow municipal sponsorship professionals across Canada.
New for the 2027 Summit, The Sponsorship Lab is an interactive round table discussion session designed to create a more structured and impactful peer-to-peer learning and networking experience.
Throughout the session, delegates will have the opportunity to discuss some of the most relevant topics and challenges facing municipal sponsorship professionals today, share what is working within their own municipalities, ask questions, exchange ideas, and learn directly from the experiences of their peers.
How The Sponsorship Lab Works
The Sponsorship Lab will feature seven municipal sponsorship discussion topics, with multiple tables dedicated to each topic.
The 75-minute session will consist of three 20-minute discussion rounds. At the beginning of each round, delegates can choose the topic that interests them most and join the corresponding discussion table.
At the end of each round, delegates will rotate to a new table and select another topic, giving everyone the opportunity to participate in up to three different discussions throughout the session.
There are no presentations and no panels. Instead, each table is built around open conversation, idea sharing, questions, and real-world experiences from municipalities across Canada. Come prepared to share, ask questions, and leave with new ideas you can bring back to your municipality.
Choose your own conversation – 3 discussion rounds, 20 minutes each, and 7 topics to choose from.
Sponsorship Lab Topics
1. Outsourcing Sponsorship Sales vs. Managing In-House
Should sponsorship sales be managed internally, outsourced to a third-party agency, or delivered through a hybrid approach?
Discuss the benefits, challenges, and lessons learned from each model and hear how municipalities of different sizes are structuring their sponsorship programs to maximize revenue, efficiency, and long-term success.
2. The Future of Municipal Naming Rights in Canada
What does the future of municipal naming rights look like?
Explore emerging trends, new opportunities, and the evolving role of naming rights within Canadian municipalities. Share what your municipality is doing and hear how others are approaching naming rights.
3. Creating Modernized Sponsorship Packages
How can municipalities move beyond traditional gold, silver, and bronze sponsorship packages?
Discuss how municipalities are shifting toward customized sponsorship packages, more meaningful assets, and partnership opportunities built around sponsor objectives. Share what has worked for your municipality and explore how a more tailored approach can lead to stronger partnerships and better results.
4. Building Internal Buy-In for Municipal Sponsorship Programs
Securing sponsorships starts with securing support from within.
Discuss strategies for building internal buy-in across your organization, from senior leadership and frontline staff to Council and elected officials. Share experiences and explore ways to help internal stakeholders better understand their role in creating a successful sponsorship culture.
5. Best Practices for Discovery Calls
A successful sponsorship often begins with a great discovery call.
Discuss how to identify and approach prospective sponsors, conduct meaningful discovery conversations, and uncover what matters most to potential partners. Exchange best practices for identifying a sponsor's goals, objectives, target audience, and past sponsorship investments before developing a proposal.
6. How to Increase Community Impact Through Sponsorships
The best sponsorships create value not only for the sponsor, but for the entire community.
Share ideas and examples of how sponsorships can enhance community programs, improve public spaces, increase accessibility, and create more meaningful experiences for residents while continuing to deliver value to corporate partners.
7. How Should Municipalities Evaluate and Measure Sponsorship ROI?
How do you define success once a sponsorship is in place?
Discuss how municipalities are measuring sponsorship performance, demonstrating value to sponsors, and evaluating the return on their sponsorship programs. Share the metrics and reporting methods your organization uses and learn what other municipalities are tracking.