Sponsorist is currently being re-designed and re-developed with new features and a new look. A handful of features (listed below) that were taken out of the MVP version of the site are currently being integrated in. These additions will help Sponsorist’s users easily share their sponsorships listings better, as well as provide a more streamlined experience for all users of the site. Additional press and partnerships are in the works as well. New features include:

• Social login using Twitter and Facebook
• Profile pages for all users
• Geolocation tagging for sponsorship and event locations
• Advanced social sharing through Facebook, Twitter and more
• A revised nonprofit component
• Embeddable widgets to allow users to add their sponsorship opportunities directly to their site
• Autoresponder campaigns to help users more effectively share their sponsorship listings

 

Sponsorist is one of 25 companies selected to join the Launch Pad Tech accelerator’s inaugural Community Program, starting in January 2013. View the full article on MiamiHerald.com here. Learn more about the Launch Pad Tech program at LaunchPadTech.co/

Web designer creates non-profit sponsorship site

By Mary Thurwachter While working as the webmaster for the Jewish Federation in Boca Raton, Rosston Meyer noticed how big name donors were recognized with their names on conference rooms and buildings. He wanted to find a way for people who weren’t affluent to be recognized for their support. It took a few years after leaving that job for Meyer to launch Sponsorist.com, a networking website for people and organizations searching for the perfect sponsor. Sponsorist, which offers free listings to non-profits, gives people the chance to browse through the website, link with sponsors and select a percentage that will automatically go to a charity of the listing user’s choice. Now that there is a virtual marketplace for sponsors, charities, and all things non-profit, people are given the chance to buy sponsors (at a reasonable rate) for practically anything, he said. Since launching late last year, the site has been featured on CNNMoney.com and in The Wall Street Journal. His site was named one of the top “Killer Start Ups” of 2011 by killerstartups.com. Working with a sales team, Meyer, who operates his business from home, is building the site’s presence in Florida by seeking events to be listed and then matching sponsors with those events. “We are also integrating new features into the site by year’s end including better sharing on social networks, embeddable widgets and geolocation,” he said. “Feedback has been good,” he said. “This is one of the best times ever to start a tech company.” Meyer’s full-time job is designing and developing websites. He has built sites for the Boca Center, Atlas Party Rental and several restaurants in Miami Beach. Born in Chicago, Meyer was a toddler when his family moved to Wellington. He was an English major in college and taught himself much of what he knows about computers. Education: Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Florida. Age: 32. Personal: Single. Lives in West Palm Beach. Hobbies: Playing guitar, art, biking. Career highlight: Being featured on CNN and in The Wall Street Journal. Favorite quote: “How accidental our existences are, really, and how full of influence by circumstance.” – Louis I. Kahn Click here to view the original article on PalmBeachPost.com  

Sponsorist was featured as one of BizBash.com’s  ‘5 New Digital Services That Connect Events and Sponsors‘ http://www.bizbash.com/sponsorist/gallery/103374 “Sponsorship is a critical issue for planners and brands. Whether the event is a community festival or a global technology conference, sponsors add dollars to the bottom line for the organizer. For the brands, event sponsorship can create strategic marketing opportunities to reach a target demographic. Here’s a look at five services working to simplify and improve the business of sponsorship sales. 3. Founder Rosston Meyer describes Sponsorist as being similar to Kickstarter: The platform makes it easy for anyone—individuals or businesses of any size—to sponsor events, nonprofits, schools, and sports teams. He launched the site in November 2011 and currently has more than 100 listings of events and groups looking for funding. Planners can create a listing for free, which includes the event’s date, location, description, and sponsorship opportunities. Meyer reviews each one before making it live.

Sponsorist was featured in the Miami Herald’s startup blog The Starting Gate. A guest post written by Rosston Meyer about how Sponsorist is working with local startups and event organizers was shared with the South Florida startup community.  Click here to read the article on The Starting Gate or read it below.   Tech entrepreneurs and startup companies often have a difficult time getting their name out to the right people, especially in an area with such sprawl as South Florida. Tech events and conferences run from Miami all the way to Palm Beach and beyond, and it can be hard for companies to reach the right group. Seeing a need to help event organizers and businesses promote themselves on a local level, I founded Sponsorist to help make the all important sponsorship connections happen. The site allows anyone who throws an event, has a festival/race/marathon, or is simply looking for some local promotion to create a free listing that is then shared with their social network. Similar to Kickstarter, the more eyes on each listing the more likely they are to get funded, or in this case, sponsored. Some of the success stories on Sponsorist have come from South Florida‘s own backyard: Annual Miami startup conference SuperConf and monthly tech meetup Refresh Miami have both used Sponsorist to raise funds for their tech focused events. SuperConf organizer Auston Bunsen used the service to secure sponsorships ranging from local companies such as Straat Investments and OnTime Telecom to national brands like Microsoft’s Bizspark and Boulder, CO based Sendgrid. “Sponsorist is a great way for me to acquire sponsors with little to no overhead on my part,” said Bunsen. Sponsorist isn’t just for tech events and entrepreneurs, though. Anybody from the South Florida area can get involved; from your local business to your favorite charity to your kid’s soccer team. Since the idea behind Sponsorist is to help out the community, we accept all inquires looking for and wanting to be sponsors, especially those in the South Florida area. The company recently partnered with Palm Beach based Atlas Party Rental to help local charities get free exposure through the Charity Minute promotion. Since launching late last year, the site has undergone a handful of revisions and has been featured on CNN Money and in The Wall Street Journal. New features that will help local businesses and event organizers help find more sponsors quicker such as geolocation and embeddable widgets will be added to the site by year’s end. To keep up to date with the latest from Sponsorist visit the blog at http://blog.sponsorist.com, or connect via email (info@sponsorist.com), Twitter (@sponsorist) or Facebook (facebook.com/sponsorist) Rosston Meyer is the founder of Sponsorist Inc. in Lake Worth, Fla.