Sponsor guide

Without this info, your company can not be showcased on the SMX website for all site visitors and registrants to see and read.

• TDE is Third Door Media’s event platform where all required information and assets are stored. Please complete your sponsor profile in this system. Assets you may have provided from previous events are not saved in the system.

• Please watch this Sponsor profile screencast for a quick tutorial of the Third Door Media events platform (TDE).

• An automated email providing you with instructions for setting up your sponsor profile has been sent. If you have not received the email, please let us know at [email protected].

• To log in to TDE directly, please go to https://thirddoorevents.com/login.

• If you are not the sponsor administrator (or the main point of contact), please let us know who that person is within your organization. They will need to review and act on the instructions outlined below. Please forward the information to them and copy us at [email protected].

• Once you have logged in to Third Door Media Events platform (TDE), please go to sponsor profile (not conference profile) and you will be asked to provide or verify the mandatory information below. You may also be asked to change your password.

• • Company name
  • Company URL
  • Company phone
  • Company mailing address
  • Sponsor categories – It is important to select the category or categories that best describe your solution and/or business. Note that categories are intentionally broad. Please choose up to three (3) selections, prioritizing by order of selection.
    • Watch how to select your categories at the 0:50 second mark of the TDE Sponsor profile screencast.
  • Company description (of 100 words or less)
  • Website logo – The logo image must be 150x75px and file type PNG (.png), transparent background is required.
  • Print Hi-Res Logo (.eps, .ai file)

Without your session title appearing, the SMX attendees reviewing the agenda and selecting which sessions they plan to attend for their own personal agendas will miss the opportunity to consider your session. And you miss the opportunity to gain a prospect/client.

• Session title: A benefit-oriented title of no more than 15 words.

• Session description: Two-three sentences about what you will present, and three-four bullets describing what attendees will be able to do differently or better as a result of attending your session.

• We recommend taking time to consider and plan your overall session content before selecting a topic and speaker. Download our PDF resource Creating & delivering a successful presentation checklist and access this companion video from our Content Director for helpful hints and guidance.

• Our audience is looking for practical information and actionable techniques that can be implemented quickly into their day-to-day work. We have found that they are turned off by anything they perceive as too salesy.

• With a 30-minute or 15-minute presentation, you’ll want to keep your topic narrow in scope and be realistic about what you can teach someone in that time period.

• Want feedback on your session topic/idea? We can set up a short call to discuss topic ideas and answer any questions about our audience or the format of the presentation.

• Email your session title and description to [email protected]

Title and description format and examples:

This simple formula may help as you craft your session description:

[1-2 sentences about a problem marketers are facing.] [Optional: 1-2 sentences about what the solution is.]

Join [ speaker name ], [ speaker title ] at [ speaker company ], as [he/she/they] discuss [details about what will be covered in the presentation].

After this session, you’ll be able to:

• • • X
    • Y
    • Z

Here are two examples of compelling titles and descriptions:

Navigating Google Ads match type and query changes

Google has recently changed the visibility of your search queries and how phrase and modified broad match function. These changes have brought a lot of problems to accounts over the past year.

Join Brad Geddes, Co-Founder of Adalysis, to explore these changes, learn how to analyze them, and put strategies in place to ensure your account’s continued success.

After this session, you will be able to:

• • • Understand the match type changes
    • Find new ways of analyzing your query, match type, and keyword data
    • Implement strategies that address major issues companies are facing in light of these changes

Why your SEO project may be failing… and how to get back on track

Without proper oversight, SEO projects can easily go off the rails. To keep on track, you need to stay a step ahead — that means not only identifying potential pitfalls but understanding how to avoid them… before they turn your well-intended initiative into a catastrophic failure.

Join SEO expert Bruce Clay as he shares his tips for successfully managing SEO projects — no matter where you are on your journey.

After this session you’ll be able to:

• • • Identify common problems that can derail your SEO projects
    • Take specific steps to keep SEO projects on track
    • Turn things around for SEO projects that are already in trouble
    • Implement three key strategies to ensure SEO project success

Speaker info and pictures provide additional impact to your session and garner greater consideration by registrants when determining which sessions to attend.

• A profile must be created for every session speaker in Third Door Media’s (TDE) event platform at https://thirddoorevents.com/login.
• Please watch this Speaker profile screencast for a quick tutorial.

• Individual speakers need to create and verify their own TDE platform account, but once they have an account, they are free to give their credentials to others who can login as them (or on their behalf) and set up the profile.

• Speakers should go to TDE, create an account, then complete a “my profile”.

• Here is the information needed for the Profile:
  • Speaker name
  • Speaker title
  • Speaker company
  • Headshot – The image you choose must be 300x300px and it must be a JPEG (.jpg) format
  • Twitter handle
  • Linkedin URL
  • Speaker email
  • Speaker phone
  • Speaker address
  • Alternative email addresses – At what other email addresses can we reach speaker?
  • CC email addresses – What email addresses should we CC when we contact speaker?
  • Speaker bio

• If you have any problems, we can add and update the information above, so please feel free to send this via email at [email protected].

PowerPoint slides will be reviewed prior to recording your session to ensure they will render properly during recording and to provide high-level content feedback, if needed, based on our knowledge of our audience’s interests.

• You’ll want to design your slides with good visuals and minimal copy so they are aesthetically pleasing to the viewer.

• If you have information you want viewers to have for future reference, consider providing a separate document in the Dig deeper section of the presentation console.

• Your deck should support your speaking points, and not contain everything you intend to say.

• A good rule of thumb is to change slides or builds every 60-90 seconds of your presentation time to keep the attention of your audience. For a 30-minute presentation that’s 20-30 slides.

• Consider the viewer when choosing colors and using fonts. You’ll want to use at least a 20pt font so viewers can see your copy on smaller screens, and use contrasting colors for better readability.

• If you would like to use the SMX PowerPoint template for your presentation, you can download it here.

• Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

It’s up to you – record on your own or record with us. Either way, we want to ensure your presentation is of great quality- both from a production and content POV.

Submit your own recording:

• We recommend taking time to consider and plan your overall session content. Download our PDF resource Creating & delivering a successful presentation checklist and access our companion video from our Content Director for helpful hints and guidance.

• The production quality of your presentation will impact the perceived value of your content and the attendee experience. Download our PDF resource Video & Audio recording checklist. You can also access our companion video from our Sr. Video Production Manager for helpful hints and guidance to ensure high-quality audio and visual output.

• The presentation, in its entirety (slides, speaker, audio and video), must be presented in the MP4 – it cannot be synced with a companion asset/slide deck, and be no more than 30-minutes or 15-minutes in length, based on the time allotted for your sponsored presentation.

• Your speaker must record their slide deck along with them talking on camera. We cannot accept a slide deck and a separate recording of them to sync up.

• If you would like to use the SMX PowerPoint template for your presentation, you can download it here.

• Please send your recorded session in MP4 format to [email protected].

• Once we have received your recording, our team will review it and let you know if we need to re-record or make adjustments, within 48 business hours.

• Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

Record with SMX:

• We recommend taking time to consider and plan your overall session content. Download our PDF resource Creating & delivering a successful presentation checklist. You can also access our companion video from our Content Director for helpful hints and guidance.

• The production quality of your presentation will impact the perceived value of your content and the attendee experience. Download our PDF resource Video & Audio recording checklist. You can also access our companion video in the PDF from our Sr. Video Production Manager for helpful hints and guidance to ensure high-quality audio and visual output.

• SMX/TDM will record your presentation via webcam video which will sync with your slides.

• You will be asked to schedule a recording time with the SMX team, beginning the week of September 19th, and no later than October 25th.

• SMX uses Streamyard Recording Studio to record sessions. A confirmation calendar invite will be sent with the log-in details for Streamyard Recording Studio.

• The speaker will be streamcasting/recording their screen. The SMX team will walk speaker/s through how to do this but it would be helpful to check the privacy settings on their computer to make sure they can screen share. This will save time during our recording session. If they are unsure how to do this, we can work together during our recording session.

• Using two monitors is ideal for recording in Streamyard. One monitor will cast their screen with the slide deck, the other monitor will allow them to view other features to communicate with us on the backend. If they don’t have a second monitor, they should have their speaker notes on a separate device like an iPad, tablet, phone, etc.

• Please note, we will need your final slide deck three days prior to your recording date, so we will have time to review your deck.

• If you would like to use the SMX PowerPoint template for your presentation, you can download it here.

• Once we have recorded your presentation, our team will review it and let you know if we need to re-record or make adjustments, within 48 business hours.

• Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

• Please ensure that we receive your video ad by the deadline provided above.
  • If you are unable to meet this deadline, we may not have time to include it with the Keynote or editorial presentation. 

• The video ad must not exceed 15-seconds in length, no exceptions.

• Please send the MP4 to [email protected].

Provide your session attendees with additional information and resources that can be downloaded from your presentation console.

TITLE, GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE sponsors

• You have the opportunity to add five assets to your presentation, including the presentation. The assets or resources are hosted in your session console.

• By adding resources, you will be giving the attendees additional opportunities to engage with your brand.

• These resources can either be a PDF or a URL. All assets must be un-gated.

• The assets can be uploaded directly into the TDE platform at https://thirddoorevents.com.
  • Please watch this screencast to learn how to upload your assets

TITLE sponsors only

• You have the opportunity to provide one asset to be hosted in a keynote console.

• Please email [email protected] the asset or direct the SMX team on which asset from your session console you would like to use in the Keynote session.

• Download the Guide to the SMX Presentation Console

• There is information on each of the engagement tools in the console to ensure your company gets the greatest benefit from each one – Company Logo (& URL), Dig deeper (Resources), Chat and Email Us.

• The engagement tools pull information from Third Door Media’s TDE platform where your designated key contact has uploaded the information.
  • The Company Logo will be the logo & URL uploaded into the platform.
  • “Dig Deeper” resources were also uploaded into the platform and are specific to your presentation
  • The “Email Us” feature will use the email address entered into the platform, however, it can be changed. If you would like to use a different “Email Us” email address, please contact us at [email protected].

• Download the Guide to SMX Reporting

• The guide provides details on the frequency of reporting and the information included with each lead.

• Two reports are included with your SMX sponsorship. They are sent at different times and enable you to contact prospects promptly.

• Each lead will include contact level information, as well as additional demographic, intent, and engagement insights to help in prioritizing and personalizing your outreach.

• Reports will be accessible in Google Sheets only by those who have been invited to access them.

• If others in your company should have access, please reply to this email with the additional names. If you would like the reports to be sent to a different email address, or add any additional email addresses, please email the information to us at [email protected].

In order to view your presentation as well as others, you must be registered for the event.

• Registration will open in September. Check back for link to the registration page. 

• Visit the Speaker resource page to access marketing materials — from event description and email copy, to social copy, images and the event logo — that can help you promote your participation in this event.

Video Production

• Watch the video & audio guide
• Download the video & audio checklist

Content

• Watch the content production guide: Make the most of your conference presentation content
• Download the content checklist: Creating & delivering a successful presentation checklist
• Download the speaker template: Speaker presentation template

Guides

• Download the Guide to SMX reporting 
• Download the Guide to the SMX console
• Watch guide of Third Door Media’s event platform (TDE)
• Watch TDE tutorial on adding categories to sponsor session
• Watch TDE tutorial on adding speakers
• Watch TDE tutorial on uploading assets and presentation decks

Marketing Materials

• Event description, email copy, social copy, images, and logos are available on the Speaker resource page

Links to:

• Third Door Media’s event platform (TDE)
• SMX Next conference website
• Search Engine Land media website

Please let us know how we can be of help. Email the Third Door Media events team at [email protected], and thank you again for your sponsorship.

Allison Lofaro, Director, Event & Client Success
Third Door Media- SMX Conferences & MarTech Conferences
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 845-821-5617

Karen DeWeese, VP of Event & Client Success
Third Door Media- MarTech Conferences & SMX Conferences
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 203-209-2052