Do you truly understand the importance of fulfilment reports?

They are critical to the property for a positive long-term sponsorship relationship. And they are equally vital for the sponsor to ensure they have a recap of their investment and can then measure ROI from that.

When we work with clients, we identify six key elements that are required in each fulfilment report.

1. Recap narrative of the property (event or year-long engagement, etc.), the sponsor’s dollar investment, goals and objectives that were set out to be achieved, and the measurement tools and parameters for success.
2. Listing of everything the sponsor was promised—the specific assets/activation opportunities, etc. that the sponsor was receiving for its investment.
3. Section identifying the exact promised deliverables that were actually
4. Section on what was not delivered and why. Let’s face it—we all end up in scenarios where a few things were not delivered for a variety of reasons such as oversight, the property or sponsor deciding not to utilize that asset, or choosing not to activate on it.
5. Section on what you (the property) over-delivered on. Did you provide extra tickets? Did you make room for a larger activation site, etc. Identify all that you over delivered.
6. Finally, a balance sheet. What was the value delivered (and over delivered) versus value not delivered, and what do you the property “owe” in make-goods, if anything? And if you owe, what do you propose for “make-goods?”

Excellent fulfilment reports pave the way for renewals, payment of outstanding bills, and a positively enhanced relationship for long-term success. This topic came up recently when I was chatting with a long-time friend and associate who shared a fulfilment report story with me. To protect everyone, I will not mention names, but share with you what they shared with me.

Back in the late 90s, we did a lot of work with this one specific client or partner. I got along great with the event director who later became the ED. But I never really cared much for the new event team and I think the feeling was mutual. So around 2012, they ditched us in favour of another supplier. Fast forward to 2019, and to my surprise, they hired us to support them with their early 2020 event. A new event manager wanted to take the work off her plate, and we negotiated a unique customized solution. As the project moved forward, they made some major changes around information control which we would not normally accommodate, but did.

The new manager was super-organized with very rigid timelines.  However, they had a big team and there were a ton of revision requests, which put us off schedule. We were truly only about a couple of hours behind, and one evening around midnight, the new manager declared she was taking over the work and we no longer had access to the work to complete it. I warned her it was a bad move and would ruin their project, but they ignored me. She even declined my offer to visit and observe their event, presumably out of spite.

Eventually, the project was a disaster and they had no idea how to properly deliver the project outcomes report (which we had originally been engaged to do), so a higher level manager contacted me to work things out. We did what we could, but much of the content the client had done on their own was not useable and it wasn’t our fault. So, what to do? I thought about the Fulfillment Reports in Reality Check. 

After fixing their project as much as possible, I sent the boss an invoice for the full original quoted amount, along with the fulfillment report. Meanwhile, the manager I worked with had also prepared a report for her boss describing how everything was our fault and that we shouldn’t be paid in full! But the ED looked at both sides, and while still suggesting they were disappointed with their experience with us, they paid us the full amount.

I have learned fulfilment reports are always important, but can be especially useful when things go wrong!

To learn more about building great fulfilment reports for your sponsorship program, check out this link for the upcoming WSC® Alberta Forum in Edmonton later this month on November 25-26. Seating for this event is limited to ensure physical distancing, so register today to ensure you get all the support you need to make your sponsorship program bounce back with success. Refund guarantees are in place, so there is no risk if you cannot attend. Register today for best pricing!

Please remember to stay HIPS! (Healthy, Isolate when possible, Physically distanced from others and Safe!) and check out the WSC® Alberta Forum.

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