Sponsorship FAQ

Which sponsorship packages do you offer?

This is laid out in detail in our Sponsorship Brochure.

I don’t have any business in Belgium, why should I sponsor?

Heart of Clojure is first and foremost a European conference, in fact most of the organizers aren’t even in or from Belgium. We chose this location mainly for its accessibility, because we want to bring together people from across the contintent.

Expect to reach people from the UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Finland, and other European countries.

How many attendees do you expect?

This is the first time this conference is happening, and ticket sales haven’t started yet, so it’s hard to give exact numbers. Tickets will be capped at 250 and we think it’s not unrealistic to sell those out.

Keep in mind that through social media, our website, newsletters and videos (depending on sponsorship package) you might reach that number several times over.

What’s the deadline for deciding if we want to sponsor?

The absolute deadline for sponsorships is end of March 2019, as we need time to budget accordingly. Keep in mind that earlier is better, as you’ll have more time to get exposure and be associated with this event.

We want to be involved in a way that isn’t covered by the existing sponsorship packages, is that possible?

Come talk to us as soon as possible. We are happy to work something out. We are also happy to go the extra mile for sponsors who can commit early on.

Can I sponsor a specific part of the conference, like the afterparty?

If you would like to be associated with a specific part of the conference, or exclusively advertise at one part e.g. with banners then get in touch and we can give you a quote. Note that all sponsorship money in the end goes toward our total budget. We do not forward invoices of suppliers directly to sponsoring companies.

Will I get an invoice for the sponsorship amount?

We will invoice sponsors starting early 2019. Invoices are in Euro and sent from Germany, so if you are a German company keep in mind that VAT will be added on top of the sponsorship amount.

Can I handout swag or swag bags?

Handing out promotional items a.k.a. “swag” is a common marketing practice at conferences. While this can be a fun way for sponsors to connect to attendees, it als leads to a lot of waste. Cheaply produced goods get handed out to people indiscriminately, and are often on their way to a landfill before the conference is over.

As a conference we want to take responsibility and think about the sustainability of our actions, we ask our sponsors to do the same.

In practice this means:

  • No “swag bags” that get handed out to all attendees, swag is instead presented on tables, for the taking for those who want it
  • Sponsors with their own stand can present their swag there, for other sponsors we’ll have one or more “swag tables” where we display your stuff.
  • Swag should be either recyclable, consumable, or durable. e.g. recyclable: paper, cardboard, glass. Consumable: chocolate, coffee, stroopwafels. Durable: (quality) water bottles, USB sticks. Avoid plastic trinkets. Ask yourself: will people still be using this five years from now.
  • For textiles: consider finding a supplier that cares about the ethics and sustainability of their wares. If you provide t-shirts then please also provide “fitted” sizes (more info)
  • As an alternative consider Digital Swag! We are happy to email people your discount codes, ebooks, or other promotional offers after the conference.