Erinn Lopez, the Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for the Colorado PGA, had an important role in managing sponsorships. Responsible for securing and maintaining partnerships, Erinn managed a wide array of sponsorships supporting the organization's mission to serve over 920 PGA members across 200 facilities in Colorado.
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Despite her extensive experience, managing these partnerships came with challenges, especially when it came to organization, accountability, and maintaining positive relationships with sponsors. Trak Software, designed to streamline sponsorship management, became a crucial tool for Erinn, helping her overcome these challenges and drive success for the Colorado PGA.
Erinn’s experience with large-scale organizations like the Denver Nuggets introduced her to robust customer relationship management (CRM) tools, which made managing sponsorships seamless. However, when Erinn transitioned to her role at the Colorado PGA, she encountered a very different reality.
The team was small—just nine employees—and each member operated in a silo, focusing on specific areas such as tournaments, junior golf, or membership. Erinn’s task of managing over 50 sponsors, including high-profile brands like Mizuno and Titleist, as well as up-and-coming brands like Liquid Death, was daunting.
Without a proper system in place, Erinn was forced to rely on Excel spreadsheets to track sponsorship activities, deliverables, and partner communication. This process was not only cumbersome but also led to unintentional oversights.
Some sponsorship obligations were missed, including sending out agreed-upon email blasts or ensuring sponsorship exposure at events. As a result, Erinn constantly found herself scrambling to fulfill commitments, leaving her feeling overwhelmed and stressed about maintaining strong relationships with partners.
The lack of clarity and structure also impacted the renewal process. At the end of the year, Erinn would often realize too late that certain obligations had been overlooked. This hindered her ability to secure renewals with confidence, as she feared sponsors would be dissatisfied with the partnership performance.
Recognizing the need for a more organized and efficient approach to sponsorship management, Erinn decided to implement Trak Software. Trak provided a comprehensive platform that allowed her to centralize and track all sponsorship-related activities, from initial outreach to post-event recaps.
This solution significantly transformed the way Erinn and her team operated.
1. Improved Organization and Accountability
One of the key advantages of Trak Software was its ability to replace the chaotic Excel sheet system with a streamlined, digital platform that Erinn could rely on to keep track of all sponsorship details.
Erinn found Trak’s ability to create “to-do lists” for each event particularly useful. These lists outlined everything that needed to be done—from ensuring signage was in place to preparing tables for sponsors—helping her stay on top of all deliverables.
The notifications feature was another game changer. Both Erinn and her partners received automatic notifications when important updates were made, such as when sponsors uploaded assets or when Erinn completed an action.
This kept both parties engaged and accountable, eliminating the risk of miscommunication. Trak also allowed Erinn to track the progress of each partnership agreement in real-time, giving her peace of mind that she was meeting her obligations.
“I love the notifications I get when my partners upload something,” Erinn shared. “It ensures that we’re both on the same page and no one can say, ‘I didn’t get that email.’ Everything is tracked, and it makes my job so much easier.”
2. Data Transparency and Insights
Trak provided Erinn with invaluable insights into where she stood with each sponsor. The platform’s visual representation of partnership progress, which indicated the percentage of obligations fulfilled, allowed Erinn to see exactly where she stood at any given time.
By October, she could confidently report that most partnerships were 65-75% complete, offering her reassurance that the team was staying on track.
This transparency helped not only in day-to-day management but also in annual reviews and renewals. Erinn no longer had to scramble to gather data for recaps. Instead, all the necessary information, including photos, emails, and sponsor logos, was readily available within Trak.
This saved her countless hours of work during the busy sponsorship season, especially as she prepared recap decks for partners at the end of the year.
Sponsorship managers, especially those working with lean teams, often struggle to keep up with the demands of managing multiple partners. Without a proper system in place, it's easy for important tasks to fall through the cracks, jeopardizing relationships with sponsors. Trak Software offers several benefits that can help sponsorship managers like Erinn streamline and organize their work.
1. Centralized Management of Sponsorship Activities
Sponsorship managers typically juggle multiple tasks at once, including prospecting, contract management, activation, and renewal discussions. Trak consolidates these tasks into one centralized platform, reducing the need for manual tracking via spreadsheets or emails. This leads to fewer missed deliverables and more organized execution.
2. Enhanced Communication and Collaboration
A key to successful sponsorship management is communication. Trak’s built-in notification system ensures that both sponsors and managers are always informed of important updates. Whether it’s a request for additional assets or a reminder of upcoming activations, Trak keeps both parties aligned. This feature helps avoid last-minute surprises and creates a more collaborative partnership environment.
3. Data-Driven Decision Making
Trak provides clear insights into the status of each sponsorship, enabling managers to make informed decisions. Whether it’s identifying underperforming partnerships or spotting opportunities for upselling, the data-driven nature of the platform helps managers stay proactive.
4. Simplified Recap and Reporting Process
End-of-season recaps are essential in demonstrating the value of a partnership and securing renewals. Trak simplifies this process by storing all event-related data, such as photos, emails, and social media mentions, in one place. With just a few clicks, sponsorship managers can generate comprehensive recap decks, saving them time and ensuring that no detail is overlooked.
Since implementing Trak Software, Erinn has experienced a remarkable transformation in how she manages sponsorships. She no longer worries about missing deliverables or scrambling to prepare for renewals.
Trak’s system of real-time notifications, task management, and progress tracking has given her the tools she needs to build stronger relationships with her sponsors and ensure that every obligation is fulfilled.
The visual representation of progress has provided Erinn with peace of mind as she navigates the busy sponsorship season. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, she can now confidently manage her workload and focus on delivering value to her partners.
"I feel like I've created better relationships with my sponsors," Erinn noted. "We’re staying active, and we’re following through on our commitments. It’s a huge relief to know that Trak is keeping us on track.”
For sponsorship managers like Erinn Lopez, who are juggling numerous partnerships and dealing with the complexities of event execution, Trak Software offers an essential solution.
By streamlining organizational processes, enhancing communication, and providing real-time insights, Trak empowers managers to deliver exceptional results for their sponsors.
Erinn’s success with the Colorado PGA serves as a testament to how effective sponsorship management software can transform the way sponsorships are handled, helping both the organization and its partners achieve their goals.
We're able to take information from the Scorecard and then actionably use that data to evaluate our partnerships. We can go to the partner and figure out a way to make each area better.
