In-House Sponsorship Training Testimonials

Bendigo Bank is one of Australia’s largest banking organisations. We’ve worked closely with Power Sponsorship and Kim Skildum-Reid for many years, to get the most out of our sponsorship dollars across a unique and diverse business model. Kim has worked with us at a corporate and local level to help us redefine how our business viewed and used sponsorship. Kim introduced us to the Win-Win-Win principle that I believe is a true game changer in how to approach sponsorship in any company, within any sector.

At a divisional and local level Kim was an integral part in developing and rolling out our new sponsorship strategy to our large Community Bank network. She was our keynote speaker at our internal national conference and ran smaller workshops to help drive the message home and educate our community partners that our thinking around sponsorship needed to change if we were truly going to be able to make the most out of our sponsorship spend across the country, support our communities and work towards our vision to be Australia’s bank of choice.

Since working with Kim Skildum-Reid and Power Sponsorship we have seen a significant decrease in verbal/brand slap deals of old and an increase in next level best practice sponsorship with a focus on the Win-Win-Win principle and new ways to achieve ROI, across all areas of our organisation.

I personally have learnt so much from Kim Skildum-Ried, she has been a mentor and teacher in my sponsorship career for many years. Power Sponsorship workshops are a must in anyone’s sponsorship journey. Kim challenges your thinking and before you know it you are looking at everything in a new light when it comes to best practice sponsorship. I 100% recommend using Power Sponsorship and Kim Skildum-Reid for your sponsorship needs big or small.

Heather Wallace, Bendigo Bank

I have utilised Kim’s excellent experience and presentation skills to strengthen the sponsorship program now at two Pacific Games. In both 2015 and 2023, she ran workshops for our sponsors to maximise the value they received from their association with the Games. These were extremely well received by our corporate partners and, in addition to enhancing the relationship between the staff in our organising committee with these organisations, also led to some extraordinary commercial outcomes for our sponsors. In particular, Kim provided valuable tools that enabled our partners to think outside the box and develop marketing initiatives within the Pacific Games format that drove both immediate and long term benefits from their association with the event.

Peter Stewart, CEO, 2023 Pacific Games, Solomon Islands

Kim spent a day with our Melbourne Fashion Week Event Partners with the objective of supporting them to think outside the square in their creative thinking and event leverage planning. A refreshing approach to developing innovative and collaborative ideas to amplify meaningful partnerships. It was also a great way to strengthen relationships between Event and Partners, to gain trust, and build mutually beneficial and valuable, long term partnerships.

Would definitely recommend working with Kim to bring a unique and energetic perspective to the partnership landscape.

Rachael Sharratt, City of Melbourne

Our company contracted with Kim to lead an advanced sponsorship workshop for our customers. The convention industry is highly reliant on exhibit booth revenue. Kim helped our customers think beyond the four walls of their convention and consider more sophisticated sponsor opportunities that not only provided a win for the in person participants, but also the remote fans.

Dave Lutz, Velvet Chainsaw

Having engaged Kim for more than 15 years in various partnership roles in both NZ and Australia I love Kim’s approach and fan-first philosophy to sponsorship.

Kim’s content is incredibly insightful and practical, offering actionable strategies that a team can implement immediately. Kim is a well-respected expert in the world of sponsorship – delivering material with passion, practicality and clarity.

I would highly recommend this workshop to any organisation looking to elevate their sponsorship game. It’s a valuable investment that delivers tangible results.

Kelle Taylor, GM - Partnerships, Melbourne Football Club

Kim, having attended your workshop almost a decade ago, and sharpened my business development skills utilising your Corporate Sponsorship Toolkit, it was wonderful to welcome you in person to deliver a 2-day workshop at QAGOMA. This served to build capacity within my newly formed team, reinforce the vision & commercial direction we were taking, assist in reinvigorating our proposal writing and creating leveraging ideas. You provided guidance and expertise on best practice sponsorship and  relationship management in this arena. I was particularly delighted with the leveraging brainstorm we conducted with a broad representation of internal stakeholders to build momentum around best practice partnerships involving broad Gallery touchpoints and contributions. Thank you for your sage wisdom and expertise.

Kylie Lonergan, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Kim presented at our 2023 Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services Sponsorship Conference.  She brought great enthusiasm and presented extremely relevant material, and case studies with practical examples of how to modernize our sponsorship program successfully.  An engaging speaker who captivated the audience right from the start. She also shared her white papers,  links and many resources to ensure additional learning opportunities presented themselves for continued professional development.

Lesley Lehman, CFMWS, Canada

We engaged Kim’s services to come over to Auckland and run a one-day course with our newly appointed sponsors of the Manu World Champs. I myself had been educated on best practise sponsorship by Kim over the year so wanted our sponsors to learn from the very best. Kim helped our sponsors understand the true power of sponsorship and then assisted them in the development of their own leverage plans. We were pleased to receive very positive feedback from everyone involved.

Scott Rice, Owner and Director, Quantum Events Ltd/Z Manu World Champs

Kim recently worked with our team to value and advise in relation to our key sponsorship properties and facilitated a highly effective workshop with a potential partner. Her methodology is thoughtful, relevant yet straightforward, successfully aligning the interests of sponsors and rights holders. Kim played a pivotal role in guiding all parties to collaboratively generate innovative leveraging ideas that met our mutual objectives. She also helped us articulate a shared vision for what our sponsorship could achieve, which was both inspiring and practical. Kim’s enthusiasm and adept facilitation make her highly recommendable. Anyone looking to enhance their sponsorship strategies would greatly benefit from her expertise.

Zara Lawless, CEO, Mother's Day Classic Foundation

Kim recently presented to our Board and Management team and as expected certainly didn’t disappoint.  Kim provides a clear and common sense approach to sponsorship and with so much experience and examples to draw on she quickly had the ideas flowing.

John Miller, Sunshine Coast Turf Club

The Australian Institute of Architects have utilised Kim’s services over a number of years now. Kim has not only reshaped our sponsorship offering, but helped educate our sponsors on best practice sponsorship, so we can form long and rewarding partnerships. The ongoing training provided to staff has enabled us to creatively leverage our partnerships and provide real results for their sponsorship. Working with Kim is a pleasure and adds real value to the organisation.

Shelley Kemp, Australian Institute of Architects

Power Sponsorship is a phenomenal resource for anyone responsible for the development and execution of sponsor programs! I had the opportunity to participate in a session with Kim in Chicago when I was a total neophyte to the sponsorship world and was amazed at how she was able to describe specific cause and effect scenarios and strategies in a way that did not leave me completely baffled. Kim has the expertise and knowledge which could impress even the most experienced, but presents in a way that is the opposite of drinking from a fire hose.

Guy Timberlake, The American Small Business Coalition

Kim’s energy, passion and enthusiasm in the sponsorship sector is unrivalled. After spending half a day with Kim, our local event organisers were inspired to look at the world of sponsorship in a new light and fully embrace her best practice sponsorship techniques. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Kim as a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, consultant and/or coach.

Reena Snook, City of Tauranga

Kim is mentioned frequently in the NZ Fashion Week office and in meetings with my partners as my sponsorship guru! I was shouted a course with Kim eight years ago by a NZFW partner and after a day with Kim I knew I’d found someone who could always be a mentor and advisor.

Since then we have gone on to have yearly leveraging days with Kim. All the partners get together for a day and Kim takes them through our event and best practice for sponsorship. Everyone walks away totally enthused and ready to tackle the event as well as interacting and being encouraged to leverage off one another.

Whenever we have any big changes with the partners or I need to speak to someone who is totally confidential and up to date with best practice sponsorship, I call Kim!

Myken Stewart, New Zealand Fashion Week

We were so fortunate to have Kim speak to our Principles of Sports Management class at Pfeiffer. As you might imagine, college students are often a ‘tough sell’. Kim was fabulous. From the moment she walked in the room everyone was spellbound. Her knowledge of the subject matter was extraordinary and her delivery was the best I’ve witnessed. Kim Skildum-Reid was A+.

Jack Ingram, Pfeiffer University