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Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing
Sponsor the Conference
Valuing literature in our larger community
A sponsorship with the Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference is more than a pledge of financial support. It's a way of showing what you care about, prioritize, and value. It's an investment in the community.
Beyond acknowledgment and promotion on the Piper Center’s website and throughout the conference, sponsors receive complimentary registrations, discounted registration rates, free advertising, exhibitor space, and more. Individualized packages are available, too.
Sponsorships are available at varying levels of support and can be designated for a variety of different purposes, including scholarships, fellowships, faculty, naming opportunities for rooms and events, and more.
To learn more about sponsorships, you can keep reading or submit a sponsorship inquiry.
For more information about sponsorships, contact Education Programs Manager Malik Toms at 480.727.1787 or Malik.Toms@asu.edu.
Sponsorship Levels
Organizations and individuals can sponsor the conference at seven levels of support:
| Sponsorship | Level of Support |
| Red Star | $50 |
| Orange Star | $100 |
| Bronze Star | $250 |
| Silver Star | $500 |
| Gold Star | $1,000 |
| Platinum Star | $2,500 |
| Premier Platinum Star | $5,000 |
Sponsorships over $5,000 can also be arranged. For sponsorships over $5,000, please contact Education Programs Manager Malik Toms at 480.727.1787 or Malik.Toms@asu.edu to discuss benefits and intent.
Sponsorship Benefits
Desert Nights, Rising Stars is a nationally-recognized literary conference gathering hundreds of individuals to ASU's Historic Quarter for two days of craft-talks, panels, and community.
In recognition of their support, sponsors are entitled to claim the following benefits. Please note that, as benefits are cumulative, each sponsorship level is entitled to claim all of the benefits previousy listed.
- Red Star ($50)
- Acknowledgment and link on the conference website
- Orange Star ($100)
- Acknowledgment in the conference program
- Bronze Star ($250)
- Logo and description on the conference website
- Logo in the conference program
- Discounted advertising in the conference program (25% off standard rates)
- Scholarships for students, teachers, or other members of the community to attend the conference
- Silver Star ($500)
- Description in the conference program
- Printed materials distributed to all conference attendees
- Discounted exhibitor space (50% off standard rates)
- Fellowships and financial support for individual writers to teach at the conference
- Gold Star ($1,000)
- Complimentary exhibitor space (including complimentary registration)
- Logo featured on conference tote bag
- Named conference rooms or smaller events (advanced workshops, community readings, and more)
- Faculty honoraria, travel, and other expenses
- Platinum Star ($2,500)
- Named signature events (keynote speakers, receptions, and the exhibitor fair)
- Custom signage
- Premier Platinum Star ($5,000)
Certain benefits (such as logos on tote bags or named rooms and events) may be subject to limited availability based on time frame and amount.
All sponsorships are tax-deductible upon request, with fair market values to be calculated based on the benefits received.
For sponsorships over $5,000, please contact Education Programs Manager Malik Toms at 480.727.1787 or Malik.Toms@asu.edu to discuss benefits and intent.
Sponsorship Impact
Your sponsorship extends education beyond the classroom, provides writers with the artistic, cultural, and social experiences they need to connect, flourish, and grow, and creates memorable, life-long meanings for individual human beings.
To learn more about the impact of scholarships and the conference experience, you can read students stories or conference testimonials.