The host playbook, start to settled.

When you finish onboarding, head to Profile from the navigation. Three things matter:

1. A real photo. Not a logo, not an avatar. Sponsors are betting on the human running the event.
2. A two-sentence bio. What community you serve and why brands should care. Skip the résumé.
3. Social links and past events. Instagram, LinkedIn, your event website. Receipts of past rooms you've filled.

Title — make it scannable

Sponsors browse a grid of cards. Yours has roughly half a second to earn a click. Lead with what kind of event it is, not a clever tagline. NYC Tech Mixer: Founders & Funders beats Connect at the Crossroads every time.

Audience description — the make-or-break field

This is the field a sponsor actually reads to decide. Be specific about who's in the room: industry, seniority, interests, vetting process. “100 attendees” is meaningless. “100 Series A founders and early-stage VCs, 70/30 builder-to-capital split” is a yes.

Photo gallery — receipts of past events

Upload up to ten photos. The first becomes the card image and the social-share preview, so pick a wide shot with people in it — packed-room energy converts better than a closeup of the venue. If this is your first event, use venue photos but mention it directly in the description.

Pricing — fixed vs. minimum + negotiable

Two modes:

• Fixed price. Sponsors see one number. Best when you know your floor and want zero negotiation. Pricing is locked once they tap interested.
• Minimum + negotiable. You set a floor; sponsors can counter above it. Best when you have sponsorship tiers (logo placement vs. main stage) or want to leave room for the right brand to bid up.

Hit publish

Toggle the listing to Published and save. Your event appears on the public gallery within seconds and is searchable by city, category, capacity, and date.

What you see, and how to read it

• Brand & rep. Click through to the sponsor's organization page. Look at past deals on Mesh, brand industry, and the team.
• Note from the sponsor. This is your highest-signal field. A sponsor who took two minutes to write something specific is far more likely to close than one with a blank note.
• Deliverables they want. Sampling rights? Logo placement? On-site activation? Read this before opening the deal so you know what you're saying yes to.
• Exclusivity request. If they've asked for category exclusivity (e.g., “only coffee brand”), accepting them auto-declines other pending interests in that category. Mesh handles the cascade — you just need to know it'll happen.

Three ways to respond

What happens after both signatures

1. Deal moves to Payment Pending. The sponsor receives a Stripe checkout link.
2. Sponsor pays. Funds are held in escrow by Mesh — not released to you yet. Deal moves to Active.
3. You see the deal flip to active and an action item appear: “Submit impact report after the event”.

Set up Stripe Connect (one-time)

Before your first deal pays out, finish Stripe Connect onboarding from Profile → Payouts. Stripe collects identity and tax info directly — Mesh never sees your bank details. It takes 5–10 minutes and unlocks payouts on every future deal.

The impact report — your trigger to get paid

The day after the event, an action item appears on the deal page: Submit impact report. This is the gate to your payout. Open the drawer, fill four fields, attach 3–6 photos, and submit.

• Attendee count. The actual number who showed up, not RSVPs. Sponsors compare this against your listing's capacity — be honest. A 60% show rate on a 150-cap event is normal; pretending you hit 150 erodes trust.
• Highlights. Three to five lines on what landed: brand placement worked, sampling went through 200 cans, two attendees DM'd the sponsor. Anecdotes > adjectives.
• Photos. Wide room shots, sponsor activation in frame, and at least one with their logo visible. This is the asset the sponsor will reuse internally to justify the spend.
• Deliverables checklist. Confirm each line item from the agreement was delivered. If something didn't happen (e.g., panel intro got cut), mark it and explain — better to flag honestly than to be caught short.

What happens next

1. Sponsor reviews and confirms. Funds release from escrow, your payout transfers via Stripe (1–2 business days). Deal moves to Settled.
2. If they don't respond within 7 days, the report auto-confirms and you get paid anyway.
3. If they dispute, a Mesh admin steps in to mediate. Disputes are rare (~2% of deals) and almost always resolved with a partial payout.

Five high-leverage habits

• 01

  Post 6+ weeks ahead

  Sponsorship budgets are calendared. The earlier you list, the more brands have time to slot you in. Last-minute listings (under two weeks) close at roughly half the rate.

• 02

  Reply within 48 hours

  The biggest predictor of close rate is host responsiveness in the first two days after interest. Use the in-app notifications, not email — the round-trip is faster.

• 03

  Over-share photos in the impact report

  Sponsors forward your impact report internally to justify the spend. The more visual proof you give them, the easier they re-up.

• 04

  Use the file cabinet, not email

  Logos, run-of-show, slide decks — keep everything in the deal file cabinet. It auto-organizes, auto-purges 90 days after settlement, and means nothing falls through Gmail attachments.

• 05

  Rate your sponsors

  After settlement, leave a one-line rating. It builds the reputation system other hosts rely on, and reciprocally improves your sponsor signal too.

Common questions