How to Land Brand Deals at Essence Fest (or Any Event)

How to pitch yourself for brand partnerships at major events like Essence Fest, plus two email templates that convert.

Hey creators,

It’s officially event season. Summer always brings a wave of festivals, conferences, and brand activations, and thanks to creators like us, these events seem to get bigger (and better) every year.

If you’re planning to attend a major event like Essence Fest, AfroTech, VidCon, NYFW, or even local conferences with brand presence, this is your sign to stop winging it and start pitching strategically.

Here’s the thing: brands are already investing money into these events: activations, sponsorships, product seeding, talent, etc, and they need creators to amplify it all. Whether you’re an OG at the event or attending for the first time, you can position yourself as a valuable partner.

So let’s talk about what to include, how to pitch, and when to send it. Then I’ll give you two email templates:

• One if you’ve attended before and have receipts.

• One for first-timers that gets brands excited to work with you.

What to Include in Your Pitch

1. Be clear and concise
Brands are busy. Make it easy to see:

• Who you are

• What event you’re attending

• What kind of support or partnership you're offering

• Why you’re a fit

2. Name drop past brand collabs (briefly)
Don’t list everything, just enough to say “I’m not new to this.”

3. Share relevant links
Link to 1–3 content examples if you’ve been before. For first timers, link to a media kit or previous event-style content.

4. Make it easy to say yes
You’re not asking them to dream up the opportunity. Suggest ideas: BTS content, product placement, social amplification, recap video, etc.

Email Template #1: If You’ve Attended Before

Ideal for creators who’ve been to this event before and want to leverage that past content to land a new brand opportunity.

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Subject options: On-Site Content Support at [Event Name]

or

Making content at [Event Name] so your brand doesn’t have to

or

Wait until you see what I could create for you in NOLA

Hi [Brand Contact's Name],

Hope you’re doing well! I wanted to quickly introduce myself, I’m [Your Name], a [City]-based [Your Niche] creator. I’ll be on the ground at [Event Name] and thought this could be a great chance to support your brand’s presence or contribute to related campaigns.

If the brand will be active at the event, I’d be happy to support in any way that’s helpful whether it is event recaps, helping to boost visibility online through stories, product-specific content, or just being present to engage authentically.

Here are a few examples of content I created at [Event] last year:
• [Title – short descriptor + link]
• [Title – short descriptor + link]
• [Title – short descriptor + link]

If there’s anything happening this year at [Event] or through your broader creator campaigns, I’d love to be considered. Let me know how I can support.

Thanks so much,
[Your Name]

Your Pitch Is Only As Strong As Your Presence

You can have the best pitch in the world, but if your content, bio, or media kit doesn’t back it up, brands will move on. The truth is, your online presence is often your first impression, and it needs to reflect the kind of opportunities you’re aiming for.

That’s why I started offering Done-for-You Creator Audits- a personalized, strategic overhaul of your brand presence. From content clarity and positioning to pitch templates tailored for you specifically.

I’ve received so many DMs and emails from creators last month sharing their feedback on their audits, but I’ll let this review speak for itself:

Whether you’re prepping for events like Essence, Afro Tech, Vidcon, NYFW, etc or just want to feel confident about the way your brand is positioned, the audit experience gives you the clarity and direction you need. More details on securing your done-for-you audit below. (Discounted rate ends next week 06/18)

New: Done-for-You Creator Audits Are Here

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Email Template #2: If It’s Your First Time at the Event

Even if you’ve never been, you can still land partnerships, you just need to show that you’re prepared, professional, and have content ideas. This version below includes a media kit instead of past event links.