Sponsoring, partnering and attending as a delegate are three different ways to take part in a private credit conference. A delegate pays for access to the sessions and networking. A sponsor pays for visibility and a defined set of benefits. A partner usually contributes something other than cash, such as content, an audience or services, in return for recognition. The right choice depends on what you want from the event and how much you want to be seen there.
What is the difference between a sponsor and a partner at a conference?
A sponsor buys a package from the organiser, while a partner usually exchanges value in kind. Sponsorship is a commercial purchase: the firm pays a fee and receives agreed benefits, such as branding, a speaking slot or a hosted session. Partnership tends to be a two-way arrangement. A trade association, media title or service provider might promote the event to its own audience or supply expertise, and is credited as a partner in return.
The terms are not used consistently across the events industry. Some organisers call their paying sponsors “partners”. Before you agree anything, ask the organiser what each label means for that event and put it in writing.
What does a delegate pass include?
A delegate pass gives you access to the conference without any promotional rights. You attend the sessions, take part in the networking and meet people on your own initiative, but your firm is not featured by the organiser.
For Private Credit Days Europe 2026, the event page listed two ticket types on 2 November 2026:
- Delegate ticket: €1,699, described as full access to all sessions and networking.
- LP & Borrower ticket: €899, described as a qualified access pass to all sessions and networking.
Prices and eligibility can change, so check the event page before booking.
What are the main types of conference sponsorship?
Most conference sponsorship falls into a few types: visibility, content, networking and digital exposure. A package usually combines several of them:
- Visibility: logo placement on the website, on stage and around the venue.
- Content: a speaking slot, a panel seat or a hosted session.
- Networking: a hosted breakfast, lunch or drinks reception, or a meeting space.
- Digital: social media features and mentions in pre-event communications.
For Private Credit Days Europe, the event page describes its sponsor opportunities as stage presence, website branding and on-site visibility; face-to-face engagement with GPs, LPs and advisers; and social media spotlights and delegate touchpoints. Package details are agreed with the organiser, so confirm exactly what is included before you commit.
How do sponsorship, partnership and a delegate pass compare?
| Delegate | Sponsor | Partner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you give | Ticket price | Sponsorship fee | Usually in-kind value: promotion, content or services |
| What you get | Sessions and networking | Agreed visibility and benefits, often a speaking or hosting role | Recognition and access, depending on the agreement |
| Visibility to other attendees | Only through your own networking | High, by design | Moderate, varies by agreement |
| Best suited to | Meeting specific people, learning the market | Building profile with a defined audience | Organisations with an audience or expertise to offer |
Which option suits a lender, servicer or adviser?
The best option depends on whether you need to be seen by the whole room or to meet a few specific people. As a rough guide:
- A direct lender or credit fund raising capital may get more from a speaking role or hosted session, because it gives the manager time to explain its strategy to potential investors in person.
- A loan servicer or technology provider may benefit from visibility and a meeting space, because its buyers are spread across banks, funds and investors.
- A law firm or adviser often gains most from a panel seat, where expertise is visible without a sales pitch.
- An investor or borrower usually only needs a pass, and may qualify for a dedicated ticket.
It helps to know who will be in the room. The published list of companies attending Private Credit Days Europe 2026 named 158 organisations on 2 November 2026. They included:
- banks such as Barclays, Deutsche Bank, ING and UniCredit;
- credit managers such as Apollo, Ares Credit Group, Hayfin, ICG and Oaktree;
- pension and sovereign investors such as CPPIB, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and GIC Private Markets;
- insurers and their asset managers such as Aviva Investors, L&G and MetLife Investment Management;
- public and development finance institutions such as EBRD, EIF and the British Business Bank;
- law firms, advisers and servicers such as Linklaters, White & Case, PwC, Kroll and Hipoges.
See the full list of attending companies.
What should you ask before committing a sponsorship budget?
Ask the organiser for evidence that the audience matches your target clients before you sign. Useful questions include:
- Which types of firm and which job levels attended last time?
- What exactly is included: speaking time, session format, branding positions, attendee communications?
- How many other sponsors are there, and are any direct competitors?
- Will you be able to arrange meetings before the event?
- What happens to your benefits if the programme changes?
Agree the answers in writing and set your own measures of success before the event, not after it.
Do sponsors have to say their content is sponsored?
If a session or handout promotes a specific fund to investors, it may count as a marketing communication, and the rules on those apply. In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2019/1156 (Article 4) requires fund managers to make sure their marketing communications are identifiable as such, describe risks and rewards with equal prominence, and are fair, clear and not misleading. In the UK, the FCA’s COBS 4.2.1R requires firms to ensure their communications and financial promotions are fair, clear and not misleading.
A general market discussion on a panel is different from promoting a fund. If you plan to mention a fund or product, check the material with your compliance team first.
What do sponsors get in return for events?
Sponsors typically get visibility, meetings and a platform to show expertise. The financial return usually shows up later, through mandates, deals or investor relationships that start at the event. Measuring it means tracking those relationships over months, not counting leads on the day. Our guide to evaluating sponsorship ROI at B2B financial summits covers this in more detail. For how GPs approach these events, see our GP’s playbook for European private credit conferences.
Frequently asked questions
Is sponsoring a conference the same as buying a delegate ticket? No. A delegate ticket buys access; sponsorship buys visibility and agreed benefits, and packages often include passes for some of your team. Check what is included.
What does it mean to be a delegate at a conference? A delegate is a registered attendee who takes part in the sessions and networking, without a speaking or promotional role.
Can investors and borrowers attend at a lower price? Some events offer dedicated tickets. Private Credit Days Europe 2026 listed an LP & Borrower ticket at €899 on 2 November 2026, described as a qualified access pass.
How do I ask about sponsorship at Private Credit Days Europe? The event page has a sponsorship enquiry option.
Private Credit Days Europe takes place on 18–19 November 2026 at the Thistle Marble Arch Hotel, London. Request the agenda or see who is attending.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1156 on facilitating cross-border distribution of collective investment undertakings, Article 4
- FCA Handbook, COBS 4.2 Fair, clear and not misleading communications
- Private Credit Days Europe 2026 event page (ticket types and sponsor opportunities, read 2 November 2026)
- Private Credit Days Europe 2026 attending companies (read 2 November 2026)
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