Sponsorship depends on connections, not your professional network but the connection that the sponsors can associate with the brand itself. When you are researching potential sponsors, study the brand itself, the product, the messaging, and brand voice. You can do it by analyzing its marketing campaigns, press releases, online content, public footprint and try to dig into their target audience. My pro research tip would be to search where they all have invested their money, it will tell you what exactly they are planning to achieve. Budgets can reflect priorities. Finding the right sponsor can be a game changer but it needs strategy and not something that could throw off the entire campaign. Be practical when opting for a sponsorship and seek someone that resonates well with the strategy.