Quiet Sponsorship
The Partnership Mandate
AI in Retail, from Rarely Heard Voices, is a private, closed-door forum for senior retail leaders responsible for operational, enterprise and growth accountability. This is not a conference, a trade show, or a marketplace. The delegate group is meticulously curated, with the majority holding C-suite, Board, or Chief Executive roles. Delegate curation exists to protect the quality of the dialogue, the integrity of the room and the relevance of our Partners’ investment.
The Currency of Credibility
Partnership at AI in Retail is not designed to deliver visibility; it is designed to create credibility inside a high-trust environment. Partners do not purchase attention, nor are they positioned as advertisers. They earn proximity through demonstrated relevance, maturity, and a deep alignment with the operational realities facing retail leaders today. The result is engagement measured in trust, not reach.
We work with a highly limited number of partners across three clearly defined roles. All of these roles are structured for scale, lead generation and relationship.
1. Naming Partner: The Collaborator
Investment: $70,000
Availability: 3 total | 2 remaining
This role can be shared by two partners. Designed for organizations seeking long-term, strategic alignment with Rarely Heard Voices, Naming Partners participate at the leadership level through moderated, intimate discussions and closed-door social events.
Visibility is deliberate and earned. Participation is framed as peer-level dialogue, validated by retail leaders, not positioned as keynote authority. There is no stage ownership and no sales narrative. The emphasis is on judgment, learning, and credibility built through contribution, not amplification.
What's Included
Access
- 8 total passes (4 sponsor executives, 4 retail participants)
On-Stage Contribution
Structured thought-leadership participation within a moderated, retailer-led discussion. In the event of a co-sponsored solution, each sponsor will have a speaker on stage.
Your perspective is explored through live dialogue, not presentation. The conversation is moderated by a senior retail leader who is an existing client or peer. Where a client is unavailable, Rarely Heard Voices will appoint a C-suite member from its global retail leaders' community in consultation with you.
The session is designed to test judgment, relevance, and real-world application. Solutions are examined through retail experience, not sponsor narrative. Credibility is earned in-room, not claimed on stage.
Private Dinner
Host an exclusive dinner for fourteen guests at The Polo Bar, including one AWS representative and one Rarely Heard Voices host. Remaining invitations are allocated at the sponsor's discretion.
Where multiple sponsor dinners are proposed, invitations are extended on a first-confirmed basis. Sponsors who confirm participation earliest are offered first selection of guests.
Solution Demonstration
A contained, invitation-led solution demonstration within the networking environment. Access is selective. Engagement is conversational, not performative.
Brand Identification
Discreet logo inclusion within the private digital space and on the event photographic backboard. No on-stage branding. No promotional signage.
2. Brand Activation Partner: The Contextual Presence
Investment: $30,000
Availability: 8 total | 6 remaining
This role is intended for organizations that value presence without intrusion. Participation is anchored in a moderated, retailer-led on-stage discussion, supported by a contained, booth-scale presence. Engagement is invitation-led and deliberately limited.
Nothing is designed for footfall, volume, or lead capture. Interaction is optional, contextual, and controlled. Value is created through relevance and relationship, not visibility.
This role suits partners who understand that credibility in senior retail environments is demonstrated quietly, through contribution and restraint.
What's Included
Access
- 6 total passes (2 sponsor executives, 4 retail participants)
On-Stage Contribution
Structured thought-leadership participation within a moderated, retailer-led discussion.
Your perspective is explored through live dialogue, not presentation. The conversation is moderated by a senior retail leader who is an existing client or peer. Where a client is unavailable, Rarely Heard Voices will appoint a C-suite member from its global retail leaders' community in consultation with you.
The session is designed to test judgment, relevance, and real-world application. Solutions are examined through retail experience, not sponsor narrative. Credibility is earned in-room, not claimed on stage.
Private Dinner
Host an exclusive dinner for twenty-two guests at AVRA Rockefeller, including one AWS representative and one Rarely Heard Voices host. Remaining invitations are allocated at the sponsor's discretion.
Where multiple sponsor dinners are proposed, invitations are extended on a first-confirmed basis. Sponsors who confirm participation earliest are offered first selection of guests.
Solution Demonstration
A contained, invitation-led solution demonstration within the networking environment. Access is selective. Engagement is conversational, not performative.
Brand Identification
Discreet logo inclusion within the private digital space and on the event photographic backboard. No on-stage branding. No promotional signage.
3. Community Partner: The Contributor
Investment: $20,000
Availability: Category-limited
This role supports the community experience itself. Community Partners underwrite defined production elements that enable the forum to operate at its intended standard. These may include photography, videography, food and beverage, or invitation management.
Acknowledgment is discreet and proportionate. Visibility is not the objective.
This role is suited to organizations that value contribution to the Rarely Heard Voices leadership ecosystem and recognize that some forms of participation are most powerful when they are deliberately unobtrusive.
What's Included
Access
- 4 total passes (2 sponsor executives, 2 retail participants)
On-Stage Contribution
Not included
Private Dinner
Not included
Solution Demonstration
Not included
Brand Identification
Discreet logo inclusion within the private digital space and on the event photographic backboard
Sponsorship Comparison Table
The Non-Negotiables: A Partnership Rooted in Influence, Not Interruption
The strength of AI IN RETaiL is derived from what we refuse to compromise, based on experience gained over ten years. We do not sell ‘speaking slots’ or panels. We do not provide delegate lists. We do not permit sales language, lead capture, or follow-up without explicit consent. Press and public promotion are strictly excluded. Every decision is made to preserve absolute trust and candour in the room.
Senior retail leaders engage differently when they are not being sold to. They listen more closely, challenge more directly, and validate peers openly. For partners, the outcome is not exposure or pipeline, but influence earned through trust.
For further details or to explore the opportunity to engage as a Quiet Sponsor, please contact Sarah Smyth.