Whova announced on 19 October 2026 that organisers can now attach a paid sponsor to the Leaderboard Contest in its event app. The sponsor’s name and logo appear on the contest’s rankings page in the mobile and web apps and on the prize details page. The same update adds a single setting that boosts the points attendees earn across all engagement features. This report is based on Whova’s own announcement; we have not used the feature.
How the sponsorship works
The Leaderboard Contest awards points for activity such as answering live polls and surveys, giving session feedback and joining discussions. Organisers set it up on the Gamification page of the Engagement tab, choosing either a raffle, where points become entries, or rank-based winners, then write a prize description and set an end date. The contest starts when the event app is published.
A new dropdown lets the organiser pick one sponsor from those already added as paid sponsors in Whova’s Sponsor Center. Only one sponsor can be attached to a contest, and it can be changed until the contest starts. Whova suggests selling the placement as an exclusive item in a premium package or as a separate add-on, and asking the sponsor to provide the prize.
The points boost
Organisers previously set point values feature by feature. The contest set-up page now offers Default (1x), Moderate Boost (2x) and Maximum Boost (3x), applied to every enabled engagement feature where attendees can earn points, including surveys, session feedback and live polling.
What it changes for event teams
Gamification is usually sold to organisers as an engagement tool. This update makes it a piece of sponsor inventory as well, alongside the banners, session sponsorships and announcement screens Whova already offers. That can help an organiser who needs another item to fill a sponsorship tier, but the value of the placement depends on how many attendees actually take part in the contest, so check participation at your previous events before pricing it.
A sponsor-funded prize also raises practical questions the announcement does not answer: who chooses and delivers the prize, how winners are contacted, and whether the sponsor receives any information about winners or participants. Agree those points in the sponsorship contract and in your attendee privacy information rather than assuming them. Boosting points across every feature is quick, but it rewards all activities equally; if survey and feedback responses are what you need most, check whether individual point values still suit your goals.
Sources
- Whova: Give Sponsors More Visibility with Whova’s New Leaderboard Contest Sponsorship (19 October 2026)
- Whova release announcements
Sources checked 20 October 2026. Features are described from Whova’s own announcement. Event Tech News has not tested them.
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