Sponsor booking readiness · 2026-06-16

Move researched leads into approval-ready bookings.

Manual readiness ledger for turning researched sponsor leads into approval-ready bookings. Static prep only; no outreach, payment collection or inventory hold is approved.

Do not contact prospects, collect payment, create Stripe links, send subscriber email, publish sponsor claims or reserve inventory until the editor explicitly approves live sponsor operations.

Readiness stages

Exit gates before any live action

Stage 1 · Operator

Lead identified

Exit criteria

  • Prospect has a public website or official listing
  • Prospect clearly serves St Albans, Harpenden or a covered village
  • Lead route is recorded from an approved source registry or sponsor lead route

Stage 2 · Operator

Local fit proven

Exit criteria

  • Service area and covered places are named
  • Offer is useful to residents before work, school run, lunch, evening or weekend planning
  • No visitor-only or generic display-ad pitch is used

Stage 3 · Operator

Copy risk checked

Exit criteria

  • Legal, financial, medical, education, housing, employment, political and prize claims are flagged
  • No performance, popularity, scarcity or outcome claims are used without proof
  • Plain-text email copy can stand alone without tracking pixels or rich media

Stage 4 · Operator

Package matched

Exit criteria

  • One sponsor package slug is selected
  • Requested date window and hold expiry are recorded as manual placeholders
  • Buttondown tag and Stripe lookup key are prepared but not enabled

Stage 5 · Editorial

editorial approval needed

Exit criteria

  • Prospect, copy, date window, package, landing page and compliance notes are ready for review
  • Approval is explicit and current
  • Any live action remains blocked until approval is recorded

Review queue

Named prospects and their blockers

Copy risk checked · high risk

Collinson Hall

Segment: Property, lettings and relocation

Package candidate: Founding issue sponsor

Next action: Capture a single valuation, lettings or relocation landing page and remove any price-growth or urgency language before approval.

Blocking proof

  • Branch/service-area proof
  • Approved local CTA
  • Regulated housing and valuation claim review

Approval pack prepared · high risk

Bradford & Howley

Segment: Property, homes and relocation

Package candidate: Weekly St Albans partner

Next action: Capture the exact branch, valuation or property-alert landing page and remove any market-performance language before the editor review.

Blocking proof

  • Official site proof across Harpenden, Marshalswick, St Albans and surrounding areas
  • One branch, valuation or property-alert destination URL
  • Regulated review for market-insight, valuation, buyer-count and sold-property claims

Copy risk checked · high risk

St Albans Independent College

Segment: Education, family and school-run planning

Package candidate: Weekly St Albans partner

Next action: Verify admissions, course stage and open-event route before preparing parent-facing copy.

Blocking proof

  • Official admissions or course page
  • Age range and safeguarding-safe wording
  • No unsupported exam-result or outcome claims

Package matched · medium risk

The Odyssey Cinema

Segment: Hospitality, culture and independent retail

Package candidate: Referral reward sponsor

Next action: Pick one dated screening, membership or resident offer and capture prize/voucher terms before approval.

Blocking proof

  • Current programme or booking page
  • Offer terms and date window
  • Age-rating or prize-term notes if relevant

Approval checklist

What the editor needs before saying yes

Approval rule

One prospect, one package and one date window per approval request.

Approval rule

Use only proof-ledger safe claims; do not claim live subscriber count, clicks, referrals or reach.

Approval rule

Keep Stripe lookup keys and Buttondown tags as placeholders until live wiring is approved.

Approval rule

Record compliance risks before any outreach copy is sent.

Approval rule

Use public business contact routes only after manual approval.