For those who cover events, make sure you have some memorable pictures that naturally incorporate sponsors. I see a lot of "manufactured" pictures with people standing in front of sponsor-walls and I personally always cringe. If you even look at those pictures, it's for a brief moment.
Including sponsors
Now if you incorporate the sponsors in a more meaningful and less intrusive way, you have a winning proposition in my opinion. You target audience will most likely look at the picture a little longer, they may share it, retweet it etc. It's win win for the sponsors and the photographer.
Another important must-have when covering events are pictures that capture the mood and the energy of the event. Crowd surfing at an EDM show? A picture is definitely worth a thousand words... Take your time and find that special moment that really encapsulates the evening.
Crowd surfing
Lastly, make sure you move around to capture moments from all sorts of different angles, and if you can't use your flashes, try to use existing light sources to your advantage. The picture below captures the mood and energy using the club's lights, not mine. Since I have no say in how the club places its lights for their shows, I really have to work to find the right angles and time my pictures as perfectly as possible.
Hands in the air!