diff --git wordcamp.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wc-post-types/views/sponsors/metabox-sponsor-info.php wordcamp.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wc-post-types/views/sponsors/metabox-sponsor-info.php
index 9bbd174a..e6934331 100644
--- wordcamp.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wc-post-types/views/sponsors/metabox-sponsor-info.php
+++ wordcamp.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wc-post-types/views/sponsors/metabox-sponsor-info.php
@@ -141,6 +141,27 @@
 </ul>
 
 <ul class="wcpt-form">
+	<li>
+		<label for="_wcpt_sponsor_country">
+			<?php _e( 'Country:', 'wordcamporg' ) ?>
+		</label>
+
+		<?php // todo add selected attribute to select and change first option value to empty string ?>
+		<select id="_wcpt_sponsor_country" name="_wcpt_sponsor_country">
+			<option value="null" <?php selected( $country, 'null' ); ?>>
+				<?php _e( '-- Select a Country --', 'wordcamporg' ); ?>
+			</option>
+
+			<?php foreach ( $available_countries as $available_country ) : ?>
+				<option value="<?php echo esc_attr( $available_country ); ?>" <?php selected( $available_country, $country ); ?>>
+					<?php echo esc_html( $available_country ); ?>
+				</option>
+			<?php endforeach; ?>
+		</select>
+
+		<?php $this->render_form_field_required_indicator(); ?>
+	</li>
+
 	<li class="wcpt-form-header">
 		<?php _e( 'Address', 'wordcamporg' ); ?>
 	</li>
@@ -204,10 +225,11 @@
 			id="_wcpt_sponsor_state"
 			name="_wcpt_sponsor_state"
 			value="<?php echo esc_attr( $state ); ?>"
-		    required
 		/>
 
-		<?php $this->render_form_field_required_indicator(); ?>
+		<span class="description">
+			<?php esc_html_e( 'Only necessary if you want this to be shown on your invoice', 'wordcamporg' ); ?>
+		</span>
 	</li>
 
 	<li>
@@ -227,27 +249,6 @@
 
 		<?php $this->render_form_field_required_indicator(); ?>
 	</li>
-
-	<li>
-		<label for="_wcpt_sponsor_country">
-			<?php _e( 'Country:', 'wordcamporg' ) ?>
-		</label>
-
-		<?php // todo add selected attribute to select and change first option value to empty string ?>
-		<select id="_wcpt_sponsor_country" name="_wcpt_sponsor_country">
-			<option value="null" <?php selected( $country, 'null' ); ?>>
-				<?php _e( '-- Select a Country --', 'wordcamporg' ); ?>
-			</option>
-
-			<?php foreach ( $available_countries as $available_country ) : ?>
-				<option value="<?php echo esc_attr( $available_country ); ?>" <?php selected( $available_country, $country ); ?>>
-					<?php echo esc_html( $available_country ); ?>
-				</option>
-			<?php endforeach; ?>
-		</select>
-
-		<?php $this->render_form_field_required_indicator(); ?>
-	</li>
 </ul>
 
 <span class="wcpt-form-required">
diff --git wordcamp.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wc-post-types/wc-post-types.php wordcamp.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wc-post-types/wc-post-types.php
index 43f3413e..2e89c902 100644
--- wordcamp.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wc-post-types/wc-post-types.php
+++ wordcamp.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wc-post-types/wc-post-types.php
@@ -1416,7 +1416,7 @@ class WordCamp_Post_Types_Plugin {
 		add_meta_box( 'organizer-info', __( 'Organizer Info', 'wordcamporg'  ), array( $this, 'metabox_organizer_info' ), 'wcb_organizer', 'side' );
 		add_meta_box( 'speakers-list',  __( 'Speakers',       'wordcamporg'  ), array( $this, 'metabox_speakers_list'  ), 'wcb_session',   'side' );
 		add_meta_box( 'session-info',   __( 'Session Info',   'wordcamporg'  ), array( $this, 'metabox_session_info'   ), 'wcb_session',   'normal' );
-		add_meta_box( 'sponsor-info',   __( 'Sponsor Info',   'wordcamporg'  ), array( $this, 'metabox_sponsor_info'   ), 'wcb_sponsor',   'normal' );
+		add_meta_box( 'sponsor-info',   __( 'Sponsor Info',   'wordcamporg'  ), array( $this, 'metabox_sponsor_info'   ), 'wcb_sponsor',   'normal', 'high' );
 		add_meta_box( 'invoice-sponsor', __( 'Invoice Sponsor', 'wordcamporg' ), array( $this, 'metabox_invoice_sponsor' ), 'wcb_sponsor', 'side'   );
 	}
 
@@ -1630,6 +1630,10 @@ class WordCamp_Post_Types_Plugin {
 		$zip_code        = get_post_meta( $sponsor->ID, '_wcpt_sponsor_zip_code',          true );
 		$country         = get_post_meta( $sponsor->ID, '_wcpt_sponsor_country',           true );
 
+		if ( $state === $this->get_sponsor_info_state_default_value() ) {
+			$state = '';
+		}
+
 		$available_countries = array( 'Abkhazia', 'Afghanistan', 'Aland', 'Albania', 'Algeria', 'American Samoa', 'Andorra', 'Angola', 'Anguilla', 'Antigua and Barbuda', 'Argentina', 'Armenia', 'Aruba', 'Ascension', 'Ashmore and Cartier Islands', 'Australia', 'Australian Antarctic Territory', 'Austria', 'Azerbaijan', 'Bahamas, The', 'Bahrain', 'Baker Island', 'Bangladesh', 'Barbados', 'Belarus', 'Belgium', 'Belize', 'Benin', 'Bermuda', 'Bhutan', 'Bolivia', 'Bosnia and Herzegovina', 'Botswana', 'Bouvet Island', 'Brazil', 'British Antarctic Territory', 'British Indian Ocean Territory', 'British Sovereign Base Areas', 'British Virgin Islands', 'Brunei', 'Bulgaria', 'Burkina Faso', 'Burundi', 'Cambodia', 'Cameroon', 'Canada', 'Cape Verde', 'Cayman Islands', 'Central African Republic', 'Chad', 'Chile', "China, People's Republic of", 'China, Republic of (Taiwan)', 'Christmas Island', 'Clipperton Island', 'Cocos (Keeling) Islands', 'Colombia', 'Comoros', 'Congo, (Congo  Brazzaville)', 'Congo, (Congo  Kinshasa)', 'Cook Islands', 'Coral Sea Islands', 'Costa Rica', "Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)", 'Croatia', 'Cuba', 'Cyprus', 'Czech Republic', 'Denmark', 'Djibouti', 'Dominica', 'Dominican Republic', 'Ecuador', 'Egypt', 'El Salvador', 'Equatorial Guinea', 'Eritrea', 'Estonia', 'Ethiopia', 'Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)', 'Faroe Islands', 'Fiji', 'Finland', 'France', 'French Guiana', 'French Polynesia', 'French Southern and Antarctic Lands', 'Gabon', 'Gambia, The', 'Georgia', 'Germany', 'Ghana', 'Gibraltar', 'Greece', 'Greenland', 'Grenada', 'Guadeloupe', 'Guam', 'Guatemala', 'Guernsey', 'Guinea', 'Guinea-Bissau', 'Guyana', 'Haiti', 'Heard Island and McDonald Islands', 'Honduras', 'Hong Kong', 'Howland Island', 'Hungary', 'Iceland', 'India', 'Indonesia', 'Iran', 'Iraq', 'Ireland', 'Isle of Man', 'Israel', 'Italy', 'Jamaica', 'Japan', 'Jarvis Island', 'Jersey', 'Johnston Atoll', 'Jordan', 'Kazakhstan', 'Kenya', 'Kingman Reef', 'Kiribati', 'Korea, North', 'Korea, South', 'Kuwait', 'Kyrgyzstan', 'Laos', 'Latvia', 'Lebanon', 'Lesotho', 'Liberia', 'Libya', 'Liechtenstein', 'Lithuania', 'Luxembourg', 'Macau', 'Macedonia', 'Madagascar', 'Malawi', 'Malaysia', 'Maldives', 'Mali', 'Malta', 'Marshall Islands', 'Martinique', 'Mauritania', 'Mauritius', 'Mayotte', 'Mexico', 'Micronesia', 'Midway Islands', 'Moldova', 'Monaco', 'Mongolia', 'Montenegro', 'Montserrat', 'Morocco', 'Mozambique', 'Myanmar (Burma)', 'Nagorno-Karabakh', 'Namibia', 'Nauru', 'Navassa Island', 'Nepal', 'Netherlands', 'Netherlands Antilles', 'New Caledonia', 'New Zealand', 'Nicaragua', 'Niger', 'Nigeria', 'Niue', 'Norfolk Island', 'Northern Cyprus', 'Northern Mariana Islands', 'Norway', 'Oman', 'Pakistan', 'Palau', 'Palmyra Atoll', 'Panama', 'Papua New Guinea', 'Paraguay', 'Peru', 'Peter I Island', 'Philippines', 'Pitcairn Islands', 'Poland', 'Portugal', 'Pridnestrovie (Transnistria)', 'Puerto Rico', 'Qatar', 'Queen Maud Land', 'Reunion', 'Romania', 'Ross Dependency', 'Russia', 'Rwanda', 'Saint Barthelemy', 'Saint Helena', 'Saint Kitts and Nevis', 'Saint Lucia', 'Saint Martin', 'Saint Pierre and Miquelon', 'Saint Vincent and the Grenadines', 'Samoa', 'San Marino', 'Sao Tome and Principe', 'Saudi Arabia', 'Senegal', 'Serbia', 'Seychelles', 'Sierra Leone', 'Singapore', 'Slovakia', 'Slovenia', 'Solomon Islands', 'Somalia', 'Somaliland', 'South Africa', 'South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands', 'South Ossetia', 'Spain', 'Sri Lanka', 'Sudan', 'Suriname', 'Svalbard', 'Swaziland', 'Sweden', 'Switzerland', 'Syria', 'Tajikistan', 'Tanzania', 'Thailand', 'Timor-Leste (East Timor)', 'Togo', 'Tokelau', 'Tonga', 'Trinidad and Tobago', 'Tristan da Cunha', 'Tunisia', 'Turkey', 'Turkmenistan', 'Turks and Caicos Islands', 'Tuvalu', 'U.S. Virgin Islands', 'Uganda', 'Ukraine', 'United Arab Emirates', 'United Kingdom', 'United States', 'Uruguay', 'Uzbekistan', 'Vanuatu', 'Vatican City', 'Venezuela', 'Vietnam', 'Wake Island', 'Wallis and Futuna', 'Yemen', 'Zambia', 'Zimbabwe' );
 		// todo use WordCamp_Budgets::get_valid_countries_iso3166() instead. need to switch multi-event sponsors at same time.
 
@@ -1639,6 +1643,15 @@ class WordCamp_Post_Types_Plugin {
 	}
 
 	/**
+	 * Returns the default value for the state input when it's empty
+	 *
+	 * @return string
+	 */
+	protected function get_sponsor_info_state_default_value() {
+		return 'Not Applicable';
+	}
+
+	/**
 	 * Render the Invoice Sponsor metabox view
 	 *
 	 * @param WP_Post $sponsor
@@ -1832,6 +1845,10 @@ class WordCamp_Post_Types_Plugin {
 				$values[ $id ] = sanitize_text_field( $_POST["_wcpt_sponsor_$id"] );
 			}
 
+			if ( empty( $values['state'] ) ) {
+				$values['state'] = $this->get_sponsor_info_state_default_value();
+			}
+
 			$values['website'] = esc_url_raw( $_POST['_wcpt_sponsor_website'] );
 			// TODO: maybe only allows links to home page, depending on outcome of http://make.wordpress.org/community/2013/12/31/irs-rules-for-corporate-sponsorship-of-wordcamp/
 
