We’ve established The Mass Participation Pulse, creating one of the largest and most in-depth reports for the mass participation events market of its kind in the UK, having asked over 4,000 runners, walkers, cyclists, swimmers and triathletes to share their thoughts and opinions.
We’ve partnered with event organisers, brands, charities, and entry platforms to shape the future of mass participation events in the UK.
For many event organisers, 2022 saw levels of participation recover more slowly than expected post-COVID, with few reporting levels of demand close to, or greater than seen pre-COVID.
If as an industry we want to get back to growth it’s crucial to better understand our audiences for mass participation events, which the Pulse aims to achieve.
Our ambition is to report annually, to track and report on changes in the market and provide valuable and actionable insight for anyone with an interest in growing the market for mass participation events – from race directors, media and agencies, brands to clubs, NGOs and charities.
Key findings from this year’s report:
- 46% of people we spoke to are planning to do more events in 2023 than in 2022
- Event participants are wealthier, spend more and are less concerned about the cost of living crisis than the population as a whole
- Regardless of income, those who do events plan to prioritise their discretionary income on taking part in events and sportswear
- A small but significant proportion of participants are still not comfortable in crowds
- Many who have stopped doing events since 2019 have no plans to get back to previous levels of participation
- Over 65’s are the most likely to have stopped doing events during COVID and potentially will not come back
- Event sustainability is becoming a significant concern for people
- Event reputation is more important than entry price when it comes to consideration
- Not all events participants are alike when it comes to what they are willing to spend on and how they can be tempted back into doing more events
About Us: We specialise in helping brands, charities and some of the world’s biggest events to attract, engage and inspire through mass participation, working in partnership to create, develop and deliver experiences that make a difference.
Get in touch if you have any questions regarding the pulse or need support with your events or campaigns.
