Unplanned Circumstances Have You Canceling Your Event? Make Going Virtual Your Contingency Plan.
If you have planned a running event whose attendance has been affected by unforeseen events and you are looking for options that can help keep your event alive and your participants involved, please read ahead.
The runners who have signed up for your race will understand. The consequences that close down events: such as COVID-19, bad weather, or simply low attendance are most likely on your runners’ radars, too. They may have already asked if your event is being postponed to a later date.
If your medals and other swag have already been ordered and your sponsors and volunteers are lined up, you are probably feeling even more conflicted and unsure of what to do.
Cascade Super Ultra 50M Race Medals
Our number one suggestion to Race Directors in this position?
Convert your canceled event to a Virtual Race:
- You already have the event date – stick with it (especially if your branded swag includes this info).
- When you contact participants with news that your on-site event has been cancelled, remain upbeat and let them know that they can “still earn that medal!”, or whatever finisher swag you have planned.
- Plan a date to host an award and “finish line” ceremony for when circumstances change, if that timeline is still unknown, you can make this date a TBD. You can make this event as fun as any race pavilion by contacting the vendors you had lined up and ensuring they will still participate.
- If an award or “finish line” event is not a viable option, and if Social Distancing is still in effect, you can arrange to send finisher awards, individually, to your participants. At Running Awards & Apparel, we offer this service to qualified events.
- Stay in contact with your runners, sponsors and volunteers through emails, social media and on your website with full details of your new virtual plans.
- Use images of your swag (art proofs and completed pieces, both) to gain excitement and to ensure participants know these rewards are still coming.
- Look to established Virtual Races and glean what you can about how they operate, companies such as Virtual Run Events host dozens of events each year.
- Ensure your participants that this is a temporary, contingency plan only and that things will be back to normal as soon as circumstances allow.
At Running Awards & Apparel, our customers mean everything to us.
Family of Runners at the Embrase Foundation 5K
Our goal is not only to provide the best swag available for your event, but to also provide solutions and ideas to help you and your event succeed. Don’t hesitate to contact your race consultant with questions about all our services and how we can help you reach your event goals. We are in this together!