Challenge

Don Gerould, PSM President, and his business partner, Amy Tomchak, took control of the Pacific Shoreline Marathon just weeks before the start of last year's event. For the Marathon's 10th Anniversary, they were looking to make history, but as first year event managers, Don and the team needed to overcome their own inexperience. They came to Active looking to increase registration numbers and set out a promotion strategy that would help them meet their three main objectives for the 2006 marathon:

Sell-out all three courses. The PSM team understood that in order to achieve record registration numbers, the marathon, half-marathon, and 5K events would each need individual regional and local campaigns in order to launch specifically targeted promotions to the appropriate demographics.

Add "the right" charity partnership. It was important to PSM to support a charity whose budget they could have a significant impact upon in order to see the direct effect of fundraising efforts. Joining forces with The Free Wheelchair Mission marked the first time that the Costa Mesa-based organization, whose mission statement is "to provide the transforming gift of mobility to the physically disabled poor in developing countries," had associated a fundraising effort with a sports-related event. The PSM team wanted to make the most of this new relationship.

Create a "buzz" around the event and its 10th anniversary. As the first Marathon to last 10 years in Orange County, PSM wanted to demonstrate their appreciation for the support they had received from the community over the last decade, so they put together a $10,000 prize package rivaling those of the biggest running events in the country. Their challenge was to communicate this and other exciting offers to participants in a way that would foster excitement and grow registration numbers.

The Active Solution

PSM worked with Active to develop a comprehensive and flexible marketing plan in order to increase revenue and participation throughout the registration period, generate excitement around the event, and encourage fundraising. Don Gerould believes that "Marketing should be approached with the same preparation as operations. Our staff spends hundreds of hours preparing & planning for event day knowing that some plans will have to be adjusted at the last minute to accommodate for challenges. The same goes for marketing." Active worked with Don and the PSM team to create and adhere to a plan that coincides with this philosophy.

Analysis was conducted by gathering past participant demographic information (date, state, age, gender, how they heard about the race). Conclusions were drawn based on the gathered data in order to recommend nationally, regionally and locally targeted promotions plans for the Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5k individually. By focusing in on the ideal demographics for each race, Active helped map out a specific marketing plan for each race in an attempt to help each event reach its full potential.

Active helped PSM generate excitement around their special 10th Anniversary promotions by launching a National "awareness campaign" with Active Special Offers & Runners World. The 10th Anniversary Celebration included more than $250,000 in participant prizes and bonuses including Sony Walkman MP3 players for all marathon participants, a $10,000 speed bonus pool for half marathon course record breakers, limited edition anniversary medals, and much more. Active sent a total of 12 custom past-participant e-mails throughout the campaign on behalf of PSM in order to market these individual promotions. PSM also took advantage of advertising opportunities in Active Special Offers E-mails, Active Women, and Local Events Newsletters. Measuring delivery rates and registration growth in the weeks after e-mails were sent, daily tracking of the PSM website (including visits, page views, entry and exit points), and comparisons to previous year trends helped PSM and Active determine the efficacy of these efforts in order to re-evaluate their strategy.

Active Giving worked specifically with the Free Wheelchair Mission in order to coordinate the first ever "Run for Mobility. Active's unique "Fundraise by Choice" tool was integrated into the event registration form, seamlessly blending the registration and fundraising processes. Adding the fundraising functionality provided Free Wheelchair Mission the opportunity to reach all 9,542 athletes who registered for the marathon online.

Results

First Ever Event Sell Out! Working with Active to target National, Regional, and Local audiences as part of a comprehensive and flexible marketing campaign, The Pacific Shoreline Marathon experienced significant year over year growth. Advertising in Active e-newsletters led to measurable registration growth in every instance.

Record Fundraising! The Active Giving team successfully helped PSM and the Free Wheelchair Mission coordinate the first ever "Run for Mobility. Fundraisers raised over $155,000 to buy more than 3,000 wheelchairs for people in underdeveloped countries around the world. Don Gerould is proud of the impact they were able to achieve. "A deciding factor for us with Free Wheelchair Mission was how clearly it is to see the direct impact our fundraising efforts have on the people it helps. It is amazing that every $44.40 changes someone's life."

A successful celebration of the event's 10th Anniversary! Led by classic Woody surf sedans and cheered on by the music of the Beach Boys, more than 10,000 participants and 1,000 volunteers came out to celebrate this, the first Marathon to last 10 years in Orange County. Half-marathon runners who could break last year's course record were offered a pot of $10,000 - an amount that was set to coincide with the 10th anniversary, and as it turned out, 37 runners sprinted past the record and split the money. It was truly a day for celebration, and for breaking records.

About the Pacific Shoreline Marathon

The Pacific Shoreline Marathon event management team consists of advisors in the fields of marketing, event operations, and the running experience. Beyond putting on a great event, the Pacific Shoreline Marathon is committed to creating unique experiences that inspire lifelong activity, including a dedication to initiating and supporting year round programs such as corporate fitness, running clubs, and kids' fitness programs.

The Pacific Shoreline Marathon (PSM)'s fantastic oceanfront course is a favorite among Southern California veteran runners and first timers alike. Participants run by the famous Huntington Beach, through scenic Huntington Beach Central Park, and along the beachfront path at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

About ActiveEndurance

Active Sports Technologies provides online technology and marketing solutions for participatory sports teams, leagues, events and camps. With a history of technical reliability and a proven track record, we are the industry leader. Active Sports Technologies offers a complete line of products and services tailored to specific sports and activities. Using our one-stop-shop of online resources, organizers are able to :

• eliminate paper-based administration and data entry
• manage participant and player data electronically from any internet connection at any time
• automate credit card processing and improve payment collection
• communicate with participants and drive participation through e-mail confirmations, reminders, and
• promotions provide comprehensive web tools to enhance the participation experience