Challenge events are growing in popularity, but with so many on the calendar, how do you ensure your event is unforgettable?

Whether it's an adventurous charity trek or a virtual race, standing out from the crowd requires careful and considerate planning to create an event that participants will remember.

Here are out top 5 considerations:

1. Big up your brand

Your challenge events will stand out if they are backed up by a trusted brand and demonstrate strong and consistent values. These values need to be understood and adopted by the whole team, including freelance team members and volunteers.

Some of the values I expect to see on a challenge event (in no particular order):

• Shared passion for what they do

• Safety

• Empathy and understanding of all participants needs

• Integrity within the whole team

• Sustainability

2. Ensure Accessibility & Inclusivity 

Having a good understanding of the needs of your participants is important. If you can offer opportunities that some people haven’t had chance to take part in before then your event will stand out amongst others.

This includes opportunities for team members and volunteers. Volunteers are worth their weight in gold medals and you’ll develop a team of loyal ambassadors if you can offer volunteers accessible volunteering roles.

Think about things like:

• Flexible shift patterns and break times

• Welfare and rest areas

• Inclusive event briefings and ways of distributing information

3. Offer Meaningful Value

How can you add value to your event to exceed participants expectations and make it a really memorable experience?

Think about things like:

• Quality and value of the information you are sending out to participants running up to the event.

• What you are offering participants for taking part in, or rewards for completing the event. Are one wear t-shirts that shrink when they are washed providing value to your event? (not to mention the sustainability issue.)

• How you can make sure your whole team (like I mentioned earlier) are displaying the shared values, after all these might be the reason participants signed up in the first place.

Sometimes the smallest of things will make a big difference to the participant, I’ve seen people get excited because their name was on their tag, or there were jelly snake sweets at the rest stop!

4. Personalisation for Building Relationships

Each person that has signed up to your event has put their trust in you, this is a BIG deal!

How are you going to make sure that person feels valued and support them in the way that’s most appropriate for them?

A few things you could do:

• Personalise communication with them could be as simple as adding their name to the emails you send

• Know their motivation for taking part - are they fundraising, if so, who for and why?!

• Allow them to make choices - do they want a tshirt or would they prefer you plant a tree?

• Answer their emails and calls and any questions they may have - yes I know it seems like common sense to you, and yes I know you’ve sent them an email (or 3) telling them the answer AND it’s on the website and in the information pack… but if they are still asking then you need to consider why!

5., Prioritise Sustainability

With more and more events being created and an increase awareness of environmental issues an event that has properly considered sustainability will stand out.

There is so much more to say about this, which I will cover in future blogs and workshops, but the main considerations you have to make sure your events sustainable are:

• Route markers and signage

• Access and land management

• Transport, travel and parking

• Suppliers and merchandise

• Litter and waste management

• Noise pollution

• Information management

If you’d like to make sure you get a space on our upcoming Sustainable Challenge Events Masterclass you can use the form below to register for updates.

"If it's not a challenge, it's probably not worth doing" :)

Tracey

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