The nuts-and-bolts: key settings and features for managing dual options and optimizing both events. Senior Account Managers Matt Sinclair and Sean Callahan walk through the top recommendations from our team.

1. The Nitty-Gritty
Technology Best Practices for
Hybrid Events

2. Hello!
I am Matt Sinclair
I’m a Lead Account Manager, and I know
a lot about Hybrid Races and RunSignup.
You can find me at
training.timingmatt.com

3. Today’s Topics
▷ Get it Right from the Start
▷ Settings to Separate
▷ Settings to Combine
▷ Virtual Best Practices
▷ How to Talk About Hybrid

4. Get It Right From the Start

5. The 99% Rule
For 99% of hybrid races, the best option is to set up your virtual options
and live options as separate events to accommodate the different needs
of each event.
Example:
1. Live/In-Person 5K
2. Virtual 5K
3. Live/In-Person 10K
4. Virtual 10K

6. Flexible Participant Management
Why It Matters
▷ 2020 Cancellations made everyone gun-shy
▷ Lives are still uncertain
▷ Transparency increases the likelihood of registering
▷ Options increase the likelihood of registering early

7. Flexible Participant Management
Options
▷ Event Transfers for easy switching from in-person to
virtual (and vice-versa)
▷ Deferrals to let runners change to next year
▷ Race Transfers to let runners opt for another race that
better fits their circumstances

8. Settings to Separate

9. Event-Level Settings:
Event Dates & Location
Most Hybrid Races customize to show the date & location of
the in-person event, but you can also change the wording to
include “ or Run Anywhere”, etc.
▷ Misc Settings for date customization
▷ Race Location for added verbiage

10. Race Website:
Before Date/Location Changes
▷ Default Date
based on
start/end dates
▷ Location from
Step 1 of the Race
Wizard

11. Race Website:
Before Place and Direction Changes
▷ Place section on Race Info page

12. Misc Settings:
For Custom Date
Race >> Race Website >> Misc Settings

13. Race Location:
For Description, Place, Directions
Race >> Race Website >> Race Location

14. Race Website:
After Date/Location Changes
▷ Custom Date
updates in all
locations
▷ Location and
directions can be
customized

15. Race Website:
After Place and Direction Changes
▷ Directions section with custom verbiage

16. Event-Level Settings:
Event-Specific Confirmation Email
Include for In-Person Race
▷ Location details
▷ Corral times
▷ Link to social distancing
protocols
▷ Deadline and process for
transferring to virtual
▷ Packet pickup info
Include for Virtual Race
▷ How a virtual race works
▷ Dates/Times for completion
▷ Deadline, caps, and process for
transferring to in-person
▷ Swag shipping timeline
▷ Virtual Results submission info
Race >> Notifications >> Event Specific Confirmation E-mail

17. Event-Level Settings:
Race >> Notifications tab

18. Registration Followup Email:
Basic Setup
▷ Enable Registration Follow-up Emails
▷ Select the intervals
▷ Save the settings
▷ Then customize advanced settings

19. Registration Followup Email:
Advanced Setup
Similar separation of details as
for the Event Specific
Confirmation Email.
Must use Advanced Setup to
customize lists for in-person or
virtual.
Email Marketing >> Automated Emails >> Registration Followup

20. Registration Followup Email:
Best Practices
▷ Drip campaign with calls to action
▷ Keep messaging concise & consistent.
▷ Don’t sent too many emails!

21. Event-Level Settings:
Corrals
Corrals create waves for
socially distant starting lines,
but are generally not needed
for virtual events.
Make sure you talk to your
timer before setting up
corrals.

22. Event-Level Settings:
To Ship or Not to Ship
What are your options for swag?
▷ Local Pickup - Traditional fulfillment, not for out-
of-towners
▷ Shipping All Swag - Convenient, but fulfilment
can be time intensive
▷ Half and Half - Best of both worlds, but tough to
manage
Address verification ensures that the shipping address
is valid and recognized by USPS.

23. Event-Level Settings:
Shipping Setup
Flexible shipping options per
item or per event, and more!
Race >> Registration >> Shipping

24. Event-Level Settings:
Advanced Shipping Settings
Additional Shipping Settings:
▷ Address Verification
▷ Shipping Management
▷ Geographic Shipping Fees

25. Event-Level Settings:
Results Sets
Keep Separate Results Sets for Each Event!
▷ Results Sets for virtual events are set up at RaceDay Tools >>
Virtual/Challenge Results >> Configure Virtual Results
▷ Maintain separate leaderboards for live race and virtual race
▷ Talk to your timer about
results setup

26. Event-Level Settings:
Finisher Certificates
▷ Always a nice reward; more
important for virtual events.
▷ Customize look and feel to
match the type of event. In-
person races may include
placement, but virtual races
typically do not.
RaceDay Tools >> Results >> Customize Finisher Certificate

27. Event-Level Settings:
Digital Bib
▷ Go viral, encourage sharing
▷ Separate ranges and options
RaceDay Tools >> Bibs >> Customize Digital Bib

28. Settings to Combine

29. Why Combine Settings
The Settings that you are combining across events are all about
creating a cohesive event and ensuring that your virtual
participants feel as much like part of the experience as your on-
site participants.

30. Race Settings:
Photos
▷ Enable (and encourage)
participant photo uploads
▷ Photo watermarks are an
option for additional race
exposure and/or as a sponsor
perk
Photos >> Photo Setup

31. Race Settings:
Social Teams
The most literal way to encourage participants to join together is to have them
on teams together
30% of participants join teams when they are available
▷ This is steady post-Coronavirus
If teams are social (not scored), allowing participants to join any event expands
the network of friends and family that a participant can reach out to.
Participants >> Groups/Teams >> Setup

32. Race Settings:
Incentivizing Social Teams
Automate discounts/refunds for anyone on a team that hits a certain size. This
satisfies the “discount demand” while incentivizing price-sensitive participants to
recruit family and friends.
Example:
▷ Regular registration for $39, with a $5 discount
for members of groups of more than 5.
▷ First 4 registrants pay $39. The fifth registrant
(and everyone after) pays $34, and the first 4
are refunded $5.
Participants >> Groups/Teams >> Pricing Setup

33. Race Settings:
Referral & Swag Rewards
▷ Your participants are the most
effective advocates for your
challenge.
▷ Incentivize your participants to
refer their friends & family by
rewarding them with refunds,
swag, and recognition.
Promotion >> Referral Tracking >> Setup

34. Race Settings:
Referral & Swag Rewards
Back in 2018, we declared that 100% of RunSignup employees recommend
referral rewards as the most efficient marketing tool. With virtual events
and more online activity…
▷ Average number of registrations from referrals is up from ~7% to over
18%.
▷ We’ve seen as high as 40% of registrations from referrals for robust,
aggressive referral programs

35. Race Settings:
Fundraising
Your cause can be both the reason for your event, and the reason
participants support your event. Set a collective goal to bring participants
together.
Donations >> Setup
Fundraising >> Individual Fundraisers/Team Fundraisers

36. Race Settings:
Donation Thermometer
Add a Donation Thermometer to your cover page to highlight the progress
of your participants.
Race >> Race Website >> Cover Page >> Data Component

37. Race Settings:
Social Media Fun
Use social media (Facebook & Instagram) to connect your participants
(wherever they are).
▷ Facebook Groups: Optimal for getting interaction between participants
▷ Hashtags: Simple way to unify participants by encouraging sharing
across social media platforms
▷ Contests: Offer fun contests such as best costume or best photo, and
use social media to collect submissions

38. Virtual Best Practices

39. Custom Question for Virtual
Add a custom question asking
participants to confirm that they
know they are signing up for the
virtual (or the in-person) event.
Race >> Registration >> Questions

40. Event Display Options
Add highlights encouraging people to join your virtual edition by
demonstrating the value of the package.
Race >> Registration >> Event Display Options

41. Giveaway Description
Clarify swag pickup and/or
shipping policies.
Race >> Giveaways/Add-ons >> Giveaway

42. Setup Virtual Results
RaceDay Tools >> Virtual/Challenge Results >> Configure Virtual Results
▷ Virtual Race Hub: runsignup.com/govirtual
▷ Challenge Platform Hub: runsignup.com/challengeplatform

43. Submit Virtual Results
RaceDay Tools >> Virtual/Challenge Results >> Configure Virtual Results

44. Don’t Require a Time for Virtual Results
RaceDay Tools >> Virtual/Challenge Results >> Configure Virtual Results

45. No Login for Virtual Results
The easier it is to report results, the more participants will do so - and the
fewer emails to you. Enable Option
Participant View

46. How to Talk About a Hybrid
Event

47. Celebrate Hybrid
A Hybrid Event should be an advantage in your
marketing.
SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!

48. Message Basics
Highlight flexible participant management options, and how a virtual
component allows more people to join than your local event cap may allow.
▷ Share your social distancing/COVID safety plan to build confidence in your
in-person option
▷ Remind runners of flexible options, and how they ensure value for their
money
▷ Create an FAQ page with tutorials to help navigate participant
management, virtual results, and more
▷ Thank your runners for the support, and they will thank you for the
opportunity

49. Change the Conversation
Is everyone sick of virtual? Sure. But they’re still signing up for them - all it
takes is a little framing to make virtual feel new.
▷ Race From Home
▷ Sleep in For X Charity
▷ Cyber Running
▷ Race Your Way (or Race with Us)
▷ Run Anywhere
▷ Run from Afar

50. Thanks!
Any questions?
50