Sports Event Promotion - feather flags and banners at the finish line of a cycling event

Promoting Sporting Events

One of the reasons we love sports events is the anticipation we feel, in the run up to the event itself, waking up on the day of an event with a spring in our step, and then the palpable rush when we reach the venue itself. As a sports promoter, building the hype is an important task ahead of a sporting events; this is not just to build a crowd’s excitement, but to sell tickets and secure a healthy return on investment.

So, let’s look at some of the ways in which sports events can be promoted effectively:

Get the word out there

If nobody knows about your event, you’ll have a hard job filling your venue. The internet has opened up new ways to promote, but in a large share of events, the majority of the audience will come from the immediate catchment area around the venue.

This means it is essential to spread the word, and you can do this by targeted display and direct marketing campaigns. Shout from the rooftops in the town or city that is hosting your event with a poster campaign that targets busy areas, transport routes and the roads around the arena, sports hall, track or stadium itself.

Back this up with a flyer team who have instructions to target the right kind of audience. For example, if you are putting on a BMX event, boxing card or other ‘adrenaline’ or combat sport, young men are likely to come high on your priority list. Design and print an eye catching flyer which is big on the most important details, visually inspiring, and the kind of hand out which is likely to stay in the recipient’s pocket, rather than finding its way into the nearest bin.

The final countdown

The days leading up to your sports event should see the excitement reach fever pitch. You can add to the hype by making sure you have clearance to build up a presence around the site of the venue, letting any passers-by know that a big sporting occasion is only days away.

Do this with banners and flags on the roads and around the venue itself. This shows local residents you mean business, and multiplies your chances of drawing a crowd. After all, how many triathlon or marathon spectators could be said to be athletics buffs? Many of them have been encouraged to attend by the sheer excitement of a top class sporting event taking place on the roads which they walk down every day.

Building your brand

Event promotion isn’t just about the pre-event period. If you want your spectators to keep coming back, whether that’s to an event next week, next month or next year, you should do your utmost to build your event brand. You can do this by designing some nice take away promotional gifts, such as mugs, coasters, or even umbrellas, as this will give your crowd some mementos for them to take home with them.

But the other advantage is that these items are doing your marketing for you. They act as branding beacons to family, friends and any members of the public that see the promotional item, spreading the word far and wide. This is crucial for any event that hopes to become more than just a one-off attraction.

The best thing is, people love to take home something that reminds them of an exciting day or evening and shows that they were one of the lucky ones who witnessed the occasion live and in person. It can last for years and position your sports event brand as one with which people want to be associated.

Tried and tested methods

Promoting a sports event can be seen as being just like a marketing and sales drive for any other product. Knowing your unique selling points is essential, and these can be tied into your marketing material whenever possible.

You should be familiar with your target audience, and not be afraid of trying to convert a new audience to fall in love with the sport in question. In the TV era, live events can have even more impact, simply because they get sports fans away from their screens and remind them just how thrilling it can be watching sports up close and personal, in a memorable shared experience with like-minded spectators.

If you’re looking to inject the enthusiasm you have for an event into all the promotional material you produce, get in touch with Borney UK today. We have loads of experience creating high-quality event promotion materials for sporting events, see how we can help promote your event.