MORE THAN JUST MUD:
HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE A
MOB™ EVENT
Liam Brenner of Ruckus Sports
Tim Scrivner of Jailbreak Race Events
September 18, 2012
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WEBINAR FORMAT
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TODAY’S SPEAKER
Liam Brenner, Ruckus Events
― Co-Founded The Denver Marathon
⁃ 2006 – 2008 from zero to 10 thousand participants
⁃ 2008 named Runner’s World Top Ten To Do
⁃ Sold in Dec 2009 to Competitor Group
― 2010 Founded Ruckus Sports, LLC
⁃ 6 Events in five states in 2012
Liam Brenner
― 2012
⁃ Developed and launched The Walking Dead Escape
⁃ First event held during Comic-Con, the largest pop-culture
conference in North America
www.runruckus.com
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TODAY’S SPEAKER
Tim Scrivner, Run the Jailbreak Events
Tim Scrivner (right) with partner
Craig Laughlin
― Since 2002 owner/manager of health & fitness clubs
― 2006 worked with officials in Dish, TX, to get citizens successfully
engaged in activity
⁃ Won the Governor’s prize for Texas’ fittest city
⁃ Gained experience working with media & local gov’t and getting
people active for a purpose
⁃ Continued to organize local 5k running events
― 2010 participated in the Warrior Dash
― 2010 first Jailbreak event
⁃ Successful 1st event led to expansion
⁃ Currently 4 events annually, with more in planning
www.runthejailbreak.com
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Poll question: Let’s hear from you…
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CURRENT EVENT FORMAT
Tim Scrivner
⁃ Jailbreak Events
“Get dirty, have fun, do good!”
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CURRENT EVENT FORMAT
Liam Brenner
⁃ Ruckus Runs
“Exhilaration does not come easy”
⁃ The Walking Dead Escape
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WHY A MOB™ EVENT?
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WHY A MOB™ EVENT?
― Tim Scrivner
⁃ “It’s a blast!”
⁃
If done right, you create a once-in-a-lifetime memory
⁃
It’s not just another mud run when you deliver a
unique atmosphere and experience.
― Liam Brenner
⁃ Groups & Fun
⁃
85%+ participate as groups
⁃
Smiles everywhere
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WHY NOT A MOB™ EVENT?
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WHY NOT A MOB™ EVENT?
― Liam Brenner
⁃ Operational complexity
⁃ Dynamic risk management issues
⁃ Hyper competitive market
― Tim Scrivner
⁃ Events compete on the experience, differentiation is hard to achieve & sustain
⁃ Depending on format, production costs can be very high
⁃ Safety precautions, medical support planning & staffing are more critical
⁃ Charity fundraising campaigns are not as impactful
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IT’S MORE THAN JUST MUD
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WHAT MAKES A MOB™ SO DIFFERENT?
― Liam Brenner
⁃ Marketing - Groups
⁃ Logistics compared to a road race
⁃
Build
⁃
Race Team
⁃
Logistics
⁃
Medical
⁃ Risk management
⁃
Insurance
⁃
Injuries
⁃
Waivers/Legal
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WHAT MAKES A MOB™ SO DIFFERENT?
― Tim Scrivner
⁃ The experience.
⁃
It’s got to be unlike any other event and we carry through on our theme at every touch-point
⁃ High-value experience
⁃
Production costs are higher, so is our price point, & we have to deliver value to our customers
⁃ The course (of course!)
⁃
Safety first, marking every obstacle – natural or manmade
⁃
Planning the sequence of obstacles for optimal flow of participants
⁃ Operations
⁃
Building & maintaining obstacles can be costly and labor-intensive
⁃
Clean-up after events is massive since participants remain on-site after the event
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WHAT MAKES A MOB™ SO DIFFERENT?
― Tim Scrivner
⁃ Medical support planning & staffing
⁃
Professional medical support staff
⁃
Volunteer assignments along course (runners should never
go more than ¼ mile without seeing a volunteer)
⁃ Participant communication
⁃
More complex instructions, sent more often
⁃
Social media feedback is immediate & vocal
⁃ Finances & liability
⁃
Don’t look for the best bargain, know your numbers to not
overpay yet secure needed coverage
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LESSONS FOR EVERY
RACE DIRECTOR
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LESSONS FOR EVERY RACE DIRECTOR
― Tim Scrivner
⁃ Brand your event
⁃
Know what makes your event unique and what you offer
⁃
Make it easy for people to relate to your brand and to share your story
with others
⁃ Leverage relationships
⁃
Partnership marketing, charity alliances, local government agencies, etc,
can be your best promoters - a lot of “shaking hands and kissing babies”
⁃
Human interest stories that come from event & participants can be
leveraged for exposure
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LESSONS FOR EVERY RACE DIRECTOR
― Tim Scrivner
⁃ Deliver value
⁃
To participants, who expect a quality experience that meets or exceeds
what they paid
⁃
To partners & sponsors – learn what matters to them and provide the
value that makes it worthwhile for them to support you
⁃ Price points are relative to expectations
⁃
Many participants conditioned to a higher price point for a quality event
⁃ Don’t forget your staff & volunteers
⁃
Their attitudes can make or break a participant’s experience, so keep
them motivated and make sure they know they are valued
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LESSONS FOR EVERY RACE DIRECTOR
― Liam Brenner
⁃ Planning - What kind of course are you building?
⁃
Mud Run vs Obstacle Course Race
⁃ Differentiation for your product: Who are you selling to?
⁃ Quality, Quality, Quality: Customers are smart
⁃ Always improve & invest
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Poll question: Let’s hear from you…
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WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR
MOB-STERS?
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THE FUTURE OF MOB™ EVENTS
― Tim Scrivner
⁃ The only constant is change
⁃
It’s more than just mud. Always looking for the “next thing.”
⁃
Focus now on building our database and community of satisfied customers so we’ll have a
base for marketing the next event.
― Liam Brenner
⁃ Industry will further segment into niche products
⁃ Higher regulatory environment
⁃ Significant growth & competition
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Click on the “Q&A” tab & type in the text window
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THANK YOU
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