Annual survey makes optimistic reading
Last year had fundraisers rubbing their hands as mass participation events continued to recover to pre-covid levels, research has found.
Findings contained in the annual Mass Participation Pulse, which gives an insight for organisers and organisations into trends around mass participation events, shows organisers attracting new audiences.
And that these new audiences are younger, well-educated, relatively wealthy and more likely to be female than existing event participants.
Of the 20,000 people surveyed, it was revealed that they are spending more on events and apparel, travelling further to take part and signing up to mass participation events earlier than at any time since the pandemic.
Sentiment around finances for the year is more positive than the survey has seen at any point in the last three years but cost of living pressures, the report states, have not gone away for many
Nevertheless the year ahead is looking positive with 32% of respondents expecting to increase the number of events they plan to take part in this year.
There appears to be a win-win relationship between charities and event organisers. Charities help to drive event recruitment as a significant way for participants to hear about events, and events support charities in recruiting new fundraisers.
Notably, 48% of those who fundraised for charities through participating in an event were supporting that charity for the first time and on average, participants raised £1,425, meaning that the event participants surveyed raised well over £3 million in 2024.
Some 58% of fundraisers are likely to fundraise for a charity again, although there does seem to be an opportunity for charities to influence the 24% who are as yet undecided on whether to fundraise again and to better understand why almost 20% of fundraisers don’t expect to support that charity again.
The report states: “For a report that came about because of concerns about a slower-than-expected return to events post-pandemic, it is particularly pleasing to see many of our partners, reporting event entry levels well beyond 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
“This suggests that, as an industry, we are well and truly back on track and can start looking forward instead of back.”
An impressive 90% of participants think the events they take part in are well organised. People generally feel safe and secure when participating in events, with only 2% of men and 3% of women expressing any concerns about their safety at events.
The perception of the value that events offer has also improved significantly since last year. Whether due to the higher quality of experience provided by organisers or other prices catching up, 45% of respondents now think that events offer good value for money. almost double the 23% who felt that way last year.
And no surprises that social media and recommendations from friends and family are now the most common way for people to hear about events.
The report adds: “Looking ahead, the outlook for 2025 is optimistic, with many participants planning to increase their event involvement. However, the slight decrease in overall positive sentiment compared to last year suggests that growth may begin to stabilise.
“To maintain momentum, event organisers will need to focus on participant experience, tackle barriers to entry and continue to attract and retain the new generations of participant.
It has been a long time coming but the mass participation events industry is back on track, with significant opportunities for growth and development in the year and years ahead.
“By better understanding participant needs and trends; event organisers, brands, platforms and others can hopefully make the most of these opportunities and contribute to a vibrant and thriving industry.”
