In our second of two parts, we look at day two of last week’s Global Triathlon Conference 2013. In day one, we saw how the event offered up two packed days of industry speakers, networking and social functions.
Day two got under way on Thursday 12 September at the Hilton London Metropole hotel. A stellar line-up of speakers really did show ‘the great and the good’ from a range of industry perspectives – including athletes, brand owners and event organisers.
First up on day two was the legend that is Chrissie Wellington. As a keynote speaker, the four time Ironman World Champion presented ‘In My Opinion: A Candid Conversation on the Future of Triathlon’. Chrissie started by outlining that the industry “has to set a really clear goal about what we want our sport to look like.”
Chrissie noted that the relay format spreads the cost and attracts new participants. In tandem with this, the industry should encourage car pooling, home stays and other practical considerations to help reduce the financial and environmental impact of tri participation.
Chrissie explored a number of other areas, such as the need to build regular TV and other media appearances for triathlon. Athletes can of course help brands build their message; and perhaps athletes can be incentivized with bonuses when they get an appearance for sponsored brands in mainstream media.
In tandem with this, the athlete should recognise his or her obligations to their sponsored brands and the events they attend. The clear proviso should be that the athlete gives back in return for financial support. Putting a structure to this relationship would help build the profile of the sport for the benefit of all.
She continued with a shared vision for the growth of triathlon that “Our amazing sport develops and prospers sustainably and equitably for the long-term benefit of all.”
This vision was underlined throughout Chrissie’s presentation. She noted that cost is one of the main limiting factors to new starters and that the industry should look at the actual cost of participating and the perception of high cost – both of which remain barriers to growth and inclusivity for the sport.
Felix Walchshöfer, CEO at Challenge Family, then spoke about ‘Building a Global Brand in Triathlon’. He outlined the evolution of Challenge from its origins at the iconic Challenge Roth event.
Challenge Roth has an estimated 220,000 spectators – according to figures provided by the local police on hand in the small Bavarian town. For the 5,500 athletes that race Roth, and their friends and family that accompany them, there are a total of 24 hotel beds. So, homestays are important! However, the town of Roth embraces this – and many friendships are made between the athletes and the local community.
Felix also noted that multisport fever has gripped Roth for many years. There are 5 bike and tri stores in the small German town. He also pointed out that Challenge Family athletes have been asking for Roth to be a World Championship event [as part of the global Challenge series].
After lunch, the conference MC Mike Reilly had an ‘An Intimate Conversation with Andrew Messick, CEO of World Triathlon Corp (WTC)/Ironman’. Turning to the issue of price, and in response to the criticism levelled at Ironman for its high price point for race entries, Andrew gave his view. “I would always like to pay less for everything, but with Ironman we’re dealing with a premium product.”
He continued, “We also look to other events, such as the ITU World Triathlon Series, and we see the passion, the community and the pride in great athletes at the top of their game. I have spoken with [ITU President and IOC Member] Marisol [Casado] and we both understand that by working together we all get to grow the size of the pie.
“At Ironman, we don’t want to be in short course racing. The 5150 short course series will be important in markets such as Asia, but it’s not core to what we do. We absolutely want Sprint and Olympic distance races to do Ironman.
“But we also recognise that as athletes migrate to long course racing they have a much better experience on race day if they’ve raced short course three to four times leading up to their Ironman event.”
A General Session then followed with Francois Calletta of Quebec Pentathlon des Neiges presenting ‘ITU new Winter Triathlon format : Quebec city world premiere’. He discussed the exciting new combination of skiing, speed skating and snow running due to land in Canada next year.
A panel of leading event organisers then discussed ‘Non–traditional Events: What can Triathlon learn from obstacles, mud, and colored powder?’ Chaired by James Robinson, Managing Director – Mass Participation Sports at IMG, the panellists included Nick Rusling, CEO at Human Race the UK’s leading mass participation events company. Representatives were also present from leading obstacle event Spartan Race and the Color Run – which has been making an impact in the UK, following success in the US.
The panellists discussed the explosion of obstacle racing and new formats such as Color Run, which merges a music festival with a 5K run and adds lots of paint to the mix!
It was noted that these new race formats need to retain athletes rather than them being more of a one-time ‘bucket list’ experience for the majority. Although, for hard-core obstacle races such as Spartan Race athletes do come back year after year.
A General Session – ‘How to Grow the Triathlon Business: A New Perspective on Marketing Triathlon’ – then followed with Raul Casañas of Orca and Ingo Kerstjens of BBDO sharing video and insights into presenting a triathlon brand to the wider community.
A further General Session – ‘Where are we going next?’ – looked at the future of triathlon and what’s next along the Road to Rio. ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado presented a final session looking at how triathlon and paratriathlon are shaping up for the 2016 games and other hot topics in triathlon.
Marisol welcomed the appointment of Thomas Bach as the ninth president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) [who took over the reins from his predecessor, Jacques Rogge, at the IOC headquarters this week.]
She noted how Thomas Bach is a fan of triathlon and that there is still hope to get the Traithlon Mixed Relay format included in the Rio 2012 Olympics.
