Let’s Do This (LDT), an online marketplace for endurance events, based in London and San Francisco, has unveiled a new Virtual Events Hub. The company is aiming to shake up the virtual events space, which it argues has tended to offer a ‘lacklustre experience for athletes’.
“Up to now, virtual events have been unexciting, undynamic and unsociable,” said Constantine ‘Stan’ Louloudis MBE, VP Sales & Business Ops at LDT. “We’re changing that.”
He continued, “As mass gatherings are off the table, virtual events are the only way forward for event organizers, so we’re enabling them to stage truly engaging virtual events that replicate the buzz of live events alongside the convenience of remote participation.
“Our goal is to keep organizers’ participants coming back for more, giving them a recurring revenue stream even in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis.”
LDT notes that it starts with a simple premise… ‘when doing a virtual event, people want the same sense of excitement and camaraderie that they get from live events. They want to connect with those around them, celebrate their achievements, and feel the buzz of reaching the finish line.’
In the past, LDT argues that virtual events have been… ‘drawn out, monotonous affairs for participants. It’s perhaps not surprising that the experience was so lacklustre: virtual events were a niche offering, usually tied to large live events. COVID-19 has changed all that, with the market for virtual events booming, as the outlook for live events looks completely suppressed.’
LDT claims to have reimagined the entire experience with its new Virtual Events Hub offering. The aim is to make virtual events more engaging and bring some of the best parts of live events online. This includes…
Social engagement at the finish line
‘People have different motivations for signing up to an event. Some like to complete it with friends; others want a PR. But whatever their motivation, they want to share their experience with other people.’
‘After we released the option to upload a finisher’s photo, an astonishing 48% of finishers uploaded a photo when uploading their run. Participants are increasingly looking for a sense of community, and are finding it in our finisher’s gallery.’
LDT adds that its virtual finish lines let participants connect and celebrate their achievements with each other. It will also soon release features that allow participants to engage more with each others’ photos.
Engagement first, winning second
LDT has prioritized engagement with fellow finishers over rankings. The finisher board and photo gallery are automatically updated in the order of result submission to recreate a finish line feeling for participants. Participants can also filter and sort the leaderboard to see where they stand at the finish line.
Verified finishers
Participants are asked to submit proof of their activity using a running app or GPS watch. These verified times are marked by a blue tick. LDT adds that this verification confirms the legitimacy of each participant’s result, and reassures participants of the professionalism of an organiser’s events.
More events; more sign-ups
One advantage of virtual events can be reduced overheads. According to LDT, this gives event organisers more creative freedom when designing events. LDT adds that an event series offers a recurring revenue stream, and enables organisers to build loyalty and brand, and long-lasting relationships with participants.
Group sign-ups & sharing
LDT reports that it has seen participants consistently choosing to sign up their friends to join them at their virtual event. LDT’s sign-up flow aims to make it easy and compelling for participants to sign up with friends and family. For every transaction on the LDT site, it claims to sell 1.3 event entry tickets.
LDT adds that it also gives people the ‘ability to easily share events with the people they love most across social media at multiple points during their event experience.’ This is one reason why sign-ups from social sharing are reportedly increasing as a percentage of total sign-ups.
Searchability
LDT is adding dedicated virtual events search functionality on its site, with the ability to filter by location and date, making it easier for participants to find and sign up for events.
Event organisers and other interested parties can enquire about the LDT Virtual Event Hub online.
