You have likely started looking for locations that meet your needs. It’s time to see if this is a go. Venue managers will need to be convinced that you’re on your game and will bring value to their own work either by way of business to them, permitting fees, or exposure of the venue. Don’t forget that event managers have to believe you can pay the bills, which means they need to buy into your concept. Think of it like an open house. There are a lot of lookyloos, but if the house is a find it pays to show you can move when it’s time.
1. The Ideal Date. Knowing your demographic will help with this. Weather can be a factor, as will unique details like wildflowers and how busy your town is (ie, if you live in a college town and you attract college students, summer’s probably not a brilliant idea). If you’re attracting regular competitors, check race calendars and find out what people’s training schedules are. If it’s a school event, put it closer to September, when everyone is excited about school, rather than June, when everyone is over it. You may consider piggy backing on an already existing draw if the event compliments it. Remember to check the calendar for competing events at least two hours’ drive away.
2. The Ideal Location. This should be at the forefront of your mind when it comes to your event. What will make people come to your location? Proximity to a city center? The natural beauty? Do you want to show people something no one knows about? Once you know the attractions of your location you can start looking for venues that fit your needs. Sometimes it’s really just about finding a parking lot. In the end, it’s not the beauty and quality of the course that keeps ‘em coming, but the story.
3. The Ideal Course. Just as location should have been your true inspiration, now the details of the course come together. Who. Why. What. Questions like what will be physically appropriate for what you want? How much parking will you need for visitors (a good rule of thumb is one car to every two participants)?
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