Combining a vigorous attendee activity with a corporate social responsibility element can put a planner ahead in the race when it comes to meeting perception challenges.
Los Angeles-based Off ’N Running Tours (ONRT) offers 5K runs and walks that serve to get the blood pumping and create networking opportunities, while also contributing to charities.
And for planners who may be concerned about the difficulty of setting up such a program—such as securing city permits, registering runners and walkers, arranging for prizes and race monitoring—ONRT says it can handle it all via an extensive network of contacts in major cities and its own experience working large events such as the recent ASAE Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
"I really take care of everything, except the client has to get the sponsor to pay for their event and market to their attendees—and I help them with that," says Cheryl Anker, president of Off ’N Running Tours.
ONRT has been offering "convention races" since 2002 and has found that there are various ways to get attendees interested in participating, and cater to the hard-core runners as well as those who just want to put a mile or two on their sneakers for charity and networking.
"We can have walkers and do half the distance or a mile, so then you’ll have more people," Anker says.
The ASAE run, for example, raised money for Los Angeles charity the Midnight Mission, and registration for the event was handled through the main ASAE annual meeting site.
Anker says Off ’N Running Tours can even help with securing a sponsorship, which can be critical when planning a large program tied to a big association meeting.
And besides the obvious competitive fires that are lit and the good feelings that come from contributing to a worthy cause, attendees also enjoy the conviviality that comes from hitting the streets of the host city to either leave their colleagues in the dust or enjoy the sights and sounds at the back of the pack.
