Preliminary Agenda
Education, Education, Education.
Our primary goal is for every attendee to head home with new, actionable knowledge regardless of whether you are a first-time event director or veteran of the industry. Because of that, we focus heavily on time for hands-on technology training and in-depth education sessions. Interested in what’s happening beyond the education sessions below? Learn more about the Demo Room, the free Suite Run, and the networking opportunities.
Customize Your Schedule
While some sessions are general track sessions that apply to all types of attendees, the bulk of our days are dedicated to broken into three tracks designed to appeal to race directors, timers, or nonprofit professionals.
Because many of you wear many hats – race director and timer or nonprofit development manager and events director – you do not need to pick a track and stick to it – instead, you are free to create your own schedule from the available sessions.
Preliminary Schedule
Want to know what to expect? We’re planning on the sessions below (+ a few surprises!)
General Sessions (for everyone!)
The State of the Industry
A review of the previous two years, trends in fundraising and endurance events, and technology roadmaps for GiveSignup | RunSignup products.
The Speed Round: The Can’t Miss Edition
A rapid-fire session highlighting the key technology settings and features that are frequently missed or overlooked. With 50+ suggestions, we’re guaranteed to find something new to you!
Managing Volunteers
Using the free volunteer platform and the new Volunteer CheckIn app to recruit, assign, manage, and communicate with your event volunteers.
Race Director Track
The Future of Events
How virtual and hybrid events have changed the industry forever – and creative ways to make that a positive for your organization.
Running Towards Carbon Neutrality
Join our guest speaker, Porter Bratten, to learn more about what it means for a race organization to go carbon neutral – or at least, reduce your carbon footprint.
Making RaceDay FUN
Why did people miss in-person events when virtual ones were everywhere? There’s nothing like the race day experience. Create a joyful day with fewer lines and more engagement.
Creating a Race Website that Inspires and Informs
Race websites need to balance fun and function, with beautiful images, compelling stories, and all the logistics details your participants are looking for.
Emails and Email Marketing
Best practices for marketing and informational emails – and how to combine the two messages. We’ll review best practices for email sends along with the practical usage of the GiveSignup | RunSignup free email – and how it’s evolving.
Marketing 2.0
Review the basics (referral rewards, team incentives, and social sharing tools) and take it to the next level with analytics and experimentation.
Building an Efficient Race Organization
Implementing self-serve participant management option and more comprehensive participant resources to reduce your customer service and increase your participant knowledge.
Raise More with Your Race (or Walk)
Whether fundraising is a primary goal of your event or it’s a bonus to be able to support a charity partner, you can raise more from your event in 2022. Learn more about how to boost donations, engage fundraisers, and make participants feel good about their participation.
RaceDay Timer Track
Current Timer Trends
Results from the 2021 Timer Survey – and what they mean for your business.
Timer Business Session
Get into the nitty-gritty with your peers and dive into everything from staffing and training to acquiring new business
RunSignup Timer Certification
Go beyond the RaceDay Suite with a new and speedy certification for RunSignup. This certification is designed to help you upsell your services and provide your races with assistance setting up their registration, promoting and growing their races, and implementing basic donations and fundraising.
Certified Timers Meeting and Social
We’re gathering all the certified timers for a round-table catch up on your year – and some time to network, socialize and celebrate. We recommend getting certified prior to the Symposium!
RaceDay Suite Overview
For timers who are not yet certified, we’ll provide an overview of the RaceDay Suite, including RaceDay Scoring, RaceJoy, Event Day Apps, Corrals, and more.
RaceDay, Updated
Catch up on the latest updates to the RaceDay Suite – and all the plans for 2022.
Be Flexible: RaceDay Setups
Create blended onsite and virtual race experiences with a range of race day tools.
The End of Paper
We’re all ready to put paper registrations behind us. Get your RaceDay Registration process streamlined and efficient – with easy data syncing and no more typos.
CheckIn Bonanza
Learn the in and outs of the RaceDay CheckIn App and the NEW Volunteer CheckIn App and ensure accurate presets for every event (always).
RaceJoy Refresh for Certified Timers
Refresh your skills on RaceJoy and catch up on all the new(ish) features like SOS and RaceJoy Anywhere.
RaceDay Scoring Update for Certified Timer
Just like the sport, RaceDay Scoring is ever-evolving. Get updated on team scoring and more!
Nonprofit Track
Understanding and Engaging Your Supporters
Identifying, engaging, and activating your supporters is the key to building a sustainable, long-term organization. Walk through your
Get Creative with Fundraising Events
Fundraising events can be as common as a 5K and a Gala, or as unique as a Dodgeball Tournament. Consider the pros and cons of various events and build an understanding of the events that are right for your organization.
Telling Your Nonprofit Story (in Everything You Do)
Your story is your brand. Explore ways to highlight your impact on your website, in all your multimedia, and within every communication you send to your supporters.
Build a Better Email Marketing Strategy
Email marketing is everywhere. Learn how to evaluate the best cadence for your organization, segment and personalize your communications, and re-connect with lapsed supporters.
Supporters as Advocates: Peer-to-Peer and DIY Fundraising
How do you take your fundraising up a notch? Incentivize your strongest supporters to become fundraisers and arm them with the tools to bring both revenue and new supporters to your door.
Something for Everyone: Hybrid and Virtual Events
Expand your supporter base and build a more inclusive events strategy with events anyone can join, from anywhere.
Gamification and Fundraising
Gamification, or the implementation of game-like features into a process to make it more fun and interactive, has come to fundraising. Learn how to add goals, milestones, and rewards to your fundraising campaigns to activate and acknowledge your fundraisers.
Ticket Events: Keep it Simple for Big Results
How to use the nonprofit ticket event platform to build events in minutes. Learn how to build ticket purchasing flows in minutes that are a breeze for ticket purchasers, flexible to fit your needs, and encourage additional donations.
Registration 101
Complex events require powerful technology. Get an overview of the registration technology that allows you to set up fundraising events with teams, participant management, and integrated fundraising.
It’s Event Day: Focus on Fun
Eliminate lines and increase efficiency with CheckIn and Volunteer apps and clear reporting on participants and volunteers. With logistics out of the way, take advantage of photos and social media to extend the joy long past the end of your event!
