Limelight Sports was approached to drive and grow the ‘Nike She Runs’ women’s running community, combining online and offline activity, which encouraged women to get active and share their passion for running with other likeminded women.

The She Runs campaign included training runs, product distribution and an online customer relationship management program, culminating in a night time running event which saw Sydney’s Centennial Park transformed into a spectacle of florescent lights, motivational message boards and dragon flames – with DJs on course spurring the 3,200 female runners on as they charged towards the finish line of the 13km course.

One of the biggest points of difference for the event…the finish line was inside. Runners made their way into the Royal Hall of Industries and down the finish straight to where they were greeted with towels, water, protein shakes, a massage area, chill out zone and photo booths.

Objectives

• To grow a successful online Nike She Runs community through regular social media interaction;
• To provide a successful training program and Nike product distribution service which provided all runners with access to the resources and necessary product they need to start running and to keep running;
• And, to deliver an exceptional event – Nike She Runs The Night – which allowed the She Runs community to come together in a safe and fun environment to break the boundaries placed on them by fear of running of night.

Approach

Limelight Sports was approached to develop and implement a successful combination of online and offline activity to grow the She Runs community and to keep thousands of women engaged with this community and the Nike brand.

With participant experience of paramount importance, activity undertaken included; customer relationship management and engagement through a Facebook page, Nike product distribution (footwear) driving consumers into a Nike retail store, training sessions allowing women a forum to train together on a regular basis and a night time running event.

Results

• A Nike She Runs online community of  over 50,000 built through regular posts including motivational messages, training tips, inspirational photographs and event information
• A timely and effective online customer relationship management program
• An eight week cross training program fully booked each session
• Over 800 pairs of trainers coordinated and distributed, with each recipient being driven into a Nike retail store
• 3,200 participants in the inaugural She Runs The Night event
• The first night time running event through Sydney’s Centennial Park (13km course)
• An opportunity for women to run at night and feel safe doing so
• Not just a run, but an exceptional experience, with towels, water, protein shakes, a massage area, chill out zone, photo booths, hair bands, glow sticks, coloured shoe laces and lip balm all available to participants

The format will appeal to both existing and new players and will extend the reach of the sport beyond the golf course and driving range to parks and other open public spaces.

In addition Limelight will help to bring together and integrate the non-traditional versions of golf which already exist.

Limelight is currently undertaking a feasibility study and it is anticipated that the new product will be trialled later this year. The planned national expansion will form an important element of the EGP’s long term development plan to grow the game.

The Partnership’s vision is to make England the world’s leading golf nation by 2020 and it works to increase the number of people playing golf and to encourage those already taking part to play more often. It has just launched a Get into golf campaign to underline this message.

Roger Moreland, the EGP’s Chief Operating Officer, commented: “We’re very pleased to have Limelight Sports on board. Their proven expertise in developing innovative but authentic new sports concepts will be invaluable in helping us reach new audiences and grow the non-traditional part of the game.”

Andy Anstey, Limelight Sports Consultancy Director, commented: “Golf is one the country’s most popular sports and we are delighted to be working with the England Golf Partnership to help them increase the reach of the sport.”

For further information please contact:

Andy Anstey

andy.anstey@limelightsports.com

0207 299 4169

07974 563 133

Lyndsey Hewison,

Press Officer

England Golf Partnership

Lyndsey.hewison@ntlworld.com

01603 507416

07825 752 193

Editors’ notes

EGP

The England Golf Partnership (EGP) brings together the amateur governing body, England Golf, and the Professional Golfers’ Association to grow the game with the support of the Golf Foundation and Sport England. The EGP’s Whole Sport Plan identifies how it will achieve its vision of making England the leading golf nation in the world by 2020.

About Limelight Sports

Limelight Sports is the UK’s leading sports participation company.  The agency has created many of the UK’s highest profile events and programmes including the Sainsburys’ Sport Relief Mile and Sky Ride. Limelight Sports also runs Swimathon, the annual national swimming challenge and works with the Royal Parks Foundation to stage a unique half marathon in London.  The agency also owns events such as Boutique Sport a womens only fitness programme and Home Run, which encourages Londoners to replace evening peak time public transport journeys with social runs home.

Limelight Sports has enjoyed a very successful period over the last few months capitalising on the ever increasing popularity in mass participation sporting events.  The agency has developed several new and original events as well as building on the success of its more established programmes.  Others in the industry have also recognised this success.  Last year, the agency was voted Sport Agency of the Year at the Sport Industry Awards and last month followed this up with three more major successes at the Hollis Sponsorship Awards.  Limelight Sports was named Sponsorship Agency of the Year in the small/medium size agency category.  Limelight’s client Nike, won the award for Best Grass Roots Sponsorship for its The Chance campaign and one of the company’s  Senior Programme Managers, Sandra Almqvist, won the Barrie Gill Award for Most Promising Young Executive.

The Royal Parks Foundation Ultra is an exciting new annual sporting challenge unlike any other UK Ultra. It has been created for regular runners looking to make the leap into long distance running or seeking their next big challenge.

Dictionary definition of an Ultra: Any organised footrace extending beyond the standard marathon running distance of 26.2 miles (42 kilometres).

Our definition of an Ultra Runner: Someone who takes on an extreme running challenge, one that pushes them to the limit both physically and mentally, yet helps them grow stronger!

Taking place on Sunday 7 October 2012, starting alongside the multi-award winning Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon, the challenging and inspiring route will include five of the eight Royal Parks and many of London’s iconic landmarks. The running field will be limited to just 700 runners this year.

Launch Press Release

To simulate an ‘Amazing Race’ style event for thousands of participants across Melbourne – involving Melbourne’s most iconic venues – with an even playing field for all ages and fitness levels.

Approach

Limelight Sports was approached to take an existing concept and brand (Melbourne City Romp) and to deliver the event with greater efficiencies and greater participant experience.

Results

• A mass participation Amazing race style scavenger hunt event across Melbourne which attracted 5,000 participants of all ages
• A participation event like no other, one where participants dress up in costume as they make their way across the city
• An event  which encouraged families to spend a day out together
• New relationships built with over 60 iconic venues across Melbourne

Please find link to website: www.cityromp.com

Video link: http://youtu.be/F7q-y4X7JHw

Held as the flagship fundraising event for the Burnet Institute, the Romp was unlike anything Limelight Sports has ever brought to life before, with 64 venues across Melbourne and more than 330 volunteers and event day staff.

Rompers were given a map, clue sheet and were allowed four hours to visit as many iconic and quirky checkpoints at they could using their mobile phones to answer as many challenges as they could. Challenges fell under the following categories:  trivia, history, mathematics, geography, observation and interactive.

Whilst some Rompers were in it to win it, most were out to explore our great city and to raise funds for the Burnet Institute’s fight against The Big Three: HIV, TB and malaria. And, of course to show their creative side with some great costumes – we’re pretty sure the characters from Star Wars, Scooby Doo, or the Smurfs had never passed through Flinders Street Station before the 2012 Melbourne City Romp.

Video link: http://youtu.be/F7q-y4X7JHw

]]> http://www.limelightsports.com/?feed=rss2&p=2041 0 http://www.limelightsports.com/?p=2026 http://www.limelightsports.com/?p=2026#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:33:42 +0000 limeadmin http://www.limelightsports.com/?p=2026 Continue reading →]]> More than one million men, women and children have taken part in the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile over the Sport Relief Weekend, with a record number of people taking to the streets on Sunday 25th March at hundreds of Mile events across the length and breadth of the country. Limelight event managed the London Mile and supported 16 other city councils to deliver the flagship events.

A host of famous faces joined the public to celebrate the UK’s biggest year of sport including Danielle Lineker, David Tennant, James Cracknell, JLS, Kara Tointon, Dame Kelly Holmes, Louise Redknapp, and Sir Steve Redgrave among many others.

Sport Relief has raised a record £52,070,587 to date with the money helping some of the most vulnerable people in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries. To find out more visit www.sportrelief.com

We managed to boil down the essence of our beliefs, approach and the things that we cared deeply about into three simple strands which are themes throughout our posts:

1.) Championing Participation
2.) Authentic Innovation and
3.) Being Participant (Customer) Centric

We hope that you will find the blog and our insights informative and thought provoking and of course we welcome any comments or ideas that you may have. www.redefiningsport.com

For the second year running, Bike Week is hosting ‘Britain’s Biggest Bike Fix’ – an ambitious attempt to fix as many bikes as possible during one week. In 2011, an estimated 26,000 bikes were fixed at Bike Week events across the UK.
The aim of the Bike Fix is to liberate the thousands of unused bikes from sheds across the country, by encouraging people to dig them out and get punctures fixed, brakes adjusted and gears tuned, to get bikes (and the UK) fit for the summer. The opportunity to get your bike fixed is just one of the attractions of Bike Week events. To find an event near you click here.

Commenting on the overall success, Limelight Sports’ Managing Director, Craig Dews said, “This has been another outstanding evening for Limelight Sports and confirms our belief that the area of the industry where we do most of our work – mass participation events – is continuing to grow and is now being fully appreciated and credited by the sports and sponsorship sectors. Our work with major sponsors continues to expand and our new consultancy division is growing and developing its scope of work all the time.”

Gemma has played a key role in the development of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge, the largest corporate road race series in the world. She has managed the introduction of many new initiatives to elevate the participant experience in the London event, several of which are now being implemented in other Series Cities.

Historically a team sports player, Gemma has taken up running for fitness and quiet time away from her children.

Local wheelchair sports legend Kurt Fearnley once again took top honours, with NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and Sports Minister Graham Annesley on hand to hand out the accolades. Circular Quay Australia Day crowds enjoyed all the action live, with an online broadcast direct from the Rocks & harbourside course building on the profile of this major wheelchair road race.

Full reports can be found on Sydney media and Australian Paralympic Committee sites at:

http://www.paralympic.org.au/news/eight-straight-wheelchair-racing-great

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics-2012/straight-eight-has-fearnley-eyeing-paralympic-gold-20120126-1qjpq.html

Nike Training Club (NTC) is a campaign aimed at young woman to increase participation in sport, encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle through education and inspiration. Weekly NTC live classes are delivered in a variety of locations throughout the UK with a focus on interval core, strength and cardio drills.

Approach

Limelight Sports is responsible for the day to day management of Nike Training Club live classes. This includes CRM from a participant and venue perspective, and managing all stakeholders relating to outdoor London venues.    

Results

• Over 200 NTC classes were delivered throughout 2011 in 10 locations across the UK

Objectives

Create a growing calendar of high quality sporting competitions catering for all young Londoners whilst providing a great athlete, official, volunteer and sponsor experience

Approach

Innovation
Limelight Sports worked closely with the London Youth Games Foundation and their stakeholders to create a high quality experience for all those who took part in the Games by pushing boundaries to provide new experiences for those involved.

Partnerships
Limelight Sports has been contracted by the London Youth Games Foundation until 2013 to deliver the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games and Thames Water Regatta. Limelight is contracted to deliver the operational management of the Qualifier and Hub events, working with a number of National Governing Bodies and venues across the Capital.

Results

• In 2011, over 71,000 young Londoners received an LYG experience, smashing the 50,000 target set for 2012.
• 14 venues were used to deliver over 60 competitions across a six week period.
• Crystal Palace National Sports Centre saw four days of finals competitions, including the national pilot of the Schools Games, with attendees including Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson.
• Over 3,000 people volunteered at the Games. This figure was enhanced by the continual growth of the GamesForce volunteer scheme and The Prince’s Trust ‘Get Into’ programme which provided opportunities for aged 16+ individuals to gain new qualifications and skills in various facets of event and competition management.

Supported by Olympic star Keri-Anne Payne, who officially opened the larger Swimathon Weekend event in Stockport, the Swimathon Weekend 2012 saw 640 pools host sessions for adults and children taking on a variety of distance challenges.

Swimathon President and Olympic Gold Medalist, Duncan Goodhew said: “We had a fantastic turn out at the Swimathon Weekend events over the course of the weekend. It’s inspiring to see so many people of all ages and abilities coming together to take part in this life changing event and raise much needed funds. These amazing people have raised more than £34 million for charity to date – including £6 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care alone.”

The following link gives you a little taster of the Swimathon Weekend and it’s great success:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/swimming/17906759

Look out for more media coverage in the coming weeks and visit www.swimathon.org to see why you should consider taking part.

With 30 different sports in 31 London boroughs there is something for everyone.  To get involved and find out what activities are happening near you, please visit the website.

View the City2Sea photo gallery and The Age race report.

The spirit of the 11th running of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Sydney is captured in video that showcases the race’s individual winners, participating companies and event beneficiary.

To view the video click here:

http://www.jpmorganchasecc.com/events.php?city_id=16&page=events111411

For the race report including details of the record breaking series please visit:

http://www.jpmorganchasecc.com/events.php?city_id=16&page=events110911

Create and deliver a cool Nike football experience that would leverage off the Socceroos and All Whites FIFA World Cup farewell match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Approach

Limelight worked with the Nike team to fulfil the stated mandatory requirements, to engage football obsessed teens, showcasing the tools that Nike offer to make them better footballers.

Result

A 4 a side tournament was created in the Nike Melbourne warehouse, offering a cool and authentic football experience, with an emphasis placed on football culture, involving player appearances, music, DJs, art, and digital elements combining to offer a uniquely Nike football event.

Nike Cup Video