RunSignup | GiveSignup shares resources for a successful 2021 at the Virtual Winter Symposium

RunSignup | GiveSignup, the leading technology provider for endurance and nonprofit events in the U.S., held their biannual educational Symposium January 26-28 virtually instead of in Orlando, FL as originally intended. More than 1,000 race directors, timers, and nonprofits registered for the three-day event covering event options and technology best practices for a successful event amidst the uncertainty of 2021.

Highlights of the Symposium included:

• Overview seminars reviewing the requisite setup of events in 2021, including Virtual Races, Virtual Challenges, Modified In-Person Events, and Hybrid Events that combine both virtual and in-person elements.
• RaceJoy Certification for timers interested in joining the 450+ providers certified to offer the runner tracking app for virtual and in-person events.
• An update on the state of the industry and the technology releases from RunSignup | GiveSignup that can help events adapt.
• The first peek at RaceTrends, RunSignup’s annual analysis of the endurance industry, including a discussion of the drop in participation (races that held events in 2019 and 2020 saw a 48.1% drop) and the impact of virtual (33.9% of 2020 events were virtual races and another 6.3% were virtual challenges).
• Twenty technology-focused mini-sessions on the essential tools needed to succeed with virtual, hybrid, and modified in-person events.
• A panel of event organizers discussed their lessons learned from a year of successfully hosting safe hybrid and modified in-person events. Panelists included Denise Piercy from Running Zone, Ken Racine from Racine Multisports, and Ryan Hite from Negative Split.

RunSignup Founder and CEO Bob Bickel said, “Like many of our customers who went virtual this year, we missed seeing everyone at our Symposium – but we were grateful for the option to continue in some capacity. With the rapid release of new features and the evolution of events over the last year, it can be hard to know where to start in the planning for 2021. The Virtual Symposium gave us the opportunity help race organizers, timers, and nonprofits prepare for the upcoming year by aggregating and sharing the lessons of 2020.”

All sessions were recorded, and the sessions, presentation files, and additional resources can be found at: https://resources.runsignup.com/virtualwinter21/