Getting families active - North Shore City Beach Series
Overview
Local sporting and recreational events can deliver a huge amount of good to the community. While they may not generate the financial return of major events, the social, cultural and environmental benefits can be significant. That’s exactly what Auckland’s North Shore City Council (NSCC) has experienced, as naming sponsor of the North Shore City Beach Series.
The series marked its fourth season in the summer of 2008-09. Based at Takapuna Beach, it now spans 18 Tuesday evenings. Participants can choose to swim, kayak or run, and everyone is welcome to sign up, from novice athlete to Olympian. Further, there’s real effort to appeal to children, with several age-group categories and distances. Many families take part and enjoy time together: it all adds up to a convenient and inspirational focus for Aucklanders to get out and be active, week after week.
Background & partners
The first Beach Series occurred in the summer of 2005-06. The initial idea came from Scott Rice of Quantum Events, which also now organises the Sovereign New Zealand Ocean Swim Series (www.oceanswim.co.nz) and the Champ Wag ‘n Walk fun walk and festival (www.wagnwalk.co.nz).
How did it start? “There used to be a surf ski series, which the organiser asked me to manage. The sponsor at that time wanted to offer more than surf skiing. I was already organising a couple of ocean swims at that time – it seemed a good idea to put in a swim and run as well,” Scott recalls.
Scott already had a relationship with the Council, through his swim events. He put together a proposal for NSCC to get involved as sponsor. “They thought it was a good idea and away we went.”
As the naming sponsor, NSCC supports the series with $20,000 per annum, as well as with a considerable in-kind package that includes marketing and promotion (see below). Another $10,000 has been made available through Council’s In2it Project which aims to increase the participation rates of young people.
“The series ticks all the boxes for us,” enthuses Jennah Wootten, the North Shore City Council’s Manager – Events, City Promotions and Tourism. “It makes fantastic use of our natural environment. For swimming, running, and kayaking, the Takapuna Beach setting is superb.”
The series now has over a dozen sponsors, many from the local community (there are over 100 shops and cafes within a few minutes’ walk of Takapuna Beach). “There’s a real acknowledgement [from local businesses] that this is a local event. They see the value in playing host,” Jennah remarks.
Scott notes that Quantum takes pride in delivering to both competitors and sponsors. “We have gold, silver and bronze tiers of sponsorship, with clear benefits to each. A series like this gets a real loyalty from participants, and the sponsors benefit from that. About half our sponsors have been here since the first series.”
Sponsors: North Shore City, Les Mills Takapuna, North Shore Times, More FM Auckland, Berkeley Cinemas, Tea Total, Pure Blonde, Balance Muscle Technology, Blue Seventy, United Travel Takapuna, Anne Land Dynamics, Point 5, Fergs Kayaks, Caffe Massimo, and Bearcom.
The initiative
“The race nights are an incredible spectacle to both watch and participate in,” says Jennah.
For adults, the three options are a 1km ocean swim, a 5km beach run, and a 5km paddle. For six races through the season, the swim extends to 1.5km; while for children the distances are shorter.
Over 1400 joined in the fun at least once during the last season (316 of them aged under 15). Average numbers per race have grown year on year: 160 a night in 2005/06, 250 a night in 2006/07, 350 a night in 2007/08, and 400 a night in 2008/09. Some races in the last season saw almost 500 people.
Everyone uses the same start and finish line, regardless of whether they’re running, swimming or paddling. All entrants wear a timing chip, which means accurate electronic timing and results the same evening on the web site. There’s strong emphasis on safety and helping people to gain confidence. Competitors purchase and wear high-visibility vests and caps.
People can enter via the series web site or simply turn up at Takapuna Boating Club on the night. To speed check-in and encourage people to come along every week, there’s also the choice of season, half season and four-race passes, which can be purchased online, at a discount rate.
Competitors can choose which discipline they wish to participate in on event night. Some choose to change discipline on a weekly basis; others stick to a single discipline right through the series.
For the last two seasons, the scope has been widened to specifically encourage young people. There’s a 2.5km run course for age groups under-8, 9-10, and 11-12. What’s more, there’s a novel approach to the children’s racing - they start together with the adults. So a seven year old can be on the start line alongside a champion athlete.
This encouragement carries on through the event experience, for example with the web site linking to www.in2it.org.nz which highlights city-wide opportunities for young people to get active.
“The series provides a unique opportunity for families to participate in an event together while still challenging their individual abilities,” says Jennah. “It’s a special moment when you see young children lining up next to mum, dad and other adults in their own event vests, with faces absolutely beaming – it’s brilliant.”
Each race concludes with a prize giving, including spot prizes. There are points for participation as well as placing, accumulating towards the ‘best of six races’ competition. At season’s end, there’s a big prize-giving event. Beach Series champions and place-getters are awarded for each discipline and age group.
Council is ideally placed to help promote the series. Flyers are included with mailed rates notifications, which go to 85,000 households. The series is featured in the Council’s bi-monthly What’s On events guide, again mailed to all households within North Shore City. There’s also temporary use of billboards and cross-street banners, and promotion in Council owned North Shore Leisure facilities.
As Jennah observes: “we make it easy for our community to be aware of the fantastic opportunities available to them with the North Shore City Beach Series”.
Key benefits
“We class this as a signature event in our sponsorship portfolio,“ Jennah explains. “Our signature events are those we know are important to our Community and make a real difference on a regular basis.” As such, the Council assesses benefits in terms of the social, cultural, and environmental; but not the economic. Local cafes and businesses certainly gain patronage, but for the Council, that’s a bonus, rather than a driving goal. Council has not done an analysis of financial return, as they would with a nationwide event, such as the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Jennah says that the Beach Series falls exactly in line with the Council’s events strategy. This states that:
Events help provide a great city to live, work play and learn. They enrich our lives by providing opportunities to engage and interact, explore culture, participate in sporting and recreational activities and celebrate our city … Events contribute powerfully to expressing and growing those very qualities of a place that make it unique, give it value and make it worth living in.”
- A major benefit for both participants and organisers is the convenience of the location – it’s a race in the heart of the city but with the freedom of Takapuna beach. There’s no need for road closures. There’s parking on hand. It’s safe, and beautiful.
- The convenience has special appeal for families. Parents can pick their children up after school, take them to the beach, and get home without a late night. The week on week format means children learn to love an active lifestyle – rather than just a single event. They have the motivation of seeing their skills and fitness improve. The 2008/09 season saw 316 children aged under 15 taking part; a rise from 165 the previous year.
- Beach Series participants can take advantage of free training workshops with top athletes, such as Dean Kent (swimming), Ian Fergusson (kayaking) and Tom Mayo (running). There were nine free workshops during the 2008/09 season.
- For the Council’s staff, numbering around 2000, the Beach Series is a great team and fitness builder. Jennah has done the run. She notes that kayaks and wetsuits are often brought into work on Tuesdays. “There are an enormous number [of staff] who take part,” she says. The series is promoted in a variety of regular staff publications.
- Jennah notes the importance of a good event organiser for long-term success. She says Scott is extremely focused on continual improvement of the series, setting and tracking goals and making sure they are achieved. “I deal with over 80 organisers and there’s no doubt that Quantum Events are right up in terms of professional delivery and ongoing management,” she says.
- The event web site is a big driver for the Beach Series, gaining 80,000 hits (21,000 unique hits from different users) in the 2008-09 season. That brings awareness to the sponsors and series itself – and continually reinforces the message of getting active and having fun.
Looking ahead
How does it feel to be organising an event like this? “That’s something we don’t stop to think about often!” says Scott. “It’s a great feeling to see the event make a difference to people’s lives - people doing what they didn’t think they could do. The event is very inclusive. There are all levels. It’s great to be getting that balance right.”
“We want to keep growing the event - but not so it gets too big for itself,” Scott says. During the 2009/10 season, Quantum will focus on further speeding registration, ensuring greater accuracy in timing, and increasing the span of marketing.
“Sometimes it’s the simple things you need to think about,” he says. “If someone can easily find a car park, and get through registration easily, it all makes a difference.”
And the final word goes to Jennah: “Never underestimate the importance of events in the community. They’re a powerful way to enhance the lives of your local people.”
Contacts and links
To know more about the series visit www.beachseries.co.nz
To discuss the series with the event organiser, contact Scott Rice on scott@quantumevents.co.nz or call 09 486 0240.
To discuss the series from the Council’s perspective, contact events manager Jennah Wootten on Jennah.Wootten@northshorecity.govt.nz or call 021 277 7005
Updated | 17 Jul 2009.
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