Inflatable Arches — A Buyer’s Guide

Inflatable arches elicit some of the strongest opinions, both pro and con, of all the major elements of event infrastructure. They’re easy to use (flip a switch and stand back) and relatively low cost, but are they too informal? They can be difficult to use in windy conditions, but are far more versatile on uneven…

Partner Up!

I spoke recently to a group of multisport sponsors at the USA Triathlon Partner Summit in Tempe, Az. As you may know, USAT is making an all-out effort to reverse a flattening of the registration curve the sport has experienced in recent years. The same flattening trend has been noted in distance running, to an…

Puttin’ on the Ritz

People ask me, “Where can I best spend my limited signage budget?” I’ve arrived at a quick two-part answer. The first place is wayfinding. Directional signage. You can’t have too much. In a time of too many races and too many athletes, customer service can be enough of a differentiator to keep your athletes not…

The LED Future

It will be some years before even the largest and best-funded events that we typically work with will switch to LED signage and away from traditional signs and banners. Some minor inroads in the form of digital track boards have been made, but the current economics of the industry make a broad, widespread switch unlikely…

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Why Race Signage Is Not Just a Line Item

I recently spoke on the topic of event signage being more than just a profit-gobbling line item at the Road Runners Club of America National Convention in Washington DC. (https://www.rrca.org/) There’s no doubt race directors are evolving on this issue. While some event pros still part grudgingly with signage budgets, it was good to see…