AMPSEA conference hears of ongoing growth in mass participation events around the world

Against a backdrop of growth in mass participation sporting events, both domestically and internationally, the Australian Mass Participation Sporting Events Alliance (AMPSEA) has successfully staged its third annual conference.

Held yesterday (Tuesday 26th November) at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium - conference speakers shared their experiences of events, trends, data usage, technology, volunteering and security.

The conference also saw the launch of AMPSEA’s ECAL-powered National Events Calendar.

Among presentations, John Perisco, Australian Sports Commission advisor and Executive Director of Sports Tech Partners and the Sports Tech College, advised of the rising importance of Australia’s sports tech industry while Mike Morris, Head of Sales and Commercial Strategy for ActiveXchange, covered utilising data to optimise participation and reach.

Shannan Gove, Managing Director of Rosterfy, charted the rise of Rosterfy from a start-up to a top 20 growth company, touching on trends in volunteering with key learnings from both London and Chicago Marathons.

In addition, Ben Muldoon, Director of Operations - APAC, for Conference sponsor Race Roster, shared trends and data from the events industry while conference MC David Culbert shared his reflections on the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.

Culbert also pointed to the latest AusPlay survey showing the rise of informal sports walking, and running/jogging remain the most popular areas of physical and sporting activity for Australians.

A session covering strategy for the industry conducted among delegates by AMPSEA Board member and Managing Director of Tasmanian based Epic Events and Marketing Pty Ltd, revealed ongoing support for the association but also concerns about rising costs in the industry.

In closing remarks from AMPSEA Chair Chris Heverin, shared his frustration at the organisation having been unsuccessful in efforts to reach out to national sporting organisations who might be expected to have an interest in mass participation, along with the association’s aim to have the Australian Sports Commission consider sport beyond two areas of activity: elite and community.

Image: Members of the AMPSEA board at the conference.