Triathlon Business International conference visitors concerned by participation levels

Following on from Triathlon Business International’s third Business Confidence Survey some 71% of visitors to the subsequent Dallas Business Conference were said to be concerned by a lack of growth in participation.

Asked “What do you consider to be the hot topic for Triathlon at present”, the subject of numbers on the ground was by far the greatest concern, with the over saturation of events coming second with just 10% of visitor’s worries.

Respondents frequently responded to the open-ended question by questioning the “survival” and “sustainability” of the current levels of business and participation.

Among other concerns raised were participation diversity relating to gender or ethnicity at 9%, unity in the industry to communicate clear effective messaging on Triathlon at 6% and making a success of marketing at event and retail level at 4%.

Researcher Dr. Amy Thayer spoke at the Conference focusing on “Who Are Millennials and How Do You Reach Them.”  As millennials are some 81 million strong they are becoming the most impactful generation since the baby boomers.  As discussed at the Conference during Dr. Thayer’s session, multisport race producers, service providers, retailers and manufacturers will need to pay attention to this very large market.

This demographic, while presenting the greatest opportunity to up participation, may not help retailers generate full margin on sales, a recent study has concluded.

TBI will once again host its 25,000 sq ft Triathlon Pavilion at Interbike on the 22nd to 24th of September.