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2024: Key Insights and Trends Shaping the Future of the Events Industry

A year of events: End of year trends

2024 has been a record-breaking year for events and bookings through Eventrac, offering valuable insights into the trends shaping the future of mass participation events. With the industry experiencing considerable growth, shifting participant demographics, and evolving booking behaviours, these trends offer a glimpse into the direction the sector is heading.

The industry saw substantial expansion in 2024, with an estimated 9% growth in like-for-like events, rising to 16% when newly established races are taken into account. A notable shift is the growing participation of younger generations, challenging the traditional dominance of older age groups. The 20-24 age group saw the fastest growth, with an impressive 98% increase compared with 2023, while the 30-34 age group contributed the most (14%) to the sector’s overall growth. However, the 40-44 demographic remains the largest in mass participation events, reflecting a stable core of participants.

Booking behaviour has also shifted, with younger participants tending to book events later than their older counterparts. For instance, Generation Z booked their events on average less than 75 days in advance, compared to those aged 50-59, who typically booked around 90 days ahead of the event.

Loyalty also grew in 2024, with participants entering an average of 1.6 races with the same company, showing an increase in repeat customers. Direct bookings continued to dominate in 2024, with 95.5% of all bookings made directly through an organiser’s website. Findarace led the way among marketplaces with 2.1%, followed by Letsdothis at 1.4%, and TimeOutdoors, runABC, and other channels making up the remainder.

Digital wallets continued to rise in popularity, with over 60% of transactions being made via platforms such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link. June and September were the most popular months for staging events, while January through April saw the fewest races. Interestingly, Mondays and Sundays were the most common days for participants to book their events, with the beginning of the month showing a clear spike in bookings. The first week of the year proved to be the busiest for event registrations.

These key insights show how rapidly the events industry is evolving, and staying on top of these trends will be crucial for organisers looking to adapt and thrive in the years to come.

The Insights

The industry grew in 2024: We predict the sector grew by about 9% (when comparing like-for-like events), this number increases to 16% when we factor in newly established races.

Age group trends are changing: Historically, the older generation has dominated mass participant events. We are now seeing a rise in the participation of the younger generation.

  • 20-24's grew the fastest: The 20-24 age group saw an increase of 98% compared with 2023

  • 30-34's contributed the most to growth: The 30-34 age group contributed the most (14%) to the overall growth of 2024 events

  • 40-44 remains the biggest age group: While younger age groups are growing the fastest, the 40-44 age group is still the biggest in mass participation events

Younger people booked later than the older generation: The younger generation entered later on average than older generations. 50-59-year-olds entered on average 90 days in advance, whereas Generation Z entered on average less than 75 days in advance

Loyalty grew in 2024: On average, we saw people entering 1.6 races with a given company. A slight increase from 2023

 

Direct bookings contributed the most: 89% of bookings made for an event happened directly on or via an organiser's own website. The remaining 11% came from other channels such as marketplaces*

Of the marketplaces, Findarace contributed the most with 5% of bookings. Letsdothis with 4% and TimeOutdoors, runABC, and other channels making up about 2%

*Sample only includes events using marketplaces. Total marketplace bookings represent less than 3% of all bookings

 

Digital wallets continued to rise in popularity: With over 60% of transactions happening from a digital wallet or mobile payment system such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link

 

June and September were the most popular months to stage a race. 12% of races took place in June and September with the lowest months being Jan -> April which accounted for a combined total of 16% of races

Monday and Sunday were the most popular days for people to book: By contrast, Saturday was the quietest day for people booking events

The beginning of the month proved to be a popular time for event bookings: with a clear trend showing participants were more likely to commit to events early in the month.

The first week of the year was the single biggest week: With weeks 40 - 48 accounting for the highest cumulative number of bookings

Looking ahead to 2025, the events industry is set for continued growth, with younger participants playing an increasingly significant role. Direct bookings will remain dominant, but marketplaces can help organisers reach a wider audience. The rise of digital wallets and mobile payments also underscores the need for organisers to stay tech-savvy.

To succeed, organisers should adapt to shifting booking patterns, particularly the trend of younger participants booking closer to event dates, while continuing to foster loyalty through seamless, digital-first experiences. Understanding these changes will be key to success in 2025 and beyond.