Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile 2008
Overview
• Implement a major fundraising event that promotes a positive change through the power of entertainment
• Create the biggest ever Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile by increasing the participating towns and cities from 15 to 23
• Develop an Event Delivery Plan to ensure continuity across all 23 events
Approach
For over 18 months a dedicated team planned the 2008 event. Limelight Sports was responsible for contracting each town or city council (with the exception of London) and tasking them with day to day implementation of their Mile event. The success of each event was in the development of the relationships with each city and creation of the delivery guidelines, which ensured consistency across the whole country so that everyone from Plymouth to Edinburgh shared the same great experience.
The biggest change to the 2008 event was the addition of a three and six mile challenge to the popular one mile run. Limelight briefed each council on the change requesting they design and plan a route that accounted for a system of continuation laps with a separate start/finish line.
Each city or town was supplied with centrally purchased equipment including, functional signage, gantries and continuous branding to maintain the all important feeling of consistency. As well as event equipment, Limelight also deployed 72 fully briefed and trained team members who, with the support of a National Event Control, made sure each event was delivered to the standards set in the guidelines.
London, the showcase Mile Event and anchor for the live BBC broadcast, differed from the other 22 events in that Limelight Sports were fully responsible for the entire event delivery. Adhering to the same guidelines as every other city, Limelight planned and managed the day to day implementation of the event.
Outcome
Over 100,000 participants took part in the 23 simultaneous Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile events. To date Sport Relief 2008 has raised over £20million for excellent causes in the UK and overseas, making it the most success Sport Relief campaign ever!
• Implement a major fundraising event that promotes a positive change through the power of entertainment
• Create the biggest ever Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile by increasing the participating towns and cities from 15 to 23
• Develop an Event Delivery Plan to ensure continuity across all 23 events
Approach
For over 18 months a dedicated team planned the 2008 event. Limelight Sports was responsible for contracting each town or city council (with the exception of London) and tasking them with day to day implementation of their Mile event. The success of each event was in the development of the relationships with each city and creation of the delivery guidelines, which ensured consistency across the whole country so that everyone from Plymouth to Edinburgh shared the same great experience.
The biggest change to the 2008 event was the addition of a three and six mile challenge to the popular one mile run. Limelight briefed each council on the change requesting they design and plan a route that accounted for a system of continuation laps with a separate start/finish line.
Each city or town was supplied with centrally purchased equipment including, functional signage, gantries and continuous branding to maintain the all important feeling of consistency. As well as event equipment, Limelight also deployed 72 fully briefed and trained team members who, with the support of a National Event Control, made sure each event was delivered to the standards set in the guidelines.
London, the showcase Mile Event and anchor for the live BBC broadcast, differed from the other 22 events in that Limelight Sports were fully responsible for the entire event delivery. Adhering to the same guidelines as every other city, Limelight planned and managed the day to day implementation of the event.
Outcome
Over 100,000 participants took part in the 23 simultaneous Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile events. To date Sport Relief 2008 has raised over £20million for excellent causes in the UK and overseas, making it the most success Sport Relief campaign ever!
